Heart of The Gerudo Pt. 6

Part 6

Heart of The Gerudo: Soap and Socializing

Written by SilkenScribe

Original Story inspired by the Gerudo Link works of HeartGear

'Feel free to wander'

It seemed a bit silly to offer him a semblance of freedom while also keeping him bound. Avery had to wonder if he'd ever be free of the soft but tight cords keeping his wrists cinched behind his back. It likely stemmed from a place of earning trust. That or he was simply to be a prisoner throughout this punishment.

~How long will it go I wonder?~

He mused to himself as he moved about the atrium of the shop, peeking at the pair of soft beds, leaning down to read labels on the many various shelved bottles on the walls. Lotions, potions, extracts and just about everything in between. An entire cupboard full of implements also sat on the back wall. Smooth black stones, brushes of all sorts and many other things lined the shelves.

Lila wasn't lying, it really was a spa.

Avery hadn't ever really taken much time in his life to do any sort of relaxing. So this would probably be a rather new experience.

Moving to the entrance of the building he'd poke his head out through the curtains. Both the guards would look down at him. They didn't say anything but they made their point by crossing their spears in front of Avery. He most certainly wasn't leaving the establishment.

He gave a small shrug of his shoulders and moved back inside, suddenly finding himself face-to-face with Lila who was smiling brightly. She had such a curious air about her. Strong like her tribe, but also cheerful and rather bubbly in her demeanour. It was hard for Avery not to at least smile a little around his gag.

Lila stared into his eyes for a long moment, they were nearly nose-to-nose, "Hm. You know. Your complexion might actually work pretty well with our style. Luckily for you, Hazel eyes go with eeeeeverything. Speaking of which..." She pressed a finger to Avery's nose, pushing him out of the way and leaning out the front door.

"Can you fetch Karuko in about an hour? I can't let our guest walk around the village in the nude. Just explain to her the situation and that I'd appreciate the favour and a bit of a rush order." The guard on the left nodded, "I will go speak to her now and let her know."

Lila beamed, "Lovely." And without another word she pulled herself back inside, walking around behind Avery and putting a hand on either of his shoulders. She'd push him towards the rather steamy room she'd disappeared into before. The interior was vibrant and well-lit thanks to a dome of crystal clear glass on the ceiling. In the middle of the room was a large wooden tub filled with steaming water and a generous layer of lilac-colored bubbles.

It was a surprisingly serene room with only a beaded door dividing it and the atrium. The steam filtered out through a carefully cut slit in the roof that rose into a small chimney alongside the domed ceiling. The walls were painted in soft hues of green and blue adding a hint of serenity to the room while shelves of fluffy-looking towels felt all too inviting as they dotted the wall. Besides the decor, there were also a series of wooden benches that lined the exterior of the room, pools of hot stones beneath them glowed like embers, permeating the air with a sort of thick warmth.

It was quite serene Avery had to admit.

He felt a small poke against his shoulder and turned his head to see Lila holding a pair of scissors with an almost cheeky smile playing about painted red lips.

"Now. This is where things MAY get a bit awkward." She snipped the scissors a few times, "I'm going to make a few precise snips of what little remains of your clothes and then I'll leave for a few minutes to let you climb into the tub. If you've undergarments, leave them on. If not...I'm a consummate professional, so no need to worry. Much as we don't have Voe here nearly ever. I've seen it all!"

Avery's cheeks flushed a rather bright pink as she stared at her incredulously.

"Don't give me that look. It's not my fault you're dirtier than a sand-seal who rolled in the mud."

Avery grumbled.

Lila simply chuckled and with her pair of scissors, she made a few precise snips in Avery's remaining shredded clothing until the only thing keeping any of it on was gravity and being pinned beneath his bound wrists.

"Oh! And this..." She very gently snipped away the bandages on his shoulder. Happy to find that the pair of wounds beneath had done well in healing, they were bright red marks with all the healing now happening below the skin. That'd make her life easier.

