{"id":7653,"date":"2019-06-23T19:11:52","date_gmt":"2019-06-23T23:11:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/shousetsubangbang.com\/mirror\/?p=7653"},"modified":"2019-06-23T19:12:00","modified_gmt":"2019-06-23T23:12:00","slug":"a-star-to-sail-by","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.shousetsubangbang.com\/mirror\/a-star-to-sail-by\/","title":{"rendered":"A Star to Sail By"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

See this piece’s entry on the Shousetsu Bang*Bang wiki.<\/a><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

by Salem Fitzgerald<\/p>\n\n\n\n

East Indies, 1750<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The ship was wrecked in a storm. To tell the whole story would be pointless, unless it was to a listener who knew the craft and her crew and cargo and had a vested interest in every detail. Alfie had no such listener; he was lucky to have his life. He knew not how many of the other hands had survived. Perhaps he was the only one. Certainly he was the only one presently washing up on this sandy beach somewhere in the East Indies. He\u2019d been carried here on a few planks of the wreckage, and as soon as he had gained land, he acted in the traditional fashion of all castaways and swooned in the sand.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When he awoke, his first thought was for water, and his second thought, cried aloud, was, \u201cJesus, Mary, and Joseph!\u201d as he threw himself back from a tall, dark-skinned man who stood over him, bent in investigation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Alfie gaped. The man, frowning, looked around. He was wearing next to nothing\u2014just a short, oddly wrapped skirt-like garment that fell to his knees. His body would have shamed a Grecian statue, for all it was so dark, and his black hair was quite long. He looked back at Alfie with his shockingly handsome face and asked, \u201cWho are Jesus, Mary, and Joseph? You are the only one I see on my island.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYour island?\u201d Alfie echoed stupidly. He was a bit distracted by the semi-nude man\u2019s body\u2014in a rather self-conscious way. Alfie rather thought his life as a sailor had been having a pleasing effect on his own body, but he was lean by nature and his muscles had not yet grown so impressive.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The man, unexpectedly, beamed and puffed out his considerable, and nude, chest. \u201cYes! I am Rankaligelvanshathali, the great god of all this land! I bid you welcome here, mortal, with my holy blessing.\u201d He held out his hand, palm forward, two fingers raised, and hesitated, as if waiting for something.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Alfie stared.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Rankali-something-something blinked at him a few times, a polite smile frozen on his face. Then: \u201cShouldn\u2019t you lean forward a bit so I can touch your forehead?\u201d he whispered, helpfully.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Despite the steadfast composure of an Englishman, Alfie was too taken aback to think of any better response than to simply comply with this odd native, and the man smiled encouragingly when Alfie rose to his knees and leaned in.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The touch gave him a little shock, and Alfie immediately noticed that his clothing was all dry and clean and mended, his wounds gone, and his thirst considerably better. He had not regained the clothing he had lost\u2014he was still most indecent in only his breeches and undershirt\u2014but he was as neat in those as if he were at home in England, and only just begun dressing for the day.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This put a serious dent in Alfie\u2019s doubt about this man. Whatever mad claims he\u2019d just made, clearly they were not to be dismissed out of hand. He blinked, rising to his feet\u2014and finding he still had to look up at the stranger, to his annoyance. \u201cWhat did you say your name was?\u201d he managed to ask.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cRankaligelvanshathali, son of the goddess Thaliashanavanelanelika!\u201d He stood in a proud pose, exclaiming this. \u201cI have all power over everything within my domain! You are truly fortunate, mortal\u2026ah.\u201d He smiled, dropping his aggrandizing. \u201cI forgot to ask your name?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAlfred,\u201d he managed in response. As none of his fellow-sailors were present, he\u2019d be damned if he\u2019d self-inflict the nickname they always called him by.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAlfred!\u201d Rank-something-something cried happily. \u201cA foreign name, to be sure! Oh, what land do you hail from? What language do you speak? I suppose you understand me, because after all I\u2019m a god, though I\u2019ve probably never heard of your people. Do I seem to speak your language quite eloquently? I\u2019m always curious how I sound to foreign mortals.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He frowned, half confused, half bemused. \u201cYou speak English\u2026\u201d Like I do. <\/em>\u201c\u2026fluently,\u201d he agreed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cOf course I do,\u201d the stranger beamed. \u201cNow then, Alfred! I have blessed your arrival, and here you are in my domain\u2014my very first subject! You must ask me for things\u2014anything you need, don\u2019t be shy\u2014and I shall work out how much divine favor I should bestow upon you.\u201d His voice dropped to a conspiratorial whisper: \u201cI don\u2019t doubt it will be quite a lot, at least at first. It\u2019s such fun to have a subject at last!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Too much sea water,<\/em> Alfred thought, or sunstroke. Probably that.<\/em> \u201cWell\u2026sorry, what was your name again?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cRankaligelvanshathali!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cRan\u2026Rank\u2026li\u2026?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cRankaligelvanshathali!\u201d Correction came, totally undeterred.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cRanka\u2026vathi\u2026i?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cRankaligelvanshathali!\u201d The man still smiled. He seemed to never tire of announcing his name.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Alfred sighed, frustrated. \u201cSee here, can I just call you Ranka?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A blink. \u201cOh\u2026well, I don\u2019t see why not. If that makes worshiping me easier\u2026yes, yes!\u201d He brightened again. \u201cYes, I bestow the blessing of calling me Ranka<\/em> upon you, Alfred, my loyal subject!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Alfred opened his mouth, paused, and shut it again. Then, nodding, he passed the point over. \u201cVery well. I\u2026thank you, Ranka. And if I may ask further?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Absolute delight. \u201cYes, yes! Ask anything! My people shall know my great kindness and favor! I might have to require an offering of some sort if it\u2019s a very big <\/em>request, but you\u2019ll find all sorts of food on the island, and I won\u2019t make you work too long on building the first altar, so don\u2019t trouble about that at all, just ask, ask!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Alfred smiled patiently. \u201cWonderful. Can you send me back home to England?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ranka\u2019s expression fell. \u201cOh.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYou can\u2019t?\u201d Alfred supposed he shouldn\u2019t have expected otherwise from this eccentric native, but his clothing had<\/em> given him cause to wonder\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n

With a little wheedle creeping into his voice, Ranka began, \u201cBut you don\u2019t want<\/em> to leave, surely! The island has every possible bounty! And I can add anything that might be lacking! You\u2019ll have the most wonderful life here! I\u2019m the nicest god you could imagine serving!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cSo, you can\u2019t send me back? Or you won\u2019t?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Shoulders slumping: \u201cI don\u2019t want to, but it makes little difference, because I truly can\u2019t. I\u2019m only master of my own domain, which is this island. This glorious island!\u201d he declared, his former exuberance briefly returning before fading back to a more steady expression. \u201cI have no idea how near or far your homeland is, but I cannot get you there. Even if it were the next nearest island, I could not carry you beyond these shores to reach it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThen, can you make me a boat?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ranka blinked at him. \u201cA\u2026what?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cA boat! A ship! A sea vessel!\u201d he cried in exasperation. \u201cWhat else do you use to cross the sea?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ranka cocked his head to the side a little. \u201cAh\u2026a sea monster? Naturally?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYou don\u2019t know what a ship is?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cShould I?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Alfred rubbed his head. \u201cCan I borrow a sea monster to ride back to England, then?\u201d This is madness. Pure madness.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

But Ranka laughed. \u201cAh, no. It would eat you. Poor mortal.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Finally losing all patience, Alfred burst out, \u201cBut I must get home! I must get back to England, and my family, and\u2026and even if I haven\u2019t quite<\/em> made my fortune I really must<\/em> get back to Martha to at least secure her promise to wait a little<\/em> longer, or she\u2019ll marry George Dunn before I can make sure she doesn\u2019t, and if she hears I\u2019m lost at sea she\u2019ll definitely<\/em> marry George Dunn and then<\/em> where will I be?!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cHere on my island?\u201d Ranka ventured.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Alfred turned and stormed off.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

