| Logs |
2013 May 15
| Neverneverwhere |
| Realms |
Retired
| Reality Fault |
General Info
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| Realms: Taps Logs |
Enter Rohana
Suraksha is tiredly pleased; she's just crossed Donner Pass and is very close to being safe home. She's pregnant but believes she discovered it in time to get home for the egg-laying -- which is why she's here in very late summer with only part of the caravan, instead of just before the snows of winter. She's wrong, though; she's a month off in her calculations. She's about to discover that.
Bradley too is very pleased; he's just received notice his beautiful priestess / complementary feminine energy is here! She's invited him to visit, and warned him she's quite pregnant, so he's delighted for her. He steps through shadows that night, though, to find the small camp in a state of controlled panic. As Fantine frightenedly explains to him, the lady's gone into labor a month earlier than expected! Apparently Alg, who knew she was pregnant, didn't realize she wasn't aware she was two months, rather than one, pregnant when he startled her badly on the trail months earlier, by asking her about the upcoming baby.
One of the Amazon shield-sisters on one of their swiftest and most sure-footed horses has been sent at a gallop for San Francisco, to get the Sesha family to send an appropriately warded and guarded palanquin for Naga and egg, but everyone is uncomfortably aware that's going to be a month at least to get here, and another to get back. Palanquins are neither light nor easy to transport, after all -- and not only must it protect a frightened Naga and her fragile egg from exposure... it must also protect its guards from the Naga. When Sura, inside her wagon, hears Bringer's voice, she gasps out a sudden change of plans to Sna'tha, and the sidhe hastily invites the manitou inside.
Bradley both cares a great deal for Sura, and is a gentleman; he's all for immediately taking her to his house. She'll have none of that, though -- he can almost taste her fright and fear -- until she's checked some things with him. First, does he have a suite or a room he can dedicate entirely to her, that they can set up so no one else can enter? Second, can she bring Sna'tha as well, and will he follow Sna'tha's directions regarding her godsdaughter's needs? Third, is he susceptible to poisons, sickness, or venoms? And finally, she's going to have weird dietary needs, but she's happy to pay for the extra cost if he can send someone to purchase the necessary things -- is that all right with him? He laughs softly and reassures her with affectionate warmth: she can have anything she needs; she certainly doesn't need to worry about paying him -- that's silly! -and he's quite resistant to just about everything. She needn't worry at all!
Sna'tha leaves first with Bradley, while Fantine waits with 'Chana for when Bradley returns. Once 'Chana's transported off as well, the little loogaroo will zip off as a ball of fire so she's there for her lady too. Alg is miserable; he wants to be there, but Sura asked him to help keep the caravan safe with the remaining Amazon for the trip into town, and join her then. When Bringer returns for 'Chana he can tell she's still frightened, by her wide-eyed, panting, tense demeanor. He kneels next to her bed and takes one of her hands (before scooping her up to head into town) and tries to reassure her -- she'll be quite safe at his house, he promises!
Sura's small hand in Bringer's is painfully tightly clenched as she grits her teeth and silently struggles to suppress the contraction -- she can't shift shape and lay her egg here! When she's through the contraction, pale and sweating and panting softly, she tells Bringer in a shaky voice, "Y-you always said you wanted to know what I t-truly was, Bringer..." She looks like she's struggling not to cry as she adds, "Th-this isn't the way I wanted to share it with you -- I'm so sorry!"
Bringer shushes her gently, scooping her up and lightly kissing her forehead as he carries her swiftly and easily through shadows to the rooms he's set aside for her. They find Sna'tha already throwing the household into turmoil, pressing everyone into pulling together a nesting box filled with clean, warm, damp sand as quickly as possible -- although she doesn't call it that by that precise name. The cook is appalled! He's been tersely informed he must adulterate his delicious planned dinner with ground up eggshells?! Sna'tha didn't want to just tell the man to pour ground-up calcium all over the meal, since Sura's going to be desperately short on that after the egg-laying... so that was the best the sidhe could come up with on short notice.
Bradley sees 'Chana safely into the rooms he's set aside for her; puts Moses on guard at the door with strict instructions to allow no one but himself, Fantine, or Sna'tha to enter; reassures his ruffled household and more gently reiterates Sna'tha's orders; helps set up the nesting box in the back bedroom of the suite even though he's quite perplexed as to what precisely this thing is that Sna'tha is so adamant about... then Sna'tha hustles everyone out, and is in the process of firmly closing the door in everyone's face when Bradley stops her.
