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Friday, August 23, 2013

Doodles in Crochet

A good 6 months or so ago, I came across this picture of an AWESOME dress:


Using JUST this pic, I was able to pretty much recreate the pattern (which is rare for me since most patterns are no where NEAR this clear and easy to see and recreate). As I have been crocheting this, I've apparently somehow NOT taken out as many stitches as I've added (while creating the chevrons, stitches are added and subtracted so that the base amount of stitches doesn't really change), therefore MY dress has belled out rather than "hug" my body as I wanted it too. However, it still looks pretty good on me.

Here's a progress pic that shows that I am just NOW getting to the point where I will add a few blocks to make the skirt - after many months of working on this on and off, whew! lol.


As you can plainly see, the original dress incorporates shaping to make it hug the curves of a much smaller body, so it didn't need as many pattern row repeats as mine does. Also, I obviously didn't have the original yarn, and because the white/brown/blue is variegated (which means changes color as you use the yarn, usually on a broad spectrum so that it "self stripes"), it's actually somewhat hard to see just how many pattern repeats there are in the original, but I was able to narrow a single pattern repeat down to 8 rows. In my version, you can see that a little better. There's 2 rows of the cream color, 2 rows of the teal color, and 4 rows of the blue.

Here's a slightly different pic that looks a little better IMO :-)


Keep in mind that this flat picture of the top doesn't show how well it accommodates my very 3 dimensional body, lol! Also, when I am finished with it - AKA I run out of yarn and literally CAN'T go any further, lol - I will post a pic of it on my body. It looks weird in these pics, but it really does look good on me in person :-D

One last note, as far as I can tell, the original dress was made in the same size thread as I am using, so the proportions of the dress seem to suggest that it was actually made in miniature to fit a rather tiny mannequin for show purposes. I must admit that making tiny clothes SERIOUSLY appeals to me, lmao!

Okay, moving on! In addition to this project, I have also wanted to practice my beading technique BUT I didn't really have a project to make. SO, I decided to simply doodle, lol! Here's a pic of my doodle, but now that I have "mastered" the bead technique, I am going to pull this apart and remake it into a beaded purse or something that I can carry with me and show off proudly, lol!


I decided to tilt the piece so that a slightly different perspective could be seen :-)
Even though this is just a doodle, part of me thinks that if made right, this could have made a pretty kick ass sleeve cuff on an old-timey, renaissance style dress. Definitely something to keep in mind :-)

Thursday, August 22, 2013

Apple Wine

This wine is going to be arguably the easiest wine I have made yet, because I cheated, lol! I bought a gallon of Organic Apple Juice from the grocery store on sale for I think $6. As a fan of Sandor Katz Wild Fermentation, I decided to try his spontaneous apple cider, only I wanted to give it a little boost. SO...

I poured most of that gallon of apple juice into a gallon-sized glass jar, added raisins from a previous batch of Dandelion Wine, and then added a handful or two of fresh organic raisins. The reason I added raisins when the recipe basically calls for me to just set the juice out on the counter and let it sit for a while is because I know I have a bunch of wild mold in my house, and I wanted to give the apple juice a good culture to ensure that it didn't get moldy before it started to ferment.

I started it about a week ago now, and have been tasting and smelling it every day. I've also had to scoop small patches of mold off, but yes, it has started to ferment, and already tastes like it'll be an interesting wine. (Note, I am not posting a picture because it has a layer of Kahm yeast on top which doesn't look pretty, but is harmless and possibly beneficial.)

The benefits of starting with juice is that I don't have to worry about filtering it later on. The down side is that even though it is organic juice, there's still preservatives in it, not to mention that it has been pasteurized and also condensed and reconstituted to a standard sweetness.

