It's been a few days more of training for Taahira. By now she can walk and move without tipping over every other step, and has adjusted to the bladder issues. Her back still aches a bit, but at least she can travel. Her belly has lost some of its squishiness as well, which Mave thinks is an indication that the eggs have embedded in the sides of her womb and aren't just floating around now.
Since the doe can travel again, and has a suitable wardrobe (including the all-important oversized cloak of cover-me-upness to hide her face and form), Tulani brings her to see Helse.
It's been an interesting and educational couple of days for the doe. She has gotten more accustomed to the body; and as Mave predicted, started liking the body. The hormones have gotten her to overlook the bladder issues, and the aches and pains, with a sense of contentment at being a vessel of new life. The fact the life will be flesh eating monsters is apparently irrelevant to biology. She has also taken to dressing consistently in the Abu Dhabian garb; the one that accentuates her swollen stomach and shows off her curves. All jewelry is gone, though slight marks where the holes are still remain on her ears, chest, and lower areas. And just before entering the studio, she confided in Tulani she's scared, but is glad to be taking the fight to the cult ... and that after all of this the pair is going on a bar crawl and getting completely drunk! She also added in that if any emergency came up, she would contact Tulani immediately through any means possible, including sending Hosheb to her! T
Then it's a nervous, nose twitching smile to Tulani, and the doe and sphynx enter the salon.
"So.. this is her?" Helse asks Tulani, when she sees she isn't bringing Pierce with her.
Tulani just nods.
"Bring her to the back room," Helse says, "so I can look her over."
Taahira looks at the floor intently, feeling rather embarrassed for whatever reason. She lifts her fingers and waves to the Eeee gently.
Once Helse turned away, Taahira puts her hand on Tulani's forearm. She looks up at her friend and gives her a reassuring smile, then a light squeeze on her arm. The act is to perhaps convey, 'I will be okay', even though no works are spoken.
"Privacy would be best, yes," Tulani agrees, and leads Taahira back to the room where Pierce normally works. There are plenty of soft things to sit on, at least. Helse joins them a moment later. Today she's painted up to look like she's wrapped in rainbows. "So.. what is the cover story?" the Eeee asks.
"I'm playing the role of a disgraced wife; one who was tempted into the bed of another buck while her husband was away. The result was pregnancy, and disgrace if uncovered ... so the husband wanted rid of me and the children. I was taken from the home at night and quietly, and brought to Babel to disappear," Taahira offers as the cover story. She's looking at the floor again nervously.
"Hmmm," Helse says, and stares at the doe's ears for a moment. "How committed are you to playing that story out?"
"One hundred percent. Unless you can offer a better story, we believed it would be believable and a good reason for a under the table sale, as it where," Taahira offers. She notices the look at her ears, then reaches up and rubs on one nervously.
"You'll need to get your ears tattooed," Helse notes. "Marriage tattoos, and also an adulterer's mark."
The doe rubs her ears nervously again. "Where would the mark go?" she asks.
"Inside your ears, of course," the Eeee woman explains. "You'll need to give me the name of your imaginary husband to put in it."
"All right, I accept the tattoos if it will help," Taahira agrees. She's used enough to tattoos by now she knows what to expect. Just ... insides of the ear will be new. "The name of the husband will be Tamir Al-Iyas."
"I always thought those tattoos were just decorative.." Tulani notes.
"Sephia trained in Abu-Dhabi, and knows the patterns," Helse says. "Come along to the front again."
Taahira pats Tulani's arm, then heads back to the front. The chair of doom, how well she knows it.
The familiar serpent helps the doe into the chair, and seems fascinated by the swollen belly. "Sssso big," Sephia hisses, and prepares her tattooing needles and inks (and disinfectants). "A marriage mark, yessss?"
Taahira can't help but be nervous and tremble a little. A serpent that large would scare any lapi. The touch on her stomach also makes her twitch, but she does not run screaming (even if she wants to!). "Yes, I am to be recorded as the wife of Tamir Al-Iyas; forever etched into my ears. I ... also require the mark of adulterer to be etched there as well," the doe confirms.
"Zina.. a pity, you are tasty looking," Sephia notes. "That is, I mean attractive. But in Babel, few would know these marks as anything more than decorative scribbles."
"How did Helse know about them?" Tulani asks.
"Helse believes I should have them or I may not be purchased," Taahira notes.
"The mistress knows many things," the Naga replies, and holds color-tipped sticks to the inside of Taahira's ears, to find the color that works best.
"How much of my ears will be covered?" Taahira asks as she struggles to hold her ears still.