"Alright. Clothing off, in the tub. I'll be back in a few minutes." She hurried out of the room and left Avery to his task.

After she left, Avery looked down at himself. He felt ridiculous. Evidently, he wasn't even being unbound to take a bath. With a long sigh, he spent a few minutes wiggling about until the shreds of fabric fell from his body and landed on the floor in a pile of useless cloth. He was in fairly decent shape with semi-toned muscles and as Lady Riju had pointed out, a rather lacking waistline.

He took a moment to glance down at the shredded pieces of clothing. Traditional cloth made in his village. It was one of the only remaining pieces of him he'd had left, besides the small teardrop-shaped pendant set with a green stone hanging about his neck on a slightly delicate silver chain.

Blowing a few strands of matted brown hair from his face, Avery would take a moment to look down at himself, glad to see that many of the scrapes and bumps he'd incurred in his cliffside tumble were, for the most part, mended. At least he'd not be dying alone in the sands of the desert.

Letting his feet skip over the serene white tiling on the floor, he'd find himself slightly fascinated by how they too seemed to radiate some sort of warmth as well. Unbeknownst to Avery, this particular spa had been built on one of the few geothermal springs in the area. Twenty feet below his feet the spring bubbled cheerily. It was where Lila derived most of her product. The mud around the spring was infused with dozens of minerals while the water was always warm and perfect for offering her steam and bath room.

Avery shuffled a little bit as he paused and looked down at himself again. Luckily, he DID have undergarments so that was hardly an issue. He moved up to the stool beside the deep tub. The scent wafting up with the steam was soft, and feminine in its profile. It was likely something to do with the lilac-colored bubbles.

It felt like this was Avery's last moment to turn back and make a break for it.

But deep down, part of him...didn't want to. Part of him he didn't even know existed yet.

So with only the barest hint of hesitation, he climbed the stool and let himself sink slowly into the tub, the water and bubbles coming up to just below his chin when he was in a sitting position. Happy to find a carved wooden 'seat' in the tub which made relaxing against the side a lot more comfortable.

He let out a small groan. Ok, so the blissfully silky and warm water felt great against muscles and skin that had been running across Hyrule for the last month. When was the last time he'd sat in a bath like this? Sure, he DID bathe and take care of himself. But that was usually just a quick dip in a stream. This was entirely different and it showed in how he slumped slightly, half-lidded eyes staring across the room.

It wasn't long before Lila was coming back in. A playful smile on her lips as she noted the relaxed look on Avery's face, "I know that look."

Avery looked up, tilting his head.

"Pure bliss. Something tells me you've never had a bath quite like this one." She winked and moved around the edge of the tub, pulling over a little cart full of all sorts of supplies. Bottles and brushes galore. She paused, seeming to consider something and looked towards the door for a moment.

After a moment's consideration, Avery was surprised to find fingers tugging very gently against the knot at the back of his head. The knot slipped free but a hand tugged the gag back a little roughly to keep it in place. Lila leaned down with her face beside his.

"Now. I'm going to remove this because dead silence for an entire day is...boring. But if you so much as complain, or say a word that I don't ask for. I will put it back in place and let you suffer the rest of the day in silence. Is that understood?" She said this in a tone that dared him to argue.

Avery turned his gaze to the side, meeting her eyes for a moment before giving a small nod.

Lila let the gag slip free, laying it gently on her cart, "Good. We'll see about getting something a little more comfortable for you on a daily basis than a band of cloth."

"Thank you," Avery said softly as he rolled his jaw slightly. Surprised at just how sore the cloth had left his jaw feeling after a few days. He wasn't sure what sort of 'alternative' Lila could arrange, although he had seen many of the guards wearing intricate veils over the lower half of their faces that clung tight enough to look almost like a muzzle. He had to wonder if that was to protect from the blowing sand or if it was just for aesthetics.