Even so, I'm excited to see how this particular wine experiment turns out :-D

Wednesday, August 14, 2013

Heracles - Herakles - Hercules - Chapter 1

Chapter 1
Heracles' Childhood

       After such a difficult birth and two attempts to kill me as a baby, one would think that I had a hectic or precarious childhood. That's not true though. I had a fairly normal childhood... for a Prince and son of a God.
       My stepfather taught me how to drive a chariot. Castor – mortal twin brother of Pollux – taught me to fight with a sword. Autolycus – son of Hermes and a notorious thief – taught me how to wrestle.
       A King by the name of Eurytus of Oechalia taught me the fine art of archery... to his regret! But I'll tell you about that later. It's not important at the moment.
       What is important is that I had a teacher named Linus who taught me music. He was the son of Apollo and Calliope. I was just a little bit too young at the time, but Linus made it clear that he was supposed to mentor me in something else too...
       See, ever since Zeus fell in love with the young Prince Ganymede – whose father was the second King of the, then, relatively newly founded Troy – there has been a tradition that men would abduct boys of a certain age – around 15 or so – and initiate them in the ways of pleasure. Knowing that Linus was to have this honor – of being my Erastês; lover – he always treated me like his Erômenos; beloved.
       Those two terms were used frequently, so I feel I should explain them a bit. An Erastês was an older man – often in his early 20's – that mentored a boy of around 15 in so many things, including physical love. The boy – Erômenos, which meant beloved and could actually refer to anyone, male or female – would not make the decision to enter into the relationship, but rather his father made the decision. Once approved as suitable, the Erastês would abduct the boy for a initiation period. He was also required to give the boy several customary gifts.
       I must admit that I did have feelings for my future lover, and often wondered what it would be like – the day that he abducted me. Sadly, one day as I practiced my lyre, he scolded me by hitting me on the back of my head. In frustration, I hit him on the head with my lyre, bashing in his skull and killing him instantly.
       I had no idea that he could be killed! I stared at him in shock and horror! Slowly, what I had done sank in, and I began to throw a loud and crazy tantrum.
       Amphitryon rushed to find out what had happened and found me grieving. The authorities were called in and I was accused of murder, but I explained that it was an accident.  Perhaps because my father was the King of the Gods, or perhaps it was because I was obviously sorry for what I had done; either way, I was declared not guilty of murder.
       Even so, Amphitryon decided to send me away. My punishment was to tend cattle on a lonely mountain near Thespiae. I felt this was a fitting punishment and left without complaint.
       Time passed, and then – one day – I was visited by two Goddesses: Aretê and Kakia. Aretê was tall and a bit plain. She was dressed in all white and carried herself primly. Kakia was shorter and a bit plump. She was dressed in a way that made me blush! Kakia came up to me – I was probably 13 or 14 at the time and afflicted by the awkward passion of youth – and she started stroking my body.
       “My dear boy, choose me and your life shall always be happy and easy. Everywhere you go, people will just give you whatever you desire.” She kissed me. “There shall be treasure.” She kissed me again. “Pleasure,” she promised as she stroked my groin, causing me to squirm in embarrassment. “Women and wine...” She kissed me yet again, stroking my body even more. I had originally been sitting up, but now I reclined, almost completely under her.
       Aretê shook her head. “Don't listen to her! If you choose my path, you will have to work hard and suffer, yes, but...”
       “But what?” I wondered curiously, figuring that she had to have something that could compete against treasure... and a hand sending delicious shocks through my groin into my entire body.
       “There will be glory and honor! The people will praise you, and the Gods will welcome you as one of their own.”
       I sat up abruptly, interrupting another of Kakia's kisses and pushing her away slightly. “Glory?”
       I daresay that I was probably too young still to fully understand each of my choices. Kakia was basically offering me an endless amount of money, wine, and sex; and Aretê was offering me hardship and toil so that I could be a Hero of great honor. If I had known then what I know now, would I have made the same choice?
       I'd like to think so!
       Grinning at Aretê, I made my decision. “I choose honor and glory!”
       Kakia pouted in disappointment before abandoning me in the pursuit of someone more interesting. Aretê returned my grin – seeming a bit relieved – and then gave me a single chaste kiss.
       “Your fate has been decided! Remember, though your life will be a hard one, you'll be the greatest Hero who ever lived!”

*****

       Shortly after I turned 15, I received word that my twin brother Iphicles had been married to a woman named Automedusa – daughter of Alcathous, King of the city of Megara; which had been founded by his father Megarus. It was a highly adventitious match that Alcathous insisted on making official as soon it was mentioned, because he was a very busy man. Thus, I wasn't able to be invited to the wedding before it happened.
       Almost the moment I finished reading the letter – with a wistful sigh as I wondered how long my punishment would last – I learned of a minor tragedy. Thespius – King of Thespiae, where I was staying – had a problem with a fearsome lion killing flocks of sheep at the foot of Mount Cithaeron.
       Perhaps more than a bit overjoyed at having something to do, I set out on the adventure that very moment. Despite being trained to wield all manner of weapons, I had nothing to kill the lion with; so I used my bare hands. Men in the service of King Thespius witnessed my heroism and invited me to visit with Thespius.
       Triumphant, I eagerly agreed. King Thespius honored my bravery with a great feast. As we ate, he went on and on about how impressed he was.
       I blushed a tiny bit, and tried to explain why he needn't fuss. “It's only natural since I'm the son of Zeus. It was no big deal; I'm just glad to be of service!”
       Thespius laughed incredulously. “No big deal! Why, if not for your bravery, we might all have starved this winter! People might have gotten killed!”
       Suddenly, Thespius slapped his knee in enlightenment. “I know! As a reward for helping me, I'll let you spend a night with my daughters!”
       Where once I had shied away from an offer of sex, I now perked up. “A night with your daughters?”
       “Yes. I have 50 daughters, all born – fairly close in age – to...” He roared with laughter. “I forget how many women!”
       He beckoned me to come closer to him, and then put an arm around me when I did. “Are you anything like your father – Almighty Zeus – when it comes to women?”
I shrugged. “I don't yet know.”
       With a mysterious chuckle, he patted me on the back. “Well then, I guess it's about time to find out!”
       Much later on, I heard stories about this. Some say that the King kept me as his guest for up to 50 nights to give me time to stroll through the garden of his daughters. Some say that he had to dupe me by saying that he was repeatedly sending me the same one, relying on the dark of night to cover the fact that it was a different daughter each night. Some say that I made love to them all in one night...
       You want to know the truth? I was the age considered ripe to learn about sex and I had never had any before. When given the opportunity to spend just one night with Thespius' 50 daughters, I took it!
       They were shy at first – it was their first time too, after all. I looked around at all of them, noticing that they were all my age or older. A slow smile spread across my lips as I made some quick calculations.
       I had 12 hours before they would come to take me away. This meant that if there was 48 of them, I could devote exactly 15 minutes to each of them. That seemed like plenty of time to me!
       “Listen to me, girls,” Thespius demanded sternly. “I am rewarding this young man with a night in your arms, so be sure to make it a memorable one!”
       An astonished and somewhat excited whisper rippled through them as their father left and locked the door.
       “Finally!” The oldest one gasped in praise as she threw her arms around me. “I was beginning to think that I would be a virgin forever!”
       The rest all nodded and murmured in agreement. All except for one. She backed herself into a corner and muttered: “I plan to stay a virgin forever!”
       I shrugged. “I can respect that.”
       That was probably my last coherent thought for quite some time. The girl in my arms kissed me, and the part of me that was definitely Zeus' son emerged. I sent up a grateful prayer that I would know what to do, and I did.
       We kissed each other hungrily as we tore the clothes off our bodies. For the first one, all I could think about was burying myself deep inside her. She accepted me with a relieved sigh, and then we both ground our bodies together in a way that felt insanely good!
I don't think I lasted the entire 15 minutes that I planned to devote to her. To me, it felt like less than five minutes passed before I was overcome with the need to fill her up. I groaned with pleasure.
       Don't think for one second that she was left out! I think Aphrodite or maybe even Zeus himself was in the room there with me, because my first lover was shuddering and crying out from her own climax.
       Suddenly, I was surrounded by naked girls! They pulled their eldest sister away from me, and then vied for my attention. I kissed them as they stroked my body and sucked on their nipples whenever I got the chance.
       One pushed me onto my back unexpectedly so that she could mount me like I was a horse. She rode me until she was crying out in ecstasy. My mouth was occupied by her sisters; even so, I gripped her hips as I filled her up. I'm pretty sure that I lasted a good 10 minutes with her, but honestly, I wasn't paying any attention to the clock!
       The third sister straddled me, and by now, I was familiar with the brief sensation of breeching a maidenhead. I rolled her under me so that I could pound into her. She gasped, her eyes wide in surprise at how big I was compared to her tight virginal hole.
       After her, I buried myself inside the next sister. My lips, my hands, my shaft, my entire body was occupied making love to as many of the sisters as I could. They all moaned and sighed in pleasure as one by one, I pumped them full of my seed.
       Well... all except for one. As she said, she did not want any man, and – true to my word – I did not force her to have sex with me. I'm not entirely certain that I could have by that point; I was exhausted!
       A mere 10 hours after I started, I utterly passed out! I think a few of them tried to have fun with me again, and who knows? Maybe the part of me that comes from Zeus complied. I have no idea. I really don't think that even the hounds of Tartarus could have woken me at that point!
       When Thespius came to get me, he had to have two of his men drag my unconscious body to a guest bedroom to rest. His daughters were all semi-unconscious too, except for the one. She explained that I had indeed had sex with the rest of her sisters.
       I'm told that Thespius swore in incredulous awe and sacrificed the body of the lion I had killed to my father in a prayer that all his daughters would bear sons as strong and brave as I am.
       Zeus must have answered his request, because 10 months later, word reached me that I was the father of 51 sons – two of the girls had had twins! I didn't know whether to laugh or faint!
       But before that, I was wandering around all cocky and full of myself. And Aretê said that my life would be full of hardship! If that's her definition of hardship, she can send more my way anytime she wants!