"Ah, so you are a.. forgery?" the Naga asks, flicking her tongue in the ear to gauge the doe's twitch-response. "Only the inner part of the right ear for the marriage mark. The left ear holds the shameful mark."
"It is necessary that I be purchased by a specific house that prefers those with shame," Taahira half-explains. "And with nothing else in the left ear, the mark will be glaring."
And even though Taahira knows she could remove the shame mark with the shadow; the thought of actually having it etched is ... well, it's a bit scary.
Since the right ear will take longer, the Naga asks if Taahira would like it numbed first.
"No, that's okay. I'm going to be going through worse pains soon enough. This will be practice," Taahira answers and rubs her swollen belly.
"Very well, please hold still," Sephia instructs clearly, and goes to work with the ink and needle while holding the ear taught in her other hand.
Taahira grips the arm rests with her soft hands once the needle starts moving. It's a failure pain, sharp and burning as lines of ink are etched into her ear skin. Why is it that those she gets close to seem to like to tattoo her. Granted Sephia doesn't know who is in the chair, but still ... it's ironic.
Familiar, not failure....
The tattooing is much lighter than that done on Snowcora, at least, since the inner ear of a Lapi isn't very thick to begin with. But the design is intricate, using the fancy swirls and dots of the more ancient and formal (and incredibly fanciful) Khattan script. To most, it would be unreadable.
For her part, Taahira does remain still; only letting out a held breath now and then with the sting gets a bit much. It's dedication when you get your body marked for a plan, that's certain. She does look over at Helse now and then; that inscrutable Eeee is still a mystery in many respects.
The final dab of alcohol soaked cloth signals the completion of the right ear, and the Naga begins shifting her tools over to the left side of the chair now.
"Ow," Taahira says in a soft voice once the sting of alcohol is done. "IS there anything in addition to the mark on my left ear that would help solidify my shame?" she asks Helse and Sephia.
"Asssside from your belly?" Sephia hisses in amusement. "You are a marked woman. You are still alive however, which is the greatest punishment, for you must live in shame."
Taahira's left ear twitches. "Understood. Mark me an adulterer," she asks of the serpent, and her hands tighten around the arm rests again.
The mark is much simpler - and meant to be clear and unfanciful at that. The tattoo is finished in a fraction of the time that the wedding mark (brand?) took. It still stings just as much when the alcohol is applied though.
"I hope you are right this will help," Taahira says to Helse. "And I hope you now believe I am committed to this."
"It will create verisimilitude, as the buyers are naturally very suspicious," Helse notes. "By the time I arrange the meeting, the skin should be healed. I will give you an ointment to keep the inflammation down."
"I have also brought a muzzle that has been fitted to me, if that will also help," Taahira says. "And when do you think it will all be arranged and I will be taken to be sold to them?"
"I will need to meet a contact, who will carry my message.. and hopefully I will hear back the next day," Helse says. "Then the negotiation and final meeting will be arranged. Two days at the earliest, four at the latest if there is interest. You should not need a gag, for that suggests you have a rebellious tongue. And such would have been cut out, rather than gagged."
"The gag is because she whimpers a lot," Tulani suggests.
"That's more acceptable," Helse agrees.
"All right. Shall I stay here until the meeting is arranged? It is difficult for me to travel, for obvious reasons," Taahira says. She also so wants to swat Tulani for that comment, but doesn't.
"You can stay, if you keep out of sight," Helse agrees. "We don't want others knowing there is an 'available' Lapi doe here."
"What would happen?" Taahira asks as she gently rises from the chair.
"I don't know, but most likely a breach of secrecy will sour the deal," Helse explains. "These people do not want someone noticeable vanishing."
"All right. I will keep out of sight, but be ready to go the moment the meeting is established," Taahira says and smiles. "Thank you for your help with this; it is appreciated by many."
"I am not very happy about turning over a pregnant woman to monsters," Helse says. "But I have been assured of your safety. Please do not make me feel the fool by being killed."
"I will not die; do not worry. There are powerful people protecting me," Taahira claims. "I'm tough, though I may not appear it; I shall endure and it will help better this city."
"I certainly hope so," Helse says, sounding a bit tired. "I would hate to have to leave it."
"You can sssSleep with usss," Sephia whispers to Taahira, and the other snake-women smile in a friendly way. And those rumors of Naga swallowing the babies of other races is certainly just racist stereotyping.
"Though you should not ... if you ever did, I am sure tulani and her friends could find you a new home," the doe says. She even walks over and puts a soft hand on the Eeee's shoulder. "Have faith in them. I do," she adds, then taps her 'Zina' marked ear for emphasis. Those ears wilt at the suggestion made by the serpents, but then she barely manages a nod in agreement.
