Heart of The Gerudo Pt. 7

Part 7

Heart of The Gerudo: Scarlet Tresses

Written by SilkenScribe

Original Story inspired by the Gerudo Link works of HeartGear

Avery let out a slight squeak and a huff as Lila wrapped a very fluffy white towel about his form rather tightly. Tight enough to pin his arms further to his sides and keep his bound wrists in check behind him. He let out a slight grunt as she secured a gold and silver clip over the edge of the towel to keep it in place.

"Now. Don't go running off." Lila said in mild amusement as Avery stood there in the middle of the steamy room, shivering slightly as tiny whisps of cool air mixed with the rising steam sneaking up through the tiles on the floor. He watched as Lila turned and headed through the beaded curtain into the main atrium. To prep the 'next step' as she so elegantly called it.

Avery sighed a little bit and shuffled his bare feet on the floor a little. Surprised at how soft his skin felt, even while still moist. Not only had the luxurious soap scrubbed away any sign of dirt, but it had also to Avery's surprise, rid him of any hair from the neck down. His legs were silky and smooth, his arms the same. It was a foreign sensation and not one he'd even noticed until he was standing outside the wooden tub.

If he'd not thought them serious before, it was becoming more evident by the moment that they were.

While standing there he'd let his eyes roam the walls, a feature he hadn't noticed before were the hand-painted designs on the walls. Intricate designs depicting rolling sand dunes encapsulating and flowing with flowered vines all of which curled around a symbol that Avery recognized from the throne room, a symbol etched in gold that looked like the back of a cobra's head in its design.

While he studied the symbol, he didn't notice Lila come back into the room. However, he did feel the gentle tug upon the leash attached to the collar he still wore. It forced his attention back to her. She was smiling at him, "The symbol of our people. You'll see it quite commonly." She noted, having seen him studying the symbol on the wall.

He committed the symbol to mind as a gentle tug on the leash encouraged him to follow Lila into the main room. At first glance, nothing really looked all that different until his eyes found one of the massage beds had been prepped with fresh sheets, a curious set of straps and a cart sitting beside it with a bowl of a foreign red liquid.

"Up on the table. Neck on top of the pillow with your head hanging slightly over the edge of the bed." Lila instructed. Of course, she had to help Avery as he moved to the table as it was rather hard to get on properly without the use of his hands. He wiggled himself gently into place and eased himself down, letting Lila guide his neck onto the pillow.

It was a curiously comfortable position, laying with his head at the edge of the table, his hair hanging down in heavy wet strands. He stared up at the ceiling as Lila worked.

After a moment, Lila nodded and moved about, tugging a strap over Avery's chest, waist and ankles. They secured him to the table enough that he wouldn't be rolling off or getting up anytime soon.

Lila clapped her hands together, "Lovely." She lifted a small bowl onto the little cart off to the side which was filled with what looked like clear oil. She dipped her hands into it, letting the excess run off before pushing her fingers through Avery's hair and beginning to massage the sweet-smelling oil into his scalp and hair with a skill that showed she'd done it many times before.

Avery let out a soft murmur as she did this. He'd never had anyone tend to his hair or scalp before, so the sensations and tingles of pleasure it sent through him were extremely pleasant. His muscles relaxed, making the table creak slightly as he relaxed into it.

"That's it. Just...breathe deeply and just relax. I said it before, but this punishment does not have to feel like one." She smoothed her fingers deeply into clusters of pressure points at the base of his neck, making him arch his neck slightly and let out a slow breath.

"There's a good girl." She whispered softly, making sure each strand of his hair was thoroughly coated. This massage went on for a good twenty minutes. By the time she gently withdrew her fingers from his hair, of which seemed to have taken on a slightly lighter hue of brown, Avery was breathing softly with his eyes closed.

Lila reached down, fingers very gently undoing the cloth about his lips and setting it to the side, "How are you feeling?" She asked while sitting down on a stool behind his head and cleaning her hands off on a towel.

"R...really...relaxed," Avery said. There was an inherent softness in his voice. A relaxed tone that Lila recognized all too well. She sat up a little proudly in her seat at this.

