The day starts early in the salon. The Naga women repaint and decorate one another before opening, while Helse (who had her art applied the night before) prepares breakfast for herself - and now for her 'guest slave' Pierce. It's the first time the pseudo-Savanite has seen the Eeee wear clothing, but since she's frying things that not surprising. She sets a plate down on the small two-seat table that just barely fits in the kitchenette, and offers Pierce one of the sausages. Not a meat sausage, of course, but a bug sausage. "The crunchy bits stick in my teeth," Helse explains. "So.. just the soft parts I'm afraid."
If someone could feel ill, or green, now's the time. There is something just wrong about a bug sausage. Pierce stares at the monstrosity for a few seconds, but also realizes he can't appear rude ... so he has to accept it. He takes the small plate and bows his head low. "Ow, also ones to mind when his still sore nose twinges from the movement. He then decides he may as well eat while hurting, as one pain will perhaps counter the other ... so down the sausage goes soon after he rises.
Helse eats hers.. well, not seductively. The opposite. Her napkin gets a good workout. "I envy the girls sometimes," she notes. "They only need to eat every few days, and it's over in a minute." Wiping her hands on her shirt, she then pulls it off. The ivy-and-flowers art wraps her torso.
Pierce considers that advantage, then nods once in agreement. He also quickly sets the plate down so he can collect her discarded shirt so it can be taken to the laundry. He folds it quickly while his eyes follow the ivy art around her torso.
The pants are handed off to him next, before Helse squeezes past in the narrow room. "Watch what the others do until you have work," she notes.
Pierce nods once in acknowledgement of the command. The pants are folded next, then it is off to take them to the laundry. "She's odd," he decides as he walks. "Not sure what to make of her."
After the laundry is taken care of, Pierce gets to watch each of the Naga women prepare their workstations. Even though they were cleaned last night, they clean them again and take stock of their various supplies. The one next to Sephia's station motions for the cheetah to come over.
Pierce heads over to the station nest to Sephia's. He cocks his head slightly to the side as he looks at the naga. A smile follows, along with a flick of an ear to indicate he is listening.
The serpent sets out a foot pump: a bellows with loops for feet so one can hold it down while the other lifts and pumps. There a line leading from it to an odd tool held in the woman's hand. "Pump me?" she hisses to Pierce.
Pierce's brow arches. "Air brush?" he reasons out as he slips his feet into the lower straps of the bellows. After adjusting his balance as best he can, he attempts to operate the odd device with his feet.
Once the air is flowing, the device begins to vibrate - it's a tattooing needle, pneumatic instead of mechanical. As for Pierce's other guess, that appears to be a separate attachment, as one of the others is already testing one. Seeing a Naga pump the bellows with her tail is.. bizarre.
Pierce blinks as he watches the needle vibrate. "Wow, that looks painful! And I should know," he thinks as he stops the wince that's beginning to start. He also tries to not watch the other Naga pumping too much because, well, it hurts his head! "I always find the really weird places," he admits to himself. He also has to wonder what she's going to use that needle on!
Apparently.. nothing. She's just making sure everything works and is ready. Once everyone is ready, Helse opens the store entry, and picks one of the girls at random to 'bait the hook', she claims: basically lazing and looking pretty on the sign outside.
"It's how they trapped me," Pierce thinks glumly to himself and rubs a bit at his nose. That constant slight weight is so ... reminding. He continues at the mump until it seems he's no longer needed and then slips his feet out. Savanites have one thing going for them; good legs. So at least his legs don't feel tired from that.
It's now time to settle down and.. wait. But not for long. Within ten minutes a tall, dapper-looking Savanite man enters the store, herding three rather sticky-looking kittens in simple long shirts. All wear collars, although the man's is rather ornate, to match his clothing: probably a head butler or other higher-up servant.
"Ah, Raishe," Helse greets the man. "Three of the usual then?" she asks, to which the man nods.
Pierce immediately bows deeply to this savanite and his charges. "Why in the world are they here?" he has to wonder ... and he also has to wonder thwat the usual is. It may be rather unpleasant.