Monday, August 5, 2013

Science Experiment

My boys love to watch Beakman's World - a show that teaches kids about science. On this particular episode, they were talking about chemistry and acid and bases. They said that even if kids don't have a chemistry set, there are certain things they can do at home.

One of the examples they gave was in the form of a challenge: How do you get a piece of ice off the table when all you can use is a piece of string? And no, tying the cube with the string was not allowed. The answer was:

Get the end of the string wet, set it on the ice cube, sprinkle salt on it, and then wait about 2 minutes.

Here's what happens:


Here's Gryffin proudly showing off his experiment, which - by the way - he disappeared into the kitchen and did all on his own without letting any of us know, lol!


You can even see Beakman in the background on TV. Yes he is blurry, but it's him, lol!

However, when they tried to replicate the experiment for Phoenix, it didn't work, but I think that was because they didn't have the string wet enough :-)

Here's why that works. The salt lowers the boiling/freezing point, so when you add unfrozen water - via the string - onto an ice cube, and then add salt, it starts to freeze the water, thereby sticking the string to the cube.

Pretty cool! :-)

Friday, August 2, 2013

In Brist's Time - Chapter 15

DAMNIT DAMNIT DAMNIT! I updated my writing program and no matter HOW MUCH I try to preserve the formatting when copy and pasting to my blog, it simply refuses to keep any of it, grr... I apologize for the crappy formatting, but for now, this is the best I can do.

Chapter 15



Later that evening, Brist dumped the contents of her bag onto her bed.

Perfect!” She exclaimed as she held up an elegant nightgown. It was a daintily knitted material that slightly resembled lace, only it was very shear, and made to cling to the body. She slipped it on. It fell to her ankles, clinging all the way, and yet flaring slightly at the bottom. She studied her reflection in a mirror. Her matching thong underwear was clearly visible, as if the material were no more concealing than the screen on a window.

She popped her Wilson Phillips CD into the player, singing along with the group as she brushed her hair, and rolled it in large foam steam curlers. She thanked her lucky stars that the special steaming box was battery operated, in fact she was happy to discover that all her electronic devices were battery operated, for they were all designed to be used while on the go. Except for her TV and etc. They were all solar powered products that her father’s company had designed, right down to the solar powered battery charger that fit every size battery imaginable. 
 
She waited patiently for the curls to set, then unwound them, singing “Impulsive” as it played. She lapsed into humming, as she thought about what she was doing. She was playing dress-up for a man that she just barely knew. A man that she had already had sex with, even though she knew she shouldn’t have, and that he was probably just a rebound fling to soothe her ruffled feathers. It helped his ability to have her that he looked exactly like her ex, a guy she had thought she loved. 
 
She was baffled by her reaction to this man. Normally, she would have taken much, much longer to decide whether to have sex with him, but for some reason, all he had to do was look at her, and she was his. He made her feel everything that Jesse had made her feel, only stronger. Plus, he vexed her, and made her want to beat him to death, which she took as a sign that he was under her skin.

And, even though she felt as if she were jumping into this relationship feet first and blindfolded, she couldn’t make herself stay away from him. Hell! She couldn’t even make herself wait for him to come to her, she was going to go running to him. She finally decided that her whole life for the past few days had to be a dream, a pleasant, and very realistic dream, but a dream nonetheless.

She mentally listed the reasons that she was positive indicated she was dreaming. First, she was over 200 years in the past! Second, practically everyone she came across looked like someone she knew in the future. Third, she was able to hypnotically remove Lucas pain, and a bullet from his wound. Fourth, she was able to recover the stolen property from the midst of a thieves’ camp, without any problems, and lastly, her sex life had been far too good to be real.

