"What did you tell them?" Lightning asked nervously, walking down the long hallway aside Odile to meet Jeanne and Cereza in the back yard.
"The truth," Odile shrugged, "Most of it, anyway. And I told them we've been on the run in Cocoon the past five months, hiding out here and there, stealing what we needed. I thought it'd make more sense why we don't have more sores and bruises or diseases."
That had been smart. Odile was always quick on her feet to think like that. "Good thinking."
"And we supposedly hopped a fal'Cie that drifted to Gran Pulse, by the way." Lightning nodded. Odile had given them a good background to work with. It reassured her again of Odile's commitment. She took her lover's hand as they made their way downstairs. Odile offered a smile her way, which calmed Lightning.
Maybe her lover had had a little slip up before, getting involved in every beautiful thing around them, but she was still with her on their mission. Lightning had been scared senseless otherwise, thinking she might be alone in this. She'd just have to keep an extra eye on Odile to make sure these creature comforts and lies weren't seeping into her psyche. It'd be an easy trade for anyone to give up what they'd had for this, but Lightning was dedicated to doing what was right, and she'd be able to pull it off as long as she had her partner in this. Little else mattered besides Odile and their mission.
"They're probably going to tell us to strip, you know." Odile said offhandedly. "You should take off those buckles from your wrists."
Lightning glanced down at her leather straps, a piece she hadn't removed yet but for bathing. Slender pieces she used simply for covering, they hid a variety of scars from lacerations and tearing on occasions that her wrists had been bound during sexual sadism. Odile had them too, but hers were far fainter. Men usually went to her for a different kind of sex that Lightning had never mastered as well, despite her attempts at teaching it for relief. Lightning just hadn't mastered the discipline of faking that Odile had.
"Why?" Lightning asked, leaving the wrist pieces in place. "They don't need to see it."
"They're probably going to tell you to, is all." Odile shrugged. "Suit yourself."
They came upon Jeanne and Cereza where they'd been waiting in the back yard, surveying the damage Lightning and Fang's fall had inflicted onto the roses. Lightning remembered as she came upon it and paled a little. In her distress over Fang, she'd completely forgotten to say anything about it.
"Looks like somebody took a little dive from your balcony," Cereza said, gazing up at the smooth railing where it was now cracked and broken open.
"It was an accident," Lightning started to saw in answer to her and Odile's bewilderment. "Rhea and Fang were— "
"Calm down, Lightning," Cereza chuckled. "This kind of thing happens quite often; you don't need to worry about it. Fang told us already."
Damn. In her neglect to say anything, it'd been put upon Fang to speak in her silenced place. She might've gotten in trouble for it. The Umbra were being kind about it, sure, they were trying to win over their children and guests, but Lightning couldn't have known if Fang had paid a price for it that she hadn't. "I'm sorry," Lightning apologized to the Umbra, if just for Fang's place. "It was an accident."
Odile looked at her with raised eyebrow interest. "Don't worry," Cereza assured again with a warm smile. "No one was seriously injured, and that's what's important." Odile gave her the eye that she'd ask later.
"Are you girls ready?" Jeanne asked kindly, and they started walking.
"Where are we going?" Odile asked on their little walk leading away.
"We all know the varying talents of the skill," Janne explained their destination, "But Thalia is by far our best healer. She will be able to detect any anomalies, injury, or malfunctions and reshape them. Jihl…"
"We'll be alright, Mum," Odile offered to reassure, "Lightning and I used to steal things from the apothecaries while we were on the run. So, I don't think we have any other diseases that we haven't cleaned up."
Jeanne seemed strained to hear it said so casually, and she lifted an arm around Odile's shoulders. "We'd like to check and make sure you're clean and okay. Have you… have you had a gynecologists exam before, Jihl? Lightning?"
Odile nodded for them both. "Quite frequently. You won't startle us with anything invasive, Mum."
"And Lightning?" Jeanne checked to make sure with her as well. "You're okay with an exam as well?"
