Baz's first Bath-Day!
Log Info
- Title: Baz's first Bath-Day!
- Emitter: Baz da Ork
- Characters: Baz da Ork, Cryosanthia, Sabina, Culix
- Place: A03: The TarRaCe - Bathhouse
- Time: Tuesday, March 30, 2021, 2:40 PM
- Summary: For some unscruitable, inexplicable reason, Baz da Ork has decided to visit the TarRaCe Bathhouse - and BATHE! He sits in the common bath, polluting the waters, soaking up the warmth and watching layer after layer of dirt peel off while his armour and clothes fester in a nearby pile. Where he can watch it for boot stealing gnomes! Cryosanthia arrives, and is momentarily stunned. The TarRaCe is providing a swamp experience for her! She will have the opportunity show her youngling, Little Fang, how to swim in water with zero visiblity and a technicolour scum. Baz asks Cryo why she's wrapped her lunch in a bathing suit, and the whitescale explains that Little Fang is her daughter. Baz points out the obvious, it's unlikely the Sith'makar laid a Kobold egg, and Cryo concurs. A stork brought her; a St-ORK, named Tae, she's adopted. Baz reveals he understands, he has adopted a couple goblin girls, who grew a little larger and became accomplished murderers. Culix, meanwhile, entered the baths and discovered she's dirtier than when she started, and Sabina arrives to make an effort to clean things up. The Tarienite swiftly determines this is Baz's first bath, ever. She declares they must celebrate his first Bath-Day, and Baz objects until Cryo points out it's free cake and alcohol. While Sabina goes for cake, Baz flees, and Cryo and Culix are left to talk while Lily swims around and attempts to get close to the goblin. They discuss revent events, friends in jail, how well one truly knows another, and the various threats they face. Cryo's seem a little fantastic, while Culix's is a more believable criminal syndicate that has its fingers in everything. Culix finally leaves for an unspecified job, and the two lizards finish the cake and keep swimming, washing off the Baz.
-=--=--=--=--=--=--=--<* A03: The TarRaCe - Bathhouse *>--=--=--=--=--=--=--=-
A light, warm mist welcomes those entering the grand bathing chamber. Rising from pools warmed by unseen sources of heat, the moisture makes the air somewhat muggy but still comfortable to breathe. The room it fills has been divided into three portions - the dividing walls, like the bathing pools themselves, clad in pale marble that contrasts with the dark granite that bears the weight of it all.
Attendants politely direct people to changing areas and appropriate services, and ensure that no one winds up where they should not. The central pool is open to both sexes, with a strict requirement for bathing attire to be worn. Those located to either side are mirrors of each other, each restricted to one sex and discreetly guarded to preserve patrons' privacy.
Beyond the central pool a pair of massage tables offer another form of politely-supervised relaxation, with cabinets holding an impressive array of aromatic oils for the use of trained members of staff. More prosaically, signs announce the availability of a service to clean clothes while patrons wash themselves, so that they can return to the outer world fresh from head to toe.
-=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=-
-=-=-=-=-=-=- Appearing, in Order -=-=-=-=-=-=-= Baz da Ork 7'0" 320 Lb Orc Male 7' 320 pounds of metal, muscle and stupid. WAAAGH! Cryosanthia 6'9" 291 Lb Sith-Makar Female A dashingly tall, elegant white-scaled lizard woman. Sabina 5'4" 130 Lb Human Female Tsuran woman of dark hair and green eyes Culix 3'2" 36 Lb Goblin Female Beady-eyed goblin female in leathers and hood. -=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=
In the deep warm misty bath house air, a lumpy green monster lurks in the pools. The usually tranquil steam is heavily scented by magic, as when the monster first touched the water it turned almost immediately black and needed to be cleaned. For it's part the monster snorts, and gurgles. Pulses of soap bubbles floating around his head. Beady black eyes staring out at the world as thick leathery green skin begins to peel and change tone. Off to the side in the changing area a pile of armor and weapons sit. Smelling of blood, sweat and the last four meals the monster ate. The assorted metal likely weighing in at two or three adults in mass.
Anyone getting too close to the waterlogged thing gets growled at. A low throaty noise of warning as a much more exposed and sensitive Baz reacts. "Don't know why I need tae do dis." The big Ork grumbles to himself, though he doesn't get out of the water. Oh and most of those bubbles around him are probably from the springs, probably.
Entering the baths is a whitescaled Sith'makar woman, carrying a small carnation scaled youngling, a Kobold if one looks closely enough. They are wearing similar one-piece suits, more for the need of walking through the restaurant than modesty, as the suits show off the scales beneath them and are patterned with repeating waves, in pale blue and light pink respectively.
The white sith stops, and stares. Her nostrils flare, taking in the scents, staring at the cloudy water, the lurking monster, the smells of battle and blood. Her mouth drops open in a happy smile, and she squeals, "Little Fang, they turned it into a swamp just for us! Come! This one will teach you how to lie on the bottom and grab feet."
Energized, her bouncing steps take her to the water.
There is a growl, a loud one, Grrr! When that does not work Baz starts to surface slowly, his long tusks and other sharp teeth flashing from the water's surface. Grrr! Again he growls. Yet still the people come. Rising up out of the water like some vast leviathan, the overly muscled Ork makes a little tidal wave as he moves. Corded, thick arms and a matching chest are covered with a dizzying number of scars and burns. A vast topographic landscape of ridges and clefts in his flesh. Dotted with villages of tattoos, and forests of piercings and decoration. Such as the tribute to a small dog on his arm, or the bright glittering depiction of Kor's symbol on his chest. Matching that on his armor, of inset gaudy stones with slivers of bone and metal holding them in place.