~o~<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The beach turned out to be an excellent one for storming. It just went on and on, away and away, and when Ranka didn\u2019t follow, Alfred just kept stomping. Eventually, no longer as energetically frustrated, and more curious about where he was, he began to simply walk\u2014steady, wandering, persevering on and on along the beach, wondering if he might come upon a settlement or something eventually. Surely, Ranka was just a native from an odd little tribe (Alfred did not think about his ability to speak English so perfectly, if that were the case), and he\u2019d find the village sooner or later.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Hours later, as the sun began to set, Alfred found\u2026a few planks. And footprints\u2014leading away from him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He\u2019d circled the whole island. No village, no hope it wasn\u2019t an island after all. He sat down in the sand and stared out at the sea and the setting sun.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYou stopped walking!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Alfred jumped. Ranka was there beside him, having come up silently\u2026and unseen, somehow. \u201cGod in Heaven!\u201d he yelped.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cNo, I\u2019m right here,\u201d Ranka patiently corrected. Then: \u201cAre you hungry? You could pray for me to supply you with food, and I could create a bountiful feast!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sighing at the man, Alfred mumbled wearily, \u201cYou\u2019re awfully proud of this place, but it\u2019s only a very little island. If this is all you have, how can you call yourself a god?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Unexpectedly, that seemed to strike a nerve. Ranka\u2019s face fell. \u201cI\u2019m\u2026I am<\/em> a god. I\u2019m a member of the divine race, that\u2019s all that matters. And having even a little island is a good sight better than none! I waited centuries for this place, you know! Do you have any idea how hard it is to find territories for gods? We\u2019re immortal! No one ever dies, and it takes forever<\/em> for a god to retire and free up a spot for someone new to take over. I\u2019m fortunate to finally have a place of my own at all, and now I\u2019ve got a mortal subject too! Today should be a wonderful day, don\u2019t you see? Do you have to go and ruin it?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The plea was so heartfelt, and Alfred was so tired that he felt his heart soften a little. \u201cI\u2019m sorry,\u201d he offered. \u201cIt\u2019s just\u2026I nearly died today. I\u2019m not at my best.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

