Completed Hot bath

[Ornea]

Hot bath
Timestamp: Day 3 of Winter 514 AV
Location: Zinthia Rest

It was getting much hotter in the Zinthia Rest than Ornea had expected. Visibly steamy, even.

This Aviakittis Winter 514 was the first time she celebrated the holiday, also called “The Lost Days” by the Lhavitians. As far as Ornea understood it, it was about being lazy in general, which was a rare thing for the diligent people of the city. But these first three days of winter they rested. Everything went lax and lenient, even law. She had hardly believed it when she had been told that the courts would often let crimes slide during these days or not care to impose severe penalties. It was days when people could get away with slacking, and even lesser violation of the law.

Although the furnaces of Lucis and Lucis where Ornea worked were always kept burning, it was barely these days, and the work premises were closed. This meant the metalsmith had decided to visit Zinthia Rest and spend part of the day relaxing with hot baths and possibly good food and even some grooming, if somebody could be bothered to provide food and service. Not that she cared really. This was Aviakittis and the Inarta found it fun to try out the mindset of this odd holiday. She could be lazy too, just like the rest of the city. In particular as she and the industrious Edward Lucis had been working as usual during the first days of it. Ornea had only one day off.

She could have bathed at Solar Wind Apartments of course. But she did that regularly just in order to wash off the dirt after her workdays at Lucis and it had seemed lackluster and not so festive to bath the everyday way she used to bath. The purpose today wasn’t just to get clean. She had actually already been clean when she arrived, and so had her clothes, as she had found it nice to leave her everyday working clothes at home and wear her better set of Inarta clothes this day. This supported the feeling of laziness, as it meant she was certainly not going to work.

A room of her own or the common pools? The decision had been hard on a lazy day like this and Ornea had allowed herself to choose both just because it was so taxing to take decisions, or so she amused herself with thinking. So she had a separate room, where she had started the bath day by taking off her clothes and immersing herself in a particularly spicy and fragrant herb bath in a big wooden tub. It had been very relaxing indeed, but as the service was super lax this day she had been left to her own devices nearly at once, and there had been no chance to order food and drink or grooming services.

But who cared. It was Aviakittis, and she could just lie there in the pleasant warm water with her eyes shut and feel nearly dazed by the intense aroma of the herbs and perfume oils in the water. This had been just fine for a long time. She wasn’t sure for exactly how long time, actually, as her thoughts had wandered off and she had started to daydream idly, in a state of half-sleep. She had woken up from this with a jolt not long ago, when the door had been opened, just to immediately be shut again with a bang by somebody who apologized and said something about “wrong room”.

Once she was fully awake, Ornea had realized how hot it was in the room. She had decided to get up, swept a towel around herself and went out to the common pools. She had imagined it would be cooler there and maybe she would be able to get something to drink. But now when she stood looking out over the pools and the women in the water and on the floors and benches beside it she realized it was as hot there as it had been in her separate room. In addition the fragrance in the somewhat dizzy air was stronger here, as whole sheets of herbs were hanging from the roof and from the walls and a lot of people were in full swing using oils and perfumes like they aimed at getting totally saturated in it.

Ornea felt a bit giddy and sat down on a small bench of wood. She tried to think of what to do now. The sounds of the female voices around her and the splashing sound of the water was nice enough, but she wasn’t sure about the sounds from the other side of the baths, the male side. The volume seemed to be higher there, with louder laughs and bigger splashes, and one could wonder what was going on and if people really were relaxing as much as they were supposed to do. It actually sounded like some kind of diving contest was going on ?

She left the bench and went closer to the water. Dipping one foot in it she felt that it was hot.

Surprisingly hot. She just stood there and looked at it for a moment and then she decided to try to find some bath house staff and ask them about where she could get a cold shower. It was odd that it was this hot, she thought, but as she didn’t know much about Aviakittis or about Zinthia Rest, she assumed it was meant to be this way. But odd it was, nonetheless. This was her only reaction, until she passed by a group of women and heard one of them say “...must be something wrong, it’s like there’s hot water only I say, they seem to not be mixing it properly ... I really hope they are working at solving this at Lucis or we’ll all get boiled ...”

Ornea stopped in her tracks and turned to the woman who had been speaking. “What do you mean?” she asked straightforwardly, her Inarta accent extra audible due to the sudden worry she felt. “Isn’t it meant to be this hot? Is it not normal? ”

The woman shook her head. “No, it’s not normal. It’s hotter in Zinthia Rest today than it has ever been before. You could think they have turned off the cold water and is pouring in hot water only. It’s likely some new staff who has made a mistake.”

Unclear visions of Lucis and Lucis, the huge pumps, drawing of machinery and pipes and things appeared in Ornea’s heat and perfume giddy brain. She tried to think. New staff who had made mistakes? At Lucis? Would this be herself? Had she done anything unusual there? No, she couldn’t recall. And was it really even there the cause of this situation could be found? Weren’t there a way to turn water on and off here in the bathing house ? The answer was that she didn’t have the slightest idea where the main taps were located, but she knew she and Edward had recently crafted a replacement for Zinthia's water mixer, which they meant to install any day soon. But mabye they might have been too late, and it had started to seem like the lax slacker part of her Aviakittis was over already ...