A particular lyric caught her attention. 
 
I don’t wanna think about it, don’t wanna think clear. Don’t analyze, what I’m doing here.”

That’s certainly true, she thought. She cleared her mind of all thoughts.
I wanna be impulsive, reckless, and lose myself in your kiss. You’re giving me a feeling, it’s a sudden rush, acting on the moment spontaneous…” Brist switched the player off. Those lyrics were true to her life right now too. She rushed to Nicholas’ bedroom, and let herself in without knocking.

He was snoring softly. She began to kiss him passionately. He moaned.
I can’t think of a better way to wake up,” he mused as he kissed her in return. She heard his stomach growl ferociously.

Hungry?” She chuckled.

Only for you,” he answered seductively. He began to kiss her neck and shoulders. His stomach growled again.

On second thought, I haven’t eaten in…” He tried to remember his last meal. “Was it this morning?”

Well,” Brist began. “I’d call down to the kitchen for leftovers, but intercoms haven’t been invented yet.”

What’s an intercom?” He asked as he pulled on a cord next to his bed.

I’ll try to explain, but it will take some imagination on your part,” she said.

I think I have a little imagination left in me,” he informed her with a kiss.

Okay, imagine you could talk to a little box on the wall, and tell it to bring you steak and eggs, and the cook in the kitchen heard you and told you, through the box, that she’d have it up here in a few minutes,” Brist explained the concept to him as one would a child.

This cord has a similar job,” Nicholas responded. “Only it doesn’t carry voices to the kitchen and back.” 
 
Just then there was a knock at the door. He crawled out of bed, donned a robe, lit a candle, and admitted the servant, who placed a tray on his desk. She informed him that she had anticipated his need for dinner, and had had something ready. As soon as the servant left, Nicholas locked the door.
He attacked the food on the plate with a vengeance that would suggest a much longer period of fasting. Brist crawled out of bed, deciding to rub his back while he ate. He nearly choked as his eyes greedily viewed her attire. 
 
Problem?” She asked in concern.

No. I’m just having second thoughts about what to dine upon,” he responded.

Oh no you don’t! I will not have my night ruined by your rumbling stomach,” she stated playfully. 
 
Well, we can’t spoil her majesty’s evening, can we stomach?” Nicholas feigned annoyance.

Ooo!” Brist pretended anger. She retrieved a spoonful of soup, and presented it to him. “Eat,” she commanded.

Nicholas took the spoon from her, and dribbled it down the valley between her breasts.

She shrieked. “That’s a little warm!”

Did I burn you?” He asked in alarm.

No, it wasn’t hot, just warmer than I expected,” she explained. Nicholas smiled in relief, then allowed his tongue to retrieve the misplaced soup. 
 
Mmm, this idea has delicious merit,” he murmured.

Oh no! You are not going to make me all sticky,” she refused, and took up the spoon. She refilled it, determined to feed him in order to deter him from using her as a plate. Nicholas picked the bowl up, and downed its contents in three gulps.

Why waste time?” He rhetorized.
Brist giggled as he pulled her close, and claimed her lips in a kiss. He was naked under his robe, which had fallen open to reveal his male erectness. He decided that her outfit was too erotic to remove, so he pulled her underwear to the side, and guided her atop him. His eyes rolled back as he felt her slide to encase him in her warmth. He had found heaven.
The couple spent the entire night discovering the merits of lovemaking using everything but the bed. Until exhaustion found them both snoring on the comfortably rumpled bed.



*******



Two days had passed, and it was the morning of Lucas’ departure. Brist had set her alarm to ensure that she woke up a few hours before Sarah normally did. She didn’t worry that it would wake the child, for it was in Nicholas’ room with her. She had it set as low as she possibly could and still be roused by it, for she did not want to scare Nicholas, who had regarded her as a if she were insane when she explained that its job was to wake her on time. She had selected her favorite song “Possession” by Sarah Mclachlan to play when the alarm went off, for it was a CD playing alarm clock.

Brist stretched, and allowed herself to enjoy the song as it played. Nicholas awoke with a start, causing her to giggle as he examined the “box,” trying to determine how it played the music. After the song was over, she crawled out of bed, and turned off the alarm.

Tell me again, why did you want to wake up at five in the morning?” He asked.

Because today Sarah turns four, and I am going to make her a birthday cake, and surprise her with it when she awakes,” Brist explained. It had been awhile since she had been able to test the cake decorating skills she had learned in foods class back in tenth grade. She hoped she could at least make it look decent, not that it mattered, for the recipient was blind, but Brist didn’t think that made a difference. After all, why make an effort at all if she wasn’t going to give it her all? 
 
She dressed in a comfortable pair of jeans, and a form-fitting gray and black “Hooters, Mall of America” tee. She rummaged through her bag until she found her grandmother’s – who had been a famous chef – cookbook, and made her way to the kitchen. The cook was already making the day’s breakfast, for the slaves anyway. She wouldn’t begin breakfast for the family until closer to their normal eating time.

Missy Brist? What are you doing in the kitchen?” The cook asked.

I’m going to make a special cake for Sarah’s birthday,” Brist said as she placed the heirloom cookbook on the counter, and opened it to her favorite cake recipe. 
 
Do you mind if I rummage through your cupboards?” She asked the cook.

Missy can do what ever she wants,” the slave shrugged.

Thank you. I promise I won’t make a mess.” Brist proceeded to locate a suitable pan, and all the necessary ingredients. She assembled them next to the cookbook, and examined the pan closely. She loved Angelfood cake, and knew that the standard shape of the cake could not be attained without a special pan, but she also knew that they hadn’t been invented yet, and wondered if the cake would be ruined if made in a different pan. She read and reread the recipe, and finally decided that the wrong pan shouldn’t affect the cake too adversely.

