Favela Pt. 24

"It was never him though." Marcella panted, continuing to drool quietly on her left thigh, her eyes glazed over but still lit from deep within. A smoldering fire swirled and flared up in the depths of her mind. "It was my daughter." She gasped. Maithri inhaled sharply, her vision darkening around the edges, had Marcella figured out Olivia's deception? She wondered frantically, intense panic setting in. And if she had, she'd inevitably let Olivia know, and then Olivia would certainly suspect that Maithri had let it slip somehow. What a nightmare! She simply couldn't comprehend the consequences of such a thing.

"Olivia touched me like no one else could... Inside my guts, so deep. My soul?" She moaned, her black lace-covered crotch finally making contact with the floor, orgasmic pleasure shooting up straight into her delirious, euphoria-addled brain. "Baduro just helped me realize... The truth." She continued, her thighs twitching, her mouth hanging open. Maithri felt flooded with relief, she nearly fainted for real, sagging against the nearby dresser where Marcella practically had her pinned. The older woman sprawled in front of her, hands on either side of her legs. She'd have to awkwardly jump sideways if she wanted to escape, but the truth was, she didn't even want to try.

"I've become her slave for real." Marcella chuckled, her head dreamily tilting back, her glassy glimmering hazel eyes barely focusing on Maithri's face. "But you understand, don't you?" She asked, her voice barely a whisper, almost inaudible above her heavy breathing.

"Y-Yes." Maithri squeaked, her cheeks turning bright red and her head whipping sideways, her eyes unable to meet Marcella's strangely hypnotic gaze. It was true, she did understand. Apart from everything, she had experienced the phenomenon first hand. She knew that there were truths beyond reason, connections that couldn't be measured or quantified. Powers that cut through impossible knots as though they were nothing. It was as though the universe itself acknowledged the absurdity of its own expectations sometimes. Neither heartless nor merciful, merely random and undeniable.

"You don't have to tell me anything about this." Marcella breathed, finally summoning the strength to reach up with her hands and gently touch Maithri's belly. Her own conspicuous rotund presence sloping gracefully down in line with the subtle arc of her contorted body. "That's between you and my daughter, but I suggest that you tell her... Soon. Before she finds out on her own." Maithri's face flushed all over again, although she felt embarrassed now rather than terrified. "You poor thing." The older woman said softly, the corner of her mouth turning up slightly, her hands roaming in soothing circles around Maithri's baby bump.

Now that they'd both stopped talking it seemed unusually quiet in the room. Marcella stared up into Maithri's eyes, they had a mischievous glint. Then without a word she grabbed the girl's hands and laced their fingers together. Wrists locked and arms straight, Maithri felt herself being pulled forward. She let out a grateful moan as Marcella's warm, wet mouth wrapped lovingly around her aching mound. The older woman's tongue didn't waste any time, trading off between pushing hungrily up inside her and lazily sliding back and forth over her clit. In under a minute Maithri was coming, her wobbly legs shaking uncontrollably as one sublime orgasm blended seamlessly into another.

All the pent up sexual frustration she'd been feeling over the last couple of months was finally being released, and it was beyond nirvana. Marcella's mouth was magic, as Maithri's pangs of ecstasy intensified with each successive orgasm, her movements became less exaggerated and more focused. Almost as though the older woman was learning exactly where and how to touch Maithri so as to keep her coming while coaxing ever more pleasure out of her shuddering, melting body. Marcella's tongue barely grazed the places it had previously ravished, but the girl felt it even more intensely.

She started wailing, weeping, coming harder and harder as she lost control of everything. Marcella held her up and she felt weightless, her head drifting away only tethered to her spasming body by a slender strand of unbearable pleasure. She blacked out, her final thought being the injustice of knowing, that conscious part of her, would be blissfully unaware while the rest of her body continued to experience unimaginable delights for as long as Marcella was determined to continue. Even as her mind faded she was acutely aware of the older woman's dedication and enjoyment. How sweet it must be to know your purpose in life and to fulfill it so completely...