"Oy, piss of.." The big Ork starts to growl, then pauses and snorts noting the familiar white scaled dragonborn. "Oh, it is you. Bringing lunch wit ya? Why it wear'n a bathing suit?" Baz indicates the Kobold as he slowly starts to sink back into the water.
Sabina comes in wearing her signature mithral coyote half mask, a tray of light wine and ceramic cups in one hand. Her also signature smile in place, that is until she spies the swampy water and the water staining source. Her mouth makes a small 'o' of surprise and a coming to a stop. "My... my my my. It seems to my eyes that we have had a stray beast wander into the baths. One that likely should have been scrubbed down outside." She tsk and then sighs, continuing on to the central pool.
Cryosanthia stares, as the earth shifts, as the great beast rises from the deep, and a small tsunami spreads throughout the bath. At the muscles, corded like twisted cypress roots, a chest as great as any Am'shere temple, and signs of habitation, civilization, complete with roads.
The Sith'makar tries not to let her thoughts linger too long on what lives on Baz's body, and smiles, lifting the youngling higher, and somewhat protectively. Perhaps blissfully unaware, she says indulgingly, "Bazzz, this is my daughter. Not lunch. She's wearing the bathing suit because the softskins don't like us showing off our scales. Say 'hello' Little Fang."
"Hellos.." The pink kobold chirps, in accurate goblin. Followed by, "'Beanssss!' in trade. <goblin-talk>
The whitescale turns, waves at Sabina, "Peace on your Nest Sabina! Sorry about... the doorway. Last Night's performance went... awry." Two huge white spears sticking out of her back might have something to do with it.
"An elf too." Baz rumbles at Sabine's appearance. He continues to lower into the water, until the surface laps at the claw slashes along his throat. Making them appear to be a facsimile of gills instead of near fatal injuries. His fingers twitch beneath the surface, unarmed and unarmored. He wishes he had kept the dagger at least, or the breast plate. Then those little black eyes furtively sweep left and right, looking for those persistent attendants and their sharp poking fingers when he attempted to enter the baths armed and armored.
"Or mebe de boots." Baz murmurs to himself, then his eyes dart to the collection of armor and weapons piled up. Fearful of another assault of pervert Gnomes set on taking his footwear, again. He lets out a sigh of relief seeing the pair sitting safely on top of his breast plate.
"Beans?" Baz fields the goblin speech. Then he glances at Cyrosanthia and looks even more confused. "Daughter? But dats a Kobold." He notes, as if this fact must have escaped the Dragonborn. Then there is a snort and a grin. "Yeh, they made me put on suit too, because me dangly bits were hitting people. Kinda just tied rope around a robe and put it 'round me waist." The Ork seems to resign himself to company. "I guess youse come here often. Be'in scaley and elfy." His eyes pass between Cryosanthia and Sabine.
Bina greets Cryo and Lilly warmly, smile returrning. She even gives them a 'Peace apon your nests.' in Draconic to be polite. The wine is set down by the now dirty pool and waves a hand at Cryo's worry. "It's fine Cryosanthia. All is well, yes? I hope you are doing well too."
Her eyes move about Cryo to the somewhat confused and scarred orc. "Beans is Lilly's pet name for me. My name being Sabina. I'm a human, not an elf. And I own this place." She steps about lightly on slippered feet and peers at the pile of Baz equipment. "When was the last time you bathed?" SHe asks bluntly but in polite tone.
"Adopted daughter Baz, a foundling. I found her and she found me. An Orc gave her to me actually," Cryo says, sounding sacchrine sweet and approaching the edge of the murky water and stepping in. She watches the dark swirls climbing her legs. She waits when it gets to her waist, letting her tail splash in behind her. She holds the squirming kobold above the water. A light laugh, "it's not like I'm such a traumatized mother my instincts have driven me crazy and I've latched onto the first nurturing opportunity I came across."
It sounds like she's making a joke, but there's also... a look in her eyes.
Lily meanwhile, squirms as Ssassa talks so much. Baz fascinates her, she reaches out towards him with tiny pink claws. So distant, there's still that reminder... of being pelted with vegetables, little taunting, scaley voices laughing... they came from everywhere!
The whitescale looks over the pile of armour, and the well positioned boots. The significance of it escapes her. "This one is good Sabina. Doing well, yes. My two favourite places have come together."
In enters a furtive little figure, not exactly a regular, but one which has been spied here before on occasion. Said furtive and behooded pygmie makes their way towards the female changing section of the baths. Once absconded beyond the privacy screens, Culix is gone from sight for some time. Eventually, a diminuative green skinned and pointy eared figure emerges from behind the screen, her belongings stowed away safely for the time being- wrapped in a towel from armpits to knees. She makes her way over towards the bath, blinking in mild surprise to find it well occupied.
She slips into the water about as far as she can manage from the other occupants, and sinks down immediately to her neck. The eagle eyed might note before she vanishes below the murky water a tatto on her throat, a pair of crossed curved daggers.