It didn’t take too long to mix the ingredients, even though she had to stir them by hand, and soon the cake was baking in the oven. She flipped to a page describing a whipped cream based frosting. After growing up with grandma’s baking, Brist found that she couldn’t bear anything but butter or cream based frostings. 
 
Do you have any cream?” She asked wondering how she was going to whip it fast enough, and long enough to create the desired consistency. The cook replied that she could skim the cream off of last night’s milk, which should be separated by now. Brist was slightly taken aback. She had forgotten that it wouldn’t be conveniently ready to use. She nodded in acceptance, and rummaged through the kitchen to see if any of the list of stabilizers were available so that the frosting didn’t melt.

Her grandmother had listed some of the “modern” products, and some of the “olden” products for she insisted on all the ingredients to be “natural,” and tried to use ingredients available in the time of her grandmother whenever possible. She found one, and also came across an instrument that appeared to be beaters, only they were cranked by hand, rather than by an electric motor.

Interesting.” At least now she knew how she would be able to whip the cream.

*******



Happy birthday!” Brist greeted the tiny child with a kiss to her forehead. Sarah woke with a smile.

Good morning,” she mumbled sleepily.

I brought you something,” Brist informed her.

Really? What?” She asked eagerly. 
 
Well, I couldn’t really shop for a present, so I baked you a cake. I even decorated it prettily, and took a video clip of it in case you ever get your sight back,” Brist explained, lighting the four small candles she’d had to make quickly when she discovered that they didn’t make candles that small in these days. Luckily, the cook had all the necessary supplies, and the knowledge required to make them, although she did regard Brist in disbelief when it became apparent that the candles were to be about 2 inches long, and less than a quarter inch thick. 
 
Brist loved the fact that they made their own candles, and vowed to make a lot of them if she remained in the past for too much longer. Only she would make them more like the candles from her time, scented, and decorated prettily. The only thing she needed to do was figure out how she was going to do it. She figured that it couldn’t be too hard, all she would have to do is make a few essential oils to add to the wax when she made them. She looked forward to the opportunity to experiment and learn a new skill.
She told Sarah to make a wish and blow out the candles. The child laughed at such a silly idea, but did as she was told.

You did it!” Brist exclaimed as all four candles were extinguished by the girl’s breath. “Now, make sure you don’t tell anyone what you wished for, or it won’t come true.”

Brist sliced the cake, and then handed one slice, on a plate, to the birthday girl. She took a slice for herself, and devoured it with extended savoring bites.

Raven and Regan entered the room; they wished the child a joyous birthday.

You’re just in time to have a slice of cake,” Brist mumbled with a full mouth. 
 
It’s really quite delicious,” Sarah informed them. Each twin nodded, and accepted a slice.

This is fabulous!” One exclaimed, and the other nodded in agreement.

It’s my grandma’s recipe.” Brist smiled.

Later they joined Nicholas and Lucas in the breakfast room. She handed each a piece of the birthday cake, to which they both complimented her profusely, and wished Sarah a happy birthday.

All too soon, Lucas was ready to take the girl and depart. He promised to take good care of the cherub, and indicated a large basket of food he planned to send to the girls parents, but to insure that they didn’t shoot him again, he was planning on riding to the southeast corner of the property, and continue riding until he was well past their camp before he adjusted his course to Atlanta.

Brist moped slightly for most of the day, and soon found that the twins were determined to cheer her up. They insisted that she teach them things from her time, like how to defend themselves, and how to dance to her kind of music. She was grateful for their exuberance, and ended up working up a sweat. After a few hours, she led them to her swimming hole, providing them both with one piece swimming suits. She wore a bikini, which scandalized them, but they had already learned that she wasn’t likely to change to their more modest ways. The day drew to a close, and the trio made their way back to the mansion. 
 
Brist bade them goodnight, and retired to Nicholas’ room, which since the house was his, and his parents weren’t in residence, he had moved into the master suite.

He hadn’t come to bed yet, and so Brist settled into a large and extremely comfortable chair in order to make up a list of things she would need in order to begin making wine while she waited. She prayed that she could find a winemaker from this time who was willing to give her some tips on how to make an exceptional wine, without all the modern equipment she was used to working with. Not to mention, he would probably have a decent culture that she could buy and use as a starter. 
 
Nicholas caught her unawares, for she was absorbed in her work.

What are you doing?” He asked, nibbling on her neck.

Coming up with a list of things I’ll need in order to make wine,” she stated. She set her list aside, and allowed him to carry her to bed. She sighed in pleasure, and blew out the candle.



*******



So, do you plan to go?” Brist asked, referring to the invitation Nicholas had received earlier that day to attend a small soiree hosted by a Miss Amy Johnson.

Perhaps, I’m not entirely sure. What does it matter? It’s not for a few days.” Nicholas traced the curve of her breast with his finger.

I’m curious to meet her.” Brist shrugged. All conversation ceased for a few minutes while the couple caressed each other.

Suddenly there was a knock at the door. “Nicky?”

Nicholas gave a soft disgruntled growl, and then flung open the door. 
“What?”

There’s a distraught slave insisting to see you,” Raven said, and both twins placed their hands over their eyes. Nicholas realized that his pants were pooled around his ankles, and that even though his shirt covered him, it showed an obvious bulge. He cursed and pulled up his pants. It occurred to him that he could hear a few panicked voices coming from the stairs. He went to investigate, followed by a robe-covered Brist.

They found an old slave crawling up the stairs, gasping and wheezing as he went. The heart wrenching noises sounded faintly like “Massa, Massa.” It was obvious that he had something of great import to impart, but, unfortunately, before he could, the slave collapsed in exhaustion.

Move him into that room, and lay him on the bed. It is apparent that we will have to wait until tomorrow to hear what he has to say.” Brist directed a few other slaves to place the first one in the nearest unoccupied bedroom.