"Yes," Lightning answered as expectedly. Though she was loath to take any help from these Umbra, an exam wouldn't hurt things. If she or Odile did have any diseases left, she didn't want to pass those on when they took Fang for her seed.
"Umbra are immune to illness, plagues, and diseases." Cereza informed them, "Gran Pulse is mostly immune to diseases, actually, but we did notice in our children that they got sick from time to time. You girls absolutely know you caught diseases in Cocoon?"
"Pretty sure that's what those sores were," Odile answered half-casually again. Jeanne seemed perturbed by this. "Maybe it's something in the men," Odile shrugged, "You guys don't have outbreaks of sickness or sexually spreading diseases?"
"On rare occasion, we've had illness come through, nothing startling," Jeanne informed with a shake of her head. "But sexually passed diseases specific to targeting that… no." Jeanne exchanged a glance with Cereza.
She shrugged. "They deserve it." The comment made Odile smile, which she exchanged with her mother standing there. Jeanne stroked through Odile's hair, seeming more ponderous of it.
"Mums," Odile asked aside of all those things, "How do you get your hair like that? I can barely even tell it's hair; it looks like you're wearing leathers."
Cereza grinned widely and even Jeanne seemed distracted from her deep ponderings. A long bundle of strands of Cereza's fine black hair extended and tapped Odile's shoulder, drawing her eyes "We can teach you these things."
Odile was purely delighted. Lightning watched the hair disappear back into the outfit suspiciously.
They reached Thalia's after crossing a gorgeous, tile-padded platform and Lightning found herself before another piece of art of a house. They entered the grand entranceway, Jeanne and Cereza's footsteps clicking on the smooth marble of the open way. "Thalia, darling," Cereza called out to the space and fine furnishings decorating the vast room. Her voice echoed. "We're here."
"I'm in the second bedroom," Thalia called back, registering to Lightning's ears faintly. Cereza glanced at her and Odile.
"Did you hear her?"
"She said the second bedroom," Odile filled in and grinned when her mother did with a wink.
"You couldn't hear her?" Lightning ventured curiously.
"We blessed our Yun people with extreme senses we do not have," Cereza confirmed, "It was a gift for their tribe when we could not reform our people completely after the Sages' trickery."
Lightning frowned at this, but they were in the 'bedroom' before she could give it much concentration. Inside, a metal platform built into the wall marked a steel table of sorts. There were cupboards on one of the walls and a sink underneath. Chairs scattered about the place, the room transformed from its original purpose. Two women stood inside, one Lightning recognized from yesterday with a huge, long ponytail that reached down to her legs before connecting into her mahogany outfit, and another woman too short and tan to be an Umbra with rich, multicolored browns with a few blonde highlights in her hair.
"Whoa," the shorter, but not really short, woman yelped in surprise when they walked in, a growing bulge becoming immediately obvious in her pants, where Odile's eyes fixated. "That's intense," the woman said, gripping the counter as they came into the small room. "Never been in a room with five Umbra before," she remarked with an unsteady glaze in her eyes.
"Styx," Jeanne recognized in surprise, "I didn't realize you'd be here."
"I'll be fine, Elder," Styx waved off, "Just gimme a minute."
"I thought the girls might be more comfortable," Thalia explained her presence, "With a Yun to help with the examination."
"Oh, we're comfortable," Odile assured with her eyes on target. Lightning gave her an annoyed look, then nudged her, "What?"
"Okay, I'm good. I think. Mistresses," she gave a little bow to all those who'd just come in, "My name's Styx." Styx greeted, stepping up with a held out hand to them. She offered a small, tentative smile. "No hugs, please."
Odile looked up to those pretty, ember-speckled chocolate eyes with a dancing grin in her eyes. She took Styx' hand happily. "Jihl,"
"And you must be Mistress Lightning," Styx offered her hand again, "It's a pleasure to meet you both," Odile stood completely charmed with her front-pointiness. Lightning almost growled at her. Was she going to act this way with every pretty Yun they saw? Noticing the direction of Odile's gaze, she added, "I apologize for the... distraction."