She knew two things. One, she would need to try to find the mixer and the main taps and do something before the heat made her and other people start to doze off. This heat could be dangerous if it was allowed to continue, but the bath guests seemed too lazy to react much too it other than launching vague theories about "mistakes". Two, she couldn’t start to try to solve this dressed in nothing else than a towel. So she started to walk in the direction of her separate room, aiming to get dressed.

...

[Brandon Blackwing]

Aviakittis, the day that Lhavit was as good as dead. Any and all businesses were closed for the day, except for the few that provided services of relaxation, like the Zintia’s Rest. In fact, that was the place Brandon found himself at right now. There was no real reason why he had come here, it was a sudden idea that had bubbled into his mind today, bored as he had been when realizing that nothing entertaining was going to happen. No pubs were open, the Azure was deserted and most people sat back and relaxed either at home, in the park or at the Zintia’s Rest. Not quite willing to spend the whole day in isolation –like he had done last year, unaware of the holiday and utterly shocked by the sudden cloak of tranquility that had shrouded the city, not to mention bored out of his mind- and sleep by lack of a better activity to partake in, Brandon had come to the spa to be around people.

Why exactly he did not quite know, he had a feeling, but perhaps he was wrong. Either way, he believed that in busy places like this one there would happen something at least mildly entertaining; like a fight or so. And he had been right, this place was indeed rather entertaining; not only were the bath’s hot and pleasant to dwell in, the youngsters that had come here were a great way to let off some steam, as it were –not that there wasn’t enough of the stuff present already, but still.

It just so happened that Brandon, suddenly anxious and scared when standing at the edge of the pool, wondering just how deep it was, if he’d be able to touch the bottom with his feet, had been pushed in by a prankster of a teen, laughing at the bat’s surprised and terrified scream as he fell helplessly into the water. Arms swinging and legs flailing, water splashing up high and his body sinking to the bottom immediately, gently wrapped in the hot waters of the pool. He had felt his back hit the stone softly, eyes pinched shut out of pure fear, and had desperately pushed himself away from it with all his might, soaring to the surface at a speed not quite healthy for the people around him –or so the experience had taught him. Someone had caught his skull with their face –chin to be exact- and had reacted in a way that could have been worse, though perhaps not.

Maybe this actually was the ‘worse’ scenario. Maybe, no, most definitely the man had been overreacting, and still was actually. Maybe the man’s temper was shorter than usual due to the heat of the whole spa, the steam and the water, which was becoming rather uncomfortably hot. The invisible border of pleasantly and too hot had been crossed, and Brandon had the poor luck of experiencing how a lobster must feel when being boiled. It started to sting, the pool slowly getting hotter and hotter, too hot for Brandon to endure, and yet he did, he had no choice in the matter. With a hand pressing his head below the surface and an arm wrapped around his waist so he couldn’t escape, his body was at the mercy of the fellow who had the displeasure of meeting with his skull.

Sadly, the rise in temperature was the least of his troubles; as he did not possess gills, his lungs needed air, and desperately so. His struggle for freedom gained in desperation and wildness, the initially felt lack of caring about his situation turning into a fight for survival. It peaked, and then decreased again, as the burning sensation in his lungs was not enough to keep him going and there wasn’t enough oxygen in his blood anymore to fuel his body. To allow him that little bit more time, his body shut down, muscles weak and unable to be used, his thoughts were slowing down, some sort of veil materializing and erasing his vision, hearing and other senses. Just like that, Brandon passed out.

T

Waking up was a process that took not quite as long as expected, the thief realized too that it was entirely unexpected for some reason. Well, he’d always known that pools were dangerous places for a Kelvic unable to swim, but that bad? Somehow he felt it was typical for him to bump heads with a guy with such a temper. His body convulsed a couple times as he coughed, dark hues slowly opening and refocussing, staring right in a pair of shiny blue ones. Female ones to be exact, face framed by long black hair. ”Enggy…” was his first thought, something that escaped his lips without asking permission too. ”Eh… not quite.” came the reply, which made the bat frown and get his scrambled up thoughts back in order. ”But I’m glad you came to. For a second there I thought you were a goner!” No this was indeed not Engghaen, the tone of voice alone was enough to tell him that, besides, there was no way she could be here today, she’d left Lhavit and had been afraid to ever come back –or that was what Brandon had felt at the time.

Slowly he grew aware of the wet, hard stone beneath his lying body and rose to a sitting position, finding himself at the center of a small group of people. All let out a sigh of relief, and most turned away and went back to whatever they had been doing. A couple others though –the female being one of those- did not stray and wanted to make sure he was alright, asking the same questions over and over again until they were satisfied and they too left, except the woman. Upon closer inspection, the resemblance to Engghaen was rather … hard to spot and Brandon had no idea how exactly he had been able to mistake this woman for his adopted sister. Her hair was a lot shorter, her lips were fuller and her whole body was a lot more curvaceous. The thief blinked a couple times, trying to recall what exactly happened, but failing miserably. “Soooo…” he began, “What exactly happened?” She gave him a wide grin.