"Good. Just let yourself stay there. Let the scent of the oil put you at ease. Let yourself shed that little cocoon that hides the Vai in you." Lila leaned over, taking a moment to scoop up the bowl of red liquid as well as a soft paintbrush. She let a small smile slip onto her lips and then with skilled hands she began to paint the red dye onto Avery's hair starting at his scalp.

"I think this shade of red will look lovely on you. You've got a cooler skin tone compared to us so I'm giving you what's considered a true red. Nice and deep." She said lightly, gently teasing the brush through his hair. Tawny brown hair disappeared beneath luxurious red as she worked.

"You think so?"

Lila giggled, "No. I know so. I've been bringing out the glow in Vai for years my dear."

Off to the side, the curtained front door was parted and a Gerudo woman with her hair in a tight bun at the back of her head stepped in. She had a fabric tape measure hanging about her neck and looked at least a little tired as she slipped inside.

Lila held up a single finger to her lips as she turned her gaze to the woman who'd entered, "Nice and quiet. Don't want to ruin my client's relaxation. Isn't that right dear...?" She asked Avery.

He gave a small nod of agreement.

The woman nodded and walked over quietly, looking down over the curious creature lying strapped to the table, "You had a favour to ask of me?" She inquired plainly.

Lila nodded, dragging the brush through more of Avery's strands of hair, "Yes. Our young Vai here requires a wardrobe that will fit her frame properly. As well as...I've left some details about a rather unique veil I think might suit her more than..." She held up the cloth that had been used to gag him multiple times.

The woman, Karuko by name, nodded, "Ah. So this is the curious prisoner...project...experiment." She went through the descriptions, unsure which one of them suited this whole thing.

"Yes. Do you mind measuring her and putting something together as quickly as you can?"

Karuko feigned a dramatic sigh, "I'm quite busy you know. But since it's you, and you give me such a deal on your services. I guess I can put together a rush order for you. Our usual palette I presume?" She asked as she drew the tape measure from about her neck.

Lila set down the brush and dipped her hands into the bowl of red dye, now using her fingers to make sure every hair was coated liberally, "Yes. Maybe with a few more hints of green in her silks. It'll suit her eyes."

All the while the two conversed, Avery found himself simply soaking in his relaxed state. Whether it was the slight hint of relaxing herbs in the oils and soaps he'd been slathered in, Lila's skilled hands or just a combination of everything...he was just so much clay to be molded at this point. Like his worries had slipped away as he let himself sink into things.

Karuko looked down at Avery as Lila spoke, "Karuko here is going to take some measurements, ok?"

Avery gave a soft nod.

With permission given, Karuko undid the straps holding Avery down and with skilled fingers undid the clip around the towel, letting it fall away from his form and leaving him exposed to the cool air. She took a moment to study his form.

"I will have to add some shaping to her clothing to help with a proper silhouette. But...not a terrible canvas. As canvases go." Karuko said, obviously taking some entertainment and interest in the task ahead of her. It wasn't every day you got to design clothing to help shape a Voe's form into that of a Vai.

She moved about, measuring every bit of Avery she could access. Waist to toe, shoulder to elbow, bust. She even creatively managed to get measurements from shoulder to fingertip by gently rolling Avery to the side. When she was finished she tugged one of the silky sheets up over his form and looked to Lila, "What sort of timeframe?"

By this point, every strand of Avery's hair was coated in the deep red dye, so she withdrew her hands and began to clean them up on a dark red towel, "I've got her for the entire day. Hair, Skincare, Makeup...the works. So by nightfall, I'd say is ideal?" She phrased this as a question so as not to pressure Karuko too much.

Karuko rocked her head back and forth, "Viable. Very well." She said this as she scooped up a piece of parchment on the counter, on which Lila had written her rather curious request. Karuko raised an eyebrow curiously.

"This will allow little to no jaw movement..." She pointed out.

Lila giggled, "That is the point. Much more aesthetically appealing than the cloth."

Karuko stared blankly for a moment until her face lit up when she realized the implication, "Ooh. A silent Vai. I got you."

Avery let out a soft mumble as Lila used a feathery soft brush, dragging it over the curvature of Avery's face, offering a relaxing sensation.