"Wot, wit like hot water and stuff?" Baz answers Sabine, he pauses to scratch at his right shoulder. A nob there, once seemingly part of his skin, has been loosened and partially dissolved by the hot water and soap until it breaks off at his touch. Revealing an old arrow head, partially sunk in his leather hide. The wooden shaft likely having been broken off and the remains rotted away. Tugging the now rusty arrowhead from his shoulder the Ork sniffs it and inspects the make. "Dis bugbear dis is. You can tell by the shape and dese reverse ends dat makes it nasty ta pull out. I ain't fought bugbears in years. Huh." He blinks a few times and flicks the arrowhead at his armored pile. "Nevah?" He finally answers Sabine. "You owns dis place? All dis water?"
"An Ork?" Baz responds to Cryosanthia. "Gave you dat?" He eyes the Kobold from his neck and head above the water position. "The big one tells us nots tae eat the thinking meat I guess." He sniffs and shifts in the pool. "I guess I can understand, I adopted two goblins once. Dey right vicious little monsters. Used tae ride on me shoulders and throw stuff at the enemy. Dey all growed up now." Baz eyes Cryosanthia quietly for a moment. "Eh, dis one thing Kor do know, the next peoples is important as no more battles if we do not raise dem right."
Sabina is distracted by Baz and his shocking amount of dirt, grime and.. other less savory things. So distracted that she misses Culix's enterence until she's stepping into the large bowl of orc and sith soup, making it then orc, sith and goblin swamp soup. Her mouth opens and then closes.
When the orc expains and tosses the eld arrowhead onto the pile of belongings her mouth curls into a smile again, this one a tad too wide. "Ahh! Then we should make this a special celebration!" She announces and steps over to the nearby cart, taking a vial of soap and pouring it's contents into the pool that suddenly smells of a faint floral scent. With the pool already ..er.. muddy it's a swamp flower scent.
"Take care to not open your eyes in the water, Lilly. It may sting your eyes if you do."
Cryosanthia nods vigorously, sinking down so her shoulders are submerged, leaving her head, neck and spars sticking out of the water. Little Fang is in and already swimming, focusing on Baz. The whitescale says, "An orc, Tae, ran up to me in the woods looking for someone who could speak draconic. Some bad things had happened to Little Fang's family and nest, but she couldn't explain because they couldn't talk."
"Hunters. They killed and took everyone." Lily hisses, splashing. The pink Kobold stares happily at Sabina, nodding vigorously. She'll keep her eyes closed underwater. Next, she switches to trade and struggles to be free, "Ssassa, let sswim." <draconic>
Cryo continues, sounding very proud, "She sounds just like your goblins, she's really bitey and she loves to make traps. Every time we go to goblintown she's bartering for new things, I have no idea what." The whitescale fixes Baz with a reptilian stare, "I'm trying to raise her right. Anything you share will help. You won't treat her rougher than a goblin, will you?"
The goblin's entrance is noted, briefly drawing her attention and her gaze Culix's way, before she raises eye-ridges at Sabina, "Those scents are great, and does this one guess your meaning? It's Baz's First Bath-Day Party?"
It seems that Culix had been so preoccupied with getting herself to the bath without drawing undue attention, that she has failed to notice the state of it. An error which comes to light when her nose wrinkles. Something touches her shoulder, which causes her to start, and she rises from the water a bit in dawning awareness as she peels the... thing, some dark blotch of solidified dirt, from her shoulder. She stares at it for a moment, and then flicks it away and promptly extracts herself from the water, very nearly losing her towel as she does so. "Ugh... I'm dirtier than before I got in..." she mutters.
Baz eyes Culix as she enters without speaking. The big Ork shifts his form in the pool so as to protect his unarmored back more easily. Then as Culix goes to leave the big Ork snorts. "Oy, gober afraid of a bit of dirt?" Baz asks with a grin. "I can ask Kor ta add a bit more water to dis stew?" Then his attention is drawn to Sabine.
"Dats alright, no need for something special." Baz eyes the floral soap as it spreads into the water. His form drifting back even further as if on instinct to avoid the cleaning flowery threat. "I probably be done soon. Be all clean and shiny and stuff." Those little black eyes squint as if he can feel flowery substance robbing some measure of his machismo. Then his attention is drawn back to the dragonborn and kobold.
"Oy wot? Share? Wit a Kobold?" The big Ork blinks a few times. "I made sure me girls could gut a man, and more importantly would. Den dey had to know to go for the hamies. Back of the legs is the key. Most don't wear boots dat high, and only armor the shin. Get in dere with a knife." A thick orkish finger pokes out of the water and makes a left to right motion. "Down to the ground." Baz pauses.
"Wot? A party for dis?" He asks incredulously.
Bina sighs as Culix speaks of being dirtier then when she started. "I'm sorry, miss. If you so desire there's a seperate pool in the woman's side you can wash everything off." Her smile then focuses in tight on Baz. "Of course we should celebrate! Being clean is important. Cleanliness is next to godliness after all. And a first of anything should be remembered in some way." She shakes her head to Baz's offer and pulls out her own symbol of Tarien. A quick prayer and a gout of water falls from above over top of Baz, aiding in rinse action. The extra water diluting the soup as water drains from the pool into the sewers below. "Happy Bath-day!" She then sets about cleaning his equipment without touching it. Wizard cantrips are a wonderful thing. She hums happily.
"We'll practice that later," Cryo says quietly to Lily, nodding through Baz's instructions, her expression enigmatic, "This one has been working on holding back her instincts, for now."
