Underwater

Log Info

• Title: Underwater
• Emitter: Cryosanthia
• Characters: Cryosanthia, Kira, Sabina, Toha
• Place: A10: Temple of Daeus
• Time: Tuesday, June 02, 2020, 1:08 PM
• Summary: Cryo, Kira, Bina and Toha go to the Temple of Daeus purification pools. It is a bath house, with hot and cold pools and rooms. They start in the hot, where Cryo submerges and stays on the bottom, the heat putting her into a stupor. She has some things to think about, and this seems the best way. Conversation wanders, covering Sabina's Crimson Pen performances. Kira is still quite bloody from the previous day's battle, and though healed, her clothes are shreded. This takes the conversation there as well. Bina's bird, Emp, takes a liking to Toha. Sabina has to leave and the remaining women transfer to the cold pool. Cryo heats up here, first challenging Kira to wrestle underwater like the people do in Am'shere, then relaying a summary of her questionning the day before. Having been admonished to think more responsibily, she decides Alexandria is better off without her, and the price she paid trying to protect it was not worth the results she achieved. She thanks them for their friendship and leaves.

-=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=<* A10: Temple of Daeus *>=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=-

The temple of the Sun Lord glitters golden beneath the same. Rather than walls, the majority of the temple is composed of what appears at first blush to be a raised round platform made of one of the largest slabs of marble likely in existence. Columns rise into the air as if to hold some massive ceiling, though instead of a normal ceiling, one finds the deep blue sky, studded by a disconcertingly close canopy of bright stars. One should not worry, however, as the rain never falls, and the wind never blows on this particular temple, but for a gentle breeze, whatever the weather outside may be.

Despite the austerity of the columns, warmth suffuses the grounds. A grand, marble statue of the Shining Knight stands a the center, a hand outstretched in benediction. Beside Him, the statue of Althea, their hands clasped in love. The central position of the temple to the others gives view to all of their children, and the two look upon one another with the solemnity of love that has been the center of so many tales and legends.

Masterfully designed mana lamps provide further soft, golden lightning where needed, their pedestals carved in the form of the Dragons of Light, over which Daeus is said to have dominion in His form of Draco Solis. Majesty, justice, and welcome suffuse the temple grounds. Around the central temple are a series of smaller buildings, each with a simple function and form. One houses the sacred book depicting some of the earliest known translations of the Laws of Light, which pilgrims from near and far come to visit. Another houses the well-appointed quarters of the Sunguards, and among all the ground bristle the Sunblades.

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-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-  Appearing, in Order  -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
Cryosanthia  6'9"     267 Lb     Sith-Makar        Female    A dashingly tall, elegant white-scaled lizard woman.
Kira         5'0"     120 Lb     Human             Female    Blonde woman in simple robes with an eye patch.
Sabina       5'4"     130 Lb     Human             Female    Tsuran woman of dark hair and green eyes
Toha         6'2"     282 Lb     War Golem         Female    A woman shaped contrivance of leather and steel, with oruch weaponry.
-=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=

The Temple of Daeus complex has the main temple, with many side buildings of singular purpose. One of them is for the purification of the Temple Dancers. It's a bath house, with a heated pool, a cool pool, a hot room, and a massage room. There are attendants of both sexes, and the bathing times are seggregated or communal, depending on privacy wishes. There are certain busy hours created by the daily regimen of the Temple, but if one is familiar with the cycles it's possible to pick hours when few people will be there and the likelihood of being disturbed is low.

Cryosanthia has been wanting a swim for a while now, and dipping her tail in the fountain isn't enough. Her friend could use some relaxation too. She's left a note on the door of her room 'gone swimming - the pool', which will hopefully direct anyone looking for her to the right place. She stands before two doors, a robe around her shoulders because one was handed to her, and her haversack in hand holding everything she owns. "So, which would you prefer first? Hot, then jump in the cold, or cold and jump in the hot?"

Kira enjoys swimming, though hasn't done so in quiet some time. That said, her robes, or what remains of them presently, not to mention her person, less resemble a Sentinel and healer and more... the aftermath of a particularly vigorous and gruesome homicide. That or the work of demons. Or Salina. Or a combination of any/all of the above. She could probably use a robe, but handing her a white robe, now, would be counter-productive.

"I think..." she says wearily, looking down at herself, "a hot bath would be nice, first." Hopefully she isn't going to ruin any pools, and would at least prefer to keep the cleaning to just one initially.

Sabina enters the baths with a smile. A smile that turns to a rather startled expression as she catches sight of the two and Kira's state. "Lord of Laughter protect you! What in the world happened?!" She steps up towards the pair and gives them a hovering once over with a pained grimice type of expression. "Goodness. Let me heal you! Or try to clean your wounds at least."

