Closed [Tisuma Baths] The Unexpected Meeting (Euthisa)

[Azira]

30th Fall 513AV

It hadn’t been a good day at all for the huntress. She hadn’t caught anything but that wasn’t something that was very unusual. What was out of the ordinary however was the fact that she’d fallen into a stream and had also done something to the muscles around her left shoulder. She hadn’t pulled a muscle, at least she didn’t think that she had, but she’d twisted around in such a way that had made them feel tight and sore. Azira was hoping that a soak in nice hot water would loosen them up a bit.

The Avora stripped off in the first room, which was pretty busy at the moment, and slipped into the bath room. Groups of citizens were chattering away to each other as they bathed, the majority of them sitting in or around the first three baths. The teen made a face when she saw the crowd but she made her way over to the second bath anyway. She wasn’t filthy so she could get away with just the second and third baths before she could move into one of the hotter baths. Few people would brave those waters as many of them were eager to get to dinner, whereas others wouldn’t be able to stand the fierce heat of one of the steamier baths.

Slipping into the bath, the girl found herself wincing because of the pain in her arm and the temperature of the water. She washed as quickly as she could then eased herself out of the water and headed for the salt bath. The huntress spent hardly any time in that bath either, eager to get away from the happy, chattering people who were getting on her nerves a bit. Her escape from them was certainly a relief but she felt better the further away from them she got.

As she passed the hotter baths, Azira walked through thicker and thicker clouds of steam until she could hardly see anything in front of her further than a few feet. She wasn’t at the hottest bath but the air here was hot, damp and heavy, almost stifling. The girl couldn’t brave the hottest bath without feeling like she was being boiled alive but the second hottest was just about manageable. She moved to where she knew it was and dipped a toe tentatively into the steaming water, gasping as she did so and automatically pulling it out again. The teen always forgot just how hot the water could actually get here. She braved another dip and this time managed to keep her toes in longer.

By degrees, she slipped into the pool until her whole body was in the hot water. She gasped and winced for the first chime or so but then she adjusted to the high temperature and she was able to sink back into the water, her head resting on the edge of the bath. The water was so hot that she could no longer feel the pain in her shoulder except when she moved to quickly. Azira hoped that now that she could relax that the water would soothe her sore muscles. It was very unlikely that she’d be disturbed here so she could simply relax, unworried by any social encounters.

x

[Euthisa]

The day had been treacherous. The Enclave was a bit busier than usual today, resulting in a flustered Euthisa that never seemed to stop throughout the day. Her feet ached, each step reminding her that she'd tormented them this day. Adding their own complaints to her attention, Euthisa's hip joints were strained and tired, as were her arms. A shelf had been bumped into, its contents spilling all over the floor for the librarian to pick up and re-organize. She'd worked extra hard straightening furniture, replacing and lighting candles, putting books away and checking new ones in, and when the time came to take her leave, Euthisa was beyond delighted.

Headache raging and body wincing in protest, the Chiet rushed straight over to the bathhouse. She was earlier than was typical with her arrival, the evidence showing in the number of bustling Inarta inside. Regardless that she was born and raised in the volcanic city, thrust from day one into a society where nudity was custom and sometimes even encouraged, Euthisa didn't harbor quite all of her peoples' traditions. Walking around naked without a thought or care was one she wasn't fond of. She supposed it reflected from her reserved demeanor, for while she was friendly and enjoyed making and carrying on with friends, she spent the vast majority of her time alone, and she was content with doing so.

Swallowing her mental protests about bathing while so many people were there with her, Euthisa undressed in the first room, storing her belongings in one of the cubbyholes to return to. She wasn't here because she needed laundry washed or because she was dirty. She'd spent the day indoors, but even her bed wouldn't provide her any comfort if she didn't ease the strain in her poor muscles. Spending as little time as possible in the first few baths, Euthisa moved on, seeking comfort in the hotter waters only a few regularly ventured into. She skipped the fourth bath, seeking her ease of pain in the fifth. She normally never ventured that far into the baths, the fourth always being adequate enough for her needs. But today was not a normal day for her, and she needed more assistance than the fourth could offer her.