Little Fang also stares at Baz, seemingly absorbing the information like a sponge, then grinning widely. Finally released, she floats with the natural bouyance of children and reptiles, and splashes towards Baz, her tail whipping behind her as she shoots through the water.
Cryo remains bobbing, adding slick rings of slime around her neck and shoulders. She seems committed to the swamp experience, encouraging Culix, "The oils are good for the scales. Your skin too, I think."
Good for infections.
"Happy Bath Day!" The white...ish, grey...ish... slimey-scaled one says. She tilts her head, eyeing the Orc, "You're going to say 'No' to free food and booze? That's usually part of a part-tay!"
Sabina says, "I'll send some cake and wine," and leaves the bath area.
Culix shudders as she peers towards the slimescale, and she glances towards Baz at his own comment. "used to hang out in a storm drain when I was an anklebiter. It was cleaner than this." she retorts. She looks over towards Sabina next, "Aye, I reckon I ought to..." she says, and climbs to her feet. She sneaks away from the communal bath, back to the female changing area. There is a wet 'splat' as the dirtied towel is discarded, and then from the other side of the partition, the sound of her settling into the water.
She calls over the partition, for the ork, "You want to be careful you don't dissolve. I'd wager you're more dirt than Oruch at this point." apparently confident in the power of the 'no men allowed' signage to protect her from retalliation.
"I can braaarggh!" Whatever Baz was going to say in that moment is drowned out by the sudden rush of water. Undoubtedly the divine energy of Tarien enjoying getting to further waterlog a follower of Kor. He feebly swats his hands above his head as he is religiously made holier. His equipment as well grows brighter by degrees as if the worn in stains of war were trying to resist being magically wicked away.
"Oy, too much water!" Baz says, blinking he almost misses the oncoming assault of the toddler/kobold. Leaning back a massive index finger comes up and presses against the little TodBold's head and tries to keep her at bay. "You might want tae stay back." He says plaintively looking to Cyrosanthia to keep the small child from climbing on him. Then there is a pause and a perk. "Oy, food and booze? I did not think we could eat in here." His eyes glint. "Food." Then the big Ork is laughing at Culix's verbal attacks.
"Me daughters like storm drains too, found all kinds of stuff." Baz chortles and grins. "Maybe I gives ya big hug afterwards? Or bettah yet, I bets I can splash some of this water over that wall." There's a sound as he moves one of his large arms. "It rain'n Baz? Oy?"
Cryo surges forward, dipping under the water, streaming towards Baz with only her horns and the two white spars sticking out of the water, trailing Vs of a wake. She surfaces beside Lily, who was paddling and tailbeating with all her might to make some progress against that great finger.
The slimescale did not follow Sabina's advice, and has an opaque sheen across her eyes. She blinks a few times, but it doesn't clear. She seems unconcerned by this sudden blindness, still managing to grab the little pink-grey lizard by her tail and get a hand under her belly. "We have to ask first, Little Fangs."
"Climbss!" Comes the hissy, high-pitched reply, and pink claws pointing at the Oruch Mountain.
Cryo holds her back for the moment, especially as the splashing starts. Between the flung waves she says, "Oh yes, food and Wine. And Cake. Paper plates though, no glass in the stream."
"Before you're tempted, I'll have you know I can kill a man with a washbasin." Culix retorts to the Oruchs threats. But it's too late, as he's made good on them. She squeals from the other side, and then makes a disgusted sound. "You're a brute!" she calls back over the partition. "I hope you... I hope a bear gets amorous with you next time you're wallowing in a cave!" she calls out.
"Oy here." Baz comments, raising his right hand over Cyrosanthia and his left touching the flesh carved symbol on his chest. A spray of water erupts from his hand, washing the dragonborn's face and further diluting the Baz effect in the pool. "Paper?" Baz asks, closing his hand and ending the spell. "Wot we need plates for? Just put it dere on de edge and eats it." There is a bit of quick footwork for such a large Ork as he angles to keep out of toddler reach. At least before he sinks down and laughs at Culix's words.
"Oy, yeah I likes them thick and hairy. I wonders if now dat I'm clean and smell'n like elfs. I might go and find some er.. uh." Baz eyes the little kobold as he considers his next words. Then seemingly gives up with a sigh. "Eh. Got works tae do first though." He looks left and then right and sighs. "I guess dat means soon I got ta get up and get going. Was starting tae get used to be be'in all warm."
Cryo faces the blast of water like she's diving through a wave. Her nostrils snick shut, she turns directly into the force of it, and the blinding coating is diluted and washed away. When it's possible to speak without swallowing, she says, "Well, saves Sabina having to lick the floor."
A little laugh, "That's half the fun, right? I'd watch out for her, there are a lot of washbasins about."
Lily meanwhile calls out, "Bassess", a hissing tradespeak version of his name. She seems oblivious to the direction the conversation is taking, and the new orientation Cryo has provided on her vector as she aims the Kobold away from Baz and across the pool.
"Off you go Little Fang, underwater!" The whitescale-once-more gives her a push before the conversation gets too far along. Fortunately, Baz catches himself, certain maternal expressions must be common across all races, even heavily scaled, unexpressive ones.
A server brings in a cake, with a single candle that seem to be a sparkler, a small group of servers following behind, clapping. It's the size of a small pig, and looks like a giant bar of soap, with icing in the form of suds. They sing.
- Happy Bath-day to you!
- Happy Bath-day to you!
- We're so happy you're cleaaaaaaaner, Baz!
- Happy Bath-Day to You!
