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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Zahra laughed. "I think he's finally assured himself that I will not disappear on him." He also had some people he needed to talk to. "There is a lot to get used to. The technology here is far more advanced than anything I could even imagine. I'm sure Percy feels as if he's in a library of toys to study."

"I don't know about that. A gold piece says that he's stapled to your side on the first and fifteenth of each month." She laughed.

"I've been here for almost half a year and I'm still trying to figure out what's going on half the time. Like, apparently those black mirror things in the rooms show moving pictures."

"Really? I was wondering why they were there. They seemed rather impractical." The darkness of the mirror even made her visage hard to see.

"Do people disappear on those days?"

“Yup! It’s a little bit like scrying, except you don’t have to do any of the concentrating. You just sit there and watch a scene from the past.” Pike shook her head, still baffled by the whole thing.

“I think so. That’s definitely when new people arrive.”

"I'll have to give this black mirror a thorough look." It seemed like an interesting concept. She wondered if this was more technology that Vax had mentioned at the beginning.

She did take note on those days Pike had mentioned - she would be more conscious of what she did with herself those days.

"I don't have any plans to return at the moment. Here is perhaps the safest for me in my state." She hinted with the beginning of a smile.

"Good, because no one can figure out how to leave on their own terms," Pike frowned a little, "What was going on in the world when you left? Obviously it wasn't particularly safe, but I didn't get a chance to hear when you're from."

Zahra's smile widened in amusement at Pike missing the hint. It seemed her friend might need more of a straight approach. But first, she'd answer her question. "We were fighting a newly made god. His name is Vecna. You all were fighting him and Kash and I came to help, though I'm afraid we were not much help before he took us off the board."

“Vecna,” Pike’s nose curled at the mention. Lilith has told her a little and she knew something of him from her religious studies. “I’m sure you were both an much needed inspiration, even if you weren’t in the battle for long. How...” the words caught in her throat as the worry for her friends caught up with her, “How did we look? Were we making a difference? Were we all still up?”

Zahra thought about how to answer that before she spoke. "You looked like you were battling a god, but you still had much fire in you." She paused, thinking about the last time she had seen Pike before the battle. She had been with Grog during the Crucible. Her voice lowered and softened a bit. "Scanlan was there."

“He was?” Pike’s eyes grew wide. She had been preparing herself for anything in response to her question, but that hadn’t even been something she’d considered. “How? Do you know when he...how? Just how?”

She shook her head apologetically. "I'm sorry, darling. I don't know anything other than he was there and he was helping."

“Oh. Well, that’s okay,” she shook her head and tried to clear her throat which that had started to close with the emotion of the news. “It is, um, it is enough to know that at least he still cares about us enough to help us fight a god and save the world.”

Zahra nodded. "I think he does." From the look on his face when they arrived, he seemed rather serious. "I'm sure there is a story there to tell. Maybe one day he'll be able to tell you it himself."

“If he does arrive, he better be ready to explain himself,” Pike crossed her arms over her chest. “But let’s change the subject, yeah? My thoughts haven’t changed much since Grog and I visited you in Vasselheim.”

"Alright then." Zahra watched her for a moment, then offered a smile. "Would tell you I'm pregnant change the topic enough for you?"

“Pregnant?!” Pike squealed, “That is wonderful news!’

She hopped off of the chair across from her friend and rushed up to take her hands. “Congratulations! How far along are you? Are you feeling alright? I’m sure Kash has plenty of remedies for morning sickness, but I’ve got some gnome secrets floating around if you need something else.”

Pike's excitement was contagious and Zahra's smile brightened. "I'm about six weeks, give or take. So far I'm lucky, I haven't felt a thing." Except for falling out of the sky, but that was different. "I'm hoping to avoid that part of the journey as best as possible."

The truth was she had no idea what her mother's experience was like since she had died in childbirth so there was no one to base a family history off of for that.

"Oh! Oh! Oh!" She laughed and did a little dance while still holding onto Zahra's hands, "I'll be here for whatever you need. Whatever cravings you have, just find me and I'll make it happen."

She laughed and went to hug Pike again. "I will try not to insist on all the chocolate in the world from you." She really appreciated her friend's enthusiasm and knew she'd be of great help.

"How about this? You can insist on a reasonable amount of chocolate and I will make sure you get it," Pike found her way back to her chair, "Are you trying to keep it quiet for as long as possible?"

"I'm not sure quiet is the word... but we're not holding a party either." A part of her worried about what others from other worlds might assume the child was or will be like. "But you're the second I've told and I'm glad that's how it is."

“Well no! The party comes later!” Her head fell to the side. Pike could do the math and there was no way Zahara would have told her before Vex. “Second? That’s not including Kash though, right?”

"Right. Kash needed to know before anyone else. A bit unfair showing up pregnant and not telling the man who has no recollection of that happening." She smiled. "I am thankful he handled the news well."

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It's Pronounced "Tiefling" - OTA

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