He was tugged out of his thoughts as he felt a touch upon his head.

Lila leaned up and picked up a brush full of thick bristles and without really asking any sort of permission she tugged the knotted, matted mess of Avery's hair back and began to tug the brush through it gently, "Don't go thanking me yet. We've barely even started." She worked the brush gently, humming a little as she did so. Avery had fairly long hair and while it was knotted and matted it fell to about halfway down his back.

~At least he won't need a wig or something ridiculous.~ Lila thought to herself.

"I'd ask your name, but I feel that's rather irrelevant." She mused.

Avery found himself relaxing even under the tugging and pulling at his hair, the bristles pressing into his scalp bringing an enjoyable sensation as Lila worked.

"Why irrelevant...?" He asked cautiously.

"Because you, aren't you anymore. Not so long as the Lady decides you are to remain. We can't have a Vai running around with a Voe name now can we?"

Avery furrowed his brows slightly, "You can't really mean all this. Like, how far is this meant to go? And what exactly am I to be called then?"

Lila gave a sharp tug of her brush at a particularly stubborn knot, "All this and you're still doubtful? I assure you, it will go as far as it possibly can. You will walk like us, you will talk like us, dress like us, conduct yourself like us. You will be as immersed in our culture as someone born here. And just when you start to forget you were a Voe born outside our village and not a Vai of the Gerudo Tribe...Lady Riju will offer you some considerations. As for your name, give it time. We'll find something that suits you."

Avery shuffled nervously, "But I'm not..."

"...Not a what? A Vai? No. Not yet." She patted his head and chuckled, "But don't worry. You will be. Trust the process, relax, and you may even find that you enjoy yourself."

Avery didn't respond to her comments. He let himself sink just a bit deeper into the tub, letting the water come up to just below his nose.

"It's not so bad a punishment. You get to experience an entire world different from your own. Maybe learn a thing or two and when and if the Lady decides, you'll be free to depart or otherwise. A much better alternative to being bound to a pole in the middle of the desert and having the buzzards pick you clean I think." She explained, finally tugging the last knot out of his hair.

With a bit of a flourish, she scooped up a nearby bottle full of a thick amber-colored liquid which she poured generously atop his head, Then using fingers with well-manicured nails began to scrub his hair into a thick lather. She stifled a small chuckle as Avery seemed to slump just a little more.

"See. Not so bad. One might even say truly enjoyable. People usually pay me for such services. And here you are getting to enjoy them for free!" She whispered softly, not wanting to bring Avery too far back to reality. She wanted to make sure that he relaxed into things. Let him get absorbed in the pampering and the process. It was a punishment, yes, But it didn't need to feel like one.

Avery dared to close his eyes as the luxurious lather was massaged into his scalp. As the delicate scent washed over him and the warmth of the water sank into tired muscles.

~Ok. Maybe not so bad...~

His thoughts echoed in a syrupy, liquid state as he breathed in slowly.

Lila worked at his hair in silence for a fair while, scrubbing every bit of dirt into oblivion, pushing her fingers into pressure points behind his ears and gently down his neck, relaxing muscles and working her magic as she went. Eventually, though, she chose to break the soft silence that permeated the room.

"So, I don't mean to pry. But I am curious how exactly you ended up in our village. What brought you to our doorstep? The group that Lady Riju turned away, who...are they? Don't feel obligated to answer. I'm mostly asking for my own curiosity." Her voice was softer than before as she spoke, almost a whisper which was more like a caress against Avery's ears rather than distinct chatter.

He eased up slightly, lifting his mouth above the water. He did hesitate to answer for a long moment. Should he explain? Certainly, there was no harm in doing so. He was under these people's protection in a sense and he'd never been the type to hide things from others in the first place, and so he chose to speak.

"A past of poor luck. Brought me to your doorstep. I didn't intend to end up in the desert admittedly. But a sheer cliff and desperation landed me in your sands..."