The cake is arrived.
The big Ork looks left and right, and then starts to climb out of the water. "Oy, I'm late!" He exclaims suddenly. "I lost track of time in dis watery trap!" Hauling himself out, his modesty protected by a now ruined robed lashed to his frame with several lengths of rope. The big Ork goes over and gathers up his equipment and armor in both arms. Strapping some on, and sticking a boot in his mouth before he hurries off. Giving the cake a longing look as he goes. The sounds of him hopping and fastening armor and weapons banging and clanging through the TarAce as he goes.
Culix grumbles incoherently for a few moments from her side of the partition, then there's the sound of water pouring into water, spilling over the sides. She hears the Oruch leave- as does everyone within three city blocks. After a few moments, a pair of pointed green ears, joined shortly thereafter by a forehead and then a pair of beady eyes peek over the partition into the center area. Observing the damage Baz did to the other bath from the safety of her own.
There is a lot of damage, cloudy water, an oily slick, a huge stain where his armour sat that's leaking tendrils of ichor towards the pool. Without his presence, it's clearing, and the servers are looking for an uncontaminated place to set down the cake. A few attendants tentatively emerge, with mops and buckets.
One of them speaks to the slimed white-scale, "Could you move to one of the other baths? We're going to put a lot of chemicals in this one now."
Cryo nods, and ducks her head underwater where she makes an odd rumbling noise that carries well. Not as much words as a reptilian signal to follow, she powers towards the woman's only baths, ensuring her youngling is in her wake. She's fully submerged, except for the two white spars cutting through the water like enlongated fins. All goes well until she hits the partition with them, which has the effect of levering her to the surface on the other side of them. "Ouch!"
The goblin watches with curiosity as the whitscale disappears under the water, only to be taken aback when the whitescale is suddenly on her side of the pool. She had been standing on the edge of the pool, on tiptoes, in order to peek over to the other side, and she loses her balance at the sudden start- the briefly hilarious image of a goblin in her birthday suit windmilling her arms in a futile attempt to fight against gravity.
In the end, gravity wins, as it usually does, and she tumbles into the pool with a splash.
Cryo ducks her nose into the wave, letting it splash across her long face. Little Fan surfaces beside her, and grabs onto one of the Sith's horns, holding herself mostly out of the water, staying steady with a swishing arm and tail.
She waits for Culix to surface again, "Apologies, this one did not mean to startle. Are you ok?"
Culix emerges a few moments later, thoroughly sodden with water that is, thankfully, mostly clean. Or was. Until the slimescale joined her. Still, it's no where near as bad as the mixed bath had been, and the goblin seems to tolerate this. She treads water for a moment, before finding one of the raised ridges for shorter folks near the edge of the tub to park her behind on, rising out of the water to her armpits. "Fine..." she huffs then- clearly, not amused at the days events. She seems self conscious about something, sitting at a slight, conspicuous angle- keeping that tattoo of hers out of sight, or attempting to at any rate- without making it excessively obvious.
"Here's the cake, and more wine." The libations have followed the bathers, carried by the servers, and are set down beside the pool. On the other side of the partition is a loud splash, with a wafting scent of harsh chemicals. Fortunately the water is flowing that way.
The slimescale seems oblivious to whatever is making the goblin self-conscious. In part because she's occupied getting her spar-things under the partition and all of herself on one side. It involves some backwards arching.
The pink kobold youngling makes a bee-line for the shallower section. She'll surface beside Culix but seems uninterested in her. There is cake to be had. She burbles, "Peasss," as she stands on the same raised underwater ridge as Culix and reaches for the cake. At which point she stops, looks over her shoulder at her clutch-mother, and calls, "Cakesss."
"Wait Lily, wait," The Sith'mom says, in a familiar maternal sort of tone. She's advancing through the water and rubbing at her bathing suit, which seems irreversibly stained with oily substances. She looks up, at Culix, bringing her coated self nearer, "Peace on your Nest, this one is Cryosanthia, that one is Little Fang, 'Lily' in Trade. Do you wish the first slice of cake before Lily touches it?"
Culix eyeballs the cake suspiciously once its arrived, as though it may be corrupted by association with the Oruch. However, despite its soap like appearance, she doesn't seem to spot anything particularly inedible about it, and so she nods her head, "I'll have a slice." she says to Cryo, sliding over a bit to reach for the knife which she absent mindedly rolls over her knuckles in an entirely unececary flourish before she starts slicing the cake.
"Learned a long time ago not to turn my nose up at free food." she adds then, as she takes her slice of cake and sets the knife down. She doesn't wait on manners before she begins eating it. With a mouth still half full, she says to Cryo, "Reckon there's no saving that, without powerful magic or alchemy." she comments, on the swimsuit.
"Well, if you don't mind..." The whitescale says, glancing at the goblin's state of undress. She hooks her claws through the thin fabric of her bathing suit, then tears it free, "it interferes with the water flowing over my scales, and this one has not cleaned non-magical clothes in... decades."
She stares at the now dirty rag hanging from her hand, which has left distinct lines of clean and not-clean across her hide. Cryo looks back at Culix, "I guess I burn it?"
Then, "Lily, no, come here, don't wipe your hands on your suit, it's not sanitary." The whitescale surges forward, pushing her own small wave, dragging the Kobold back into the water. A struggle ensues, "Suit, then cake. Lily, be calm, it's not going anywhere."