The manitou is appalled, and so are the women in his household -- this is no way to help a woman bear a child! He's lost one beloved woman to childbirth; he's not going to stand by idly and allow another to die! Sna'tha does her best to keep him back, but she's a sidhe and a guest; he's a powerful manitou on his own home ground. When 'Chana, back within the suite, cries out in frightened, painful effort, Bradley simply steps through shadows around Sna'tha to be there with his poor lady priestess in her time of need.
That's when Bradley sees 'Chana for the first time in her native form, sprawled out and panting in limp exhaustion between contractions to push out the egg -- fighting the need for several hours to shift into her native shape took a lot out of her. She's so tired she barely lifts her head up from where it rests on her outstretched arm to hiss warningly; her senses are rather jangled right now, and she's not entirely sure who it is so close to her while she's so vulnerable. Bringer isn't susceptible to her venom, but he's nearly rocked back on his heels by the sheer power of her current confused fear and need to protect her coming egg.
Bringer's seen this happen before: a woman in childbirth (or in this case egg-laying) struggling with physical issues that slowly exhaust her and end up killing her. Behind him he can hear Sna'thaid swear and slam the outer door as she calls to him, "Don't go near her! She won't recognize you!" He doesn't care what she says, though; it's simply not relevant to him. He left one woman he loved to the care of others, and she died lonely, without him -- he is suddenly, fiercely determined not to see another die so.
Bringer strides into the room, and as his Sulochana Xopuchmata's alarm increases and she tiredly shoves her torso upright, he starts talking to her. His voice is soothing, calming; it drains fear and anger. He holds his hands out to her, letting her discover on her own that her venom does not affect him. As he expected, when he's close enough she strikes at him, swift as thought, then rears back defensively, her sway slower than usual due to her full-swollen belly, and with her tongue flickering repeatedly. He doesn't yell or yank away as she expected, though -- he just sits down on the edge of the large, sand-filled wooden box and holds his slightly bloodied hand out to her again, "Remember me, Sulochana Xopuchmata? It's Bringer -- Bringer of Night and Passion. You're not alone; you're safe, lovely. I won't let anyone harm you. You're safe... relax, beautiful dreamer, and let us help you let your body do the job for you, yes?"
Bringer's voice is as calm and peaceful as a river, winding and soothing and continuous, and when the next contraction hits 'Chana can't keep her attention on him as well as deal with the pain. She struggles with that, her hissing distraught and her tail thrashing -- and when the contraction finally subsides she finds herself panting and with Bringer's strong arms folded warm and secure about her human-shaped half, his steady voice gentle and reassuring next to her ear. Sna'tha is not going to look a metaphorical gift horse in the mouth -- she's well back from 'Chana's fangs, helping to hold down the long, powerful tail so 'Chana neither bruises herself nor harms someone else while she thrashes.
Sulochana has no idea what to do in order to lay her egg, past her body's normal oviparous instincts. Both the members of her matriline did not lay their eggs until they were over a century old, whereas she's still a childish 50 or so. Consequently she's had no training or discussion yet on what the experience will be like -- and that shows in her near-panicky demeanor. Once the words start registering, Bringer's voice is like a lifeline for her to cling to, as he directs her through Lamaze techniques; he is old enough to remember beloveds from before the Great Dying Off. The terrified young Naga does her best to breath according to his quiet, firm instructions, although she's still clearly struggling... and then there's a terrible racket from the front room: banging and thumping, screeching from Alg, and a woman's firm shout, "Mr. Bradley, tell Moses to stand down, please!"
Bringer blinks, his head tilting in inquiry at Sna'tha, who murmurs, "Hippolyta." She nods at the exhausted Naga, adding softly, "Her foster daughter." Bringer nods, calling out the command to Moses, and a second later Alg comes rocketing into the room, still muttering and screeching worriedly to himself, followed by a timid Fantine in her shed-skin form, and the young Amazon, who is laden with a large backpack. Sna'tha's voice is exasperated, "What are you all doing here? Do you not understand the word venomous?!" Fantine flinches, but Alg ignores Sna'tha entirely, anxiously mumbling about, "pretty lady need Alg!" and, "make get better!" as he rubs up against and gently pets the limp serpentine tail.
