[Soothing Waters] Splish Splash (Basha'ir)

[Orion Michaels]

oocI'd like to keep a posting order if possible, so we'll just go in the order people initially join. We're near the end of the season, so I'd like to keep this flowing along, but as always, I understand if things get in the way! After all, I'm on the hook for working like 80-90 hours this week. No matter, have fun!

Orion, Day of Summer 87(Early Evening), 512 AV In Orion's opinion, one of the best things about working at the Soothing Waters was being able to get off a long day of dealing with people's scratches and cuts and just relax in a warm bath instead of having to trek anywhere. Comforting, cleansing, calming, it was a perfect way to end usually imperfect days. On top of all that, thanks to the joy of communal bathing, the views could be pretty good, too. Regardless of ones intentions, it was a place of healing and restoration. Today was to be one of those days of calm relaxation. Making his way to the bath, wrapped in only a towel, the young doctor was ready to get off his feet. The place was busy enough. Knights enjoying their free services while still keeping a watching eye, people splashing each other, having a good laugh, as a generally merry mood held the room, leaving it with a feeling like a warm glow. Orion smiled, looking around for any familiar faces, but other than an attendant or two, it was a bunch of strangers. Perfect. Don't need people right now. It had been a crazy period of time for Orion, so a chance to just lose himself for now sounded better than a pile of mizas. As he reached the edge of the bath, the physician allowed his towel to drop to the ground beside him, his slender physique briefly in full view. He dipped a foot into the water, and deciding it was acceptable, slowly submerged himself in the warm waters, a sigh escaping his lips. "This is the life." He rested his head against the stone edge and closed his eyes, losing himself in the soothing feeling.

[Basha'ir]

It couldn’t be helped. Basha’ir had never in her life felt so in need of a bath! It had been two weeks since she had been forced to leave her late owner’s apartments in the city. And though she harbored absolutely no regret over that parting, from him and the past life he represented, she had since had no place to take an actual bath, head to toe. She had found a job, and moved into a tiny room which was almost more than she could afford. But there was no way or place to take a bath. She had gotten by so far with thorough washings with a flannel, but she longed to soak in a real tub of hot water. Hearing of the Soothing Waters, she had hemmed and hawed for several days. She really had no desire to expose herself so publically. There were private pools, the women she worked with assured her. But, one whole gold miza! For a bath! No, she could hardly justify spending that much, just for the pleasurable sensation of a soak. In the end, earlier in the day at work, she had made up her mind. She would go and utilize the public pool and simply do her best to keep herself covered until absolutely the last moment. If necessary, she would use her hands to cover the line of scarlet links that comprised the chain that ran from the low point of her anterior hip bone, dipping downwards, before rising once more to the mirrored spot of her other hip. Above all, she was determined to make sure Nikali’s mark was not seen.

So it was that, a few minutes earlier, she had paid over her two silver mizas, and been directed to the changing room. Stepping out into the capacious, high ceilinged room that held the main pool, she held her towel, which she had brought with, tightly about her bare body. Skirting along the side of the pool, almost hugging the wall, she walked quickly, eyes downcast, not wishing to make eye contact with anyone. Wishing she could make herself totally invisible, she reached the far side of the pool, and dithered a bit. She saw a spot that seemed more vacant than others, and she sidled over to the edge of the pool, sitting down and dangling her feet and then her legs in the warm water. It felt glorious! Carefully, quickly, discretely, she unwrapped her towel and turned about in the same motion, sliding all the way into the pool. There. Now the very worst that could be said was that anyone who just happened to be looking directly at her would have only caught a fleeting glimpse of her back and bottom as she entered the water. Not so bad.

Keeping her face to the wall, she folded her arms along the edge of the pool and rested her chin on them, sighing with contentment. A good long soak, and the world would look a completely different place.