The cake itself is layers of vanilla ice-cream and vanilla cake, the 'suds' icing is peperment flavoured and quite solid.
Culix, who had been eating rather too quickly- a bad habit- winces in pain as the ice cream layer sends a jolt through her grey matter. Her eyes scrunch closed and her ear tips droop for a few moments, until it passes. She goes back to eating the cake more slowly now, "'s a bath, aint it?" she says on the topic of swimsuits. "'sides, not like there's much privacy in the city gaol." she grumbles, mostly under her breath. She fetches herself a glass for some wine, next, to go with her cake.
"Oh were you visiting a friend their too?" Cryo asks, swiftly enough it's clearly her first thought and not an effort to be diplomatic. She succeeds in freeing her youngling, and sets both dirty suits to the side for an attendant to take. She also holds her hands up for a towel, to get her forearms degreased enough she's willing to handle the cake.
But first! "Little Fang, come to this one." She hisses, and catches the Kobold. Lily is rubbed all over with a bar of soap, which grates itself thin whenever she rubs against the scales. "Okay, swim to the other side, under water, then back, then cake. Ssassa promises."
>splash!<
She's off, wriggling underwater like a snake. Cryo leans on the side and more casually goes to work on herself with the bar of soap. "My friend Mikilos was arrested for trying to stop a riot at an execution. Sabina's friend Bannon, he was there also. A bunch of people. Another friend, Merek, he's still there. Were you caught up in all of that too?"
Culix ohs, and then shrugs, "Yeah, uh, something like that." she decides to run with the 'visiting' story since it's presented so readily by Cryo. Once her cake is finished, she gets to work on the wine. "Oh, no, I stayed well clear of that. Keeping my head down, you know?" she says then. "Know some folks who had some intrest in it, though." she adds after a moment. "I was busy being dragged to the a-" she interrupts herself with a glance at the youngling. "-rear end of no-where by a crazy dwarf who don't know how to use teleportation magic properly." she adds.
'Thanks', Cryo mouthes at the self-censoring, "This one has Teleported a few times, and it's an edgy thing even when the Mage knows how to use it properly."
Soaped up, she wriggles about in the water, and uses the towel a lot. Her head is turned enough that she can watch the Kobold's progress without directly staring at her, but the attention is there.
"This one missed it. I'm not entirely sure what's going on. The 'Murderess' is an acquaintance. She made my boots. Didn't seem the sort to do what she was accussed of. Merek tried to explain it... but... it was a jumble..."
"I really should visit him in jail, but..." Her words trail off thoughtfully, and she stares at the wall for the moment. Perhaps focusing on her peripherary view of her youngling. Motionless, simply breathing, her reptilian nature takes precedence. She's more like an animal, a thing, than a person, until she smiles and moves again, taking up the knife.
Culix listens along, and she almost resists the urge to scoff, but not quite, "Yaknow, folks always say that when someone they know ends up on the block. 'They aren't usually like that' 'they would never do anything like that.' or what have you." she muses. "See it all the time. Makes me wonder how well anyone really knows anyone." she adds then, clearly a cynic. "But, yaknow, there's always the other side as well. Folks getting set up, or pi- upsetting someone they oughtn't." she adds.
Lily surfaces, trailing suds. She splashes throught the water to stand on the ridge, her tail wagging eagerly behind her as she focuses on the cake. There's the briefest of greetings, "Nice ssscale pattern," hissed to Culix in passable goblin as she glances at her neck tattoo. <goblin-talk>
Cryo holds the knife to the cake, moving it from side to side, "Okay, how much? This much? This?" A new position each time, sometimes larger, smaller.
"Yesss!" The pink kobold cries happily at one division. The whitescale slices, and Lily reaches for the larger part of the cake.
Cryo makes a dismissive puff of air, chuckling quietly, "No Lily you don't get most of it, yours is the smaller." Stares. A staring match between lizards, "You get the big piece, it's not fair!" The little one protests. <draconic>
"Life isn't fair, Lily, and this one is not taking it all. Baz may come back for his piece." An ominous implication! He might. The whitescale noses between the youngling's horns, "Ssmall piece for small Lily."
Then Cryo is looking at Culix while Lily grabs her slice and tucks in. "Well, one never knows what someone will do, when pressed. This one didn't know her well either, so you are correct there also. This one doesn't have the greatest trust for the authorities here... They are rather too close to a High Priestess of Taara from Charn. That's an invitation to disaster and 'they aren't usually like that'."
Culix's hand instinctively comes up to cover the tattoo when the little one comments on it, but she catches herself and decides to just ignore the comment rather than correcting the youngling on its nature. She glances away for a moment, and then sighs. She stretches out a bit, causing her to sink a bit deeper into the water, and wiggles her toes.
"Yeah, the guards are on the payroll." she grumbles, "If it's not some scheming highborn or another it's the syndicate, paying them to look the other way, less it's more convenient for 'em to pay attention." she says.
"They know where their money comes from," Cryo agrees, cutting the remaining soap-cake in half, then turning so she is leaning back against the edge of the pool. She eats in a delicate fashion, holding one hand beneath the other to catch crumbs and taking small bites. It's oddly aristocratic.
She sighs, exhaling, "they aren't paid much and it's easier to look the other way, especially when speaking up is tantamount to volunteering for a sewer clearing session."
The whitescale's head turns, "No prejudice implied by that. This one has been on a few sewer runs, and they were disasters.