With an overwhelming rush of the most earnest hope, Ranka offered, \u201cThen let me help! Whatever comforts you need to rest and be better, I can provide them! I\u2019m a god! I want<\/em> to provide for you, that\u2019s what gods do.<\/em> It\u2019s utterly pointless to be divine if you don\u2019t have mortals with their mortal needs to fulfill!\u201d He jumped to his feet, reaching for Alfred\u2019s hand. \u201cCome! Tell me what you would like! Never mind about sacrifices and prayers for now\u2014just tell me!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Alfred let himself be pulled to his feet. He sighed. Apart from a ship home, he supposed he could think of some comforts that would improve his spirits after the shipwreck. He regarded the possibility that Ranka was really a god and could really provide for him to be remote, at best. He was certainly enthusiastic, and possessed of a certain\u2026godlike perfection in many ways. Alfred cleared his throat and stepped back. Rising had put his face rather too close to Ranka\u2019s chest\u2014one such example of his perfections. \u201cI suppose a mince pie and a pint of ale would hearten me considerably,\u201d he admitted. Then, glancing around: \u201cAnd as night is coming on, perhaps some sort of shelter\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cShelter!\u201d Ranka began to pull him up the beach toward the jungle\u2014not the most impenetrable jungle Alfred had ever seen, but certainly nothing to be attempted without means of assuring one\u2019s safety. \u201cI can make a lovely shelter,\u201d he began, then turned back in confusion, \u201cbut what\u2019s mince pie?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Alfred sighed again. \u201cNever mind.\u201d For a god, his information certainly seems painfully local.<\/em> \u201cMeat and drink was all I meant, I suppose.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A huge grin. \u201cI can certainly do that!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Two steps into the jungle, he did.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Alfred was at a loss to explain it. He didn\u2019t precisely see<\/em> the pavilion appear before them, but he was sure the jungle was no so<\/em> dense that it could have hidden\u2026this.<\/em> He looked back. Yes, he could still clearly see the beach through a thin barrier of trees. He should have noticed this massive pavilion, with gilded pillars supporting a huge curving roof, and with heavy swaths of silk hanging between the pillars in lieu of walls. Ranka brushed the silk aside and ushered him into a massive room that was half banquet hall, half garden, and half boudoir\u2026somehow. Fountains flowed, flowers bloomed, tables laden with unimaginable foods were everywhere\u2014all of it artfully laid out along smooth paths of decorative mosaic, with opulent couches and massive cushions everywhere. Alfred stood and stared.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ranka smiled. \u201cCome, eat and drink and rest from your ordeal!\u201d He pulled Alfred toward a couch in the center of it all. \u201cCome, let them serve you!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Alfred fwumped<\/em> into the incredibly plush couch and blinked. \u201cThem?\u201d But Ranka didn\u2019t explain, and in a moment, he didn\u2019t need to.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Servants came fourth, choosing dishes and goblets of drink, and began to file their way toward him. Alfred stared at them in horrified fascination. He should, perhaps, have averted his eyes, as a good Englishman\u2026but after all, he was no lord. He was only a midshipman. And the servants, though decked richly in jewelry and sometimes a thin scrap of colorful scarf, were really quite naked, for the most part.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There were women, with bodies such as he\u2019d never dreamed of and could scarcely bring himself to admire. There were also men\u2014young men, lithe and even more beautiful than the women, and wearing just as little. He had a full view of naked hindquarters and pricks of every size\u2014some delicate little things, curling sweetly; some thick and long and inclined to make an average man feel inadequate. But that was not all.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Some of the servants were both male and female\u2014generous breasts with dark, peaked nipples above, and heavy pricks and testicles below.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And then, even more shocking\u2014not all of them seemed entirely human.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Some had furry ears, and some most definitely had tails<\/em>, and even whiskers on their faces. One was a serpent from the waist down, and another hand wings, and another was surely a satyr, and another was surely a centaur, and the genitals of these creatures defied humanity just as much as the rest of their bodies. Alfred found it all quite alarming, and felt himself grow quite warm as he watched these creatures bring him foods he didn\u2019t recognize and drink he knew nothing of, except that by the scent it was alcoholic\u2014so he took it and quaffed it at once.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It was, indeed, alcohol, but definitely not <\/em>ale.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Happily, Ranka encouraged him to try the many foods offered by the nude serving\u2026people. Alfred found some of them delicious, some unbearably spicy, and some downright strange. But he ate, and eating did hearten him a little. The strange alcohol heartened him quite a bit more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhere\u2019d all these people come from?\u201d he asked, reclining on the couch. Ranka had taken one beside him, and the servants served him too. Alfred watched, hypnotized, as a lovely young man with cat ears brought them both a tray of fruit. \u201cWhere did you\u2026find<\/em> them?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cHmm? Them?\u201d Ranka took some grapes. \u201cThey aren\u2019t people.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Alfred failed to attend and take grapes himself, and the beautiful feline boy plucked one for him and held it forward. \u201cWhat? What do you mean they aren\u2019t people?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThey aren\u2019t real. I mean, they\u2019re solid, like this pavilion or the food. You can touch them all you like. But they won\u2019t really speak, because they haven\u2019t any thoughts.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The cat-boy pressed the grape to Alfred\u2019s mouth, interrupting his exclamation of shock. He almost choked, then tried to chew and swallow quickly. The cat-boy\u2019s fingers traced his lips briefly before he took up another grape with a sweet expression. Alfred blushed. He had to avoid the next offering to say, \u201cIn that case, I wish they were gone.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Every servant, no matter the distance, near or far, looked up at him. Then, immediately, they turned and filed out of the pavilion, leaving Alfred alone with Ranka. The god gave him an odd look. \u201cWhat did you do that for? Now you\u2019ll have to get up and fetch things for yourself if you want any more.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI\u2019m quite alright,\u201d he mumbled. He was relieved by the end of the rather vulgar display, but keenly aware, though his mind swam with alcohol, of the amount of flesh still on display beside him. \u201cI can feed myself,\u201d he asserted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWell, yes,\u201d Ranka admitted, \u201cbut concubines are for more than that<\/em>, you know.\u201d Then, before Alfred could answer in his shock, he added, \u201cDid you not like any of them? I could make others. You\u2019ll definitely have to offer some sort of sacrifice for it, but I can make you a perfect companion if you tell me what you like.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI\u2026what\u2026that\u2019s\u2026I\u2019m\u2026I\u2019m engaged to be married!\u201d he burst out. \u201cEngaging in anything carnal with another would be the height of infidelity!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cOh.\u201d Ranka seemed to consider this. \u201cI suppose I can\u2019t really agree,\u201d he finally said. \u201cThey may look<\/em> alive, but they really aren\u2019t. They\u2019re mainly toys, really.\u201d He smiled a little and shrugged. \u201cI like the centaur quite a bit, myself. Not that I want to be plowed by such a massive cock every time, but he is<\/em> a favorite when I want variety.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Alfred could say nothing to this. If his ears could be trusted and the words believed, the sense of it seemed to be that\u2026that Ranka allowed himself to be\u2026sodomized, if he could call it that, by a male\u2026creature, if not quite a man<\/em>. Alfred was entirely shocked. All his ideas about Ranka aside, Alfred had never<\/em> allowed any of the sailors to have their way with him like that\u2014and many of them had been after it, during the long months at sea. He\u2019d been a cabin boy until recently, when he\u2019d finally so outgrown the role that the captain had been forced to allow him to advance to a midshipman, and bring on a new cabin boy. That boy was too young for the sailors\u2019 attention, however\u2014at least most of them, and the one or two who might have considered it were carefully watched by the others. Buggering a child was a hateful thing, and on Alfred\u2019s ship the captain would never allow it; the sailor who attempted it would soon die mysteriously. But buggering a young man of Alfred\u2019s age, apparently, was quite another thing, and many of those who protected the new cabin boy could also be counted among the men seeking to persuade Alfred\u2014Alfie<\/em>\u2014into their bunks for a night.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Well, and so what if Alfred hadn\u2019t done much with women, whether in any port of call or anywhere else? And so what if he\u2019d never terribly missed it? He had his pride as a man! And the other sailors were his peers, and even if he sometimes, perhaps, just a little bit let himself imagine it\u2014in very<\/em> private moments\u2014he would not allow himself to descend to the role of a piece of shared entertainment for the other men. He knew how it would be. Once he gave in to one, he\u2019d have most of the ship wanting his time before long, and he\u2019d never be respected as a fellow hand before the mast again.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And now! To hear a man such as Ranka\u2014a gorgeous man, perfect in every limb and every detail of his form\u2014so casually imply that he enjoyed letting himself be buggered by goodness-knew-what!<\/em>  Alfred had, in short, never been so shocked in his life. This, unfortunately, did not forestall his mind quickly painting a picture for him of the act in question. The centaur was gone, but Alfred could remember his look, and as he stared at Ranka aghast, he could almost see<\/em> the centaur climbing over him, pushing his legs apart and\u2026!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cSweet Mother Mary,\u201d he whispered.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhat about your mother?\u201d Ranka frowned, looking around.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Alfred mutely shook his head.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ranka still looked confused, but he shrugged. \u201cWell, if you don\u2019t like the servants\u2026\u201d He glanced at Alfred, a little sparkle in his eyes. \u201cI suppose you have a wife-to-be. Pity.\u201d His gaze slipped down Alfred\u2019s body, then up again to his suddenly even redder face. \u201cIf you wanted to be my consort, I would certainly accept you.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYou would\u2026I mean\u2026your what?<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cMy consort.\u201d Ranka looked at him in surprise at his astonishment, and perhaps a little wounded by it. \u201cNaturally, gods take mortal lovers all the time. I suppose making you my consort is a bit more than that, but there isn\u2019t anyone else here, and it would make a lovely legend, don\u2019t you think?\u201d He smiled. \u201cAfter your shipwreck and all? In the retelling, I\u2019d descend from the heavens and rescue you from the sea, and then you\u2019d become my lover, and then as I lay sleeping beside you one night, you\u2019d be watching me sleep\u2014all admiring and adoring me, of course\u2014and you\u2019d see a scorpion or some other deadly thing about to strike me, and you\u2019d protect me from its sting, but you\u2019d get stung yourself, and I\u2019d wake to find you dying upon my breast\u2026\u201d Ranka was no longer smiling; his eyes welled with tears that quickly spilled down his cheeks. \u201cAnd then I\u2019d turn you into a flower to save your life, and water you with my tears every day, until the solstice banquet of the gods came, and my great mother, Thaliashanavanelanelika, would pity her son\u2019s broken heart that kept me miserable through all the festivities, and she would resurrect you to life in your human body and make you immortal like me, and then we would ascend together to the realm of the gods to live in bliss and ecstasy for all eternity.\u201d He smiled happily, blinking tears from his eyes and sniffling. \u201cOh, and there would be two stars in the heavens to show us eternally side by side.\u201d He sighed wistfully.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Alfred just stared, jaw agape. \u201cYou\u2019re\u2026mad.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Surprise again. \u201cYou don\u2019t think it\u2019s a wonderful legend? I don\u2019t mean it would happen just like that, but surely we\u2019d end up in the realm of the gods together eventually. I can\u2019t imagine letting you grow old and die; I value you much too highly for that. I mean,\u201d he added, \u201cif you were my mortal lover, not simply a subject.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cBut how could you want\u2026me?<\/em>\u201d A man<\/em>, he didn\u2019t say. \u201c\u2026For your lover?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Baffled, Ranka smiled at him. \u201cWhy shouldn\u2019t I want you for a lover? You\u2019re a beautiful young man.\u201d Then, suddenly, he rolled over and sprang up from his couch, and the next moment he was kneeling on Alfred\u2019s, bending over him. Approaching<\/em>. \u201cYou\u2019re so delightfully fair-skinned, and your body\u201d \u2014his hand touched Alfred\u2019s chest; suddenly, the shirt felt impossibly thin\u2014 \u201cis lovely. Strong and well-formed\u2014so desirable. I would delight in giving you pleasure for the rest of eternity.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And, with that said\u2014murmured<\/em>, really\u2014Ranka leaned even closer, and his lips brushed Alfred\u2019s mouth, which still hung open incredulously.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Alfred\u2019s pulse skyrocketed. For a breathless moment, he stared at that much-too-close, gorgeous face as Ranka softly pressed his mouth with warm lips. His eyes were closed at first, but then they opened\u2014just a sliver\u2014and there was such a smile in them\u2026and Ranka\u2019s hand came up and cradled the side of Alfred\u2019s face, and his eyes slipped closed again\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A shudder ran through Alfred\u2019s whole body, causing him to produce a mortifying little noise, and his eyes fell shut\u2014and the kiss continued. Ranka\u2019s lips, folded together with his own, tasted so sweet. He shifted, deepening the caress, and the couch shifted with his weight as he bridged over Alfred. Fingers brushed through Alfred\u2019s hair, pulled him closer, stroked down the side of his throat. Every touch tingled and sent his racing heartbeat higher. Alfred was soon melting, sliding downward, and Ranka followed. He slid down to the side, lying beside Alfred, one leg still thrown over his lap, and Alfred turned his head to continue the deep, lingering kisses. Ranka\u2019s arm was around him, and Alfred, without realizing it, reached for Ranka as well, and felt the warm, bare skin of his chest and sides and back\u2014an addicting, smooth heat under his hands.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

With a little exhale, Ranka sighed into his mouth\u2014a little pleasured sound escaping him that electrified Alfred. He pulled Alfred closer, and the kiss became a little more urgent\u2014hungrier<\/em>. Alfred felt nothing but agreement with this desire, and his answering touches became, unbeknownst to him, quiet nearly desperate for several long moments. He pulled Ranka tight against him, and he felt the vibration of Ranka\u2019s moan against his mouth\u2026and then Alfred realized what else he was feeling.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ranka\u2019s hips were pressed to his thigh, and there was a hard shape between them, there. Alfred, at the same moment, became aware of a remarkable tightness in his own trousers\u2014and he promptly froze, with a sharp inhale, as his eyes shot open. Impossible\u2026!<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dark eyes blinked open and lips left his, but only to remove a short distance. Ranka regarded him with nothing but tenderness and a little confusion. \u201cWhat\u2019s the matter?\u201d he murmured, gently brushing back Alfred\u2019s hair again.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jerking away from his touch, Alfred could only stammer, \u201cI\u2026you can\u2019t\u2026I can\u2019t\u2026\u201d He scooted desperately back, mortified at once by the shock of sensation this caused to his trapped prick. \u201cThis is not\u2026I didn\u2019t mean\u2026oh, God!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And, gaining his feet, he fled the pavilion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ranka, left blinking on the couch, responded, \u201cYes?\u201d But Alfred barely heard him, already hurrying blindly into the jungle.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