Two of the children are urged into chairs, where the serpents start cleaning them up. The third sticks close to Raishe, and seems to notice Pierce. He stares wide-eyed at all of the body jewelry on the man.
"That's Pierce, he's with us for a bit," Helse introduces. "Yodhinala-trained stud. Spread the signs, if you have a chance?"
Raishe bows back to Pierce, and nods to Helse. He even gives her a wink.
Pierce tries to wave in a friendly way to the child hiding near the butler. The stud comment causes him to flick his tail slightly though. "It's embarrassing being called that," he thinks to himself.
The two in the chair cease their fidgeting soon enough, as the Nagas pour water on their hair and start to shampoo it. The third looks on as if they're being horribly tortured. "Slave trader in town," Raishe signs to Helse casually.
This causes Pierce's brow to arch. "Slave trader? That is something I should try to stop," he thinks as he tries to slink out of the way and look as non-intimidating as possible. He still dares not sign, having not been given permission to.
"Checked out the selection?" Helse replies. "Anything good?"
"Mixed," the Savanite signs. "Some high-end, experienced. Few workers. Debt sales."
"Ah, those must be the slaves from Zannara," Pierce thinks and relaxes slightly. "At least they will be sold into decent homes, if the slaver was being honest with me." He shifts about a bit, then idly scratches at his left arm.
"Sounds like Zimon," Helse notes, and starts packing her pipe. Surprisingly, she holds out the bag of whatever-she-smokes to Raishe, who takes a pinch and sniffs it like snuff. With his other hand, he signs, "Absinthe was there. Got a spotty finally."
Pierces ears perk, even though there was nothing spoken. "Could be interesting. Who is this?" he wonders.
This causes Helse to pause. "Absinthe? I never thought she'd get off the fence. But she and Zamfir are getting up there, and with no children to take care of them.."
"She would never buy one born here," Raishe notes. He then casts a sharp glance to one of the kittens who is mewling in complaint. The Naga washing him takes notice, and pauses to wash a bit of soap out of his eye.
"Hopefully this is a nice person and will treat their 'purchase' well," Pierce thinks to himself as he just stands watching and occasionally glancing to the children.
"She'll spoil it," Helse agrees. "Did you catch where this one was from?"
"Desert-cat costume, didn't look like she'd ever been cold. Lots of skills, cute girl," Raishe reports. "Expect her. Absinthe will want to get her fancy clothes next door."
Pierce reaches up and idly rubs the ring in his nose as he listens. "/An actual one from the desert. She's going to feel very out of place," he thinks.
Sephia reaches and pinches Pierce's ear when he rubs the ring. "Sstop that," she hisses. "I have balm."
Pierce almost barks from the pinch, but somehow manages to stop himself. Instead he ends up rubbing his backside where he was pinched.
Make that rubbing his ear!
The Naga dabs some cream on his nose, and says, "Don't plAy with it or it wilL fall oFf." The kitten next to Raishe covers his mouth, but his ears giggle.
Pierce looks very 'put out' by all this. At one point he even sticks his tongue out at the 'giggling' child!
The kitten gets a whap from the adult Savanite's tail and a sharp look that says behave. "I will be back for them in an hour," Raishe signs to Helse, who nods. "I'll keep them out of trouble."
"I didn't realize how much of a slave-sitter Helse was!" Pierce thinsk, amused by this odd bit of information. Given the bat's own odd tastes, it seems out of place. Still, at least it means his short time here won't be bad.
The waiting kitten runs over to one of the other Naga, who rubs his head and looks critically at his hair. "TiMe for a Trim," she hisses to the boy, who grabs his hair and shakes his head, causing the serpent to laugh.
"Haircuts aren't that bad. We used to do them with knives!" Pierce thinks, much amused by the antics and ear-wiggling himself now. He also waves towards the chair, trying to encourage the child.
"Knives are cool!" the boy signs, but does get into the chair. His exuberance is short lived though, as apparently a haircut starts with a face-washing and a manicure.
"And better him than me," Pierce thinks as he rubs his left arm with his right. The urge to rub his nose is terrible, but he doesn't want to get pinched again!
Sephia tugs on Pierce's hair then. "Sssit!" she insists.
Pierce blinks. He taps his chest, then shakes his head several times!