"Don't," Lightning advised. Forced into a room with more Umbra than her body could take, it wasn't the poor Yun's fault for being that way. As long as Odile stopped staring, ugh. At the surprise and a tint of hesitation probably from fear in her eyes, Lightning added. "It's not your fault."
"Thank you, mistress Lightning. You are all-forgiving," a little more at ease, she gestured towards the metal bench, "Please, take a seat, both of you."
"We'd love to," Odile answered for them graciously, and went to do so. Lightning grabbed her wrist, to which Odile's eyes rolled. "Chill out."
Chill, she says. Lightning was doing nothing of the sort and linked their fingers tightly.
"Girls," Jeanne addressed them both again, "Cereza and I could stay during, if you want, or leave for the examination… whichever you're more comfortable with."
"You can stay," Odile allowed casually, "We don't mind."
"Have you girls had examinations?" Thalia asked, washing her hands under the sink.
"Yes, yes, we're familiar," Odile passed on, "Can Styx give me mine? I'd feel much more comfortable with her."
Lightning choked and almost slapped her. Odile should be grateful that she didn't have her Umbra strength to squeeze her hand with.
"Oww," Odile pulled her hand away, giving Lightning a pout. Jeanne was shaking her head, but when Cereza caught Odile's eye, she winked.
Styx gave Odile a cautious smile, but nervously glanced at Lightning, who was seething. "Styx is our vaginal specialist," Great, Lightning thought, "She'll be giving both your examinations, and I'll inspect otherwise health issues, and heal you if need be."
"Ooh," Odile cooed, "In that case, I want to go second!" she looked at Lightning as if this was supposed to earn her brownie points in some way. Lightning rolled her eyes. Odile half-hugged to her side, then turned and asked importantly. "Should we take our clothes off now?"
"If you would, please." Thalia nodded. Lightning was not pleased.
They stripped of their robes and Lightning desperately wanted to cover Odile with her hair, but Styx kept her eyes down anyway except when she looked at their faces, ignoring everything else respectfully.
"I'm just going to feel a little and ask some questions." Styx told her, only looking at her face, which Lightning had to give credit for because Odile was busily giving her eyes. "That okay?"
"I'm going to do the same," Thalia informed Odile too, "Looking and feeling for anything that might be wrong or off, okay?"
Both of them nodded and proceeded as instructed for their examinations. Lightning opened her legs for Styx, well aware of Odile's eyes on the point of Styx' entry between her legs, then flicked to Lightning's face. "Excuse me if these questions are invasive," Styx said, surprisingly long fingers like Odile's feeling deep as any man had been, "I'm just trying to get an idea towards diseases."
"Go ahead," Lightning permitted.
"During vaginal intercourse, do you experience any pain?" Lightning could feel her rubbing her walls with an almost-surprising gentleness.
"Yes," Lightning answered naturally.
"And Jihl?" Styx asked too.
"Of course," Odile filled in as well.
"Even with sex outside of men?"
"Yes." Lightning observed worried gazes on Odile's mothers' faces. What was that about?
"What kind of pain is it?"
"I don't know, a burning?" Lightning surmised, "Sometimes it stings or feels like there's too much pressure. Isn't that just the sex?"
"If you're having rough sex, it could be. Is it something you experience every time?"
"Of course." Lightning said, frowning.
"Any itching?"
"Not since we treated our sores, no."
Styx brow furrowed. "You feel very swollen, Lightning. I'm going to press in a place. Tell me if it hurts and rate it on a scale of one to ten, okay?"
"Okay," Lightning shifted as she pressed into a soft place, "Three," Lightning reported, then flinched when it felt like nails somewhere else, "Seven," she cringed as her fingers pressed again, like needle pricks, "Nine— nine!" she shifted to alleviate it and clenched, "Shit, are you using nails?" Lightning bit her tongue hard. Odile touched her shoulder and stroked it as Styx finally pulled free of her. The stinging didn't go away.