”Well, you were about to drown, so I jumped in and saved your life.” Another grin, and only then Brandon noticed she was covered in tiny droplets. “Ah… Well, you have my thanks.”
”You’re welcome!” she beamed happily, revealing some rather large incisors, feline or canine ones. “I recall some big guy holding me… what happened to him..?” Brandon queried, suspecting the nature of his savior. ”Oh him? Well, he’s got some wounds to go tend to! Some that will probably scar badly, my claws cut kind of deep. Hmph, but he had it coming!” the upbeat, cheery tone never left her voice, the bat couldn’t help but chuckle and then ask the question that had been sitting in the back of his mind right from the start. “Say, did you know this place has separate baths for men and women? ” It wasn’t quite how he had liked to phrase it, but it worked and his brain was still recovering. She did not seem to mind though, taken aback and displaying some sort of expression as if her mind had just been blown. ”Are you serious?” A nod from the bat. ”Ah, so that’s why there are only males in here! I thought it was strange, but-” She cut off her sentence midway, realizing something. ”Are you uncomfortable with my nudity?” The bat only laughed. “No, but the rest of the men here are. Or rather, with their own nudity now there is a female among them.”

She burst out in laughter too, commenting ‘silly humans’ which Brandon repeated laughing too, then adding he’d show her the way to the female baths, to which she agreed. Getting back to their feet, the thief told her the story behind the discovery of separated baths, which was nothing more than accidentally walking into the female baths, experience a lot of yelling, have soap and other stuff thrown at him and running out realizing he might have made a mistake. The female Kelvic giggled, and headed for the female baths after having been given the directions and telling Brandon it might be best for him to rest a bit in his room to recover fully. The thief agreed and headed onwards by himself, his steps taking him through the corridors and spotting a familiar redhead in front of him. There was no mistake, he knew this person, this Inarta. The faces of those who had attended a certain seminar were burned into his memory, only the names escaped him.

“Hey! Ornuuiy! Ornaly!” He called out. “Orneo! … ugh! Whatever! Metalsmith!” Arms were thrown in a wave to get her attention should she have heard and turn around.

Credit goes to Engghaen

[Aldebaran]

Hadn’t it been Aviakittis, she wouldn’t have dared to show herself in public, not as long as Syna hung in the sky. Her mortal form was despised not only by her personally, but also by Lhavit as a whole. Wherever she went as her pale and fragile self, she’d frequently be stopped and asked for some proof of residence. As years passed and she came to know the faces of many patrolling Shinya, they never stopped bothering her. As a daughter of Leth, Aldebaran understood and appreciated that they only wished to protect their city. When the boundary had been overstepped, however, it was more than unpleasant.

Aviakittis was the exception to the rule though: the only day she allowed her mortal form to taint streets and public facilities, the only time she let the winter sun shine on that ashen skin. Like many other citizens, she chose to visit Zintia Rest and enjoy a bath within its luxurious facilities. While the staff didn’t know her face, pale with intense crimson eyes, they did understand the slip of parchment that proved her employment. She’d hoped to mix with the crowd, but she still got a fair share of glances ranging from confused to hostile. The same thoughts were written across many faces: Minor crimes, but a Symenestra? What were the Shinya thinking? The Symenestra in question, however, only lifted her chin and pointedly ignored them.

She didn’t go as far as forcing her presence upon them in public rooms though. Instead she sank into a private basin with a sigh of relief. Soon tense muscles relaxed in the hot water and the last remnants irritation had carved into her body evaporated. Finally she could lean back and enjoy a fragrant hot bath. It wasn’t like she wasn’t washing regularly, but she liked to follow social rituals. To her, it was all about expressing that she belonged here, that she was a part of Lhavit and its customs.

Lying in the scented water with vanilla and cinnamon filling her nose, she almost dozed off. Aviakittis meant forgetting about work, precision, achieving. It encouraged doing anything and nothing at all. Lysilla nearly forgot herself until she lifted her hands above surface and noticed their bright red color. Shocked, she stood and almost toppled over. Clinging to the basin, she focused on her breathing and waited until her head didn’t feel as fuzzy anymore.

As she dried herself with a soft towel, Lysilla wondered where the problem lay. The water was definitely hot, too hot to be comfortable, but she didn’t know if it was a mistake with her room or the entire bath house. After getting dressed in her usual black tunic and pants, she stepped outside with boots and other belongings in hand. It took only a moment of hesitation before she set out in the direction of the counter, intending to ask any staff who happened to pass by what was happening.

It could be some malfunction with the pipes, a mistake of incompetent staff or many other things… but if it turned out to be a major problem, Lysilla would immediately offer her help as local reimancer. Just like that, all the fatigue slipped from her bones. Productive work suited her better than lazing about after all.