"I insssist!" Sephia notes, grinning. "Sset a good example."
Pierce snorts, exasperated! So, he flops his but down in the chair and crosses his arms, glowering. Even his ears splay.
Sephia ominously plays with her various implements of torture, just tease Pierce, because she uses her fingers to start braiding his long brown hair.
"Well, this isn't so bad! Pierce decides. Of course he's not about to tell her that, so he has to continue to glower a bit longer.
One of the kittens sticks his tongue out at Pierce. But things are pleasantly busy for a time, until a new customer enters. This one is a middle-aged Eeee woman, dressed.. oddly for Babel. She's probably traveled and picked up on other fashions, then decided to wear all of them at once. Behind comes a familiar-looking Savanite in Himaatian dress: Hinata, the slave that Nicorina saw before.
"Helse! Isn't she darling?" the woman says, then glances around and.. gets an odd expression when she sees the children.
Pierce sticks out his studded tongue at the child, perhaps to startle him. Of course when Hinata is bought in, he looks stunned, surprised, and perhaps a bit horrified all at once!
Hinata of course shows no recognition of Pierce. She's acting very shy and almost embarrassed about her new mistress.
"Very pretty, yes," Helse agrees, and then grins. "But perhaps she'll be prettier with some of the road washed away?" she suggests.
Still, Pierce waves to the girl in all his almost-naked glory from the chair he's sitting in. He's also surprised Helse didn't suggest some decorations; she was sure wanting to decorate him.
"Well, of course," Absinthe notes. "I need to get her new clothing before it gets chilly, and.. a collar.." The last word is said with something approaching disgust.
Hinata waves back with just her hand and smiles. She's probably not used to seeing nearly-naked men though.
"I don't suppose you'd be willing to sign my petition to Parliament about.." Absinthe says to Helse, and nods her head towards the children.
Not all collars have to be huge and noticeable, though, and they aren't usually uncomfortable. Pierce lowers his hand now, figuring he's making the girl uncomfortable.
"What is it this season? Oh yes.. No child slavery, isn't it?" Helse replies.
"That is an admirable petition," Pierce thinks to himself. He's certainly sign it were he in Alptraum-form. Not that his signature would have any meaning, of course.
"Of course!" Absinthe squeaks. "It's not right. Being born into slavery encourages all sorts of unsavory things. Children belong to their parents, until they decide to sell them."
Pierce snorts lightly. The comment about parents selling their children oddly amused him. "Babel," he thinks to himself and rolls his eyes.
This earns another ear-pinch from Sephia. "Ssstill your nose," she chides.
Pierce glowers again and crosses his arms.
"And what if they choose not to sell them?" Helse asks, looking amused.
"Then they won't be slaves," Absinthe says with a wave of her hand. "They are smart men; they will figure it all out I am sure. It is a necessary step for Babel."
"Well, then you have nothing to worry about, Absinthe," Helse says. "They'll do it without your petition anyway."
"I'm amazed to find such an idealist here," Pierce thinks. This is a woman Alptraum should talk to some day, perhaps.
The other Eeee opens her mouth to make a point, then pauses and looks thoughtful. "Why.. you're right!" she says. "I only have to show support when it inevitably is enacted. And people will look to me and say, 'Why, she knew all along! I should get her advice on how to adapt!'"
Pierce really wants to laugh at that; there is a naive woman! Still, he manages to control himself a little ... and his ears only wiggle some.
"You.. ah.. aren't going to dress her yourself are you?" Helse asks her friend.
"Helse has a point there, that Eeee dresses badly," Pierce thinks. While he's sitting in that chair, he lightly swats Sephia with his tail.
"Well.. I have budget, and.. I figured she could browse around.." Absinthe notes, and smiles to the now nervous looking Hinata. "But she shouldn't look.. too.. much like a slave, you see?"
"Well, that's good to hear, dear," Helse notes. "Let me get my cloak, and we can go have some tea while she gets cleaned up, alright?"
"They're leaving her with us. Well, that's safe enough. I won't touch her. Even if I wanted to I'm under orders about no 'freebies'," Pierce thinks.