The little carnation-scaled Kobold eats slowly as well, glancing frequently at the whitescale. It's not clear if she's mimicing or showing off for some reward, but her bites match her clutch-mother's even if there is some impatience to them.
"This one is not familiar with the Syndicate," Cryo sighs, sounding weary, "Is this a new threat? An old one? Is it going to destroy the world too?"
Culix shrugs a shoulder, "Or their throat slit, or worse." she adds ominously on the topic of sewer duty. She finishes off the glass of wine she poured for herself and sets it down on the side, before finally retrieving a bar of soap. She curls up a bit, so that her knees come up to her chin, and begins soaping down. When the Syndicate is commented on, she pauses a moment, glancing about, before explaining.
"Criminal guild, out of Veyshan originally, so I hear it told." she tells Cryo. "Have their hands in everything from burgulary and extortion to assasinations and manipulating the nobles. Nasty business." she says then.
She gives a sigh of her own, "But I don't reckon they're keen on ending the world. Jus' on controlling it. Or all the coin in it, at any rate."
Cryo raises her slice of cake to her mouth, Lily copies the motion. The whitescale halts, and the pinkscale hisses in frustration as her Ssassa muses, "You do have a good point about how well knowing someone."
She looks towards the partition to common and male baths, "I've trusted Baz with my life, been to Kor's Heaven with him and two other Korrites, and talked them back. Yet, he had no idea I had a daughter and I'm not entirely sure he was joking about eating her."
Now she's got to be making that up. Then again... there was Baz.
Twinned bites are taken, the two lizards working their piece of cake. Cryo looks over at Culix as she soaps up and describes the Syndicate, her head tilts to the side. "Veyshan? Hmmm. Well, this one will do her best to stay clear. I'm trying to quit adventuring. This one has enough problems with things stumbled into."
Another bite, another speculative thought, "might be worth asking Her that though, how well she knows them. Thanks for the idea."
"Oh, they are here in Alexandria, too. Doubt there's a corner of the world they don't have their talons in." she says then, a pause, "No offense." she adds after a moment and realizing she's talking to a reptillian. "I'd wager half the crimes you never hear about were comitted by them." she adds then. "Any time someone goes missing and the guard give up the search too quickly, any time a bunch of robberies happen and no one seems motivated to investigate. Any time there's a fight or a fire or a murder and the guard all just happened not to be in that part of the city."
Done with soaping up her legs, she works the bar up and down her arms, lifting them to get the pits too. Apparently not all greenskins share Baz's penchant for having an inch thick exoskeleton of caked on dirt. "Most of the gambling and who- er." another glance at the youngling, "Red Lantern establishments round the city have their mark on 'em, too."
Cryosanthia listens. It's clear Culix has her attention, she stares unblinking with sapphire coloured eyes, split by thin pupils and having all the warmth and softness of the gems the resemble. Her slice of cake is halted just below her mouth, one hand beneath the other, talons carefully curled. Her head bobs slowly, following.
Lily splashes her tail somewhat impatiently. There is food! Why does Ssassa talk so much. She looks at Culix also, naked with hunger in her little Kobold eyes. Although she yearns for ice-cream cake and not goblin.
"This one takes your point. I'll be careful, and more wary of the guards. That... might explain a few things." Cryo eats the final bite of her slice, and Little Fang is immediately doing the same. The whitescale stares out across the water, watching the ripples, the pattern of light on the far walls. Her thoughts in this time remain unshared. "The information is useful, thank you. This one doesn't have much in return, you seem better appraised of Alexandria than I am. Mostly, I perform here, do domestic things."
Culix nods her head a bit, slowly, as she ponders for a while. Finished soaping up, she scrubs down with a washcloth while she continues to speak. "Born and raised inside these walls. Truth be told, first time I ever stepped outside them was less than a moon past." she tells Cryo. "Never had much chance for travel. Though, since signed up with the guild, so that's like to change." she adds then.
She casts a glance over towards the clearly hungry Kobold- who speaks Goblin. She wiggles her backside to surruptitiously inch slightly further away from pointy teeth and claws.
The whitescale nods, reaching for a glass of wine, peering closely at them, "One of these is grape juice." She tastes, "Not this one." Another taste, "Okay, this one." She holds it out to the little scale. Who takes it and shuffles into a sitting position, scooting to close the distance with Culix so her efforts to move away are negated.
"Lily likes goblins, she's fascinated by Goblin town." Cryo explains, clearly proud.
The pink Kobold takes a large sip of grape juice, then its her turn to talk. She has adult attention! She's not about to waste it. "Yessss! The fireworks that go bang, and the traps and wires, and all the small screws. Colour potions. I make slime! It clogs drain!" <goblin-talk>
"I hope she's making sense, she's picked up Goblin much faster than this one. Or is it Yrch-speak?" Cryo explains. She takes a much slower, and longer sip of her wine. "Working for the Guild, you will see some things. This one definitely wishes you fortune in your travels."
Culix eyeballs the Kobold again. Wiggle. Inch. Beady eyed goblin does not like the proximity of pointy things that don't belong to her. "Mostly..." she says on the topic of making sense. A beat. "Actually, she is talking like some Goblins I know." she adds then with the hint of a frown. "Spend more of my time down by the docks, or in the markets these days, than Goblintown. Don't seem to have the knack for setting myself or everything else on fire a lot of goblins do..." she admits. A pause, "Oh, but I do know a few tricks."