~o~<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In a tragically short space of time, Alfred was quite lost.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It was foolish, really, to flee into the jungle at all. Night had fallen, and even with a moon, he couldn\u2019t see any further than he could spit. But Alfred thought only of a terrible need to get himself away from Ranka as quickly as possible, and until he was quite hopelessly lost and surrounded by black jungle, he thought of nothing else.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Then, he wondered what he should do now. It was useless to think of navigating this place in the dark. If he wanted to find the beach again, he\u2019d be forced to wait for daylight. Casting about himself, Alfred found nothing better than a hollow in a fallen tree, a few dry leaves over the mossy bark. His bed for the night chosen, he lay down and tried to sleep\u2014and his body immediately recalled the soft, luxurious couch so recently abandoned. This, of course, brought to mind every detail of what had passed on that couch, and Alfred, though he tried not to think of it, naturally had<\/em> to think of it. And then, just as naturally, he found himself in the same embarrassing condition he\u2019d tried to escape.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He resisted his body as long as he could\u2014but even an Englishman had needs that brooked no discussion of propriety and civilized behavior. Alfred was compelled, at last, to give in\u2014to thrust his hand into his own trousers, to grasp his aching prick, and to moan aloud as he feverishly stroked himself and tried to pretend he was thinking of\u2026well, not Martha<\/em>. It would be the height of impropriety to think lustfully of the honorable woman he meant to marry. Fallen women, perhaps. Whores he\u2019d seen in ports of call\u2026though not slept with, generally, out of lack of interest and a most rational caution against the pox.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That thought drove such women quickly from his mind, and he went instead to the servants in the pavilion. The beautiful girls who looked like cats\u2026the round bosoms\u2026the\u2026the ones with beautiful, shapely backsides and soft, appealing pricks, only slightly obscured by sheer silks\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He moaned. Surely it didn\u2019t matter\u2014they were illusions, fever dreams, and as long as they had breasts it wasn\u2019t\u2026!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And then there were the part-animal ones, the satyr and the\u2014Oh God, the centaur\u2026!<\/em> These did not have any female features to excuse his thoughts, and worse still, the centaur brought fresh images of Ranka\u2014Ranka, nude. Ranka, bent forward over a couch. Ranka, pinned under the sweaty, heaving body of that beast, opened by his massive cock, moaning and writhing under every powerful thrust\u2026!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Alfred sobbed, his prick burning\u2014but it was not this image that did him in. For he soon turned the tables in his mind, and it wasn\u2019t Ranka beneath the centaur anymore. It was himself beneath Ranka, gazing up at his beautiful face and his perfect body all covered in sweat as Ranka thrust between his legs, and oh\u2026!<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

With a tattered gasp, Alfred ejaculated into his hand. To a man who rarely indulged the flesh, even a mild orgasm was exceptional\u2014and this was not mild. It was the height of his experience with pleasure thus far, and it left him shaking for many minutes, fading waves of heat still trembling through his body.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A rational mind must, in time, attempt to reassert itself. Alfred\u2019s did not come forward at once\u2014too baffled by all the preceding day\u2019s events\u2014but eventually, he had to face himself. And, in counting all things up, he came to the conclusion that it was imperative that he get off this island and get back to Martha and marry her<\/em> before something truly inexcusable happened.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Although\u2026after all, it wouldn\u2019t be the same as\u2026well, with a sailor. Ranka was not a fellow hand before the mast\u2014not someone he worked alongside. Capitulating to Ranka would not lose him a great deal of general respect among his fellow men. Indeed, would any of his fellow men ever know a thing about it? And\u2026and no sailor, even the most importunate, had ever tried to kiss him as an inducement to share his bunk. They never seemed to think of kissing him at all\u2014at least, not anywhere above the shoulders, so to speak. And Ranka\u2026Ranka\u2019s kisses\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Lingering, sweet, pleasuring, unhurried\u2026 Alfred swallowed. Yes, there had been more\u2014and that \u201cmore\u201d had frightened him and shocked him. But that had only come after so much kissing that\u2026well, Alfred had been in the same state, so how could he blame Ranka for it?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

With such ideas in his head, Alfred fell, exhausted, into a fitful sleep\u2014tormented, naturally, by the most carnal dreams of his life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