"Peace on your nest, Sabina." Cryosanthia curtseys towards the cleric, "A mistake. I responded to attention, it didn't go well. This one will let Kira tell it, she was incredibly brave. We were going to use the hot pools, to clean and purify and do some healing."

The whitescale smiles awkwardly, "This is how the sentinel appears after some healing and cleaning." This is true. Kira would never be so rude as to slosh, smear, drip, or spray blood all over the place, much less in a temple! She is already barefoot and her tabard discarded as it took the brunt of things.

She manages a hint of smile at Sabina. "Hello. I'm well enough, now, but thank you. I just need to ..get clean. The demon escaped," which Kira is still regretful of from her tone, "but didn't really harm anyone, at least." So maybe she was partly successful. For now.

Sabina looks from one woman to the other with her mouth slightly agape. Her mask is in place, thankfully, because otherwise she might be accused of not believeing you both. "This is 'didn't really harm anyone'? For the love of laughter.." She says with a grump and then makes shooing motions towards you both. "Get in. Get in and I'll help as I can. If I can." The peacock on her shoulder dips it's head and turns it almost upside down looking at Cryo and then Kira in turn.

"Oh! Hello Emperor Overwhelming, this one forgot to greet you." Cryo grins widely at the peacock on Sabina's shoulder. She follows the instructions and the selection, slinking into the hot bath room. She finds a bench to put her haversack on, then removes her robe and folds it. "Kira held her off. HELD her, an Ice Demon, with claws bigger than mine. Took all her attacks. Serene magically switched places, and Kira returned and held her still. She was amazing. She wasn't going to let her hurt anyone."

Whitescales, everywhere, with pale glacial blue ones amongst them, a legacy of scars, spells and ancestors. Cryo has two stripes that run from her head all the way down to her tailtip on either side of her spine. That snowflake mark, marring her left hand. She makes a gesture, casting a cantrip. It's possible now to see the full effect. A glow starts on her chest and spirals out like an errant breeze along her arm, down to her left hand where there's a flash as it activates. A touch to her mouth, and pointing at Kira. The action repeated, to point at Sabina. Then the sith steps into the steaming water, her voice echoes as a tiny whisper beside the other two women. "I'm going to lie on the bottom, this should make it easier to hear me."

Kira may not have seen that effect across Cryosanthia's scales before and she winds up watching it, a bit mesmerized. Then she realizes that he oggling could be considered rude, especially in the current setting. The voice echoing is a bit of a surprise, but made clear by the explanation. "Oh! Thank you."

She then moves to a bench to pull off her sliced robes. They're folded neatly, even if they probably aren't salvageable. They bear The Healer's mark, afterall. Her own tunic beneath she's less concerned with, and has to peel it off, anyhow. Whatever didn't spray, it sponged. The breeches might be still viable after a good wash and are also foldeed.

Since it's only worth is a rag, now, Kira takes the tunic with her for just that. It also works as a held cover until she steps down into the pool. She's more than a little modest and self-conscious.

The warm water draws a relaxed sigh from her as she settles in... that then becomes a more embarassed or annoyed sigh as it also starts changing colors in her vicinity. "I will need to clean the pool afterwards."

Bina moves along with them to the edge of the pool. She nods briefly to Cryo and the peacock on her shoulder gives a soft cry of response to the sith before hopping off Bina's shoulder and moving along the pools edge, stopping to sip from the clearer water. "To clean water is a simple prayer that I'm sure someone within the temple has prepared, Kira. I have one to create water but not purify it currently or I'd take care of it myself." She closes her eyes and concentrates, her clothings changing to a short bathrobe and she steps out of her shoes and sits on the pools edge. "I'll rise you off Kira. If you like. I can assist with spell also if touch is too painful."

A bulge in her robe catches her attention and she makes a 'just remembered' face. "I have a gift for you Cryo. And Kira may have one too if she wishes."

The whitescale notices the attention, then the sentinels' embarassed reaction to her awareness. She makes a brushing motion with her hand. "This one does not mind, Kira. Four men saw every detail of my life, every Intimate detail, of eighty years. Salina had her hands on each of my organs and watches me still. Privacy and modesty have been ground into the dirt for me. If you feel uncomfortable I will cover, but I lost the ability to care."

She's half submerged now, up to her waist in water. She looks at the crimson tinge spreading from Kira, making a small painful noise in her throat. "You were really hurt. This one is sorry. Is the water good or too hot for you? My gloves, in my haversack, might clean the water. This one does not want to develope a taste for human blood, I already know Seldan's."

At the offer from Sabina, Cryo looks her way, "You do? Thank you! This is so unexpected, I'm curious. Will water harm it?" She wades towards the laughing one.