Slender toes dipped into the water of the fifth bath, instinctively retracted as the temperature struck her nerve endings with a shock. Euthisa'd never been in water this hot. Determined to brave it out, she again placed her toes in the water, followed by her foot and lower legs, biting her lip as she sat on the edge of the pool, waiting for the pins and needles in her skin to ease as they adjusted. Once they did so, she eased into her waist, repeating the same process as the pins and needles now struck her most sensitive places. When they retreated their assault on her senses, the Chiet slid her body down into the steaming water, all submerged but her head, long burgundy locks cascading over the edge of the pool behind her head.

She sat there, content and solitary, for a while, her body feeling better, but still rather sore. Her headache pounded lighter in her skull, but it hadn't let up enough to let her relax, and so mustering up what willpower she still retained, the Chiet left the fifth bath and moved on to the sixth. Her nerves stood on end, already protesting their discontent with the idea of even hotter water, and she hadn't even touched it yet. The air was thick here, her breathing slower and more labored as the steam entered and exited her lungs. She could barely see, between the steam and the droplets of sweat pouring from every inch of her body, and running into her eyes as she neared the edge of the pool. She could only see about an arm's length in front of her, moving slowly as she bravely climbed onto the edge of the pool.

Frog-like in her appearance as she perched her body on the edge above the water, a short but slender leg daringly toeing the water below her. It felt like daggers to her skin, the water so hot Euthisa had more than half a mind to turn back to the previous pool. Determined though, and reminding herself she'd come this far already, she pressed on in her attempts to get into the pool. She repeated the same process as she had with the fifth pool, only much slower, and propelling her body in inches at a time instead of whole sections. The process seemed to take eons, but eventually the librarian made it into the water. Body and senses now dead to the outside world, she no longer felt the pain of the hot water, and could finally relax. Confident she was alone and would remain unperturbed, she slowly stretched her legs out into the pool in front of her, toes running into an object blocking their path. Puzzled, the Chiet realized she was not alone. Her toes hadn't run into the stone bench. They'd run into a very fleshy leg.

[Azira]

   

The Avora enjoyed the peace and quiet that the hotter baths allowed her. There were always people in the cooler ones but the hotter baths afforded her a privacy that was akin to what she experienced in her own rooms or while out hunting. This was comfortable though; once the body got over the initial shock it was really quite relaxing.

The girl was daydreaming, not thinking anything of the occasional splash that came from one of the other baths. Some would brave the fifth bath on rare occasions but the sixth bath was really only for the sorest of muscles. Azira had never understand what the seventh bath could possibly be for aside from boiling one alive. She couldn't see anyone entering that pool unless they were a masochist.

The ripples that moved through the water alerted her to the presence of another. It came as a shock and she wasn't even sure at first because she couldn't see to the other side of the pool. There was definitely the sounds of someone hissing in shock at the temperature of the water. The huntress didn't move, didn't make a sound. She had absolutely who could be on the other side of the pool but she hoped that they wouldn't notice her and that she could get away after they left.

Her hopes were dashed when something moved through the water, some limb being stretched out. She tried to shrink away from it but someone's foot touched her leg. 

"Oh!" she exclaimed in surprise. There was no hiding now. The stranger had been made aware of her presence the moment that their flesh met; she'd only confirmed what they already knew by gasping. "Uh...hello," Azira said awkwardly, thankful for the steam that obscured her face and the face of this stranger. It would be one less source of embarrassment.

x

[Euthisa]

A startled cry rang out from the other side of the fog, followed by a hesitant hello. Euthisa drew her leg back, feeling sheepish and even creepy for her sudden appearance. It was a woman's voice that spoke to her, much to Euthisa's relief. She somehow found that appearing alone in a visually blocked bath with a strange man was much more unsettling than to be in there with another woman. Now the question was, did she respond? Did she leave? What to do. She'd never experienced anything like this, so the Chiet was lost for direction.

This woman probably didn't want to be bothered, or was in pain, there'd be no other reason to be in that particular bath otherwise. Did that mean she was to be unfriendly if Euthisa chose for conversation? She hated to think that someone might respond to her that way, most didn't, and so she was not accustomed to dismissal or negativity directed at her. She couldn't be sure how she would take it. Though, she figured, she'd never know if she didn't try. Swallowing her nerves, she responded to the woman, grateful that she couldn't see her nervousness or embarrassment. "Uh.. Hey there. Sorry to disturb you, and for kicking you. I hadn't thought anyone else would be this far into the pools."

She hesitated, uncertain if she should keep going or not. She could play the apologetic card, the courteous card, or the friend-maker card. "My name is Euthisa. I, uh, I can leave, if you want?"