~o~<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The weary and dream-haunted midshipman woke, not in a hollow of a tree, but upon a downy bed that stretched out around him to a frankly irresponsible size. The blankets and sheets were so soft Alfred did not know what to call their material, and as he lifted his groggy head from a heavenly pillow and looked around, he found himself in a smaller, more intimate<\/em> version of the previous pavilion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This, he supposed, proved he was involved with some magical creature. Alfred hesitated to admit a god<\/em>, but he knew he could not have been moved<\/em> here from his tree without waking, so light was his sleep. Ranka had summoned this around him\u2014and was nowhere in sight at the moment. \u201cThank God,\u201d Alfred murmured, and then yelped as Ranka appeared out of thin air, sitting at the foot of his bed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYou\u2019re welcome!\u201d he beamed. \u201cFood?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Promptly, two servants came in\u2014not the whole line of them, like before\u2014and brought platters from a few small tables. Alfred colored deeply to realize it was only the centaur and the cat-boy now\u2014not a curving breast in sight. As obscene as such a thing was, he almost regretted it. Bare female bosoms might help calm him down and distract him from the cat-boy\u2019s pretty prick, or the stallion\u2019s cock, or the idea<\/em> of what hid and sometimes hardened beneath that skirt-wrap thing Ranka wore.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ranka was saying: \u201c\u2026really going to have to offer some prayers of thanks later, to be quite appropriate, but it\u2019ll do for now. Oh!\u201d He snapped. \u201cI\u2019ll show you the right tree, you can peel the bark and burn it for incense. You\u2019ll have to do it all yourself, it wouldn\u2019t be an obeisance if I just gave it to you.\u201d He waved the cat-boy to bring drink to Alfred after his own goblet was full. \u201cAnything else you want, while I\u2019m at it?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Alfred tried not to notice the cat-boy leaning much closer than necessary and\u2026purring? Was he purring?<\/em> \u201cI want a ship,\u201d he sighed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ranka winced. \u201cI still don\u2019t know what that is. Can you draw me a picture?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI mean,\u201d he added, \u201cI want to go home<\/em>. I want to leave<\/em>. I\u2019ll need a sea vessel for that, and how can you possibly <\/em>not know what a ship is?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI\u2019ve been in the realm of the gods,\u201d Ranka defended himself, crestfallen. \u201cWe don\u2019t travel on the water. We travel between the stars sometimes, on great curved basins of glass, with sails filled with sunlight. Do you mean something like that?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Despite the astounding picture this painted, Alfred had to nod. \u201cYes\u2026perhaps something like that. But our basins are wooden, and not round but long.\u201d He grabbed a shallow bowl of fruit and gestured over it, drawing out the sides to show a bow and stern. \u201cAnd the wind fills our sails and pushes us along the water.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cHow strange,\u201d Ranks murmured, but he was slowly beginning to smile. \u201cAnd yet\u2026the wind lifts the birds\u2019 wings. Why should it not push you forward?\u201d Then he frowned. \u201cBut you would sink into the sea!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cNo, wood floats on water,\u201d Alfred explained, and he cast about for something to demonstrate with. But alas, everything around him seemed to be made of gold or silver. God help me.<\/em> \u201cUm,\u201d he concluded lamely, \u201cthat\u2019s why you make the boat of wood.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI see,\u201d Ranka nodded. \u201cAnd this is the vessel you were on before, that brought you here and was wrecked?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cMore or less.\u201d Alfred looked hopeful. \u201cDo you think you can make one?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI can make anything<\/em>,\u201d Ranka boasted, puffing up his chest\u2014his perfect<\/em> chest\u2014proudly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Unfortunately, he seemed a little over-confident this time. They went to the sea together, and Ranka created\u2014out of thin air\u2014a wooden monstrosity that promptly rolled over and washed ashore. It wasn\u2019t even hollow\u2014just a great fallen tree with another tree growing out one side like a mast, which pulled it right over without any fuss.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Alfred was at great pains to remind Ranka that being hollow<\/em> was important, and his next effort was a massive, oddly lightweight wooden ball\u2014hollow inside, but entirely round, and Ranka forgot the mast and sail entirely, but the thing sat so shallowly in the water that the wind quickly blew it out to sea.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After several more corrections, some sketches in the sand, and a few more creative disasters, Alfred decided to simply request the materials and tools and build the ship himself. Ranka agreed, though he was no longer cheerful about any of it, and he insisted Alfred make a little stone altar and say some prayers and pick some flowers to leave as an offering. He was doing entirely too much for free, he said, with a significant glance at Alfred as he reminded him he was presently a mortal subject<\/em> on his island.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Alfred turned very red and pretended not to hear. He wasn\u2019t blushing. He was sunburnt.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He continued to be sunburnt often over the next few days. Ranka moved the little pavilion so that it was just on the edge of the beach\u2014or he recreated it there. He provided materials, with better success than his attempt to provide a finished boat, and he sometimes said he\u2019d done enough for free, and Alfred made him some offerings. Ranka always seemed delighted with this and exuberantly provided whatever was asked, to the best of his ability. Alfred set about working on a plan for a ship large enough to carry provisions for a journey of unknown length, yet small enough to be handled by himself alone.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Meals were luxurious\u2014not at all traditional for Alfred\u2019s castaway status. The servants returned, and varied, but nearly all the completely female<\/em> ones filtered away. Alfred couldn\u2019t help but feeling, at times, that Ranka was watching him, testing him. Observing where his eyes lingered, trying to guess his preferences. For Ranka was always present, sharing meals with him or watching from the pavilion when Alfred worked. Evenings, especially, were quite un-castaway-like, for there was food and drink and luxury and even music. Ranka played several instruments that Alfred did not know the names of, and their music was strange, but very beautiful. Ranka never required persuasion to play for him. Simply asking was enough.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sometimes, reclining in luxury, blurry with drink and tired and well-fed and comfortable, Alfred watched Ranka play and quite forgot why he was trying to get away from here. Why should he ever wish to leave? Why was it, again? Oh yes, Martha. England. Home. Marriage\u2026and not being sodomized by a gorgeous minor deity. Of course.<\/em> Though if one were<\/em> to be sodomized, one could hardly do better. And really, did Ranka count as a man?<\/em> He wasn\u2019t mortal, apparently. So maybe it wasn\u2019t sodomy at all? Capital idea, quite so, quite so. Not sodomy at all. Just very\u2026well, out of the question all the same, really. <\/em>Even though Ranka was full of promises for his future mortal lover\u2014whomever should accept the role. Pleasure and care and mind-boggling passion\u2014Ranka did not sell himself short\u2014and adoration and affection and eternal life too, probably. A most auspicious estate for the lady\u2026for whomever should come to it.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The bewitching music of the flute Ranka played trailed off and stopped. Alfred blinked. Ranka was smiling at him, and suddenly, though he was sitting across from Alfred, it felt as though he were much<\/em> closer. \u201cHmm?\u201d Alfred eloquently inquired.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A slow smile. \u201cHave you any idea how you are looking at me right now, my lovely mortal subject?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cHmm?\u201d was his intelligent rejoinder.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ranka smiled wider, set his flute aside, and rose. His body moved so gracefully. Alfred was quite entranced by it. Then, suddenly, he was crawling toward Alfred across the expanse of the bed\u2014Oh yes, I had dinner in bed because\u2026because\u2026<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYou are intoxicated, I think,\u201d Ranka murmured. He was so very close now, bridged over Alfred, and Alfred\u2019s heart was hammering rapidly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cHmm,\u201d he agreed most sagaciously.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Logically, Ranka replied with a kiss.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It was deeper than before, right from the start. A deeper press of tongue, and it seemed to reach so much deeper into Alfred. He tried to wrap his arms around Ranka\u2019s strong back, but his lax muscles only went halfway, and his hands wrapped around thick upper arms instead. Ranka\u2019s mouth moved down, his tongue and lips caressing Alfred\u2019s throat. He sucked, and Alfred shivered and gasped and tightened his grip. All he thought of was yes, this<\/em> and yes, more<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cMay I spend the night with you, Alfred?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cHmm<\/em>,\u201d he declared, nodding.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ranka pulled back from him and smiled. His hands fell to his only clothing, which he unwrapped and tossed aside\u2014Alfred knew not where. He was staring at Ranka revealed\u2014his dark-skinned prick soft, and most appealing. Alfred reached toward it\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But Ranka caught his hand and stopped him. He lifted and turned it and kissed Alfred\u2019s palm. \u201cNone of that, my beloved. Not tonight.\u201d Then, as Alfred failed to process this, Ranka lay down beside him in the nude. \u201cYou may sleep in your clothes or not\u2014whatever you like. I never do, but that\u2019s of no matter to your choice.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Finally finding words, Alfred mumbled, \u201cI ought to undress, hadn\u2019t I? For the\u2026intercourse?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A grin. \u201cTomorrow, if you like. Not while you\u2019re drunk. Think only of preparing for sleep, now.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Alfred was confused by all this, which seemed so at odds with  the delectably naked man beside him in bed. But alcohol made him pliable, and he hummed and relaxed. Ranka pulled the covers over them and curled his nude body close. Alfred soon drifted off like that, listening to a deep voice murmur, \u201c\u2026such a sweet and beautiful man. Oh, I hope you still feel this way in the morning. I hope those eyes you\u2019ve cast upon me aren\u2019t just the drink\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

~o~<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ranka was still there when Alfred woke\u2014and still naked, and still asleep, for now. Alfred didn\u2019t feel really well<\/em>, naturally, but he didn\u2019t feel entirely terrible either. The first thing he saw was Ranka\u2019s beautiful face, soft with sleep, and the second\u2014when he looked up\u2014was the cat-boy, beckoning him toward a full and steaming tub.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That in itself, though it looked delightful, wouldn\u2019t have tempted Alfred to rise just yet, except the cat-boy also had a beautiful glass goblet that looked to hold water, which Alfred found a most agreeable offer. He slipped out of Ranka\u2019s arms and went.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The water refreshed him greatly and the slight headache he\u2019d woken with began to abate. The bath cleansed him and relaxed him, though Alfred could not keep his eyes from constantly wandering back to his bed and the nude man sleeping there. He remembered, by pieces, the night before. He knew very well nothing had happened between them, and he was nearly as sure that he\u2019d been all but inviting the very act itself. He was amazed at himself, quite unable to account for it all\u2014until he looked back at Ranka.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Yes, it was coming to a point, wasn\u2019t it? When he looked at that man, it was impossible to deny the feelings that rose within him\u2014both in his body and his heart. He liked<\/em> Ranka, for all he was so odd. It was rather like a puppy\u2019s charms\u2014so pretty, and so eager to please that he felt inclined to dote upon it and give it a treat. Not that\u2026intercourse<\/em> should be undertaken as a reward for the comforts Ranka had bestowed upon him. No, not that. But the affection he felt from Ranka caused a natural, matching affection to rise in him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And, after all, the man was so tempting. Alfred\u2019s heart sped up even now, picturing himself in Ranka\u2019s arms, wrapped up in a carnal ecstasy he\u2019d always denied ever wanting.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And most of all, Ranka had not taken him up on his drunken invitation. Sailors had tried to get him drunk for that very purpose, intent upon buggering him the moment he could no longer fight them. That Ranka was different in one more respect from such men was perhaps the final point in his favor.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Thus\u2014washed, hydrated, and wrapped in a soft robe provided by the cat-boy\u2014Alfred left the bath and passed near the bed as he went back to where he\u2019d left his clothing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A strong arm reached out and looped itself around his hips, though not powerfully, as it could have. Lax with sleep, Ranka reeled him closer to the bed. Alfred submitted to the pull, finding Ranka glancing up at him with a smile. The blanket lay so low upon his hips\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAre you finally waking?\u201d he asked.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ranka\u2019s eyes roamed up and down him. His arm remained where it was around Alfred\u2019s hips, and his other hand came up to Alfred\u2019s waist. Alfred made not the slightest move away. \u201cAre you finally capitulating?\u201d he murmured back with a teasing smile.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI think I did that last night,\u201d Alfred sighed. His behavior had surely been indecorous.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cOh no,\u201d Ranka denied. \u201cThat was nothing. But if you like my touch now, I think I might pull you back into this bed and spend the whole day touching you.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Nervously, Alfred bit his lip, steeled himself, and leaned down over Ranka and kissed him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