[Alses]

Heat.

All-encompassing, embracing, wet heat, the humid and pervasive heat of the jungle, it wrapped Alses in steam-wreathed arms. Gently rocked and soothed by the waters of the Zintia Rest, the Synaborn Ethaefal was teetering on the line between sleep and wakefulness, lulled to the verge of consciousness in the safety and serenity of her own private bath.

This was Aviakittis, the stolen day of the winter season, and Alses’ plans for it mainly revolved around staying in the bath until even her skin wrinkled and puckered from long immersion. Aviakittis was, after all, the day when one did things that otherwise were not done; in that spirit, all her servants had the day off – not that she particularly begrudged them the time – and she was lazing at the Rest, rather than in her own baths. Perhaps it wasn’t as exciting or extreme as others’ enjoyment of the winter festival, but it was how she enjoyed it – and, at bottom, that was all that mattered.

One of the very few Ethaefal who made the celestial city their actual home, rather than merely being a welcome and welcoming stop on an eternal pilgrimage in search of Syna-knew-what, her celestial form was well known in the city, even without the extra…fame? Infamy? Notoriety? which had come with her latest appointment, as a member of the city’s government. Certain quarters had muttered – though quietly – about the disproportionate influence the Ethaefal had in Lhavit; three of the very highest offices were held by Ethaefal, and that did not look likely to change.

Indeed, two of those had helped to found the city; replacing them was well-nigh unthinkable.

With a sigh, she rolled over; thinking about such thing wasn’t conducive to relaxing in the slightest. The water was thick and viscous with all the perfuming oils, moisturisers and herbal concoctions; a thick film shimmered and danced like an earthbound rainbow as Alses moved lazily under it.

Billows of headily-scented steam curled and twisted in on one another in a stately ballet, the sunlight streaming in from a high window turning every water vapour mote into a miniature sun.

All in all, then, it was perfect for Alses, a creature supremely at home in the heat, someone who’d strolled through the deserts of Eyktol with barely a care for the harsh environment.

Well, almost perfect. Over time, so slowly she’d be hard-pressed to set a particular moment when it happened, the caress of hot water against her fire-opal skin had gone from a pleasant touch to a prickling burn. At first, she’d discounted it entirely, but now it was becoming more of a pressing concern, pushing through the clouds of contentment to raise a problem.

There was some sort of commotion outside her bathing chamber, too – she could feel auras sliding and clashing and dancing off one another, a tentative charivari of emotions that only an aurist could possibly see and understand, a hypnotic and drawing dance that Alses was finding harder and harder to ignore.

Steaming and slightly sulphurous water cascaded down her form as, decision made, she rose from a near-horizontal slouch in the cocoon of comforting liquid to standing and alert, the exertion after long bells of lassitude making her sway for an instant before she recovered.

The feeling was a familiar one, as it happened – irritatingly similar to the sensation of having been magecrafting for too long, of having been exposed to titanic forces that had weakened and heated and stressed her skin. The silks of her clothes were, at least, soft and cool against that unwanted fire, but even so they were at the edge of what could be borne.

Many of the auras that washed and hummed around the Rest were known to Alses, at least vaguely; that made diving into the sea of them much easier – and it also meant that her general failure when it came to names was at least partially alleviated.

Fortunately, it was a short jaunt from her private bathing chamber to the entrance, and the soon-to-be-hapless receptionist, who soon found herself answering questions from the Councillor.

“So what is going on, hmm?” Alses asked, even as her senses tingled and danced with the once-felt and never-forgotten sensation of another Ethaefal nearby.

“We like a hot bath as much as – probably more than – the next person, but I do rather object to being parboiled!” she waved a slightly indignant – and, indeed, appreciably pink – hand. Indeed, most of the laurelled Councillor Radiant was rather pinker than usual.

[Ornea]

As Ornea was nearing the door to her private bathroom, she heard somebody call out - and it actually sounded a lot like her own name. Orena stopped in her tracks, and feeling pretty confused she turned around to see what was up. Still unsure if it really war her the call had been for, she took in the sight of a stark naked young man who was waving at her like he knew her. Her first reaction was disbelief, at the sight as well as the fact he actually seemed to be heading to her. The second reaction was bevilderment, as she didn’t immediately recognize this clean and well-bathed rosy-skinned chap with the wet and glossy dark hair.

Then she started to get worried. She was seized by that uncanny, awkward and lost feeling people can feel when they meet somebody they can’t recall but who seems to know them and expect to be remembered. And if so, exactly how much and what had she forgotten ? What if she had met this young man before but forgotten it ? He seemed to feel totally comfortable with displaying his sleek, trim body like he didn’t see any reason to conceal herself. Now, that was a really disturbing thought, wasn’t it? Her issues with distractedness due to lingering overgiving effects took on a whole new dimension in this instance.

Surely she couldn’t have forgotten if...but already as she thought this to herself she couldn’t help thinking of the distrust she could feel for her own mind once in a while. What if she did have...the possibility was too mindboggling for her to want to put words on, but unavoidable under the circumstances. She looked back at the naked person and searched desperately for a suitable response, but didn’t know what it would be.