Hippolyta is entirely matter-of-fact as she shrugs out of the backpack and starts pulling things out: some small unguent jars, some stoppered jugs, some soft rags, a little drum, several other things. "Of course, Auntie Sna'tha. But when the shaman isn't here, my foster mother is my responsibility too. The Warlord would never forgive me if I allowed Mama Nightmane to come to harm simply because she was venomous, and neither would I -- especially since we already knew that, before I was born." She builds up the fire, making sure it's cheery and burning strongly, then goes to stick her fingers in the sand next to the sidhe. "Hmm... little damper than necessary, but it should stay warm well enough." She nods and smiles at the flabbergasted Sna'tha, then fetches a smudge bundle.
Shortly thereafter the room and everyone in it have been smudged and chanted over by the young Amazon. She's also laid, with Bringer's permission, a protective circle of ground herbs around the room's perimeter. As she dances, drums, and chants she also identifies for the others (and Bringer recognizes by scent) sandalwood for protection, healing, exorcism, and spirituality; rose for love, psychic strength, healing, divination, luck, and protection; and sage again for the immortals as well as for longevity, wisdom, and protection. 'Chana is groggy from exhaustion, but by her occasional tongue flickers she's aware of the strong scents, and she sighs softly, relaxing a little at the familiar and much-loved scent of sandalwood.
With the calm assurance of someone who has helped deliver babies -- and who apparently is careful but fearless around venomous Naga! -Hippolyta soon has Alg happily smoothing medicated oil for aching muscles along the long, limp serpentine tail which Sna'tha still helps pin gently down. Bringer continues to both reassuringly hold and (when necessary) restrain 'Chana, and with Poly's assistance, between contractions Fantine wipes 'Chana's sweaty face, throat, and chest with a cooling damp cloth, and offers her careful sips of cool water from the jug the Amazon has to hand. The little loogaroo in her undead form cannot be poisoned, after all, and it seems to strengthen her to help 'Chana so -- even though she's clearly somewhat frightened to be so close to the powerful manitou.
After that Poly carefully opens one of her unguent jars and dips in her fingers, then starts gently massaging and lubricating both the somewhat inflamed-looking skin around the entire ventral slit that would be a vagina in human form, as well as the pale, slightly protruding, leathery egg. She sings softly and soothingly as she does so, and encourages 'Chana to arch her back and tail, and to use her belly dancing muscles when the contractions arrive. As the presence of dear friends and family calms the distraught, exhausted Naga, and the firm, gentle directions help guide her, 'Chana slowly starts to keep her wits about her during contractions... and a few hours later the enormous-seeming egg slides slowly and stickily free. There's a small, tired cheer from everyone, and 'Chana is crying in relief as she clings to Bringer's secure solidity.
Bringer realizes dawn is due soon... but this room has only one window, and the entry-room has none. As he releases Sulochana so she can slowly, wearily curl around her newly laid egg, he gently strokes her back and asks the women to carefully block the window; he'd like to stay with his holy woman today. It is Bringer's intention, through affectionate caressing which will hopefully not disturb her sleep, to try and feed a bit of energy back to the limply exhausted Naga. Sna'tha gives him a faintly perplexed glance, but Hippolyta simply nods -- to her, the Naga is indeed a holy woman, as well as a daughter of the Lady and Mother of Serpents. Fantine anxiously apologizes but insists she must leave before dawn to return to the wagon and her skin -- the plan is for her and Pippa (when the Amazon returns from San Francisco) to keep driving the wagons closer each day, and returning here at night. The timid loogaroo is shocked and frightened when she slams up against the inside of the protective circle, but Poly calms her and clears an opening so the loogaroo can swiftly flit out the window.
There's some tidying up and planning for the day: Alg will guard the inner door, allowing no one to open it if the outer door is open. Moses will guard the outer door, allowing only those servants Bradley has okay'd to enter and leave desired things in the outer room -- at which point Alg will let those within know there's stuff for them. Poly and Sna'tha stretch out to sleep on the bed which Sulochana will not be using -- she's out like a light, entirely wrapped about the half-buried egg at this point -- and Bringer has made sure the window is tightly shuttered, curtained, and blocked by an armoire. Before the dawn, however, Bringer sends for heated bath water and lots of food to be sent to the suite throughout the day. He also quietly sends a rider after Pippa, to let the Seshas know their daughter and offspring are fine and safe.