[Orion Michaels]

Orion, Day of Summer 87, 512 AV Orion always wondered if the gods had a sense of humor. He'd had a horrible relationship with his father. He fell in love only to have her ripped away from him one night by a drunken man. His heart seemed like it would never heal. He'd started to believe that those powers that be in this world must relish in creating pain. The doctor could only shake his head as his faith was restored. Why else would she be walking in. A towel covering her perfect curves, the tiniest bit of fabric between his filthy eyes and that body he'd lusted after only days before. To have her show up now, during a time he'd only wished to forget? Surely they had a sense of humor, twisted as it may be. Sinking down into the water, Orion couldn't stop himself from watching her approach. He was still a little upset from their last encounter, by he couldn't deny himself this opportunity, could he? Surely she was still angry at him, too. He'd gone off and yelled at her at her place of employment. It had only been a few days since they'd fought, but the wounds were as fresh as the day they were opened. For a moment he forgot it all as she was ever so briefly exposed. He gasped and learned something that, as a doctor, he should have already been familiar with. Don't breath underwater. His mouth, fully submerged served as a pipe directly to his lungs. Hacking and coughing, Orion stood up fully in the water, before leaning over the side onto the stone. So much for hiding He grabbed his towel and while still choking, climbed out of the water and covered himself. i've gotta get out of her. Maybe she hasn't - His thoughts were cut short by the piercing yell of a co worker. "Doctor Michaels! Oh thank goodness." A helper at the bathhouse, she was a younger woman with shoulder length black hair. Fair enough to look at. Under different circumstances, the doctor would find himself much more focused, but he wanted nothing more to disappear. "Doctor Michaels! Thank goodness you're still here. We had another patient come in and your replacement isn't quite ready. Could you come help us out?" Orion sighed. He didn't have much choice. He'd have to go change and he'd have to walk right by Basha'ir. It was the only path to his clothing. He had no doubt in the gods' sense of humor, now.

[Basha'ir]

Basha’ir’s contentment was short-lived. She had been soaking in blissful solitude for but a few moments, when she, along with every other occupant of the pool, was subjected to a horrible coughing and retching that sounded as if someone had decided they would see how the Konti did it and tried to breathe in a lungful of water. Without really thinking, she turned her head to look over her shoulder at the source of the disquieting commotion…and instantly regretted that she had done so. Immediately, she turned her face back to the wall and she squeezed her eyes tight shut. It wasn’t that she had found the wholly unexpected sight of the very exposed body of Orion Michaels to be so very unpleasant to look at. In fact, she had only caught a very brief glimpse of the…er…back parts of him as he began to climb from the pool. What little she had seen looked just fine. But that she had seen any of it brought a bright, deep pink to her face. Sinking down into the water, much as Orion had just a few moments before, she wondered what in the world he was doing here. She felt a little irritated, as if somehow he shouldn’t be, though she realized that was ludicrous. He had every right to be anywhere in the city he chose. But why oh why did it have to be right here and right at the very same time as her own visit to the baths?

More than irritation though, much more, she felt a growing sense of mortification, as it dawned on her that, as she had caught a glimpse of him, bare, he might well have seen her…Oh no! Bash’ir sank lower in the water, right up to her upper lip, though she did not try to breathe in as Orion had so inadvertently done. Perhaps, he hadn’t seen her, she thought hopefully, desperately. She hadn’t been exactly cautious as she had walked about the pool but if his attention had been elsewhere, it was possible . . .

Her panicked ruminations were cut short by the sound of a voice, calling out Orion’s name. Huh? He must have a friend here or… Her ears were still out of the water, barely, and she heard the rest and realized, this was where he worked? In a bath house? What kind of doctor earned their keep working at a spa?Her brow wrinkled in puzzlement, but she grasped at this new revelation as perhaps a way that she could avoid detection, if he hadn’t already seen her. He’d be thinking about this new patient and hurrying to change and…

The room for the men was right over there, right where he’d have to walk right past her, or go a very, very long way around, outside the pool area, and why in the world would he bother to do that?

More panicked than ever, Basha’ir did the only thing she could think of. Taking a great gulp of air, her cheeks blown out comically, her finger and thumb pinching her nose shut, like a child who has not learned how to hold her breath properly, she pushed herself down into the water, trying to get completely submerged before he reached where she was. It was just so unfortunate that she did not know how to swim, not a lick.

