Sequel to Bending the Rules, although hopefully if you're familiar with RPGs you won't have too much trouble following along without having read that. Not based on any particular gaming franchise or storyline, but there may be guest appearances.
*****
"Here we are," Jaz announced after going down an unpaved road for several miles.
The girls hopped out and eagerly ran inside the house, a sprawling building with many entrances.
"Let me make introductions and let my wife know you're here. It's a big place, but if you get lost, just head to the central courtyard; you'll be able to go back to any wing from there."
"Heavens. How long did it take to build this place?"
"Oh, a couple of years. It wasn't as bad as it looks though; we started with four houses that were already kind of close to each other and just built hallways between them, and kept building them out."
"Oops. I wasn't going to ask questions, and look at me already messing it up," Nuru facepalmed.
"That one's innocent enough. Most important is just to not make it weird, I think," Jaz said. "I'll be right back."
While he was gone, Nuru studied the building, taking in the layout. Now that he knew to look, he could see a somewhat plainer construction joining the taller structures, a certain simplicity rather than a lack of quality. There were enough windows and the walls were all painted the same color to make it nearly seamless, and all in good repair. This structure had been built with care and love. Jaz waved him to come in from the door.
"Just going to leave the cart full out there? I could help carry it in," Nuru said.
"Oh no, the children will handle it," Jaz said.
Nuru felt his eyebrows crease, but held his tongue. It was a lot of goods for two girls, especially a small one.
"Nuru, this is Babajide, Babs this is Nuru."
"Pleezdtameetcha," the man said, shaking hands. "Jaz, can we talk?"
"I know I should explain. Nuru is a drummer and has offered to play for Fumnaya and I tonight. I understand you all have concerns about having a stranger here - but let me tell you about the donkeys."
Jaz and Babajide began speaking, and a small horde of children, maybe six or seven, came rushing through, yelling and screaming with smiles and laughter, and Nuru couldn't make out a word that the men said. Babajide didn't look fully convinced, and walked away. The screaming children finished passing through.
"You see, a bit overwhelming," Jaz chuckled warmly. "Do not worry, everything is fine. I have earned trust in my judgement through much toil and sacrifice. Please make yourself at home, I will bring the others around."
Over the next hour, Nuru met several men with various levels of apprehension, or more precisely, similarly high levels of apprehension with better or worse concealment. They bore a vague physical resemblance; tall, medium-length hair, and clean-shaven, but Jaz insisted they were not related.
At one point, Nuru got up to use the outhouse, and as he threaded his way back through well-furnished hallways and antechambers encountered the first full-grown woman. She wafted in, bright-eyed and bustling, waving children this way and that, wearing a vest with large cutouts at the arms and neck and a skirt made of knee-length strips of cloth, both of which were breezy and hid little of her curves underneath nor even her large nipples standing proudly on her chest. She paused briefly at Nuru and kissed him full on the lips with only a preamble of "Welcome!" It had been so natural, so easy to be kissed by an incredibly long-haired, stocky, half-naked sexpot; but it clashed with everything Nuru expected from the world. Women opened up slowly, they had to be coaxed, because it was a dangerous world and men were predators - this he knew instinctively, and yet his mind could not reconcile that clear knowledge and her serene openness. Jaz found him standing still, doubting his own senses, despite recalling the moment with perfect clarity. He thought to yank at Sanaa too late; the woman was already gone.
"Ah... you have the look of a man who has met Fumnaya. Such a joyful spirit is she not?"
"Gods above and below, I see why you do not invite visitors. You are afraid someone will find out, and come steal your jewel away."
"I couldn't put it much better myself, though it is not stealing in the traditional sense we are concerned with. The pitchfork wavers will find some excuse to stick their heads in where they're least welcome, and leave naught but ashes. I say, are you lost?"
"Oh no, I've got eidetic memory. Don't worry about me."
"Wish I did. I designed half this place and I still get turned around now and again. Hahah! Come, though, we're having tea, and I'd like you to join us. Then we have lunch on the way."
"That sounds lovely."
Tables were set and nearly half a dozen other men sat around chatting, and two more came in with tea and various baked goods. Everyone relaxed a bit as Jaz told the story of him dragging Chibuzo through a bush and getting the attention of the paladins.
"I think Monifa may have actually saved my life," Nuru put in.
"She is a brave girl, isn't she?" Babajide declared. "We raised her well."
"Takes more after her mother than her father, fortunately," Jaz replied, getting a glare in return.
(Wait... wasn't she...?) Nuru thought she was Jaz's child. (But maybe they all care for each others' children as their own.)