Alg slips out after hearing Sna'tha talking about how 'Chana needs to replenish her body after laying her egg, and how chicken eggs would help the most. The goblin returns shortly thereafter, cackling and chuckling softly to himself, swinging a small bucket packed with spaghnum moss that's holding several eggs. When the goblin hands the bucket to Bringer, with a matter-of-fact, "Feed lady. Alg guard," the manitou blinks -- did Alg just give him all the eggs in the household? Bringer grins as he turns to Sulochana, knowing he'll have to sooth his cook's ruffled feathers later. For now, though, the manitou wakes 'Chana gently; she's very groggy and clinging to her own leathery egg until he slips the first chicken egg between her lips -- at which point she blinks startledly when she crunches down on it... then suddenly gets a ferocious flare of hunger!
Sulochana hastily chews and swallows the entire raw egg -- shell and all -- then eagerly accepts the next one Bringer feeds her. Once she's eaten about half a dozen of them she sits tiredly up, pushing her tangled, sweaty hair out of her face and licking her lips. She looks around slowly, still a bit unclear as to what's happened in the recent past. Bringer updates her, feeding her a few more eggs in the process, and she curls a few coils around him as well as around her egg and cries a bit in sheer relief. He strokes her gently, although she won't let go of the egg nor let him touch it -- she's trying hard to be polite, but he can see and feel how agitated it makes her when he stretches his hand out towards the egg. He's courteous, and he figures she'll calm down after a while; he doesn't need to upset her so.
That day is mostly a blur for Sulochana; the inexperienced young Naga literally wore herself out in the process of laying her egg, to the point that she was indeed near killing herself. She eats ravenously when there is food, sleeps with her body entirely coiled about her egg in limp exhaustion, and is slowly comforted and calmed by the solace of the quiet, relaxing presence of people she loves and trusts. Over the length of the day Bringer uses a soft sponge to give 'Chana a warm, cleansing, remarkably soothing bath (since she won't leave the egg to get into the tub); sings softly to her as he enjoys brushing her long, silky hair back into better condition; makes sure all three women eat when food is brought; rubs medicated oils into her skin -- both serpentine and human -- and generally simply cares for the weary Naga. It is extraordinarily pleasant for them both, as he can feel her slowly-replenishing energy, as well as her bone-deep relief and slightly confused enjoyment of his caring for her so.
Over the next few days Bringer's household adjusts to the strange new visitors. By the end of the week the abbreviated wagon train is hustled down the mountainside and parked next to Bringer's house, with the tired animals being cared for and pampered in his capacious barns. Bringer had a long, firm talk with Sna'thaid, Hippolyta, and Sulochana one night, and as a consequence another rider was sent to San Francisco with the message to not worry about the covered wagon -- 'Chana and egg were both safe and sound and accepting Bringer's strong invitation to please stay at his place for the next three months -- if not for the entire winter -- in order to not risk the egg nor exposure of the young Naga.
That, of course, meant the Imperial dragon came a-visiting the next night after the message arrived, sternly worried and insistent on checking in to be sure her granddaughter was not being held against her will. The manitou 'felt' her flying in, coming through the night, and quietly left 'Chana's room -- where he tends to spend his nights -- to see who this somewhat angry-feeling entity was, and if his home needed defending. Having an Asian-style dragon land in his yard was a new experience both for him and his household!
The Lady Akane Sesha was rigidly, formally, icily courteous to the manitou until allowed to see her Jyotsana -- after a bit of confusion on Bradley's part as to who exactly the woman was referring to -- and then much relieved after reassurance from Sna'tha, 'Chana, and Poly. She spent that night as well as the next two days and nights, to be absolutely sure her family was all right, and once she was sure all was well she returned home and sent on a wagon-load of extra produce, guards, and other necessaries to thank the manitou for his kindness in sheltering and caring for Jyotsana and the extended family.