"Just think of them as skinny dragons," Tulani whispers to the doe.
"That want to eat me," Taahira mutters.
"I don't think their jaws can unhinge that far," Tulani notes. "Besides, you eat people, technically - just not all at once." The Sphynx rubs at her neck where she's usually bitten when it's time to feed the vampire.
Taahira gives Tulani a look. "I'll be fine. Just be ready to come if I need to call for help, okay?" she asks the Sphynx. "I'm beein training to be sold; and just think, you'll have more money for stuff and don't need to feel bad about using it."
"Hah, you'll eat through it fast enough, I'm sure," Tulani notes. "I'll be bringing you veggies while you're here. Fresh ones are expensive in Babel. They're just used as garnish after all."
"Bah, spend some on yourself. I'll be fine," Taahira insists. "Get a few piercings; the naga will help you and it would probably amuse your slave..."
"Or I could give it to the Yodhrinala hospice.." Tulani suggests.
"An even better suggestion," Taahira agrees and nods. "Now, if everything works out I'll be the newest slave of a certain household in a few days. Scary, but worth it. I'm almost excited."
"Be careful about getting excited," Tulani notes, and smirks. "Wouldn't want any accidents with your bladder after all.." She then dances away from the Lapi.
"Speaking of which," Taahira says, then looks to Helse. "Which way to the restroom?"
"This way," Helse says, and leads the way through the bead-curtain doorway to the back of the shop again..
And Taahira waddles after Helse. The bladder feels like the size of a pea when you're carrying over twenty pounds of extra weight!
Taahira got to sleep on top of the pile of snakes, rather than inside a ball of them, by virtue of having to go to the bathroom several times during the night. It was on her third visit since bedtime that the darkness of the lavatory felt a bit more crowded than usual.
Even with the sensation of it being crowded, nature calls! And so, she answers quickly; she's gotten very skilled at this aspect of pregnancy! Once the immediate urge is past, she asks quietly, "Is ... someone there?"
"Just me," Gorphat replies, mostly in Taahira's head of course. "I am also Goddess of the Sewers after all."
"Ah, Mother, I am doing well. Hosheb's children I believe are attaching themselves inside me. I do not know if you can tell or not. My body seems to be taking this pregnancy well. I am finding that with its difficulties and pains, there is enjoyment in it," Taahira thinks. "It helps me from missing being in your presence in the temple."
"It is a great test of strength," Gorphat notes. "And that is my role in it, while Inala gets the more glorious parts of actual motherhood. It is good that you are holding up. Do not be afraid of the path before you."
"I cannot help but be afraid a little; but my faith in you and your love for your Daughters will see me through," Taahira thinks, "Am I right in that my ... children are doing well within me?"
"You have not rejected them, so they should thrive," Gorphat claims. "Do not worry yourself overmuch - they are not delicate creatures. You must have faith in yourself, for that is where you power is. I have given you all that I can, which was not much. I am a weak goddess, after all."
"You are not weak to me and I glorify you in the body which you gave me in my trials. Bald, ugly, and devout; showing others that people believe you are worth worship," Taahira thinks from where she sits, "I would willingly do more for you as well."
"You will," Gorphat assures. "You will save us all. Even if it means changing us, or using us up, to do it."
"I do not wish to lose you, Mother," Taahira thinks and frowns. She even rubs her stomach lightly, then adds, "I want to continue to serve. To bear more clutches if you wish it of me; or to have Nicora, my Yodhgorphat body, be a pinnacle of demonstrating endurance and growth through challenge."
"You will bring all of Babel to face my Challenge," Gorphat promises.
"Is there anything you wish to ask of me, or does Hosheb wish to see me? I will be sold in a few days and then be unable to visit the Temple," Taahira thinks.
"Be safe," Gorphat says. "Choose your allies carefully, and do not fail in destroying the beast of Diphath."
"Should I return to the Temple once it is destroyed?" Taahira thinks.
"You are my Temple right now," Gorphat claims, and the doe can feel the goddess's drooling grin in the darkness. "You are the center of belief in me."
"I could kiss you right now if I could see you," Taahira thinks; oddly pleased at the proclamation she is her temple.
"Your bedmates may not appreciate the smell of your breath after that," Gorphat notes. "Don't forget to wipe.." And then.. the presence fades.
Taahira sighs to herself and rises as she practiced, then makes sure she is clean from the release of pressure. "I'm crazy," the doe thinks, shaking her head. Yet, she still smiles as she waddles out of the privy to rejoin her serpentine bed. "Get used to the squirming, it'll be constant inside you soon enough," she thinks as she slides back into the slithery pile. "I'll survive this; I hope."