His kiss was eagerly returned, with a merry laugh into his mouth as well, and Ranka\u2019s arms wrapped around him and pulled him down onto the bed, even as Ranka rolled on top of him. This uncovered Ranka\u2014not that Alfred could see<\/em>, with their bodies pressed close. He was only\u2026aware.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI\u2026think I ought to tell you\u2026\u201d Alfred mumbled into Ranka\u2019s continuing kisses, \u201cI haven\u2019t ever done this\u2026this sort of\u2026thing with a\u2026man, before.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAh, is that<\/em> why you were frightened?\u201d Then, Ranka frowned. \u201cWait\u2026why not?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWell, it\u2019s\u201d \u2014he swallowed, his hand smoothing down that perfect chest\u2014 \u201cnot really proper<\/em>\u2026in my country\u2026\u201d Alfred trailed off, distracted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ranka, mercifully, didn\u2019t press. Alfred wasn\u2019t inclined to thoughtful conversation at the moment. \u201cWell, in my<\/em> country, which this is, you shall have every pleasure I can supply. A considerable promise.\u201d He winked. Then he kissed Alfred again, and the discussion seemed closed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Gentle hands parted the folds of Alfred\u2019s robe as Ranka continued kissing him, pushing the material back and exposing his body. With very little ado, they were soon pressed skin to skin. It was a startling development, made more so by the evidence of Ranka\u2019s desire proven in his ready erection. Alfred\u2019s own prick stirred eagerly. His mind was a jumble of all the forbidden acts he\u2019d ever heard spoken of\u2014or only hinted. Ranka pressed their hips together, and Alfred gasped and then moaned into his deep kiss.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Alfred found it all very soon overwhelming. He tried to hold still and he couldn\u2019t; he tried to touch every part of Ranka\u2019s body at once and he couldn\u2019t; he kissed with too much passion, and his legs got tangled in the sheets, and he kept slipping the wrong way so that Ranka had to shift to realign their pricks and press them together again. But then, perhaps Ranka was no more composed. His kisses, once tender and sweet, fast became ravenous now, aggressive and overpowering and exactly<\/em> the match to Alfred\u2019s mood. Ranka\u2019s hands, likewise, sought and touched him everywhere, stroking his skin and gripping his body, pulling them together ever tighter\u2014certainly not helping them keep untangled. He eventually kicked the sheets away with an impatient grunt, and for a moment, as he was up on his knees, Alfred had a full view of the man he\u2019d been touching.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He shuddered. Every muscle so perfect, every inch a man to be desired\u2026and his cock speaking of an equal desire on his part. Then Ranka grinned at him and crawled close again\u2014like a predator. Alfred shivered. He was naked and aroused in a giant bed with a beautiful man who was also naked and aroused and he wanted to shout to the heavens that he was never quitting this bed for the rest of his life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A hand slipped under the small of his back, slid down over his buttocks, and fingers probed into the crevice. They were slick and slippery with something wet as they traced around and around his rim, and everywhere they touched, the wet stuff left a warm, tingling feeling. Alfred panted in fear and anticipation. His eyes flicked up to Ranka\u2019s. The man smiled down at him, tugging on his bottom lip gently as his fingers eased inside Alfred.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He made a most unmanly whimper, but under the circumstances, he felt it excusable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI won\u2019t hurt you,\u201d Ranka whispered. \u201cBeloved, beautiful mortal man, I won\u2019t let you feel anything but pleasure.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

His fingers, certainly, were spreading pleasure everywhere they touched. The tingling spread, the warmth spread, and Ranka slipped his fingers in and out, in and out, still kissing Alfred\u2014sometimes deeply, sometimes scattering the kisses over his face and throat and chest.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cS-Surely it must be a little<\/em> painful,\u201d he dared. He had always heard a great deal about the pain of being buggered. \u201cI\u2014I don\u2019t mind<\/em>, you know. I\u2019m man enough to handle it; you needn\u2019t treat me like glass.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But Ranka only smiled broadly. His fingers stroked inside Alfred, somehow only growing wetter and wetter. He pressed his lips to Alfred\u2019s ear and murmured, \u201cIt won\u2019t hurt. Not with me.\u201d And he sucked a spot on Alfred\u2019s throat.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Unable to resist\u2014or, perhaps, unable to let shyness have the upper hand on desire any longer\u2014Alfred let his hand, on Ranka\u2019s hip, fall to his groin. He only brushed over his erection at first, but at the hungry groan Ranka made, he returned with a more purposeful touch and wrapped his hand around the shaft. It was, by now, really shockingly large. \u201cI\u2026I thought you\u2019d e-enter me, b-but this\u2026this will never fit\u2026!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Smoothly, Ranka\u2019s fingers withdrew from Alfred\u2019s body. He leaned back, kneeling in Alfred\u2019s view. Smiling, he touched Alfred\u2019s hand, still on his cock, and then trailed one finger from the tip of his own length to the base. When he stopped, his cock was\u2026nowhere near its former size. Still fully hard, still beautifully shaped, yet nothing intimidating, as before. \u201cI can change things about myself, Alfred,\u201d he murmured. \u201cThe servants are only a small sampling of how little Nature\u2019s realities trouble me.\u201d He wrapped his hand around Alfred\u2019s and moved it over his smaller erection a few times. \u201cI can get bigger again later, when you\u2019re ready for it. To begin, however, I think this size will suit you.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The implications were\u2026staggering. Alfred looked up at Ranka with awe. \u201cShow me,\u201d he whispered, and Ranka, as ever, grinned.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Strong hands gently parted his legs, raising them. Ranka slipped a pillow under his hips, his hands returning to part Alfred\u2019s buttocks and expose him. Ranka\u2019s erection glistened wetly\u2014though how or with what, Alfred couldn\u2019t say\u2014and he pressed the tip to Alfred\u2019s entrance and met his eyes and smiled. It seemed like a question, so Alfred nodded eagerly. He was right. At his permission, Ranka pushed forward, smoothly entering him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There was no pain at all. Just a mild, unusual stretching feeling, but nothing to strain or challenge his body. Rather underwhelming, perhaps, if Alfred were quite honest\u2026but then Ranka leaned down over him, touching his face, and his dark eyes were tender with feeling. \u201cOh Alfred,\u201d he murmured, his voice trembling a little with emotion, \u201c\u2026thank you.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Too breathless to answer, Alfred only nodded.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ranka began to move\u2014slowly, gently, rocking in and out with rolling hips as unhurried as the swells of the sea. Their mouths sought and caressed each other in endless kisses, only pausing for Ranka to kiss some part of his body instead, or for Alfred to kiss Ranka\u2019s strong neck or broad shoulder. The endless glide of Ranka\u2019s cock inside him made Alfred feel as though he were constantly surrendering. There was no pretense, and no need to worry about how he seemed to another or what he should do. Everything was instinct\u2014pleasure and closeness and touch<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He thought, perhaps, it would feel less\u2026snug, after a while. But not so. Ranka didn\u2019t have to tell him; Alfred realized on his own, eventually, that Ranka was gradually allowing his cock to grow larger. So slowly, matching the degrees to which Alfred adjusted to him, so that he never felt any strain in it. They only continued as they were, the clasp of his body always just tight enough for the perfect pleasure, but never stretched to pain.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cHow\u2026\u201d It came out a whisper. Alfred cleared his throat. \u201cHow large are you now?\u201d he dared to ask. Ranka smiled at him, as though they shared a secret.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWould you like to see?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Alfred nodded.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Gently, Ranka withdrew from his body and knelt in view, laying his cock close to Alfred\u2019s erection. Alfred looked\u2014he was<\/em> larger. He was a little bigger than Alfred himself, now. Slowly, he rocked his hips, their cocks sliding together. Ranka\u2019s was still wet and glistening, and apparently his slick was copious, because it soon covered Alfred\u2019s cock as well. \u201cI didn\u2019t think I could\u2026\u201d Alfred swallowed, hypnotized.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ranka petted the inside of his thigh. \u201cYou can, very well.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cHow much larger do you\u2026?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A little chuckle. \u201cWith the use of my powers, I can be any size at all. I can take new shapes, too. But without magic, I\u2019ll come to be about twice this big.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Alfred gaped. He was already on the large end of normal. \u201cTwice that?<\/em> How can that be, without magic?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWell. I am<\/em> a god,\u201d Ranka grinned. Then, still rolling his hips, he stroked over Alfred\u2019s belly. \u201cIs your back aching at all?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cA little,\u201d he admitted. He hadn\u2019t thought of it until now.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cRoll over then,\u201d Ranka instructed\u2014yet so gently that it sounded like a request. \u201cGive your back a rest.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Alfred complied, and braced himself on his hands and knees. The thought of how he was presenting himself for Ranka, and what an improper thing it was\u2026never crossed his mind.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Hands held him open as Ranka eased back inside; then he leaned close and wrapped his arms around Alfred\u2019s body. \u201cAh,\u201d he sighed. \u201cCan you feel it? It\u2019s deeper, like this.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