When Maithri woke up she was wearing underwear again, but it wasn't her own. She was in Marcella's bed and the older woman was laying down beside her, propped up on one elbow, biting her lip as she grinned down at the girl. Maithri felt surprisingly weak, but for the first time in months her pussy wasn't nagging her for attention, in fact it felt smug, glowing, gloating with satisfaction. She snorted, just thankful that it was finally quiet. "All better?" Marcella asked sweetly. The girl nodded shyly in response, her cheeks heating up.

"I did some more thinking while you were asleep." The older woman said softly, licking her lips. "There's something else I thought you needed to know. I could stop Olivia if I really wanted to, I know she'd listen to me, and not because I'm stronger, or faster or smarter, or because she's afraid of me. She would stop because she loves me. So if you're going to judge me for anything, it should probably be that. I think about it every single time we have... Sex." Marcella almost choked on the word, her eyes slipping sideways, even now it was still a little difficult for her to openly acknowledged it, to say it out loud.

"I think, should I tell her to stop? Should I put an end to this once and for all? But then I see that look in her eyes... You know the one I'm talking about, don't you? Underneath the craving and the lust, the fear, that scared sweet innocent girl who is just completely, utterly terrified that I'm going to disappear. I mean I know I will someday, it's inevitable, and that's part of the reason why I want to keep giving her everything I can until then. These precious moments that we spend together, I wouldn't trade them for anything in the world... And I know there's so many other things we could be doing instead of... This." She glanced down at her naked body, glistening with sweat and still smelling like sex.

"That's what made me give in. Really give in. I'd never tell her that myself though. I'm content having her continue to believe that she's conquered me and made me her fuckdoll, or whatever she wants to call me." She chuckled. "In the end I'll always be her mother. Our relationship can change but that never will. I can't take that fear away from her, only she can do that, but until the day that she looks me in the eyes and that terrified girl is gone I'll keep giving in, I'll let her take it all out on me, however she wants. If that makes me a monster then that's what I'll be." Marcella took a deep breath and turned her face back in Maithri's direction. "So now we both have a secret that we're keeping from my daughter. I'd appreciate if you didn't tell her."

Maithri took a moment to collect her thoughts and then nodded. She felt like she really understood Marcella now, in a way she hadn't before. She had a new level of sympathy and respect, although it was hard to ignore the fact that Olivia's mom was hardly suffering in her role as her daughter's willing plaything. More like, enjoying every second. Maithri blushed suddenly feeling the tightness of the black lace thong panties she was now wearing. Unlike Olivia's underwear which was always too loose, Marcella's were the slightest bit too tight, but the sensation wasn't an unpleasant one. "Your secret is safe with me." She murmured, pulling herself slowly upright.

Marcella smiled, also sliding her body towards the edge of the bed. "Now that that's out of the way, we should probably pull ourselves together before Olivia gets home." She said, trotting over to her dresser to find another pair of panties. Maithri grimaced, noting that she wasn't able to stop herself from watching the older woman every step of the way. Her pussy may have been temporarily satisfied but she was still unreasonably horny. She got up and started walking towards the door, only pausing just before exiting. "Thank you." She said sincerely, almost bowing her head to Marcella. "Thank you for everything." She finished, cheeks flushed.

Marcella didn't have a chance to reply, because Maithri quickly turned and darted out of her room, running away down the hall. Once she was back in the relative safety of Olivia's room she busied herself with the complex operation of rearranging her various drapes in order to disguise her pregnant belly as best she could. However, she clenched her jaw and looked fixedly at her reflection in the mirror. "I'm going to tell her... Tonight." She said insistently, shivering, her heart pounding in her chest. Olivia would be home any minute, and Maithri was hardly convinced by the empty-sounding echo of her own words.

Just then in fact the door slammed loudly and her girlfriend's voice bounced shrilly from the direction of the kitchen. "Senhoras, I'm home! Come out and let's eat!" She shouted. Maithri smiled and her stomach growled as she took one final look at herself in the mirror before turning and heading for the door. They'd started a ritual of sorts, whoever came how last would stop at the bazaar and bring home some hot delicious food. Despite the chaos in the city, life in the favela was relatively the same. They'd always been compelled to survive without any help from the outside, and now that was turning out to be an asset.