Styx glanced at the parents, then asked, "Have you had sex without sufficient vaginal or other lubrication, Lightning?"
Lightning snorted at the stupid question. "It's like that with every man."
Styx nodded, returning back to the sink to wash her hand. "You have intense vaginal scarring from it and… I felt some incisions, like the slight raise of healed-over cuts?"
"I didn't control what they wanted to use," Lightning responded defensively.
"Lightning…" Jeanne was suddenly beside her with horror in her eyes, Cereza looking at Odile, who offered up her innocence.
"I didn't have a cutter," Odile filled in for Cereza's fear, "That guy just liked Lightning."
Lightning was glad Odile had never shared him with her, but she wished she hadn't told them that. Jeanne had a hand on her shoulder and was looking at her in pain and fright. Lightning didn't know what to say and thought it awkward. Then, Jeanne drew her in, arms on both shoulders and hugged her to her chest. "I'm sorry," she whispered, kissing her head and cradling her. It felt… nice. Like when Sage touched her on rare occasion and held her like a parent should. Lightning wasn't sure what to do about it and lowered her head when Jeanne finally pulled back. "I'm sorry," Jeanne said again quietly.
A chill went up Lightning's back and she tried to shake it off. "So," she tried to steer away the attention, "What's wrong? We're still not well or something?"
Odile rubbed her back. "The prolonged inflammation and pain register suggests there's still disease," Styx reported sadly. "I'm sorry, Lightning."
"Then I probably have it too," Odile sighed, "We rub each other almost every time we have sex."
Lightning went pink at the unexpected revelation and looked sharply to Odile, who didn't seem to immediately realize anything. "What?"
Styx made a difficult noise in the back of her throat.
"Oh…" Odile took the moment. "Oops."
"It's nothing I shouldn't be able to handle," Thalia filled in over Odile's boo-boo, "I can take care of the scarring too. Is it… the same for the other entries of penetration?"
Lightning lowered her head. She didn't want to talk to these perfectly flawless people anymore, she and Odile the only festering sore spots in this room of perfection. It'd been a long time since Lightning last felt it, but she was shamed. Her eyes burned with it.
They're not perfect, Lightning reminded herself to grasp that conviction. They were rapists; proof in the pudding of Styx' reserved manner and Kale's fear, worst of all being Fang's entrapment in a constant rape cycle. And whatever they were doing to the impregnable Yuns with Ragnarok… Lightning didn't want to know. These people were being sweet to her and Odile only because a happenstance of their birth carried Umbra blood. Whether they were Yun or Cocoon or whatever else, Lightning didn't even know anymore, but it didn't matter. If they'd been born without the blood, they'd have been oppressed as the Yuns. Lightning had a rare and hated circumstance of growing up as a sex slave in Cocoon with only two bright spots in her life. She understood how afraid the Yuns were under the polite, servicing demeanor more than anyone, and she couldn't let these instances of kindness get into her head.
Lightning wasn't able to save her people on Cocoon from oppression, but there was still something she could do for the Yuns, and she would. She would help their people, no matter how sweetly they were otherwise treated. People suffered for this, and Lightning knew it too well to lose herself in the partaking of their pleasures.
"Can you turn around, Jihl?" Thalia was asking by the time Lightning pulled out of her head enough to hear. Odile cast her a wary gaze as she obeyed and Lightning's eyes cleared with the gentle push of Odile's hair away from covering her back. Lightning stiffened with Thalia's small intake when she found the mark on her shoulder. Odile glanced at Lightning, worried, as Thalia reached a finger for it.