She was unwilling to admit openly that she didn’t have the slightest idea who she was speaking with, but she could hardly be cordial either, as she didn’t even know his name. It was extremely awkward, and before Ornea knew it she had stupidly settled for saying in a vague and tentative tone : “Oh ... eh...hey!”

There was a lot of people around, but where they stood it was only the two of them. Ornea shot a glance over her shoulder in the hopes to find somebody else behind her, somebody who was the true target of the strangers calls. But there was nobody. A medley of different thoughts ran through her mind, and merged to a confused jam she wasn’t able to sort out at once. She pulled the towel closer around herself, in order to make sure it was safely in place, and as she did this, she realized her company didn’t even have a towel.

Ivak ! She couldn’t just stand there and speak with this man, but as he wasn’t wearing any kind of clothes or insignia that could have told her his social rank, she wasn’t keen on snubbing him either. He could be anything from a shinya to a kelvic dek...his untroubled nakedness could be a sign of the latter, but the confidence he held herself with could be a sign of the former...In short, it was actually really hard to judge people’s social position when they weren’t wearing any visible signs of it. She found it safest to protract and try to figure out who he was, and why he seemed to know her, before she decided how to act.

“Hello ...” she said again. “As a matter of fact, I’m in a bit of a hurry. There seems to be something amiss with the mix of cold water today. People are telling me the water’s too hot. It’s much hotter her than is use to be. And as I’m working at Lucis, I thought I’d have a look at the main water mixer of this place, so I was going to don some clothes before I go to the reception counter to speak with the staff.”

She paused for a few ticks, thinking fast. It could actually be good to have somebody with her to hold lanterns and tools and other support she might need if she would end up needing to try to emergency fix a water mixer in some obscure backroom behind the scenes. This could turn out to really be needed. It also seemed like a perfect way to stall for time and try to identify and recall the man, and where she had met him. Not to mention that she hoped to find out exactly how well acquainted they might be; hopefully without revealin that she didn't know this already. So, she would try and see if she could make him follow her on this repair mission she was about to give herself, for the sake of the reputation of Lucis.

“I could need some help” she said. “Perhaps you could come along and support me a bit. Hold the light if I need to work in some dark scrub so I can see what I’m doing. Hand me tools and such.” At this point she reminded herself that she couldn’t know his social status and it was best to be cautious. “If you don’t mind me asking” she added, trying hard to sound as softspoken and polite as a Lhavitian, but failing miserably as her Inarta accent and straightforward way of speaking made it sound more like a demand than a question.

An Inarta woman of action, she would now immediately move on! She would turn around and walk the few remaining steps to the door of her private room, open it and step in. She was aiming to change from the towel to very light clothing, bryda and vinati only, no stockings or boots or other things. When she was already walking through the door, Ornea belatedly started to think of how she could have refrained from rushing on, and instead just waited for an answer. Then she could have asked the man to get dressed and wait outside, if he agreed to come. But she hadn’t thought of this, and now it seemed too late; she would simply have to see what he would choose to do.

She glanced around in the small room. The furniture was sparse. To the right side of the room there was a generous, comfortable, golden brown rattan armchair to longue in, and along the right wall there was a simple wooden bench where Ornea’s clothes lay in a somewhat disorderly pile, while her boots stood on the stone floor under the bench, very neatly arranged, perfectly centered under the sheepskin katinu that was hanging on a hook right above. The bathtub where she had been relaxing earlier stood at the wall opposite the door, partly hidden behind a generous, clean white linen drapery that added a touch of simple elegance to the otherwise very simple place. A massive mix of pleasant fragrances of perfumed bath oils and herbs struck her and the air was hot, steamy and humid.

...

[Brandon Blackwing]

The Inarta's reaction was one of someone not too glad to see him again, only a meager 'hey' said with a hesitant tone in her voice. Brandon did not care all that much though, as long as he wasn't ignored he was fine with any kind of greeting, no matter how cool. While he approached, bridging the distance swiftly, the woman shot a glance over her shoulder, perhaps searching for someone, although there wasn't anyone besides the two of them here. Maybe she was waiting for someone to arrive? Perhaps she had agreed with someone to meet up further down the corridor? Be it as it may, there was no need for hurry during Aviakittis, everyone was relaxed and somewhat tardy. Even if she was supposed to meet someone, a little chat wouldn't hurt. Or whatever it was he was hoping to achieve by calling out to the Inarta. He'd just done so, but now it had happened, he might as well ask about that robbery from back in Fall... Or maybe not. On second thought, he'd rather not be reminded of those events.