With a broken moan, Alfred nodded. Ranka was reaching places inside him now that he hadn\u2019t known were there. He recalled the size of Ranka\u2019s member now and tried to imagine being filled twice this much\u2026or more. He couldn\u2019t, he couldn\u2019t\u2026<\/em>but he more than half wanted to try.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cOh Alfred,\u201d Ranka whispered, pressing feverish kisses to the backs of his shoulders. He began to thrust inside him again. \u201cYou\u2019re so warm. Oh, I love being inside you. I never knew it would be like this with a mortal\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Shuddering with each long, deep thrust, Alfred moaned. I never knew it would be like this\u2026yes.<\/em> Silken strands of black hair fell across his back, along the side of his arm. When Ranka kissed his back, his hair pooled on the bed, and Alfred shifted his hand to catch the soft strands. Ranka straightened up, and he accidentally pulled a little, and Ranka gasped. Alfred felt his cock throb inside him, swelling a bit more. He trembled; Ranka slid deep into him again, and Alfred moaned aloud.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Hands caressed his chest, rubbing his peaked nipples, then down his stomach. Ranka cupped his erection, and thrust again. He took hold of Alfred and thrust again. His fist tightened and twisted on a stroke; he thrust again. Alfred\u2019s arms gave out, he crumpled to his chest, but he kept pressing his hips back to meet every thrust. \u201cOh, harder,\u201d he pleaded. \u201cMore, more\u2026b-bigger\u2026!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ranka gave a shaky exhale and complied. Alfred wailed as his body was stretched even wider. Still, he couldn\u2019t call it pain. He was too consumed with pleasure to feel it as anything else.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

His body had grown tight; Ranka\u2019s thrusts, of necessity, slowed a little. But the way he filled Alfred felt better than ever. His cock was pressing inside in a way that sent shocks of pleasure through Alfred\u2019s body. He trembled with every deep, insistent stroke.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAlfred,\u201d Ranka gasped. His pleasure-soaked voice was right in Alfred\u2019s ear. \u201cOh Alfred, Alfred, I need to\u2026!\u201d He swallowed. \u201cIs\u2026is your back feeling better? I long to see your face again\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYes, yes I\u2026I\u2019m all right, I can\u2026ahhhhh!<\/em>\u201d Ranka withdrawing his cock made him shiver and moan as it dragged over the most sensitive spot inside him. Alfred nearly collapsed; Ranka caught him and turned him onto his side, then rolled him onto his back again. Alfred looked up in a daze at the gorgeous man between his legs. Ranka\u2019s long hair clung to his sweat-soaked skin; his whole beautiful body glistened. Would it taste salty, like human sweat? \u201cI want to lick you,\u201d Alfred murmured. \u201cEvery inch of you.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cEven these inches?\u201d Ranka teased, stroking his cock for Alfred to see.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He was larger now\u2014significantly larger than Alfred. And he wasn\u2019t waiting. He pushed Alfred\u2019s legs up, leaning close. Alfred was nodding; Ranka caught his lips and stopped him. \u201cYes, even those, especially mmhhh<\/em>\u2026\u201d he murmured into Ranka\u2019s mouth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cLater,\u201d Ranka whispered breathlessly upon his lips. Then he began to push in.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAhh\u2026ahh\u2026aaaahhhhh!<\/em>\u201d Alfred writhed, crying out with each thick inch that spread him open again. His shaking hands clutched fistfuls of silken black hair; he bit Ranka\u2019s shoulder\u2014salty after all<\/em>\u2014and his chest heaved for each breath. And still, he never thought of stopping. He only wanted more<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAlfred, Alfred, oh, ohh!<\/em>\u201d Whispered against his temple. Touching him everywhere. Holding his shaft, stroking him\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cRankaaaahhh!<\/em>\u201d His voice had gone strangely high and thin.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A powerful thrust, balls deep inside him. \u201cAlfred!\u201d Gasped, raggedly. Hands on his waist lifted him into the next thrust\u2014even faster, though Alfred would swear Ranka had grown again. But there was no slowing him now. He thrust again, and grew again, and again and again, pulsing a little larger with each thrust now. The pressure on the sensitive place inside him was unrelenting; Alfred was close to screaming. He clung to Ranka\u2014thought of touching himself\u2014couldn\u2019t let go. Another hard thrust, and another, and another. Faster and faster now.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

With wild abandon, Ranka pounded into him. Alfred\u2019s mind was empty, beyond all thoughts of anything other than this<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ranka<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Then, though both Ranka\u2019s hands were still on his hips, holding him in place for every powerful thrust, something warm touched his cock. A slow, firm stroke\u2026and Alfred climaxed. His whole body arched, taut, as his cock expelled shot after shot of thick, white spend. He was possibly screaming.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Every inch of his body thrummed with his still-racing heart\u2014and Ranka kissed him again. \u201cTell me you want me to ejaculate,\u201d he moaned against Alfred\u2019s mouth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A bleary nod. \u201cYes\u201d\u2014gasped, breathless.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Eyes opened and met his. \u201cTell me\u2026you want me to fill you with it?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Alfred\u2019s eyes fell closed on a heavy, gut-deep moan: \u201cYeeeeess!<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ranka\u2019s tongue filled his mouth, desperate sounds of need muffled in the kiss as he thrust hard and fast a few more times and then cried out. His cock throbbed hard<\/em> inside Alfred, shooting floods of warm spend. He could feel it all. It just kept coming and coming, pulse after pulse of Ranka\u2019s orgasm filling him up. There was so much more than any human could have produced. From Alfred\u2019s exhausted point of view, Ranka easily outstripped a dozen men or more in volume. He felt certain his stomach would distend with it, if it went on much longer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And he didn\u2019t care. He watched the spasms of ecstasy on Ranka\u2019s face and adored every shade and nuance of his pleasure. He\u2019s so beautiful like this<\/em>, Alfred thought, wearily. I want to see him thus every day.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