[Orion Michaels]

Orion, Day of Summer 87, 512 AV Orion glanced over at where Basha was at earlier, catching the slightest glimpse of her ducking below the water. His cheeks turned a slight shade of pink, knowing that she'd seen him, but a grin spread as a thought crossed his mind. I wonder if she saw the Little Doctor. What was he thinking? That boat had sailed, no doubt. She could look all she wanted, he couldn't deal with her right now. Or ever? he wondered. Orion thanked the attendant. He was tired, and had barely a moment to enjoy his bath, but duty called. That duty lead the doctor strolling over by Basha'ir, to this woman who'd tugged at his heart strings, if only for a few days. If only for a few days? I...wish.. The blue eyed man made his way towards the men's changing area, towel wrapped loosely around his body. The water dripped from his short black hair, though the most distracting bit may have been the extremely noticeable scar on the bottom of his left forearm. His heart began to race faster and faster as he approached the spot he'd seen Basha submerge herself. He should just walk by. Just keep going, Orion. Leave it be. Yet to no one who knew this young man's surprise, he stopped, gazing just above the water for this woman to emerge. His mind was racing, leaving Orion with so many things he wanted to say, to express. I'm still angry. I miss you. Why wouldn't you just talk? Why did you go so angry first? I wasn't trying to hurt you. Come back. I'm..I... He couldn't bring him to say any of the good things he should say, or even the good ones he shouldn't. Instead, before turning away and leaving this woman behind, he would leave only a scathing remark. "You're so petching stupid. What a mistake." Regret filled his heart and he turned and stormed away. He bit his lip to stop himself from losing it. He was always on edge around her, every emotion stirred, and to an extreme. No one had made him truly feel again, and she'd brought it about in such extremes. He hated and loved it, but it couldn't go on. The doctor disappeared from view of the bathing area to change, do his work, and move on with his life. Apparently it would have to be with out her.

[Basha'ir]

Basha’ir felt like her lungs were going to explode. She was dying for a breath of air after only a few seconds, and she regretted having submerged herself in the first place. It seemed so immature, now that it was too late to think things through more thoroughly. Orion was just a man, and she of all people knew how to deal with men. She should have just let him walk on past, casually ignoring anything he might have to say to her, if he even said anything at all. It was so infuriating that she couldn’t even decide what would have been better, to be laughed at or be ignored. Or maybe he would be contrite? Or flirtatious again? Or…angry still.

Her chest was hurting and her ears felt an intense pressure and she wondered what would happen if she passed out, or was that even possible, under water. If she turned into a floater, just as Orion walked by, would he jump in and save her? Would she prefer just to be left to drown? Gods, she was going off the deep end here, and she just-needed-air!

Without regard for anything that Orion might be doing or thinking or saying, she burst up from the water, sucking in air and gasping and spluttering. It took a moment to clear her head, and then to swipe her long hair back from her face, and then to brush the water from her reluctant eyes. By the time she could both think and see, she did see…nothing. No Orion. He had disappeared.

Good. Very good. She was relieved, no confrontation. No awkwardness. No need not to look at his nicely formed physique while she hoped that he wouldn’t be looking at her, right? That was what she wanted, wasn’t it?

Miserably, Basha’ir sank back down into the pool, submerging up to her chin. Closing her eyes, she was exceptionally distressed to have the first image flashing across her mind’s eye be of him, not as he had looked climbing out of the pool. The image that floated before her closed eyes was of how he had looked, two days ago, so angry, so confused, as she had passed him in order to leave him behind. In order to let him go, and get on with his life and not be further tortured by a girl who brought pain with her everywhere she went. Intense, intoxicating pleasure, yes, but always, on its heels, pain.

[Archelon]

Thread Award "By permission of your eminent Chevalier, I'm here to help " And the Results!!!!: Basha'ir : SkillName 1-5 How/why? Observation 1 Swimming 1 Lores: Anatomy of Orion Don't breathe underwater. Orian : SkillName 1-5 How/why? Observation 1 Swimming 1 Lores: Anatomy of Basha'ir Don't breathe underwater. Would you like some extra turtle sauce ? : Interesting thread Any questions,comments,or concerns please feel free to send me a nice pm.