Fortunately, there was no need for the bat to say anything at all, the metalsmith had begun explaining what was on her mind, and what course of action she was about to take. “Ah. Is that so? I thought it was supposed to be hot...” his voice trailed off, and a lock of hair -many in fact- obscured his vision of his left eye. A hand came up to push it back up, while muttering: “Though I agree it might have been a tad bit too hot... My skin looks as if it's a piece of cooked ham or so.” Again the locks slid down, obscuring his sight once more. Why was it his hair was so... annoyingly unruly when he had washed it? It was even worse than when he usually bathed! Was it because of the special qualities of the water here? Usually his hair came near his eyes too, but not in front of them! Gods this was annoying. Once more his fingers stroked the lock into submission -or that was the purpose of the action, yet it did not have the desired effect. He could just feel it would come down sooner or later. A sigh.

A call for help? Holding up a lantern and handing the smith screwdrivers and whatnot did not sound all that exiting, though finding out what exactly caused the problem of the overheated baths were did. The fact that her 'asking' sounded a terrible lot like demanding, the Kelvic chose to accept. Since he was coming along anyway, he guessed he could help out a bit. It would be better than sitting around in his private room, and a more pleasant experience than being boiled and drowned at the same time no doubt. “Sure, why not.” was his answer, but the Inarta had already begun walking away, opeing a door and stepping inside what supposedly was her private room. Brandon followed, closing the door behind him and letting his black gaze drift over the surroundings. One's room could tell a lot about one's personality, he had heard, but as of yet he had not quite managed to figure out the a deeper meaning of one's neatness than that they were organized people. Oh well.

The bat sighed deeply as he strode to the armchair and positioned himself on the armrest, half leaning, half sitting. When the Inarta started changing, he did not bother to look away, instead watching her and observing her every action without the least sense of shame, nor did the thought that she might want a bit of privacy cross his mind. He just sat, watched and waited patiently until she was done, any signs she was bothered by his gaze having settled on her figure ignored and mistaken for a need to assure he was still there. Well, except for the comments, those were just ignored since he found there no need to heed her words.

One thing that he realized was that maybe he should go get dressed as well. It might be cold where they were headed. Perhaps they'd need to go outside, out in the wind and Morwen's grasp to reach Lucis and Lucis for equipment or tools or so. “I might go put on some clothes as well, I guess. I'll see you at the counter.” and with that the Kelvic left the room and headed towards his own, which wasn't that far off. A bit further and more to the left, yes, but not that far. Within two chimes he was there, opening the door and stepping towards the pile of belongings he had dumped there; clothes, weapons, tools and boots. Not bothering to close the door, the thief reached for his shirt first, pulling it over his head while already putting one hand in a sleeve. Pants and boots followed swiftly, the bandolier holding his daggers was buckled over his chest, the sheaths held tightly against his ribs by straps of leather and iron buckles. Over it all he wore his long coat, only buttoning the top half, the buttons below his sternum left untouched so he could reach in and grab his weapons easily when he needed them.

Hair was ones again streaked out of his eye and then he headed for the reception counter, where Ornea -for that was her name, he remembered finally- was already waiting for him. She wasn't alone though, a rather interesting figure argued with the receptionist, authority prominent in her voice. Said voice should have been enough for the bat to recognize the Councilor Radiant, the otherworldly beauty -no, perfection- making it easier still. “Well, well! I take it you too disliked the experience a lobster goes through, Councilor? the question was rhetorical of course, and while Solomon Kriegsfelt had Brandon try and break Alses' mind, the bat himself did not have any personal dislike for the Ethaefal. Except for her annoying skill in Auristics that is; the thief still hated to be read like a book. Fingers pushed a strand of hair to the side, triggering his next question. “Does any of you have a hair clip or so with them by any chance? This is getting on my nerves.”

Credit goes to Engghaen

[Aldebaran]

Naked feet hit the stone with barely a sound as she walked through the corridors towards the front of the building and reception. Even on the way, Lysilla noticed the looks of people milling back and forth between baths and their voices. Disquiet and irritation was spreading. Those were enough to convince her that the problem hadn’t been restricted to her room, but was in fact affecting the entire bath house. As she neared the front desk, crimson eyes took in the little crowd that had gathered.

The Symenestra approached quietly, trying not to sneak up, but to blend in with the surroundings in order not to disturb conversations. A luminous creature was questioning the frantic receptionist, a daughter of Syna with shiny emerald horns and chestnut braids, not as tall as most of their kind, yet majestic in her own way. Nearby stood a redhead and a fidgeting young man in black among others.

For the moment Lysilla contended herself with listening to the questions and waiting for answers. If they didn’t know what had caused the heat, they’d need someone with skill to investigate. Part of her attention wandered, weaving possibilities and adventures, while another part entertained herself with observing the others.

They all seemed to know each other in some way or other. Even in her celestial form, however, none of them would recognize the short Symenestra. During her handful of decades, she’d seen people come and go, Gods speak and fall silent, the rise of dreams and destruction of mountains. Most recently, the Djed storm. She’d learned to spend all bells of day and night doing what she loved most. It didn’t matter if she had eternity at her fingertips, there was never enough time to explore the hidden depths of Djed and her own limits in wielding it.