[Azira]

   

The leg withdrew, a movement that made Azira begin to relax slightly though she was still worried by the presence. When the distinctly female voice reached her, she released the breath she hadn't realised that she'd been holding. If it had been a man then she would have tried to escape the pool there and then but a woman was bearable. A woman was someone she could trust.

The woman sounded just as nervous as she herself felt and the huntress wondered if this situation was also unusual for this woman. It wasn't everyday that this sort of thing happened. Sure people met in the frequently used baths but this sort of awkward encounter was not the norm. 

The girl giggled nervously in reply. "I didn't think there'd be anyone else here either," she explained. Her brain worked quickly when the woman introduced herself, trying to decide whether to ask her to leave or not. This Euthisa had given her the option of being left alone but she'd obviously come here to this particular bath for a reason. Nobody went to the hotter baths unless they were experiencing some form of muscle pain. It would be cruel to deprive the woman of relief.

"I...uh, no, you can stay. There's plenty of room and we know that we aren't alone now. I'm... Azira, by the way." Her words were overly formal and awkward but she'd probably never converse with this woman again so there was no need to worry about her social ineptitude. "So...why are you here?" Oh what a great question that was!

x

[Euthisa]

Euthisa dearly hoped this woman would let her stay. She would understand if she didn't, she did intrude on her time and space after all. Thankfully though, she allowed her to stay, introducing herself, and even making conversation. This delighted Euthisa, for she needed more female friends. All of hers had sort of disappeared. And she enjoyed making new friends. "Nice to meet you, Azira." The librarian sank further into the water before she continued. "The Enclave was just a feather short of insane today. Far busier than usual, which makes me happy, but it became chaotic. I've never been so sore working there! I arrived with a raging headache, and a very achy body from head to toe, though I feel none of that now. I think I boiled my senses away, haha."

The librarian closed her eyes, relaxing, body at peace and mind to rest. She needn't focus on anything except the hot water and her new company. It was tricky however, making a new friend while soaking naked in a hot bath. The idea put a grin on the Chiet's face, the humor of it taking over for a moment. If this union were to continue outside of the baths, and there was no telling yet if it would or not, it would be quite the story to tell anyone who asked how the girls met. She tried to imagine the girl across the pool from her. It was almost impossible to tell anything from just her voice. She could be anything from an elder Yasi to an Endal, merchant to hunter, or anything in between. The mystery of their encounter was thrilling in a way, Euthisa rather enjoying the game of putting the pieces together as she unraveled them. "So... What brings you to the hotter baths? Unless you're always insane enough to be this far in, haha?"

[Azira]

   

The woman seemed to accept her awkward conversation starter without comment and began to babble about how she had ended up there. At the mention of the Enclave, Azira found herself listening intently trying to work out what the woman's role was from her description of her day. She had no idea. Euthisa could have been a librarian or a helper or a Dek who cleaned the place for all she knew. The girl had no way of telling. 

The mystery woman posed a similar question to her own. "Hunting. Well I went out hunting didn't catch anything except maybe a chill. I fell into a stream because I'm just so well coordinated and I twisted my muscles or something in my back. I was lucky that I got back to the city at all. I probably looked like an old woman stopped over like that," she laughed. She tested the offending muscles and found them to be much looser and far less painful. The hot water had definitely improved her former condition.

"Much better though, I can actually move now." The huntress didn't say anything for a moment, she just gazed into the fog in front of her. She still could not catch a glimpse of the woman she was talking to. She was actually curious about who she was, wondering if she'd seen Euthisa on one of her visits to the library. She knew most of the librarians on sight and the helpers too but she couldn't tell if this woman was one of them. Her voice was unfamiliar but that didn't mean much, the teen hadn't heard that many librarians in the Enclave actually speak so how could she tell. Her curiosity got the better of her.

"So what's your job in the Enclave? Are you a librarian or...?"

x

[Euthisa]

The Chiet listened closely as Azira told the story of why she was now soaking in one of the hottest baths in Wind Reach. A hunter, so she was an Avora. Euthisa found more and more often, anyone she ran across and befriended, were all Avora, though she supposed having a knack for making friends in higher standings than she was a good skill to have. This poor girl though. Hunting accidents could range from humorous to petty, average to serious, and sometimes even lethal. Euthisa herself knew virtually nothing about hunting, except where to find research on it in The Enclave, and she had minimal target practice with her bow. The thought reminded her that she needed to get in a lot more practice in her spare time.

