NB: This is a very short story (1200 words). I'm telling now cause I know how infuriating it is to find out at the last moment.
*****
She kept us up after all went down. From the rubble and the flames, she forged back the world. It was only natural we made her our God-Empress in exchange, whatever that was. Also it sounded cool: God-Empress Taylor Swift.
We closed our eyes on lots of things anyway. Like the Reaping. It was weird at first but we guessed it goes with the title. It's not like I have to put up with it, I'm chancellor after all. Chancellor Selena Gomez. Always loved how it sounds.
But for all my privileges, it also means assisting the poor baby at her discretion. Supreme ruler of the world and still making my phone ring for a broken nail or Windows crashing.
Even more exasperating today because she's in the middle of her Reaping ritual so I have ten minutes of stairs to the top of the pyramid. Good for cardio but I hate the awkward run alongside the endless line of people waiting for their turn, the word-of-mouth climbing faster than me, putting everyone to their knees like a stadium wave.
A stadium wave of naked, masturbating people
is
awkward, believe me.
Obviously the ritual won't be halted for me—the priestesses wouldn't allow it—so as I am introduced to Taylor, a man is introduced with me and immediately he kneels at the feet of Our Majesty and starts stroking his penis.
I grumble "You needed assistance, Your Celestialness?"
And picture her on a throne, her ceremonial dress/armor shining in the sun, all regal and shit, and she just whispers nervously through her teeth: "Seven hours."
Me and the head-priestess look at each other. No clue.
"
Your
seven hours!"
I turn around, eyes rolling, at my seven hours, and see nothing but the waiting line stretching to the horizon. They're here to ejaculate on the feet of the God-Empress, which the guy beside me starts doing with a groan. His first jet of cum hits her toes and Taylor throws her head back in delight, the same she felt twelve hours and hundreds of people earlier. This will never cease to amaze me.
The head-priestess starts counting down the ropes of semen, "
1... 2... 3...
" ... "
19... 20... 21...
"
"TWENTY-ONE!"
He pumps and squirms and tries to spurt one more out but it's no use. One streak short of being reaped into Taylor's harem for next year.
A pat on the shoulder and he's
better luck next time
'd to the exit.
Meanwhile I don't care about all this. I'm looking at my seven and I spot what Tay spotted. On the steps, between two contestants whacking and praying, there's Alexandra Daddario.
"Cigarette break!" Taylor shouts before the priestesses can even hose down the jizz off her feet.
"God-Empress, you don't smoke!"
"Sleen does!"
I don't, but she's already pulling me by the arm to a balcony.
"You seen her?!" she asks me.
"Yeah the
True Detective
girl? with the big...eyes."
"Alex freakin' Daddario wants to be in my harem,
can you believe it?!
"
"She's hot I guess..."
"We have to do something!"
"What for?"
"The trial is harder for women, they have to squirt for twenty-two seconds. Imagine she fails!"
"Just tell her you wanna bang her!"
"The priestesses won't let me!"
"Tay, it's
your
stupid cult, now if you'll excuse me, I have an ROI to measur—"
"Chancellor Gomez, I