Perhaps it was her mortal sight, but she had to admit they had gathered into quite a diverse crew. The talkative man was still fidgeting, asking for something to tame his hair with. Without a word, she slipped a hand into her pocket and offered a wooden clip. Decorated with carved leaves and vines, it practically screamed feminine. She wouldn’t hold it against him if he denied.

Attention shifting back, she noticed her body had cooled down a bit, skin no longer hot and probably faded to its usual ashen pallor. Lysilla took another step towards the reception. “If you happen to be short of fire reimancers, I would gladly lend a hand or two.” Too eager? No. Helping Lhavit, fixing its elemental foundations was what kept her balanced and connected to the city, after all. First and foremost.

[Ornea]

AldebaranWhat happens in this post is only IC roleplay, putting in this comment just to make sure you do NOT take Ornea's reactions as me OOC

Ornea was about to leave for the reception counter, and had already left the small bathroom dressed her bryda and the green cotton winter shirt. She was barefoot, but after walking past a few doors down the corridor it struck her that she couldn’t know if the place they had the water mixer would be possible to access from inside the building. Maybe she would need to go outdoors. She decided to bring her boots and the sheepskin coat, the katinu. So she turned around and walked back. Opening the door she heard a small metallic sound, and somewhat confused she looked at the door handle to see if something had broken, but everything seemed to be intact.

In a hurry to get her things, she rushed in. Boots...she picked them up. Katinu...the katinu lay in a heap on the other end of the wooden bench, right at the drapery that concealed the bathtub alcove area so nothing of it could be seen. She was there in two quick strides, snatched the coat up and turned to leave, then stepped on a coin that had fallen to the floor and stuck to her warm and damp foot. Annoyed she picked it off of the foot and put in her bryda pocket while she left the room and headed to the counter at a fast pace, boots in left hand and the katinu hanging over her right arm. There was no time to lose.

She reached the counter. A group was gathered there. Ornea counted them. One, two, three, four, five people . The dark haired young man with the unruly hair had kept his promise; he was dressed and seemed ready to support her. There was also another man, who seemed so utterly unimportant and plain that he seemed to blend into the wall behind him. Ornea barely noticed him. The receptionist, a darkhaired woman with the pleasant facial expression of a service clerk, stood behind the counter, smiling slightly and patiently, while no less than the Councillor Radiant Alses herself seemed to have taken command and was asking for information about what was going on. Ornea heard the Councillor say that she didn’t want to be parboiled.

Ivak ! This was really serious ! The Councillor herself was personally affected by the supposed malfunction of Lucis and Luis equipment. The crisis was escalating to totally new levels now. Not only was Alses a person of high social standing and considerable administrative power in the city, she also seemed like a formidable antagonist in case she would get annoyed at Lucis. Ornea hadn’t forgotten the laboratory she had found that evening at the bonfire ball, when she had sneaked into Elysium Hall. A person who was a Councillor, owned a laboratory like that one, and knew that bucket throwing, cupboard hiding freak of an investigator...was top important and must be placated. The Inarta’s caste aware mind quickly decided that the other people were insignificant in comparison!

“Lucis and Lucis will take care of this” she said resolutely. She turned only to Alses when she spoke. “You will not be parboiled.”

Ornea started to turn to the receptionist, but winced and stopped in her tracks when somebody suddenly offered to support with fire reimancy. Taking in the pale and longlimbed woman’s looks she could hardly believe her own eyes. What the ... petch ...was this? It looked just like one of those murderous poisonous spider creatures who used to pretend to be human in order to kidnap people and give them a fate worse than death. And death too, at the end. Unhuman monsters, simply.

Ivak ! She looked around, but there was only one of them, at least so far and right here. But whatever was going on, it seemed to involve a symenestra attack of sorts, thought it was hard to figure out why they would send in a lone female symenestra ... but maybe not so odd, it could be a spy. Which better place could there be to scout for potential kidnapping victims than the women’s part of the bath house. People were polite and didn’t stare at each other and this could mean it would be easy for a barely clothed symenestra female to blend in here.

“Call for the shinya! “ Ornea said to the receptionist.

Somebody had to take command and show leadership now. Normally Ornea would have expected Alses to be the one. But this wasn't a normal situation and she didn't want to put the Councillors life at risk. Despite the fear she felt of being bitten by the poisonous creep she grabbed the symenestra’s arm and pulled her away from Alses, pushing her against the counter while she asked her temporary aide, Brandon, to help her detain the symenestra until the shinya would arrive. “If you use magic you will just be in more trouble” she told Lysilla.

lootMetal coin picked up in Zinthia Rest

...

[Brandon Blackwing]

His request had been heard and acknowledged, someone took the time to present the bat with a solution for his hair-problem; a hair-clip that was not quite his cup of tea, but hey, as long as it helped. Brandon wasn’t too picky, glad he wouldn’t have to worry about his hair anymore as he put the clip in place. While his attention had not been on the person but more on the clip, Brandon had noticed the long black claw-like nails sprouting from the ashen and slender fingers. Mind immediately started comparing the hand to his memories and a conclusion was reached. When he finally laid eyes on the person said limb belonged to, his suspicions were confirmed.