Lila dipped a clay jug into the water, filling it and while using a hand against Avery's forehead to protect his eyes, began to rinse the suds from his hair, "A past of poor luck? Surely we've all made mistakes in our lives. What could be so bad that a group like that would pursue you across Hyrule?"

"I was...a thief. I worked for that group's organization for many a year to help those in my village stay fed and prosper through harsh seasons. In order to keep the group's leader from extorting them further."

Lila found herself a bit surprised. The creature beneath her skilled fingers didn't seem like the criminal type. Not in how he conducted himself, nor in the softness that he seemed to permeate despite being a Voe, besides sneaking into their city of course, "A thief. But for a noble cause. And they turned on you for such a thing?" She asked.

Avery shook his head, "No. I...made the decision to try and broker a deal which would cut them out and eliminate them altogether while leaving my village safe to prosper on its own. A deal with an entirely different group. They...rather didn't take kindly to that sort of betrayal."

Lila grasped Avery's leash, using it to tug him to stand in the middle of the tub as she lathered up what could only be described as a scrub brush, like what you'd use to lather a horse, "A curious past you have chasing you. We Gerudo were not always so different from a band of thieves. For many a year, it is entirely how we existed. So that's certainly not something you'd be judged on here." She worked two scrub brushes together, working up a lather.

"Now I'll warn you...this might not be the most pleasant. But we need to coax a nice glow out of you! After this, you can relax in the water for a little bit while I prep things for the next step." Avery watched as she moved to step in closer. Based on what little he had seen, he had to wonder if all Gerudo shared the same sort of frame as Lila.

Somehow she seemed to offer a figure which was soft and feminine, with fiery red tendrils flanking her face and lighting up vibrant green eyes. The silk she wore hugged her body tightly enough to show her feminine frame but was accented by tight corded abs across her stomach and thighs that looked like they could crush a hydromelon. A body that blended the female form and that of a honed warrior.

It was such a juxtaposition in comparison to his own. He was skinnier than he usually was. A month of running across Hyrule with little to eat except what he could forage in his flight had made him shed enough pounds to show the outline of his ribs slightly beneath his skin. But besides the scrawny body that was lacking in the desired profile that Lady Riju had clearly wanted. His back offered a storyline of curious scars, vertical lines that looked like they'd come from being struck. A small hand-poked tattoo of a a series of birds at the base of his neck which followed the profile of his shoulderblade and accented his bodyline in a way.

Avery gave a small nod to Lila to let her do her work as he let out a slight grumble when she began to scrub his form down, leaving a soft almost red-scouring as she did, that and a thick lather of lavender foam and bubbles clinging to his form.

"Hm. You know, Lavender looks kind of nice with your skin tone." She mused, studying how the colored bubbles looked against his very under-moisturized skin.

Avery looked down at her and shrugged a little bit. Clearly, he had a long day ahead of him. But so far, he had to admit it wasn't the most unpleasant thing in the world. But the whole...being done up as a Vai thing. It made him a bit hesitant, a bit nervous.

"So, what do you mean by next step...?" He asked cautiously.

Looking up as she worked, Lila would smile, "Well, first that hair needs some tending. You'll notice we all have a lovely shade of red, your skin needs tending, your looks and clothing.."

Avery furrowed his brows, "My hair isn't red though..."

Lila grinned, "Not yet."

"You have to be joking. You're not dying my ha--mmmph!" His argument was lost as Lila stood up, scooping up the cloth gag and tugging it unceremoniously between his teeth. It was rebound behind his head once more, "I do believe I warned you about arguing. Now stand still and let me finish."

She gave his nose a small poke, seeming to be enjoying herself despite the stern tone she took on occasion, "Behave and perhaps I'll let you shed the gag again while we work on the rest of you. We shall see."

Avery let out a loud groan and shook his head to try and dislodge the gag, to Lila's entertainment as she went back to scrubbing his body into a thick lilac-colored lather.

Yup. A long day ahead.