Oh no, Missy! We’ll jus’ bring him to res’ on a cot by the fire,” a matronly slave demurred.

No, you will put him where I’ve indicated,” Brist stated gently, but firmly. The slaves were obviously uncomfortable with this command, but they obeyed because the master hadn’t given them a different order, and seemed to agree with Brist’s order. Once the slave was settled into bed, Brist checked his temperature, he appeared to have a fever, and she couldn’t tell if he was sick, or just hot from over-exertion. Doesn’t matter, she decided, she’d watch over him until morning. He shivered violently and moaned.
 
Nightmares.” She sighed.

Soon, she was sitting comfortably in a chair in order to keep an eye on him. Nicholas tried to get her to return to bed with him, but she steadfastly refused, causing him to examine why he felt bereft. In the days since she had started sleeping in his bed, he felt oddly fulfilled, even though he still didn’t trust her, or believe half of what came out of her mouth.

Over the next few hours, Brist comforted the slave during his nightmares, and felt his fever disappear. After a while, she cradled her head with her arms, and fell asleep.

The slave was aghast to find, the next morning, that he had a white lady leaning on the bed he occupied while she slept. To him, it looked as if she had been sitting in the chair to keep an eye on him, rested her head on the bed for a moment, and dozed off.

Missy Brist?” He tentatively tried to wake her.

She moaned sleepily and stretched. “You’re awake.” She smiled.

Why ya actin’ like ya cares about an ol’ slave like me?”

Brist eyed him a moment; she had never seen him before, and wondered how he knew her name, so she asked: “How do you know my name?”

Ya’s the talk o’ the slaves,” he answered plainly.

Oh really?” She asked in fascination, then she remembered that he had something important to tell them. “So, what is so important that you made yourself sick trying to tell Nicholas?”

Can’t tells ya,” he replied, frowning as he recalled his message.
 
Why not?” She asked.

It’s bad,” he groaned, and then shuddered.

Well then, just wait right here, and I’ll go fetch Nicholas.” Brist hurried off. Once inside the master bedroom, which she still thought of as her parents, she climbed atop her lover, and gave him a kiss so passionate, he’d have had to be dead in order to not respond to it.

I like this,” he said dreamily as Morpheus lost his tenacious grip on Nicholas’ mind. His hands immediately began to wander over Brist’s luscious body.

She laughed and held his hands still. “He’s awake.”

Nicholas cocked his head to the side, and regarded her with a look that resembled a dog hearing a noise he can’t quite place. Then, he remembered the reason he had spent last night alone, instead of curled around his red-haired witch. 
 
I see,” he sighed, his plans of a moment ago crushed under a mountain of more urgent matters. He rose from bed, and glared down at his groin. He was harder than the bedpost, and couldn’t see any relief in sight. He tried very hard to concentrate on something else in order to soften his hardness, but the harder he tried, the more his mind refused to work. Suddenly, he felt like a Spanish toro that had spotted a matador’s red cape for his mind seemed to see nothing but Brist.

She bent over to retrieve the pants – breeches she corrected herself – that he had discarded on the floor the previous evening. Her rounded bottom wagged gently in front of him, and before he knew what was happening, he had flipped up her sleek nightgown, pushed her panties aside, and buried himself as deep inside her as he possibly could.

Brist gasped at the unexpected taking of her body. She might have protested, had he not firmly grasped her hips in such a way that allowed him to stimulate her with his pointer finger. She lost all reason, and soon melted into the fire raging across her body. He wanted to hold out, at least longer than two minutes, but he felt her spasms, which had come surprisingly quickly, and spilled his seed so forcefully that he was sure that he was the one being split in two. 
 
They sank to the floor in a jumbled pile of body parts, and it took them at least twice as long to recover than it had to do the deed. Finally, Nicholas was dressed, and ready to face the slave.

As they walked to the bedroom the slave was currently occupying, Nicholas thought about all the paper work he had to finish sometime so that his slaves would be freed. 
 
The slave was waiting in terrified patience for the master to come to him. He had been greatly abused by his previous owners, and even though that was almost a year ago now, he couldn’t help shying away from his new master, who had always treated him kindly. Nicholas walked into the room with Brist a step behind him, and the slave degenerated into abject terror.
Brist rushed to his side and tried to comfort him. She pulled him into an embrace, and cooed to him soothingly for a few moments.

Nicholas you wretched bastard! Have you been beating him? He’s terrified! If I ever catch you allowing abuse-”

Brist! I do not tolerate abuse to my slaves! If he’s terrified, it’s not because of anything that I have done,” Nicholas said firmly. His heart gave a strange pain that she could believe he’d be capable of such atrocities. 
 
It’s true Missy Brist. The Massa never… Massa, last night, as I was finishing up my duties at your warehouse…” The slave obviously didn’t want to continue, and Brist noticed that he was speaking fairly clearly now, as opposed to the forerunner of eubonics he was speaking earlier. “A sailor from a ship came to deliver a message, he said that they had come across the “Regina” a few days back, and it was going down, fast. They tried to retrieve survivors, but they had been attacked by pirates, and just as the ship was dead and sinking, so was everyone aboard.”

So, just so you know, THIS right here is what the whole story has been building up to until this point. This is where it starts getting better IMO :-)

Go To Next Chapter 

Heracles - Herakles - Hercules

Apologies for the bad formatting. I just updated my program, and now it seems that it doesn't translate to my blog very well, sigh...

Heracles

Hi, my name is Heracles, and just so you know, my family is CRAZY! My father is Zeus, King of the Gods. 'Nuff Said!
As for my mother and stepfather... Well, just listen to their story and then decide for yourselves whether they are crazy or not.