"Final question. Heels?" Karuko tapped her traditional heeled shoes together.

Lila shook her head, "Not until she gets some instruction in that regard. Flat for now."

"Very well. I will see you this evening. Do enjoy your day..." She paused, realizing that no name had been offered for the creature lying on the massage table.

"Undecided. Vai for now."

Karuko stifled a small giggle, "Enjoy your day young Vai. Lila here is truly the most skilled in the village." Without further words, she spun on her heel and disappeared through the curtained front entrance. She had quite a curious project ahead of her.

This left Lila to hum as she waited for the dye in Avery's hair to set. She took this time to drag soft brushes over his face before using hands coated in scentless lotion to massage his face and neck gently. For his skin truly did need some moisturizing.

"Still feeling ok?" She asked again.

Avery gave a small nod, "Feeling really...relaxed." He said sleepily.

"That's kind of the whole point. Better than having to be stern with you anyway. Your hair is already looking stunning by the way. The red looks great against your skin." She said this honestly, for the red suited him enough that he could have been born with the chosen color and it would have been just as natural as his brown hair.

"Is it..permanent?" He asked cautiously.

"In a sense. Any new hair growth will be your original color, but as far as all the current hair, yes. It's quite permanent. Don't worry, you'll be lovely as a redhead. Promise. It is, after all, the traditional hair color of our tribe." She patted his cheek gently.

Avery sighed, "Fair enough. Guess I can't change it now."

"Nope. You're stuck with it now. Not that you'd have much of a choice. Bound as you are."

Avery tested his bonds at that comment. Even through the prior bath and interactions, his wrists remained tight and secure. The cords gave only the slightest of creaks as he tugged at them, "You're not wrong."

"I'm usually not." She said confidently as she dragged over a basin full of water, parking it on the floor directly below his dye-coated hair.

"Rinse time! Then we're into styling and makeup. You're already looking really lovely!" She said with a hint of that bubbly air of excitement.

Avery felt a hint of that anxiety from before bubbling up as she explained their next steps, "Makeup...is that really necessary?"

Lila pressed a finger to his lips.

"What did I say about complaining?"

Avery didn't respond until she finally removed her finger, "Sorry. This is just so...different is all."

"Different isn't so bad. Think of it this way. You'll get to see life and yourself from an entirely different perspective. Our tribe only has a singular voe born to it every couple hundred years and they never really experience our culture from the eyes of a Vai. So your position is quite unique. You get to become a jewel of the desert for a while and immerse yourself in our culture in a unique way. C'mon, you can't say you're not at least a little curious?" Her words were surprisingly passionate, bringing a sense of ease to Avery.

"Maybe a little curious." He agreed. He'd never known much of life outside his own little bubble. So it was exciting to get to experience something wholly new. Although the more Lila pushed in on the changes and permanence of this situation the more his mind began to grow anxious, hesitant.

Lila beamed and traced a finger around the edge of his face, "Plus, if I may say so. You are already turning into a stunning Vai. You've some inherently feminine features already so it...kind of suits you!"

Avery's cheeks flushed a slight pink at her comments. Maybe there had been a reason he'd kept his hair long all these years or something. More than just the simple practicality of not having a chance to groom himself, to maintain a shorter and simpler hair length. Something buried in him that he'd never really touched on or understood. How many times had he dressed up in his sister's kimonos when they were little? A slight bubble of confusion formed in his head.

Noticing the rather confused and thoughtful look on Avery's face she took the moment to begin rinsing his hair using a clay jug and the cool water out of the basin, "So, tell me a bit about the tattoo." She offered as she worked.

"Tattoo?" Avery asked as he eased hazel eyes open and looked at her upside down.

"The one at the base of your neck, follows your shoulder blade."

"Oh! Gosh. I've had that for ages. They're Hyrulean songbirds. Pretty common in my village, but my favorite local animal from the area in which I grew up. I got that in my younger years. I often forget I even have it. It's hidden beneath my clothes so often after all."

Lila gently scrubbed his hair with her hands, rinsing the excess dye from it and making the water in the basin look like a murder had been committed, "That's a lovely meaning behind the tattoo though. Hm. Songbirds." A few ideas bounced around her head.