"Being as I'm naked as a jaybird, I won't need to show you up my sleeves." she says then. "So, here goes..." she says. She holds out her hands, wiggles her fingers, and then reaches behind her ear- producing a gold coin. She then rolls it across her knuckles, from one hand to the other, then flips it over into a palm, grasps it, and opens her hands once more- if all goes well, it will have disappeared.
GAME: Culix rolls sleight of hand: (4)+9: 13
But the astute will note that she flicked the coin up her wrist when she made a show of grasping it. The water does not do a very good job of concealing it as it drifts down into her lap.
Both lizards watch, fascinated. The little pink one relents and halts her seat encroachment for the moment, she seems fooled by the trick. The whitescale has more discerning eyes, but doesn't comment if she's seen through the careful flick. "That's skilled, I used to be able to do something like that. Lily does like setting things on fire, but she prefers her traps."
Apparently, the Kobold understands more tradespeech than she speaks. She immediately launches into a happy description, "Yes. I set traps for the Shadow one. Last one, she walks right into it. She's poisonned! Exploded! Then turn into a gnome!" <goblin-talk>
"Ah... Aya, I think she's talking about. That was funny." Cryo adds. "Oh, I spend some time at the docks, I freeze the fishing boat holds for them."
Culix seems relieved to have at least fooled the child, knowing full well she messed up the trick. "It's easier with clothes on." she admits, quietly, to Cryosanthia. On the topic of traps, "Mmm, I'm usually quite good at picking them apart." she says then. "Though I do know a thing or two about laying them, as well." she adds. "Well, I think I've finally scraped off the last of the grime from the mixed bath." she says then, inspecting her forearms and legs for any lingering signs of Baz.
"You seem clean." Cryosanthia says, looking Culix over. She glances down at herself, a tapestry of white with faint blue patterns and scales. "This one might need a further rinse, and I'm sure Lily does."
She smiles, with her nose dipped so her sharp teeth aren't so obvious. "It was nice to meet you, take some of the wine. This one hopes to encounter you more."
"Lily, not so close, she's too small to climb." Cryo adds, gesturing at the bath, "One of the other Owner-Priests is a Goblin, follows Rada. That's the 'Ra' portion of the name. She Egg-Watches Little Fang for me sometimes, and Lily likes her Auntie-Goblin. This one appologizes if she's fascinated by you."
Culix thinks a moment, "I believe I've met her." she says. "Unusual goblin, with a shark tail?" she says, "I haven't seen her of late. Which is a shame. She gave me some advice, and I wasn't too kind to her for it. Owe her an apology, I think." she says then. She reaches into the water to retrieve the coin she hid there, and sets it on the side, before she works on hauling herself out of the bath.
She stands on the side for a moment, to let some of the water run off her skin and make its way down towards the drains. She eyeballs the wine, but decides "Best not. Job tonight, and I'd better keep a clear head."
"Yes! That's Irshya. She gives good advice." The whitescale frowns a little, then says, "This one hasn't seen her in a while, that's true. This one will try to find her. There's always time for apologies."
Usually. Not always.
Cryo watches as Culix pulls herself out of the water, looking away once she's mostly out and the water is draining away. She nods, "Clear head is good."
Lily follows the goblin out of the water, or attempts to. She half climbs, half jumps, and has her hands and feet on the edge when Cryo snags her tail, and holds her, then slowly teases, "Oh no, you're falling, back... back..."
"Nooo!" There is much hissing, then some bubbling, as the pink youngling is toppled back into the pool. <draconic>
"Best of luck." The whitescale waves.
Culix nods her head once more, "Aye, I'll keep an eye out for her as well." she says then. "Well met, by the by." she offers, "And thanks." she adds after the luck is offered. And then pads her way out towards the changing area once more.
The whitescale watches the goblin leave, then looks over at her carnationscale, "Come Lily, time for laps."
She eases forward into the water like she was born to it, and pushes off the side. Her tail lazily sweeps back and forth as she glides underwater. The two strange spars from her shoulders flex to the sides, but still stick out.
Lily follows suit, with a lot more thrasing and kicking. She throws up a rooster tail as she tries to catch up with her clutch-mother and grab hold of some part of her to be pulled along.
Cryo is onto this, and stays just a little ahead, out of reach.
The pair trace trails, back and forth, for quite some time.
OOC Convo
Baz da Ork pages: Well if you want to rp, to get your mind off things I would be happy to make time. I will have to pause here and there as I dodge events.
You paged Baz da Ork with 'that would be cool, I need a few minutes to get a coffee and upload something'
Long distance to (Baz da Ork, Aya, Khamsin, Donna): Cryosanthia ponders.... the horrors of seeing Baz going swimming in the Tarrace baths
From afar, to (Cryosanthia, Aya, Khamsin, Donna): Baz da Ork burbles in the water then inhales a few inches of the bath. "Aww, yeah, me soup is delicious, rioght?"
From afar, to (Donna, Aya, Baz da Ork, Cryosanthia): Khamsin drowns Baz.. adds basil.
From afar, to (Donna, Baz da Ork, Cryosanthia, Khamsin): Aya was trying to eat lunch. Emphasis on past tense. :S
From afar, to (Donna, Aya, Baz da Ork, Cryosanthia): Khamsin has the Tarrace serve soilent grr... err ..Exotic ork soup.
You paged (Donna, Aya, Baz da Ork, Khamsin) with 'Nuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu. Roleplay in de pool not de pages!'