Babajide scowled, good-naturedly. "What I want to know is, what did you say to His Esteemed Snootiness to get him so riled up? Not in five years have I heard of him ever so much as raising his voice."
"I'm sure you'd all be most gratified to hear, but let me instead demonstrate that I know how to keep a secret," Nuru grinned.
And with a great burst of laughter, the remaining tension swept away as if it had never been. Lunch was served, children flitted in and out dragging one or more of the men away. They were all fathers, in practice if not in heritage, it didn't seem to matter whose was whose; when Monifa needed something off of a high shelf, she grabbed the tallest one available. Whoever the man nearest to the door was, would help when one of the boys who had broken a tool came in. Lunch was a long braided loaf of meat pastry with crunchy exterior and dough slightly gooey on the inside; it was hot and delicious, cut into serving-size lengths and vanished very quickly. Lunch then entered a second phase with cups of a rich pudding served in wooden bowls and spicy hollow edible sticks that could be used to scoop it out, and dragged on well into the evening. Tea was served again, and the energy slowly ramped up.
"Alright, let's go get the children settled in for the night," Babajide announced.
The children present all groaned, but stampeded out anyway.
"Nuru, I will meet you in the other room soon," Jaz said, pointing.
Nuru waited a polite period of time, then made his way in that direction. He wasn't sure if this first room was what he meant, but could not help but stop. It was the most lavishly-appointed room he'd seen, stuffed full of fur cushions of various shapes and sizes, and the largest bed Nuru had ever seen, able to hold at least three people comfortably.
"Where is my husband, is he hiding?" Fumnaya called out from the next room over, now dressed even more provocatively.
Where before Nuru could accuse her of being careless about exposing her private areas, now she was outfitted in tight and carefully sized robe that showed off her enormous cleavage straight down to the navel, accentuated her wide hips, and pointed his eyeballs straight between her man-grabbing thighs. She'd touched up her face with some adornment as well, deepening the color of her lips and framing her eyes with soot in a way that suggested the fire was only just getting started, and her skin sparkled with tiny reflective flakes that caught the candlelight that Nuru was just now registering, subtly illuminating the room in a warm glow. Her hair was done up in split ponytails; one on top, and one in the back, which joined into a single lock that was tied tightly together into a thick rope down her spine.
"My dear, you are a vision as always," one of the men said as he came in.
"Flattery will only get you so far today," she teased, swatting him on the ass.
"I'll take what I can get," he said, kissing her hard in response.
Her fingers scrabbled in his hair, and other men came into the room giving them hardly a second glance.
(What... what is going on here?) Nuru wondered at Sanaa.
/Nu- iss %garble% -ou? I ca- %garble% you./
Nuru blinked rapidly in surprise. He backed out of the room carefully, and went to sit down.
"You OK?" one of the men said.
"Fine, absolutely," Nuru said, smiling at him, stomach churning. "Just need to sit down a moment."
"Need some water?"
"That would be great, thanks."
"We'll be starting shortly."
"Sure, gotcha."
He sat quietly for a moment, controlling his breathing. Something was very, very wrong here. He'd never heard of anything, or anywhere, that could interfere with the powers of a pact - except that artifact of great power Father Emeka had been hoarding; a Legendary no doubt. He closed his eyes, remembering the ritual from the archon, Akachi. Darkness, quiet, as much as could be achieved. Reveal your hands, empty. No sudden movements. He followed the instructions carefully, trying to be inconspicuous.
/%garble%-ey, you there? Nuru, what's happening? Talk to me!/
(Sanaa, do you hear me? You sound like you're underwater or something.)
/%garble% of interference. Tread carefully./
(No kidding. This house is strange. Several men, one woman. I could swear she's a wife to all of them. And so many children. How are they able to get along without killing each other?)
/Fascin@T!ng. I'm b()osting the pow3r of the m!ndl%HISS%- as I dare. Tell me about it later; I'm going to pa$$$$ivelY obzrve. Can't be of mu%%%% I'm afraid./
(Too bad. Lots of EXP for you, I think.)
Nuru took a swig of water from the cup in front of him, got back up and went into the room again. Fumnaya was hanging a pendant from a peg on the door.
"Ah, there you are! I was afraid we'd frightened you off," Jaz said.
"No, just getting my performance brain going. I want this to work out well, too."
"OK, let's jump right in, if you don't mind, before I start to overthink this. Steady rhythm, slow for a bit, then fast for a bit, then, slow. When the robe comes off, you are free to go back out and make yourself at home on one of the benches out there. Curl up with a blanket and sleep as late as you like; we'll try to be quiet and keep from waking you in the morning. But, kids, you know."
"Sure, sure. Thanks."