"Our word for bird is Tori. However, we don't have many elegant-looking birds in the desert. What do you think about being called Mitori? I bet Lady Aikoro would like that. Although perhaps I should speak to her first. Forget I said anything!"

Avery blinked, "Not so sure about a new name admittedly."

Lila frowned as she rang out the last of his hair and started to use a fluffy towel to dry it off, "What's your Voe name?"

"Avery."

Lila wrinkled her nose, "Definitely not a Vai name. C'mon now, in order to fit in, Taking a new name even for a little while makes sense. You can't be a jewel of the desert with a name like 'Avery'." She'd emphasize the word with such a thick tone, unmatched by the silk-like flowing voice she naturally spoke with.

"Your name needs a softness, but also a hardiness befitting a Vai of the Gerudo tribe. We are as beautiful as we are warriors after all."

Avery could certainly appreciate the passion in her words. But it was still his first day, he wasn't going to be so accepting of everything so quickly. He was still a prisoner after all. This was still a punishment in the end. To be immersed in their culture and tribe whether he liked it or not.

Despite the relaxation up to this point and the kind nature of Lila, Avery felt himself becoming a bit overwhelmed by everything as it boiled over in his head. Was he really able to do this? He couldn't just let himself be dressed up in all this nonsense, could he? Hair, Makeup, Clothing...

Lila noticed the not-so-subtle shift in Avery's body. The sudden tension in his muscles as he looked around. She could hear the creak of the ropes about his wrists, "Just relax." She cooed.

Avery shook his head, "You know. I think I'm done with this. I can't just...sit here and let you try and change everything about me. In the end, I'm still me. You want me to take a whole different name. A whole different...everything!" He said, unable to stop the sudden panic that gripped him from bubbling up. Couldn't stop the slightly raised voice as he sat up suddenly.

The red strands of hair falling in front of his face certainly didn't help. Like someone else's hair was on his head.

"L...let me out of this. Just...throw me in the desert!" He said in frustration as he landed uneasily on his feet, nearly slipping as they found the smooth tile.

Lila stood up quickly and held out her hands peacefully on either side of her, "Just calm down. This whole thing is for your own good. Do you really want to rot in the desert? Lady Aikoro and Lady Riju offered this to you as an olive branch, to spare you while not sundering their own cities laws. You'd throw that all away because of a bit of panic?"

"It's not me!" He said back loudly.

Lila's eyes flickered to the front curtains as both the guards entered at the sound of the increasing volume of Avery's voice, though she gave no indication to Avery whose back was to them, that they had entered.

"Don't throw this away so quickly..." She said calmly.

"Just...let me go! I can't bloody do this. Take on a new name, change my whole...well...me!" He said, tugging at his wrists more. To all of their surprise, the ropes creaked and then with a loud snap he found his wrists free of them. The whole room froze as Avery stared at his hands, as confused as everyone else was.

As soon as that moment ended he started forwards. He wasn't sure WHAT he was going to do. He certainly wasn't going to attack or anything. But in that heated moment, he seemed more than a bit intimidating, potentially dangerous. Nobody in this place knew him well enough yet to make a judgment on whether he was a danger or not.

So as he started forward, a split-second decision was made and the loud CRACK echoed through the room as the butt of a spear found the back of Avery's head. His world was spinning instantly as he crumpled to the floor, his red hair no longer the only shade of red staining it while his world slowly slipped away into darkness for the second time in the last week.

Lila hurried over to quickly check the wound. It was minor, but the impact had been enough to knock Avery straight into unconsciousness. Lila frowned a bit as she crouched there, looking down at him lying on the floor, "A few hiccups were to be expected..." She said lightly, stepping back as the guards bundled the young man up to deliver him back to his little room in the palace.

Had this whole thing been a mistake?

Lila wondered about this fact as she stood there in the middle of her now too-quiet spa. Perhaps she ought to speak with Lady Aikoro and her mother about the whole situation. Avery deserved at least a chance. A bit of panic was no reason to throw it all away.

She hurried about to clean up the area and then made her way off to the palace.