strangetrip | It's Pronounced "Tiefling"

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It's Pronounced "Tiefling" - OTA

Zahra needed to get a lay of the land now that she had arrived and things seemed to have calmed down a little. She was sure leaving the room would worry Kash, but she had only ventured out a few times briefly and now it felt right. She had filled him in on everything that she knew happened back home, spent many days enjoying the marvel of hot baths on demand, and discovered what a 'TV' was and tried to get some idea of what this plane was like. Now it was time to experience it for herself.

Zahra did not hide what she was. The red-skinned Tiefling wore a grey dress with a hole cut and sewn to allow her tail freedom of movement behind her. She decided to leave her staff behind, but she had done so after a lot of thought. The humans here didn't need to see her walking around with a weapon, but she felt naked and vulnerable. Kash said they were safe and so she would lean on those words as she navigated the inn weaponless.

She found the pool, crouching down by the water and feeling the cool water against her fingers. She could smell something from the water that told her the water wasn't entirely pure. It took her some time to figure out it was a place to bathe or swim, like a lake in the middle of the forest. She did take note of the heated part of the pool.

Her next step was through the lobby to the bar. Taverns looked similar no matter what plane of existence you were on, it seemed. She felt her stomach growl and after a moment found her way to the restaurant. She ordered the chicken because it reminded her of Scanlan.

After her meal she found her way to the library. There were not as many books as there was in Whitestone or even the Slayer's Take, but there were many. She started to peruse.

Her last stop was to Vex's room. She knocked and waited patiently.

(ooc: Find her anywhere. She has white eyes with no pupil or iris and horns on her head.)

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There was no answer to Zahra's knock, but the gods must have been looking out for them, as Vex came up the walkway to see Zahra standing at her door. And without Kash in tail's reach.

"Hello, beautiful. Did you lose something, or simply wear dear Cashew out completely?" Vex pulled her key card from where she'd kept it tucked in her bra – a garment she still wasn't convinced wasn't meant as a torture device, but they were so pretty and did wonderful things for her tits, so she'd taken to wearing them anyway – and reached around Zahra to open the door. "Come in, come in," she urged, letting Trinket out of the necklace as soon as she was in the room.

Zahra grinned. "He has some things he need to do, much like I do." She entered, eyes gazing around the room. It was true that all the rooms were very... unique. She offered her hand to Trinket before moving to scratch his head. "I think he's stopped thinking I'm going to disappear at any moment now." Or mostly, it seemed.

She remembered how hard it had been to let Vax out of her sight when she first arrived, and he'd needed to assure himself she was there and not disappearing even more. Luckily both their rooms had two beds, and Percy was more understanding than she deserved about the bond she shared with her twin. "It's still likely to sneak up on him at times for a while longer. I wouldn't be surprised if he still kept Sending ready so he can hear you're here when he needs to.

"It's good to have time apart, though. If only for the look in his eyes when you walk into the room." The mischievous twinkle in Vex's warm eyes said as well as words the effect didn't diminish with time, as evidenced by Percy.

Zahra did appreciate the look he had whenever she was around. It had intensified here at the Inn by quite a lot, but she didn't mind that either. Truth be told, she also had that look for him.

"Did he use sending a lot, when I wasn't here?" Her voice was a bit softer. It bothered her to think about how much Kash had suffered here without her. Her hand drift down to her belly for a moment, thoughtful.

More than he'd admitted to Vex, if she had to guess. "Hope can be a dangerous thing, but I believe Sending was a touchstone for him. A way to reach out, to try to connect with you. He knew you would come to him if you knew he was here, so he was going to do everything he could to let you know."

She noted the movement of Zahra's hand, the softness when she asked about Kash. But if it was something more than aching over the time he'd been separated from her, Vex couldn't tell.

"Whatever is responsible for this place has a cruel streak, I'm learning quickly." To bring in Vax without his sister, then to bring Pike without Grog and Kash without her. She was sure there were others, too, not in Vox Machina with the same problem. She would have lots of things to say to this person and none of them would be nice.

"I have noticed something else while I walked around today. There only seems to be a few children and they look as if they are close to adulthood."

"A good thing, surely." Vex had noticed, in that there was little she didn't notice, but she hadn't given it much thought. Children had been such an occasional thing in Vox Machina's travels. "As cruel as this place and whatever is responsible can be, taking children from parents who cared for them would be unconscionable." The way Syldor had taken them from their mother.

"It could also be related to this time and place. From stories I've heard, children are expected to remain in school much longer and without working or beginning a trade for far longer than is common in Exandria."

She hummed softly in thought as she nodded. "Well, I certainly hope the inn and it's residents are up for a little one wandering around in about eights months otherwise there might be some use for my magic here." Good luck to whoever got in the way of her child. And yes, she did follow that up with a smile, waiting for Vex to make a connection.