"Don't touch that!" Lightning hissed unexpectedly, startling everyone but Odile, "You can cure our scars and diseases, but don't touch that!" No, that mark couldn't be removed, Lightning wouldn't allow it. Even if they weren't just going to burn it back on them when they got back, Lightning wouldn't have it touched. It hadn't been a pleasant experience getting it, no, but the symbol itself was from Sage. It meant they were his children, his disciples, and people of Cocoon. She didn't know if the Umbra knew what it was, but she wouldn't return to Cocoon without it. It would forever be her and Odile's stamp of Sage's most treasured.
Everyone was quiet. Odile looked down with a sigh. "Father gave it to us," Odile said, "Not our real father, obviously, but the one who treated us like we were his children."
Thalia looked at a loss for words. Even Styx glanced up briefly to see what was being spoken of. There was a long moment of quiet. Jeanne stepped in first to speak. "Okay, Lightning." She said, surprising Lightning. "We won't touch it." Thalia opened her mouth to speak, but Jeanne waved her off before she could. "We'll leave it as it is, Lightning."
Lightning looked at Odile, wondering what she'd said about their 'father' that Jeanne would back off so easily, but she was grateful for it in this instance. They wouldn't touch the mark of the real man who had fathered Lightning growing up in her hellhole life. That was good.
"You can turn around again," Thalia told Odile. "Lightning… can you take off your wrist-leathers for me?"
Lightning did as she asked, just grateful for the mark to be left in place. When Thalia observed the ligature marks on her wrists and ankles as well, along with other scrapes Lightning had picked up over time, she asked her to lie down, which Lightning did into Odile's lap. Odile stroked her hair back easily as Thalia said to Lightning. "This is going to feel warm and a little funny, like a tickle. Some places might get especially hot, depending on how much time I need to spend healing an area of taking care of an illness. You might entirely warm over as the healing takes care of the disease in you. This is normal; okay?"
"Okay," Lightning readied for it, Odile's comforting face above her. Thalia began; a warm, green glow emitted from between her fingers. She first worked on the marks at Lightning's ankles, which Lightning couldn't see, but as Thalia had warned, they grew warm in small circlets of healing. Lightning tried to check, but she still couldn't see because Thalia was in the way, who moved up her body gradually until she reached the top of Lightning's legs. Lowering her hand closer, she poured the green straight into her between the crevasse of her legs. Lightning twitched when it touched her, entered her, then sought her broken pieces to mend. More than warm, it was growing hot in there as the magic spread all over inside her.
"Oh," Lightning peeped as that hot feeling grew almost blistering between her legs. She arched in the uncomfortable feeling, trying to get away from too much of it, but Thalia kept pouring it into her, mending deeper and deeper as her innards changed under the magic, scars retracting in, swellings deflating, Lightning could physically feel it all with that heat. "Odile," Lightning whimpered, eyes closed tight. It wasn't all unpleasant and painful, but at such an unnatural feeling for things to be changing that way, too fast, combined with that heat!
"I'm right here," Odile murmured, stroking her hair, "I've got you, Light." Lightning twisted at another pocket of it. She could feel it in the other places, seeping into all her entrances down there until the warmth encompassed her to overwhelming degrees. Odile touched her cheek and moved it as she twitched with such discomfort, but at rest. It was like the magic was filling her all the way and her body accepted it, but Lightning didn't know how much more she could take, she felt so full already and warm in all the places. She jerked and Odile grabbed her up by the shoulders as her mouth laid over Lightning's in a tasty, erotic, distracting way that Lightning savored. Odile was familiar in this foreign entry, and Lightning wasn't giving that away. Odile took her mouth in a loving tender and kissed Lightning's fears away.
Lightning gasped when she parted from her, eyes fluttering back open. The heat had died down inside her to a quickly-cooling warmth instead. And Odile smiled above her like an angel that took Lightning's breath away. "Thanks," Lightning said, grateful for the distraction in that alien feeling everywhere.
"Always happy to kiss you naked in front of a crowd of people, including my mums."
Lightning tinted a little pink, well aware of the eyes on her now and the suspicious absence of their Yun physician. "Let's see how you do," Lightning growled back, not angry.