Not only was she an absolutely pathetic shot for an Inartan, but she was also a Chiet partly for this reason. Hunters were valuable in Wind Reach, and while Euthisa may hold significance in the organizing and protection of her peoples' knowledge, she herself was of no particular importance to her people, or even just one of them now that she thought about it. And this was something that bothered her on a daily basis.

The ripples in the water between them told Euthisa that the woman was moving around on her side of the bath, further confirmed by a statement that the bath was indeed soothing her pain. "That's great! I'm glad you feel better." Now following suit in testing her own pains, Euthisa moved her legs and arms, joints now complying happily instead of protesting. She assumed her feet would be the same way, but she'd have to stand to test those, and she was far too relaxed to do so at the present moment. "Mine are feeling much better too."

Azira's next question was about her position in The Enclave. Euthisa realized she'd been rather vague in explaining her position itself, earlier only mentioning what had gone on that day. Azira couldn't see Euthisa either, and so was playing the same match-up game she was playing with her. "I am one of the librarians. My mother always loved books and reading, and raised me to be the same until I was sent to be with the other Yasi. I stuck with it, and came to work in the Enclave that way. It gets tedious and boring at times, but at least I'm contributing somehow. I hope one day though to do something else, something more important, to contribute to our people. I guess you could say I have rather big dreams, haha."

[Azira]

Azira was actually oddly enjoying her time with Euthisa. It was strange considering the fact that she didn't really know the woman, couldn't even tell what she looked like, and then they were also stuck in a bath together. It was a peculiar social situation so of course the huntress would somehow glean enjoyment from it. She was just that strange.

The other was apparently glad that the teen was feeling better. The water in the pool began to move a bit, sloshing gently up against Azira's body and the edge of the pool. A similar declaration to her own of reduced pain explained the movement. Euthisa had been checking her own sore limbs in much the same way that the Avora had. For some reason that made the girl want to laugh out loud but she covered her mouth as if that would keep the sound in. She was going crazy wanting to laugh at absolutely nothing at all. Maybe the ridiculousness of the situation was getting to her, yes that could certainly be it.

When the woman began to describe her job, a soft "oh!" of delight escaped her. So the woman was a Chiet or an Avora, someone who got to handle all of the books that she so adored and looked after them for her. And for everyone else of course, the books weren't solely hers. It was nice to know though. Perhaps she'd actually seen Euthisa but she'd never find out if she didn't actually see the woman. As for the moment though, conversation would have to suffice as far as knowing her was concerned.

"I really do love the Enclave. It's such a wonderful place to be, it really is. I couldn't imagine it ever being boring or tedious to work there though," she replied. "Plus everybody has big dreams. I'm sure that most of the city wishes that they were Endals, you know. You do make a very valuable contribution though as a librarian. Without you and others like you, how would we be able to look after all the information that we have? Knowledge is important and is something that shouldn't be lost," the young woman told Euthisa.

She personally thought that the Enclave was an extremely valuable resource, one that she used quite often herself. She couldn't imagine what she would do if there was no one to maintain the books that she so loved to read and learn from and they fell to ruin.

x

[Euthisa]

Euthisa listened intently as Azira spoke of how important she found the Enclave to be and how much she loved it. It delighted Euthisa to know that someone other than herself saw the importance of the place and harbored an appreciation for it like hers. Pondering for a moment, Euthisa wondered how many times she'd probably seen Azira in and out of the library. Hunters were common in the Enclave. Research was one of the main ways to learn anything in Wind Reach without hands-on instruction. Information could be found on flora and fauna alike, along with information on the region and everything that goes with it. Thinking of it that way kind of put Euthisa's job into a new perspective for her. She'd always felt like she was contributing her time to the Enclave, but not necessarily contributing anything to Wind Reach itself.

She shifted again where she was sitting, testing her muscles, relieved to no longer feel any pain. Deciding she no longer really needed the hot bath, and wishing to actually meet Azira's acquaintance, she proposed a new plan of action. "Hey Azira, I'm not feeling any pain anymore. If you're feeling better, would you be up for accompanying me out? We could go somewhere and hang out, or just wander and talk, or something? What do ya say?"

OOCSorry this was so short. If I need to edit it and try to give you more to work with, let me know!