"Oh, yes, yes.. a cloak? Well, at least that's something I suppose," Absinthe notes. Apparently she's not very approving of public nudity.
"She looks better naked," Pierce thinks to himself. But then he's gotten to appreciate naked women.
Pierce also waves to Absinthe politely, perhaps to say goodbye. Maybe he's trying to make her worry? Who knows.
The two Eeee leave shortly, leaving Hinata to look a bit lost.
Pierce waves to Hinata again and finally dares to sign with only slaves present. "I'm not as scary as I look, I promise. I just have an owner that likes me ... decorated," he signs. "And this serpent likes to ... pierce me."
"Absssinthe hass no children," Sephia whispers into Pierce's ear. "She will next petition for the right to adopt slavesss."
"That may not be so bad," Pierce finally signs to Sephia.
The kittens all smile to Hinata, but all of the washing stations are being used. Sephia gives Pierce a nudge, having done with four braids amidst otherwise straight hair. "Go, help her usE the bath."
Pierce rises from his chair and walks over to Hinata. He extends his right hand to her, trying ti be welcome. "Come?" he signs to her.
The girl nods and keeps her eyes low, until she finds herself looking at Pierce's loincloth, which makes her look up again in embarrasment.
"Do you want to see?" Pierce signs the question as he guides her into the back area, towards the bath.
"See?" Hinata signs.
"What is underneath. I was ... forced to have things added," Pierce claims in sign as the pair pass into the bathroom area. He then waves for her to go stand in the wash basin.
Hinata eyes the giant tub, the boiler, and everything else, and then signs, "Forced? You have more jewelry than my mistress. What did they do?"
Pierce then lifts the flap to show off the five different rings. "I'm normally .... chained," he signs, shrugs, and lets the flap down. He goes to fill the lower part of the tub with some warm water, then while it fills, he gets some clean towels and soap.
Hinata stands there with her mouth gaping for a moment. "Will I be chained? Did it hurt?" she signs nervously.
"Only if your Mistress wants it. And yes, it does hurt to have done," Pierce admits, "But ... you get used to it. It now feels odd when the chain isn't there." He sets the towels down beside the tub, then signs, "Disrobe."
The girl shyly turns around and begins undoing the layers of wrapped and draped clothing. Looking back over her shoulder, she points to herself and then to the water, with a questioning look.
Pierce nods and motions for her to step in. He then picks up one of the wash cloths and approaches.
Hinata steps into the tub as if it were some sort of acid. When it doesn't melt her legs, she stares at it, and then slowly sits down.
Pierce kneels down and dips the washcloth into the water, then in slow, gentle, strokes he begins to carefully and slowly clean her, following the direction of the fur growth with each stroke, not unlike being tongue-bathed. "Do you want jewelry like mine?" he signs with his free hand.
The girl shrugs, and chews on her lower lip. While most Savanites Pierce has met have curly or straight hair, Hinata's seems to have a natural wave to it. "Your owner must be very wealthy," she signs. "So much jewelry, and so much water just for washing in."
"The shop owner is not mine, I am on loan to this place. I am to make my Mistress money by being .... a stud for new slaves,/" Pierce signs as he continues the careful bathing. Only a little soap is used, lest it irritate her skin underneath. He then lifts up her hair and washes the back of Hinata's neck.
"I don't know that sign," Hinata says, repeating the one used for 'stud' back to Pierce. "My last master was very poor."
"I am a prostitute," Pierce tries another sign. He shrugs and sighs a bit himself. "Why did he sell you, was it because he was poor?"
The girl seems surprised by the explanation. She then signs, "No. I was given to him when we were both children. When he was old enough he set out to make his fortune, and took me along. He was not wise with money, and had many debts that he hid well even from me. He tried to do business with the wrong people, and.. they killed him. So I was bought by Zimon."
"I am sorry," Pierce signs as he continues. At one point he nudges her to stand up so that he can get her legs and such easier with the washcloth.
Hinata stands and then wraps her arms around herself, surprised at the chill of leaving the warm water. "I cried for many days," she signs.
"I can imagine. Again, I am sorry. You must have cared for him,/" Pierce signs then goes about cleaning her legs gently. Once he's done, he helps her step out of the tub so that he can dry her off with the colleciton of towels.