Prologue
The Tale of Alcmene and Amphitryon

Before I can tell you their story, I need to explain something important. Once upon a time ago, my father Zeus became enamored of a Princess named Danae. She – having been locked in a tower by her irrational father, King Acrisius or Argos, because of a prophesy that her son would one day kill him – conceived and gave birth to a son of Zeus named Perseus.
Legends state that my father went to Danae in the form of a shower of gold coins that fell on her lap – thereby impregnating her (What? Was she naked?), but I have a hard time believing this. For one, my father was a horny old goat! If he wanted to get a woman pregnant, he would have had fun doing so!
And for two, Danae had been locked in the tower all alone for who knows how long. Likely pacing the tower in boredom and frustration... She probably jumped at the chance to interact with the first person to visit her in what must have felt like forever.
Oh yeah... I totally bet they had sex. The kind that takes all night or longer and makes the neighbors wonder if they've been possessed by noisy pig demons!
Anyway, Danae gave birth to Perseus and was no longer alone. Her father eventually found out, but his love for her temporarily outweighed his fear that her son would one day kill him. So, rather then murder the baby outright, he locked them both in a chest and then threw the chest into the sea.
Perseus grew up and had a few adventures of his own. He married a Princess named Andromeda – after rescuing her from the fearsome sea monster Cetus – and they had several children. However, only three of them are important to the story: Alcaeus, Electryon, and Sthenelus.
Alcaeus married and had my stepfather: Amphitryon. Not to mention an older daughter named Anaxo. She comes up again in a second.
Electryon married Anaxo (See?), and they had a daughter named Alcmene: my mother. Lastly, Sthenelus married and had a son named Eurystheus... But more on him later.

Phew! I am just now getting to the story and already my head is spinning! By my reckoning, my grandfather married his niece, had my mother, who then married her uncle slash cousin. Oi!

On to their story!

Amphitryon – having been smitten with Alcmene's beauty and wisdom – went to his uncle to ask for her hand in marriage. My grandfather, Electryon, agreed to the marriage, but before it could happen, the six sons of Pterelaus – King of the Taphians – came to lay claim to part of my grandfather's Kingdom of Mycenae and Tiryns.
I'm going to go out on a limb here and say that my grandfather probably laughed at them! He definitely told them no. Then he told them to go back where they came from.
They left and – during my mother's wedding to my stepfather – stole all the cattle belonging to my grandfather. Immediately upon hearing this news, my grandfather sent out his nine legitimate sons to go retrieve them. My mother was so worried about her brothers that she refused to celebrate or consummate her marriage until her brothers returned safely.
The Taphians killed all nine of King Electryon's sons, but this wasn't really a sweeping victory since only one of them survived. The survivor – Evenus – herded all the cattle away, and sold them before returning home.
Electryon insisted that my stepfather accompany him to avenge his sons and retrieve the cattle, leaving my mother untouched with only her illegitimate half-brother for company. They followed the trail until they came across the stolen cattle – which were now the property of a merchant. Amphitryon – eager to get back to his new wife – solved the problem with their new owner by buying the herd back. Unable to continue their quest with a herd of cattle in tow, my step father and his father-in-law decided to bring the cattle home before getting their revenge.
At one point, something made one of the bulls abruptly charge at the two men. My stepfather used his club to defend them from the sudden attack, but in a freak accident, the club he used bounced off the bull's horn and crushed my grandfather's skull.
Full of sorrow, my stepfather finished returning the cattle to his wife and explained the situation. Her uncle – Sthenelus, remember him? He's the other son of Perseus I mentioned. Anyway, Sthenelus claimed that Amphitryon murdered King Electryon so that he – being the next in line to rule due to both birthright and his marriage to Electryon's only remaining legitimate child – could rule Mycenae and Tiryns.
Amphitryon swore up and down that this wasn't true! Having been raised by him, I am mostly inclined to believe him. … Mostly.
In any case, having a reasonable doubt – but no actual proof – Sthenelus was able to seize the throne and exile my stepfather. Also believing him, my mother accompanied him, bringing her half-brother with them as they fled to Amphitryon's good friend Creon: King of Thebes. (Thebes not thieves! It's a city Kingdom that you've probably heard of.)
As I said previously, my mother was a wise woman. She was tall and had dark, alluring eyes like Aphrodite. She knew that if she ever wanted revenge for her brothers – and in a way, her father – that she only had one way to entice her new husband to do so. She continued to refuse to consummate their marriage until after he returned from a quest for vengeance.
I think it's a testament to how much he really did love her that he left to do exactly that without trying to force or coerce his wife into bed first.
Knowing that he would need help, Amphitryon asked Creon to accompany him. Creon agreed... under the condition that Amphitryon first slay the Teumessian Fox. I'd like to think that my stepfather gave a reluctant and long-suffering sigh before he agreed to go after the giant fox.
The Teumessian Fox – also known as the Cadmean Vixen – was one of the many monstrous children of Echidna. As a child of a Goddess and her husband – who was also a God and the most fearsome monster who ever lived – the fox was literally unable to be caught.
Giant and ferocious, the fox was sent to Thebes to punish the city/Kingdom by preying on children. It consumed far too many of the young before Creon desperately sent Amphitryon out to slay the uncatchable fox.
My stepfather, a fairly intelligent man himself, soon realized that the only way to catch an uncatchable fox was to fetch Laelaps – the dog who never failed to catch what he hunted for.
This was a paradox! Can the two possibly exist in the same place at the same time?! My father Zeus had a rare headache from the conundrum... Until he turned both creatures into stone and cast them into the stars, where they remain forever more.
Fulfilling his duty, Amphitryon returned to Creon, who then went with him to fight the Taphians. They were notorious pirates who lived on a well-fortified island. Their King – Pterelaus – was literally immortal: thanks to a single golden hair given to him by my uncle Poseidon. Thus, the entire island was unconquerable!
Pterelaus' daughter – Comaetho – was so smitten by Amphitryon at first sight that she snuck into her father's bedroom one night to pluck out his magical strand of golden hair. This rendered him helpless, and his island was easily captured by my stepfather and his friends.
Out of a deep sense of honor, Amphitryon killed the traitorous Comaetho. His next act was to give the island to his friend Cephalus before gathering up a fair amount of booty and returning home with Creon.
This is where the story really gets interesting!
Zeus – who also thought my mother quite beautiful – decided to trick her. The night before her husband returned victorious from his quest for revenge, Zeus disguised himself as Amphitryon. After a quick trip to pilfer part of the booty, he brought my mother a single Taphian cup as proof that he had fulfilled his promise to her.
Overjoyed, my mother threw her arms around him and they made enough love that it felt like three nights had passed. This was when I was conceived, which – if you were paying attention – actually makes me more than half a God. My mother was the great-granddaughter of Zeus after all, and the descendants of his son Perseus hadn't exactly thinned out his Godly blood, if you know what I mean!
Anyway, when Amphitryon returned home for real, he promptly bedded his wife and discovered that she was no longer a virgin. He was furious, but she swore up and down that he was the only man she'd ever bedded.
Giving my mother the benefit of the doubt, my stepfather brought her to the famous blind prophet of Thebes: Tiresias. Tiresias explained that it was not Alcmene's fault; Zeus had tricked her! And – incidentally – that Alcmene was now suffering from a case of Heteropaternal Superfecundation. This meant that she was pregnant with fraternal twins – each having a different father! Sadly for Amphitryon, Tiresias didn't know which twin was my stepfather's.
In loving acceptance that it was not her fault, Amphitryon and my mother returned home to wait for my brother and me to be born. Enter Hera: my stepmother...
She hated every single one of my father's lovers and illegitimate offspring. Actually, that's an understatement!