At length, when the climax faded, they collapsed together, Ranka hunched over him, the air between them close and sticky and heavy with sex. For a long while, they stayed like that, touching their mouths in soft kisses here and there\u2026and Ranka\u2019s huge cock still inside him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A hand took his; fingers wove together with his. Ranka whispered, \u201cSo beautiful, beloved. Such perfection\u2026\u201d Then, slowly, he pulled out.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Alfred moaned, feeling his body ache with the absence, and then immediately feeling Ranka\u2019s spend pouring out of him. He knew he should be embarrassed, or repulsed, perhaps, but he wasn\u2019t. In truth, he felt a little tingle of returning desire heat his body. \u201cRanka<\/em>,\u201d he groaned.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For answer, he was lifted, and Ranka carried him back to the bath, which either was still hot or it reheated itself in a moment. They sank into it together, and Alfred clung close and would not be given space of his own. His rim throbbed in the hot water; Ranka touched it, stroked and caressed it. Probably washing him, but to Alfred it felt like beginning again. He pushed closer and closer until he was in Ranka\u2019s lap.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAh, my beloved,\u201d Ranka murmured, \u201chave a care. I\u2019ll enter you again at once if you tempt me too much.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cPray, take no pains to resist, for my sake,\u201d Alfred murmured, kissing him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ranka groaned. \u201cOh, had I known what mortal men are, I\u2019d have done anything to gain one long ago. You are enslavement itself, my sweet Alfred.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cBut\u2026surely you\u2019ve had mortals before,\u201d he asked, \u201cif you\u2019ve lived for centuries?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ranka shook his head. \u201cI was in the realm of the gods. I\u2019ve had other gods, and toys like the servants here, but you are the first mortal to come to my land since I gained it. I had no opportunity to take others.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIs it any different?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cVery<\/em>,\u201d Ranka declared. \u201cThe toys are like\u2026toys. They serve to a point, but they cannot satisfy. And the gods are\u2026\u201d He hummed. \u201cI don\u2019t know how to explain it. I think we are at our best with mortals. With each other, it\u2019s always rather\u2026insubstantial.\u201d He touched Alfred\u2019s face. \u201cBut with you\u2026I\u2019ve never felt anything like that.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI haven\u2019t either,\u201d Alfred admitted. \u201cIt was wonderful. It may be shameless of me, but\u2026already I begin to want you again.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ranka moaned. He had no qualms about that idea.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

They coupled again right there in the tub\u2014Ranka sliding in deep as Alfred knelt over his lap\u2014and they splashed water everywhere and climaxed again in each other\u2019s arms. Then they returned to bed, and Ranka sucked Alfred into his mouth and brought him to his end twice before he\u2019d let Alfred reciprocate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Neither of them put on clothes all day. Alfred knew, by afternoon, that he\u2019d gone far past what was physically possible for a man, yet he continued to grow hard at Ranka\u2019s touch, and every orgasm was heavy with spend. Ranka was just as insatiable; he was even eager for Alfred to bend him over and mount him<\/em> in return.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Night fell, and they might have continued to copulate all night, but for the stronger urge of the moment\u2014to sleep together, naked and spent, in each other\u2019s arms. This, they did, as satisfied in their rest as in everything that had gone before it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

~o~<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The boat construction was forgotten for a while. Alfred meant to attend to it, but Ranka kept tempting him back to the pavilion\u2014or if not that, into the waves, or right there on the beach, or against a tree in the jungle, or anywhere and everywhere. Thus, it was by no effort of Alfred\u2019s that his rescue came.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A sail appeared on the horizon.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That alone would have probably gotten them easily passed by, for Alfred wasn\u2019t paying attention at the moment, but apparently the ship thought to put ashore for fresh water, if they could find any. They approached the island, and they were nearly offshore by the time Alfred saw them from the fringes of the jungle.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cA ship!\u201d he exclaimed. In shock and amazement, he started forward, pulling his shirt back on over his head. \u201cI cannot believe\u2026and she flies a British flag!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A hand caught his arm. He looked back at Ranka\u2019s miserable face. \u201cDon\u2019t go.\u201d It was soft. Begging. \u201cAlfred, please.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Suddenly, it hit him. Rescue.<\/em> Going home meant leaving.<\/em> \u201cCome with me.\u201d He spoke rashly. He knew it even in that moment. But he didn\u2019t care! He\u2019d end things with Martha, if they weren\u2019t ended already. He\u2019d find a farm somewhere private and remote, and he and Ranka could\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A slow shake of his head. \u201cThis is my place. I am the god of this island. I can only leave it to return to the realm of the gods and surrender it to another ruler.\u201d Pain filled his dark eyes. \u201cAlfred, my beloved, stay with me. Be my consort. I\u2019ll give you everything\u2026forever.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Alfred hesitated. Began to lean toward Ranka\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cHallo, there!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

His head whipped around. A landing boat was approaching, and someone had seen him among the trees. They called again, and Alfred raised his hand and waved, returning the call, starting forward on impulse\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He paused. Glanced back. But Ranka was gone.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It went predictably from there. Alfred was rescued. The sailors were astounded by his health and good condition, and much saddened to hear of the loss of his ship, which many knew by name. Ranka did not reappear, and Alfred, under the control of his rational English mind, now, went with them. He boarded the boat. He boarded the ship. He was introduced to the captain. He was told of their location, course, and destination. Three weeks would see him safely to a colony, and a ship bound for home could take him on from there.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Alfred stood at the taffrail and gazed at the island. He wondered, for a moment, why Ranka didn\u2019t appear. Why had he vanished so readily? Did he not care so much after all?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Or had it all, perhaps, been a fever dream? A castaway\u2019s half-mad fantasy. That certainly seemed to fit. Here on this proper English vessel, he could hardly conceive of the things his hazy memory showed him from the last few weeks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The ship set sail and began to pull away from the island. Alfred swallowed an unaccountable feeling of pain as he watched. He tried to shut the feeling away\u2014turned toward the ship instead. Everything proceeding in proper, shipshape fashion\u2026and\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Oh.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

A sailor was looking at him. Staring<\/em>, in fact. Alfred glanced around. A few others were casting little glances his way. The captain had mentioned\u2026what was it? Six weeks since their last port of call?<\/em> The hungry looks suddenly made perfect sense to him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He didn\u2019t feel fear, nor any worry. He didn\u2019t know this captain, but it was easy to tell at a glance that he was an upstanding sort, and Alfred would be safe on his ship\u2014to the degree that he wished to be. And Alfred would not<\/em> capitulate. No, it wasn\u2019t fear, but disgust. And anger. He was angry with these men, with their selfish lusts. He was angry with himself in that moment, too, because though he would never look lustfully at Martha, he had his own little selfish reasons to pursue her so ardently. He didn\u2019t really want to share his life with her. He wanted to\u2026to justify<\/em> himself with her. She\u2019d be happier with George Dunn, the prat, and he knew it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Well. Let her have him, and God bless them.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

So he determined, and then he turned, sprinted to the taffrail, and dove overboard.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The cry went up aboard ship, but Alfred was already swimming toward land.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The captain was exceedingly angry, because although the stranger was clearly mad, still he was an Englishman, and their duty was to save him, which meant turning the ship back to the island and launching boats again<\/em> to mount a search for the poor loon. But they didn\u2019t find him, despite the island\u2019s tiny size, and after all, it was a jungle. If the madman had taken it into his mad head to hide, they could not hope to find him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

They gave up at last, and sailed away. They never found the pavilion, because it could not be found by anyone Ranka wished to hide it from. Thus, Alfred and his divine lover remained hidden from the searchers, wrapped in each other\u2019s arms, in ecstasy together, laughing and lost in a passionate embrace.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And ever after, there have been two stars visible above the South Sea that never grow distant or part.
<\/p>\n<\/i>Love2<\/span><\/span>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

See this piece’s entry on the Shousetsu Bang*Bang wiki. by Salem Fitzgerald East Indies, 1750 The ship was wrecked in a storm. To tell the whole story would be pointless, unless it was to a listener who knew the craft and her crew and cargo and had a vested interest in every detail. Alfie had […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[683,425],"tags":[685],"class_list":["post-7653","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-bangbang-no-79","category-text","tag-salem-fitzgerald"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.shousetsubangbang.com\/mirror\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7653","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.shousetsubangbang.com\/mirror\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.shousetsubangbang.com\/mirror\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.shousetsubangbang.com\/mirror\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.shousetsubangbang.com\/mirror\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=7653"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.shousetsubangbang.com\/mirror\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7653\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":7654,"href":"https:\/\/www.shousetsubangbang.com\/mirror\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7653\/revisions\/7654"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.shousetsubangbang.com\/mirror\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=7653"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.shousetsubangbang.com\/mirror\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=7653"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.shousetsubangbang.com\/mirror\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=7653"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}