Zahra's words, the way her hand had covered her belly, the connection fell into place almost as soon as the words were out of her mouth, and Vex's gaze dropped down to Z's belly and back up as a smile spread across her face. "That's wonderful news, darling!" she explained, having to give Zahra a hug right then.

"You told him, of course." She wouldn't be telling Vex if she hadn't told Kash yet. "Was he thrilled? Are you thrilled? This is a good thing, isn't it?"

Zahra returned the hug happily. She hadn't even told Vex back home yet, but fighting a new, evil god usually took priority over these things.

"He's happy. I think he's still processing, but he's happy. And I am too. I never saw myself as a mother, but now that I'm faced with becoming one, the journey seems almost as exciting as killing a dragon." Almost. Zahra wasn't sure she could completely give that up.

"Maybe saving killing dragons for after the baby's born," Vex suggested. "Or at least until Kash has done his processing. Not that we've seen a single dragon around here to be killed." Still. It was something to think about. What would Vex do, if she were the one with child? Not that she planned to be, until she and Percy were married so any children would be proper de Rolos. Modern condoms were a wonderful invention.

"You'll be a wonderful mother. And you and Kash should make absolutely beautiful children."

She grinned at that. "He or she will be quite gorgeous, I'm sure. Or they." She gave Vex a slightly playful look. "Twins do run in my family." Though the likelihood didn't really weigh on Zahra. In her mind there was a single child growing in her belly.

"Ours too," which was the most obvious thing ever, if you'd met Vex and Vax, and when it didn't even occur to her to say mine when talking about their family. The sparkle in her eyes said she knew how ridiculous it was, but she'd missed playing with Zahra like this.

"Of course, if you do have twins, they'll each have someone their own age to play with. As you said, there aren't really any children here."

Zahra shot back a playful 'you don't say?!' expression. She missed Vex's humour. It was a shame there wasn't someone she could watch take Vex's sarcasm literally, that was always fun.

"You're right. I hadn't thought about that back home, but here, it would be very helpful. Of course, two of Kash or I might be a little much for the inn to handle at once."

"Nonsense. You've got most of Vox Machina here to act as aunts, uncles, babysitters." As though realizing what she'd just said, "Or get them into even more trouble. Hopefully any babies w– you have, Jenga will be their first word."

She laughed softly, catching the change in Vex's words, but choosing, for now at least, to let it go. "I'll have to talk to your brother about getting them a set of lock picks, I suppose."

The truth was the idea that most of Vox Machina were here to celebrate in this future life made Zahra feel extremely happy. No other 'village' could she wish to have for her child(ren).

"You'd probably be better off asking Percy to make a set. He could use mine as a reference." Vax had barely believed it when she pulled out a set of her own. Like he was the only one who knew how to pick locks. Ha! "My brother would probably be the more patient when it comes to teaching them how to use them, though." He'd been so patient with her with they were young, and she'd learned just enough to get her out of a bad situation. It wasn't until after that she got serious about practicing.

"I'm sure the Mistress of the Grey Hunt has other things to she could teach my child." Zahra winked. "But I do have to speak with Percy.... I've been thinking of trying to build a forge for myself."

Oh, that would be brilliant. "He will love you forever. He's turned his room into a workshop – even the inn's magic can't get the smell of gunpowder and smoke out of the bed at this point – but he's been wanting a real forge. And we all need a project around here, or we go starkers." Probably better to build it now than once Zahra has a little one to look after, too.

Zahra smiled. "Our room has a room at the top that, unless Kash decides he wants several more children, would be perfect for a forge. And Percy, of course, would be welcome to use it whenever he wishes." The fact that Vex thought this was a good, and doable, idea made Zahra feel as though this could really be done. It set her mind to it now. She would get a forge completed.

Vex wondered about having the forge so close to where a baby would be sleeping, but that was a consideration for Zahra and Percy and their plans. "I'll let Percy know you want to talk to him. Knowing him, he'll already have some ideas to share with you too. He's had lots of time to think about what he misses from his workshop at home."

The thought that proximity like that didn't even occur to Zahra - at least not yet. Most of what was to come had not really hit her yet. "Perhaps one of those..." She made a vague gesture with her hand. "places will open up and he might find some of the things he misses there."

It had been some months between when the first portal opened onto another world and the second, and some months over since then. If there was a pattern to the other worlds as there was to arrivals, one would likely happen soon, but there wasn't enough evidence to be sure of a pattern yet. Vex smiled to herself for hearing the last in Percy's voice.

"We can hope. My list of things to keep an eye out for, should we be able to visit a new world keeps growing. Of course, I didn't expect baby things to be on the list, but I'm glad they are."

Zahra smiled. "I noticed the places here have a few things for babies that I have no clue what they are there for. I'm sure there's a lot for us to learn."

"Fortunately, there is time."

Vex followed her impulse and hugged Zahra again. Happy for her, and the baby, and simply having her here so they could share in the news. "You are going to be a wonderful mother, my dear."

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It's Pronounced "Tiefling" - OTA

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