The Birth of Heracles

On the day that I was supposed to be born, as my mother went into labor, Zeus bragged to all that would listen that a child descended from his son Perseus would be born. He then bragged that the child would one day rule over both Mycenae and Tiryns.
Hera – always cunning and quick at coming up with clever ideas – immediately insisted that he vow upon his position as King of the Gods that the descendant of Perseus born that day would one day be King.
I often wonder if Zeus even paused for one second to ask himself why his wife was making this strange request. Whether he did or not, the result is the same. He made the vow and was literally bound to keep it.
As soon as she could, Hera rushed to their daughter – Eileithyia, Goddess of childbirth – and ordered her to delay my birth. Eileithyia did so by sitting outside the room where my mother was in labor. The Goddess had her legs crossed and her fingers entwined.
As Eileithyia was preventing me (and my twin) from being born, Hera rushed to the wife of Sthenelus – remember him? He was brother to both of Amphitryon and Alcmene's fathers and now King of Mycenae and Tiryns. Well, his wife was also pregnant, but not due to have her child for another two months. Hera used her power to bring on the woman's labor, and soon, she had a son name Eurystheus.
See? I told you I'd get back to him! Dues to Zeus' vow – though it infuriated him to no end – Eurystheus was now the future King of Mycenae and Tiryns.
Meanwhile, my mother suffered the pains of childbirth for seven days. Seven! I'd like to think that the blood of Zeus that flowed through her veins made her resilient and able to endure the ordeal without going insane. Even so, she eventually grew weak and nearly died.
Only the clever thinking of her maid Galanthis saved her. Galanthis went to Eileithyia and exclaimed: “Praise the Gods! The babies have finally been born!”
Eileithyia was so surprised to hear this that she jumped up – probably exclaiming: “What?!” – which uncrossed her legs and unentwined all her fingers. This act ended her magic, allowing my brother and me to slip from our mother's womb. I came first, probably because I had been fighting to get out for days.
Seeing that she had been tricked, Eileithyia – afraid of repercussions from her mother, no doubt – promptly turned Galanthis into a weasel. My mother kept her, taking good care of her for the rest of her life. When I was older, I built a sanctuary in Thebes to honor her sacrifice.
Despite having won – arranging for my cousin to be King instead of me – Hera was not happy that I was born. However, not even she could be certain which child was which... So, she sent a pair of deadly snakes to kill the both of us when we were just babes.
My brother – Iphicles (I was named after my grandfather Alcaeus at first and then later renamed in an attempt to please Hera) – cried in mortal terror at the snakes. I do not remember it, but even then I was a fearless hero. I grabbed both snakes and strangled them!
Amphitryon – alerted by the crying – rushed into the room just in time to witness the death of the snakes. He was now certain that I was the son of Zeus and that Iphicles was his. He went to consult again with Tiresias, learning that I would apparently be a great Hero someday.
Meanwhile, my mother – afraid to offend Hera any further after her arduous labor – brought me to an uninhabited forest and left me to die. My sister – the Goddess Athena, another of Zeus' many illegitimate offspring – was the patron Goddess and protectoress of Heroes. She came to me as I was wailing from hunger and took me to Hera.
Look at this poor abandoned baby I found! Isn't he just adorable?”
Hera took me in her arms and cradled me tenderly. She is actually a very loving mother and often takes pity on children in need. My hungry squalling prompted her to feed me from her own breast; not realizing who I was.
Perhaps I somehow knew that she wanted me dead. Perhaps I was simply a brat. In any case, I sucked the milk from her breast so strongly that she gasped in pain.
Ah! Take him back to his mother, wherever she may be!” Hera cried out to Athena, pulling me away from her breast as I nursed greedily. I was already so strong that the action of pulling me from her breast caused some milk to spray from her. It shot out across the heavens, forming the Milky Way.
With a secretive smile, Athena carried me back to my mother and assured her that Hera herself had commanded that Alcmene raise me.
So, now you know about my family and why I think they are a bit crazy. Keep that in mind as you read about my adventures and my life. I think you might find that I'm a little bit crazy too!

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