"I won't be lonely now, with mistress Absinthe," Hinata signs shakily, as she is apparently ticklish.
"She seems nice. You two are a good match," Pierce signs as he drapes more towels on her to help her keep warm as he ruffle-dries her vigorously!
There are barks of distress at the ticklish-fluffing, and it's hard to keep Hinata from curling into a ball. She looks almost ridiculously fluffy when Pierce is done with her.
Pierce's ears wiggle in amusement. Still, he spares her a bit by getting a damp cloth and uses it to smooth her back out. "Feel better?" he signs once he is done.
"Embarrassed," the girl admits.
"Why?" Pierce signs. "Am I ... that horrible?"
Shaking her head, Hinata signs, "Never been uncovered or touched like this."
"I was just cleaning you. I meant nothing by it. I hope you can forgive me," Pierce signs as he rises and gathers the wet towels. "You may dress while I take these to the laundry."
A few minutes later, the girl rejoins Pierce in the hall. She's wearing just one Ha'clohi and having wrapped the sashes around her for modesty.
"Feel better?" Pierce signs to the girl when she returns.
Nodding, the girl suddenly looks embarrassed again and signs, "Do they really only eat bugs here?"
"Mostly. The naga eat yiffles," Pierce signs in apology. "You may get used to it."
"There is no bug-jerky," Hinata signs. "I am sick of jerky."
"She eats savanites," Pierce also adds in sign and thumbs towards Sephia.
"She is too small!" Hinata replies, and rolls her eyes.
"She tried to eat me," Pierce counters.
One of the kittens is done, and looks very different all washed up and with his hair trimmed and styled. The Naga at the now free station waves for Hinata to come and sit.
"Your turn for torture," Pierce helpfully signs to Hinata.
"One bite at a time?" Hinata asks with an ear wiggle and an amused expression as she sits down. A towel is draped across her as the Naga begins to style her hair to bring out the wave (and tame the frizzy bits remaining from being toweled off).
"Just so," Pierce signs as he finds himself a spare pillow to sit down on and cross his legs.
This gets him a Naga in his lap. Sephia unhinges her jaw and tries to swallow Pierce's face again, causing the kittens to grin and wiggle their ears in laughter.
Poor Pierce makes a muffled-sounding noise and waves his arms frantically!
This causes even Hinata to 'giggle' and cover her eyes with her hands.
"What, do I have a naga girlfriend now?" Pierce has to wonder. "One that likes needles, no less!" Still, he does try to hold his break and 'wait out' the head-devouring.
Sephia releases her prey, but deliberately slithers her entire length across his lap as she heads to the desk.
And that makes poor Pierce twitch. He has to resist the urge to throw one of the pillows at her. "She likes to torture me. This is her work," he signs, then taps the bone-ring in his nose.
Once at the desk, Sephia does some paperwork, then dips into the whicker basket that's kept behind there. She produces a tightly wound ball of blue yarn, which she gives to the kitten to play with, much to his delight.
Piece decides to test how secure the ring is in his nose, and if he could ease it out. At least, he tests this, not wanting to remove it completely and offend Helse, of ocurse.
With a bit of pressure, it's possible to spread the ring just enough to feel the 'balls' loosen from the grommet inside his nose. With a good tug, it would probably pop free. There's a hiss from Sephia as she catches him playing with it again, and a yellow ball of yarn is lobbed at him.
Pierce lets go and the ring 'pops' right back into its sockets. "No remove?" he signs to Sephia after ducking out of the way of the yarn.
The serpent shakes her head. No remove!
"Okay, fine," Pierce signs, then looks to Hinata. "See? She is cruel to me." he signs.
As if to prove it, Sephia slithers back to her station and digs out a slender chain.. which she uses to link the nose ring to one of Pierce's earrings. "If you do not ssstop playing with it, I will chain your fingersss together next," she notes. This causes giggles all around.
Pierce is too surprised to really stop the naga, or in any other way react other than blink. As 'giggles' erupt all around him he just glowers. "Great, not it feels weirder!" he thinks to himself as he crosses his arms again. "This is going to be a long day."