A multitude of responses were triggered in his mind, a couple emotions running rampart as he observed the Symenestra speaking up and offering her help. The first one was one born of prejudice: some minor form of disgust, but more importantly, an instant dislike. Having grown up in the city of Kalinor, Brandon had lived among the spiders for a while, and had not quite enjoyed it. Not only had his mother installed some sort of wariness of the Symenestra in the thief, but the haughty attitude many of them had displayed in Kalinor had not appealed the bat. However, since his arrival in Lhavit the bat had changed, curiosity often pushing everything else aside.

What bothered the bat was not the Sym, but rather why she was in Lhavit. Symenestra were rare here, and most of them were not allowed to enter. Those that received permission were watched closely for long periods of time, the Shinya still not trusting the creatures. From what Brandon had picked up by overhearing conversations in the streets, there worked one of the spiders at the tattoo parlor, but whether this was the one or not he did not know.

Strangely, so the thief noticed, he actually wanted to have her join their little group; his slight dislike aside, the presence of the Sym kind of reminded him of Kalinor. Confusingly, that was a good thing. Brandon did not really understand it himself, but perhaps his dislike was great enough that he had started liking them. Or perhaps he was simply curious and wanted to actually talk to one for a change. Perhaps this one had arrived not too long ago, which meant he could actually get some information on how the cave city was doing lately.

Ornea had different plans though, pulling the Sym away from the counter, and asking Bran to assist in restraining the spider. His response was a sigh, and a glance around, noting that the attention of the disgruntled crowd that had started to gather near the reception counter had shifted to their group. Brandon could fill his skin start to itch, a sign he was uncomfortable with the many gazes staring directly at the source commotion. Maybe it was better he’d try to resolve this situation, if only so the crowd would stop staring. Besides, he did not want the guards to show up. “Wait,” he spoke to the receptionist who was about to leave, then shifting his focus to the redhead. “Firstly; the Shinya would not let a Symenestra enter the city if they were here to do harm. The guards are not stupid. Thus there is no reason why they should be called.”

“Secondly; you question first and then you call the Shinya. You could be wasting their time.” Mediating was not really the bat’s strong suit, but he could try, for curiosity’s sake and because it was a good thing to have a mage around –not that the bat liked magic- especially in a city where mages roamed the streets freely and non-mages had no means to counter fireballs flying at their face. He’d never expected to be defending a Sym though… but neither had he expected someone using candles to pull off a heist. “So then, Krova,” he addressed the spider, wondering if he should question her in Symenos or not, ultimately deciding to speak common, so everyone could understand. “Mind sharing your name, occupation and reason of being in Lhavit? The citizens-” he shot a glance at Ornea “can be a little paranoid when it comes to your race… You have a reputation, though I suppose you know that already.”

He then turned to Alses, requesting she’d use her Auristics to confirm the Symenestra’s answers. For a brief moment he paused and pondered, then speaking once more. “Say, can’t you like… read intentions or so? Or search for malice or whatever? You can do that, can’t you?” he frowned at that, going over his memories again, rumors and true knowledge alike. It did not really bring clarification, but it mattered little. As long as it was something that helped resolve this situation and would allow them to get going.

“Oh, and by the way,” the bat spoke in Symenos, “Thanks for the hairclip.”

Credit goes to Engghaen

[Aldebaran]

OOCVery sorry for the delay here! I was away for a few days and then found it hard to get back into Alde. Thus the short post.


The atmosphere changed immediately. Among others, a redhead woman turned around. Lysilla could see her going various expressions in the blink of an eye, beginning with surprise and ending in grim determination. How familiar, how nostalgic. The Symenestra didn’t resist when the woman rudely pushed her against the counter and warned her against using magic.

Thinking, she bit her lower lip. It had been foolish to speak up the way she’d done, foolish and reckless. For a single tick she’d forgotten the body she was stuck in. However, the situation couldn’t be completely hopeless. A perceptive Synaborn stood nearby, after all, and the man with her hairclip had just started arguing with the redhead. Keeping quiet for the time being, Lysilla listened to his conclusions, crimson eyes darting back and forth between the two citizens.

Eventually he addressed her. Taking a deep breath, she wriggled a little against the redhead iron grip, trying to get into a better position to speak. When she did, she still sounded pressed and out of breath though. “I am Lysilla Chrysanthemum, reimancer and working for Lhavit. The Shinya know of me. If you call them, I’m sure they’d confirm what I just said.” She briefly debated mentioning her shifting between day and night, but it’d possibly be seen as a lie, a cheap excuse. If the daughter of Syna was able to detect her intentions, surely she could see what Lysilla really was and relate it to the group more convincingly. “My offer stands. I only wish to help,” she ended calmly.

When the man added a note of gratitude in Symenos, she blinked and then smiled. After such a long time, she’d gotten more than rusty, but simple words like his weren’t too hard. “You’re welcome, brother.” Narrowing her eyes slightly, Lysilla wondered how he’d learned her language… and why he was defending her. More or less.