That first week Sulochana couldn't have been peeled off her egg! She stayed with it all the time except when she had to relieve herself -- and even then she tended to leave a coil near it. She was irritable and hissy when anyone startled her, or tried to touch the egg. Her grandmother calmly insisted on doing so -- much to Jyotsana's unhappy acceptance -- in order to verify the egg was fine and healthy. Jyotsana's parents also came to visit for several days in the next week, which was instrumental in finally getting the young Naga to start allowing others near enough to help out with caring for the egg -- and which meant she started moving around more herself as well. That was a relief to her companions, as she'd not been caring properly for herself; now they could get her to take time out to exercise, bathe properly, eat and talk with others, and so on.
Roughly three months from the laying, the egg hatches. It is a very different affair than the hatching of either Jyotsana or her mother -- those hatchings had been witnessed only by the matriline, and by Sna'thaid and/or the male parents at a careful distance. This one is almost a party, with the room packed with extended family and beloved caravaneers, 'Chana proudly curled about her egg, and food and drink being passed around. As the hours pass and the scratchings from the egg slowly turn into thin tears in the leathery surface, people get quieter and more excited, leaning forward and whispering happily to each other -- although no one is rude enough to shove forward and interrupt this special moment for the young Naga and her newly a-borning child.
When the tiny infant finally wriggles through the wet rent in the egg, there is a spontaneous cheer, and much rejoicing. It's late at night by then, and after congratulating Sulochana, people head off to bed, or wherever their interests lie. The proud Naga mother is finally mostly alone again with her new baby nursing hungrily, gently wiping down and cleaning the infant. Bringer is there, quietly watching and as proud as if he were the father -- in a sense, he feels, he is -- while Fantine builds up the fire before heading off herself for dinner; she's not been able (or wished) to feed from her 'bokor' during this time, since 'Chana needed all her energy. Savitashri, 'Chana's mother, gives her daughter a gentle hug, and her father gives her a careful kiss on the cheek, before the two of them head off as well, beaming.
When the room finally falls silent but for the crackling of the fire and the soft, contented sounds of the nursing child, 'Chana silently watches her beautiful little infant for a long moment... then looks up at the manitou, her voice wistful, "Thank you for letting us stay here -- well, for talking us into the wisdom of staying here for the winter, Bringer... instead of traveling at this time of year to San Francisco."
He watches her silently for a long moment, his eyes glimmering darker than night in the firelight. His voice is gentle as he finally murmurs, "...but?"
The Naga's smile is contrite, "You can feel the longing, yes?" He nods silently, waiting, and she continues, "I do not wish to seem ungrateful, but... well, I wish Roy were here -- the baby's father."
Bringer tilts his head in a rather bird-like fashion, studying her for a moment... then he smiles and says, "I thought you might feel that way, beautiful eyes. I hope you do not mind... I sent a messenger to Baton Rouge with news of your pregnancy, and the healthy birth." She blinks -- then lights up at that, thanking him with laughing relief and delight. He moves over to the bed at her request, to receive a careful thank-you hug so as to not disturb the baby. Sitting there with his arms around her, watching the tiny, curled up, serpentine-tailed girl, he quietly asks Sulochana why she never married Roy... and... would she marry him instead? She's a bit startled at that, but ends up gently stroking his hair as she murmurs to him, "Roy loves me, sweet man... but I think what you love is the concept of me -- me as your priestess and holy woman, you know?"
Honesty compels the manitou to see the truth of her words, but he still presses gently -- she could bring this Roy to live nearby, surely? Also, he is sure he could learn to love her; could she not learn to love him as well? She smiles and explains Roy's connection with Baton Rouge, and confesses she still finds herself wishing to travel when her daughter is old enough to not need her 24/7... which, she admits, perplexes her, since she was taught Naga invariably wished to settle down after giving birth!
Bringer grins and points out the non-traditional way her entire pregnancy went, along with the fact that these 'traditions' are but the experience of only two! She laughs at that, and at his gentle teasing she promises to return to him periodically, should she start traveling again. She grins, adding, "Give us a millennia, Bringer. If you still love me then, I'll be older and wiser, and I may have lost my lovely Roy by then... we'll get together and see if we still have sparks then, all right?" The manitou has a very, very long perspective -- he cheerfully agrees, teasing her that he'll hold her to that promise!
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