Running was awkward with all the extra weight, but Maithri and Marcella managed somehow, both bursting into the 'dining room' at approximately the same time. The two women shared a slightly guilty glance before walking less frantically towards the small table. The kitchen was filled with the delicious scent of Indian food. It almost brought tears to Maithri's eyes. "Is that... Is that really curry! She squealed, tearing into the bundles as quickly as possible.

Olivia laughed. "I don't know what it's called, I just thought it smelled really good, also the woman making it said she'd caught one of the stray chickens this morning, so it has actual meat in it." Marcella pulled up a chair and sat down heavily. Both girls eagerly plated up some food for her and themselves. Even though Maithri was also struggling with her additional baggage she had gotten so into the habit of hiding it that she often helped Olivia take care of her mother.

"You should sit down too." Her girlfriend said somewhat softly, although her tone was firm. She gave Maithri a little push, plopping her down into the chair next to her own. Olivia plated up the rest of the food, giving considerably more of the meat to Marcella and her girlfriend before sitting down herself. The three of them ate happily, ravenously. Then as the meal wound up the conversation got more lively. They discussed the latest developments in the city, as the Enclave continued to leak exotic and unfamiliar artifacts into the surrounding territories.

There were rumors of strange new plants sprouting in the jungle, perhaps seeds extracted from the Enclave, or as some suggested, experiments being conducted by the state as it fell increasingly under the influence of the AI in Calico. At this point it was becoming unclear who was making the decisions, but with conditions improving so dramatically there didn't seem to be much resistance. Olivia thought to herself that if anything it was revealing just how bad things had gotten, when even the bureaucrats seemed grateful to be relegated to custodial roles.

They continued talking as the cleanup progressed, the villa had started to shine as of late, with more time at home Marcella had been using the long spaces between meetings and reports to restore her home to its original state. Her efforts had been so inspiring that both Olivia and Maithri had started helping. Oddly the three of them discovered an unexpected love for cleaning (even if it was subconsciously nothing more than a nesting instinct), and together they had brought the villa back to life. Every door to every room except for one was now flung wide open, little by little they ventured forth into these long abandoned spaces, systematically scouring and straightening, dusting and reorganizing.

Maithri found herself somewhat amazed by just how large the villa actually was. Although it would have barely qualified as a guest house when compared to the royal palace she'd been forced to flee, for what it was, in the context of the favela it was nothing short of a mansion. Twenty four rooms, many with their own esoteric purposes. It felt strange, almost inappropriate to occupy such a small fraction of such a spacious dwelling with so many vacant rooms. But the faveal's rules didn't make much sense to her, they were based on unquestionable ancient cultural and familial rites that predated the strokes.

These conventions were ruthlessly enforced by the Favelos, it was one of the few measures of true order that held the tattered fabric of the favela together. When the women finished cleaning a new room they'd usually celebrate, sharing some dessert, spending time just hanging out and appreciating how much better it looked than before. Inevitably Olivia and Marcella would 'christen' it by having somewhat spontaneous and undeniably gratuitous sex somewhere in the room. On the floor, bent over a chair, on top of a table. Maithri found it both amusing and extremely frustrating.

She always felt cheated, being unable to participate directly. Watching a little angrily as the two women got totally lost in their debaucherous escapades. Making yet another minor mess that they'd all be cleaning up in the morning. She couldn't help but feel a new stab of even more insistent angst as they left the kitchen together, heading down the widest and longest corridor in the villa to the very smallest and outermost room. After what Marcella had done to her, Maithri couldn't survive one more night of denial. It had reminded her of everything she'd sacrificed to keep her secret. She missed Olivia too much, missed her touch, and yes... Begrudgingly, her wild, sexual savagery.

"This is the last one." Olivia said solemnly, a sparkle in her eye. Her hands pausing on the deeply tarnished bronze handles of the double doors. The locks clicked and she swung them both open at the same time. There was a woosh of stale air and a slow rolling plume of dust rising from the floor like a mushroom cloud. "The... Atrium." Marcella choked, her eyes casting lazily about the wreckage, the fossilized, desiccated plants, the spider webs, the mounds of soil and cracked terracotta pots. They all coughed, Olivia passed out wet rags, and then they go to work.

A bank of open windows allowed them to quickly clear the room, throwing broken shards into a clattering pile several meters away. The ceiling and walls were all translucent, framed polycarbonate panels, smudged and clouded from years of algae blooms. As soon as they got to scrubbing the room began to glow softly, the full moon, the stars cast their milky spell. With brooms and dustpans the ancient tile floor was slowly revealed, stone, not plastic like the rest of the house. A beautiful mosaic took shape. "This was here before the villa was built." Marcella commented dryly.

"Avó told me about it once." Olivia chimed in as she swept away at the corner, exposing a beautiful fractured sun. "It was dirty back then too, I've never seen the whole thing." She mumbled, noticing the sun had the face of a woman who looked somehow familiar.

"Your old Avó, she was always telling tales." Marcella laughed raspily from the center of the room, she was sweeping away at a stubborn pile of soil which seemed to have solidified completely over the last decade.

"I was so little, I barely remember... Something about the city that was here before... Before the Carcamano came." The girl cackled, sounding eerily like her mother.

"There's always an older city." Marcella snorted, dumping a large bucket of water on the floor, finally fed up with her futile attempts to dislodge the crusty scab of dirt. The delicious aroma of wet earth filled the room as the soothing swishing hiss of the older woman's bubbling broom gilded over the glistening tiles. Maithri moved closer to help her, together they cleared the center of the room, sweeping the mud and sediment towards the outer edges. A series of concentric rings, golden and green, surrounding another smiling face. And then around that, words in the native tongue that even Marcella had never learned to read, although her Avó had known a few.

"The witch knows nothing under heaven is supernatural, all is natural." Olivia murmured as she slowly followed the circle of words in its orbit around the face. An old woman with wrinkled skin and gentle silver eyes, skin black as the darkest night, hair darker still. Her red lips seemed to smile their edges turned up ever so slightly. There was a bone through her nose and a matching band of red slashed across her face, too precise to be a wound.

"W-What was that?!" Marcella asked, her hands tightening suddenly around the handle of her broom.

"That's what it says." Olivia replied sheepishly, the words looking plain to her, as plain as any she'd ever read. Her mother crossed herself and muttered something under her breath. Olivia just looked over at Maithri and shrugged. Her girlfriend stared back, eyes wide.

"Olivia, that's not English or Portuguese, you can see that right?" The girl squinted her eyes, taking a second look at the lyrical cursive scrip that spiraled and intertwined around the surrounding bands more like vines and leaves than letters.

"Oh." She remarked, turning in place, trying to understand how she could explain that the elegant swirling lines and shapes could only mean the words she'd spoken aloud, but it was impossible. "I don't know how I know, but that's what it says." She insisted, feeling oddly defensive.

Maithri nodded. "That's fine I guess." She quipped, simply accepting yet another mystery that she doubted would ever be solved.

"Oh Deus!" Marcella exclaimed, sweeping her broom violently in a wide swath that sent a miniature wave of mud splashing into the far wall. "Let's just finish already!" She shouted, clearly flustered. Olivia wanted to ask her mom about the strange way she'd reacted to the words, but now clearly wasn't the time. She went back to her corner and continued sweeping. The three of them worked in silence until the floor was completely cleared. All the dirt and mud was dumped outside and they used their rags to clean up what little was left. The remaining unbroken pots were stacked carefully in one corner where the mosaic was relatively empty.

Otherwise it was quite the piece. Almost the entire floor appeared like a page ripped from an epic storybook. The square was broken down into several smaller squares, which then contained their own smaller squares, like a mandala, and within each of these a separate story was taking place. But there were common elements and it was clear they were all connected somehow. The time period was ambiguous, some of the scenes looked primitive, some modern. In each square the center piece was the portrait of a woman. They were all different though, no single characteristic shared. Some darker some lighter, some with blue eyes some with black or violet.