Returning to the Temple to check on Kira and Cryo after needing to replenish some of her 'supplies' in the artifice-heavy load she's been under since Maridrian, Toha makes her way as quietly as she can into the purification area after some careful negotiation. The construct steers herself into the chamber that sounds the most likely and gives an unabashed, if quiet, "Hey!"

Kira isn't blushing, at least! That or it just isn't visible under the other red on her face. She shakes her head at Cryosanthia. "No, it's not you. I was worried I was offending you, somehow. I ..." she stops and nods at the white sith's words. While she doesn't have decades of experience with that, she does have enough to understand part. The organs, not the men. "You're right. I am being foolish."

Turning to Sabina, she smiles. "Thank you. I think I can manage most, but I don't mind help. I think it looks worse, now, than what it is..." She starts using her tunic rag to scrub at her arms, now. She can't be sure how bad it is, herself, until she scrubs more. Also, to her delight, the growing cloud of red doesn't drift far from her before it dissipates to nothing.

It's a cleansing bath in a temple. It wouldn't be very cleansing if the water didn't stay clean, and there's no shortage of divine blessings here.

She startles a little at a new arrival and gives Toha a tired smile. "Hello."

Bina pulls a blet pouch from the pocket of her robe and gives thw two in the bath a wink. She then turns towards Toha and offers a smile and small wave. "It's..Toha, yes?" She asks before opening the pouch and removing a vial. It's the same shape and size as perhaps an alchemists fire or vial of holy water but this one has been marked with a danger sign and in a green vial. "I went about the city and asked all the alchemists I could find about the plauge oozes. In depth and detail. Asked them for a alternative to fire. What I ended up with is this. Vials of pure Lye. So no..it won't do well in the water. And if one breaks in here we'll need much water to wash it away or it will likely burn like acid even though it's not acid."

"No Kira, not at all. Not after what you did for Zeke and me, you never could." Cryosanthia says. She repeats her earlier cantrip, sparking more light to trickle along her scales, and points at Toha. A message for her. "Each of my spells causes a different pattern, and the stronger ones glow more. If I cast continually, the scales will eventually stay lit. I've practiced working it into dances, I'm my own light show. I hope to get the Dancing Lights cantrip next. It will be beautiful."

Reaching the side of the pool she leans an arm on the edge and nods to Toha, "Greetings also, Toha."

The sith blinks at Sabina's reveal, "Pure Lye! That will be effective! This one hopes she doesn't see more oozes, but that is very much appreciated. Would you slip it in the side pouch on my haversack, that's the one I use for potions. The other side is scrolls. Thank you so much!" Her tail swishes behind her, stirring water currents.

"A base." Toha explains softly, stepping further into the chamber and lifts a hand in a little finger wave she must have picked up, somewhere, "How're you all doin?" she asks gently. She looks to Kira at first on that one, for probably obvious reasons, then Cryo, before Sabina and the peacock, "I could make more if you need it."

Kira scrubs at her arms with the now-slightly-less-bloodied tunic rag to reveal ...arms! Yes, they are still there... though that's hinted at by the fact that she's able to scrub them in the first place. On to the rest of herself.

"I think the lights would be beautiful," she agrees, relaxing more. Her mood could be inversely proportional to the amount of gore stuck to her. "I hope there are no more oozes and the plague continues to be cured, but anything to fight against it is very welcome."

"I am alright, Toha, and will be better once a little more clean, I think. How are you?"

Bina grins at Toha. "You can?! Well then I know who to come to next time. Hopefulyl there isn't a next time but.. you never know. And think of this as a small dose of precaution?" She leans over and slips a vial into Cryo's bag and then offers one to Kira as well, setting it to the side for her. "Lights would be awesome. I can see the Crimson pen books now. How her body glowed with the eldritch lights of desire..." She grins at Cryo and chuckles softly.

Toha gives a quick glance to Cryo then, "Everything's back t'how it should be, thank you. Your patterns are really pretty, Cryo." She settles into a three-point crouch at the edge of the pool so she isn't looming, anymore and, "So... you can see yours?" she asks curiously.

Cryosanthia barks a short laugh, "They used to have a dark glow, the Mistress removed that. Casting used to hurt too. I am going to go under now. I will stay on the bottom. I will be fine, don't worry."

The white lizard pushes herself back, making a small wave then submerges. The water is hotter than she'd like, that is the only thing that concerns her. She exhales all the air in her lungs, huge bubbles floating up. The first breath after is always the shock. Usually it's a cold weight as the water fills them, this time, warm enough to choke and make her cough. As it burns its way in, her physiology switches over to breathing water, her mind slows down. The heat also makes her sluggish. She drifts downwards, flattens on the bottom. Her voice comes in everyone's ears, acoustically shifted deeper by the water pressure on her vocal cords. She sounds half asleep, "Mmm... sssee... my magic...? Yessss..."

"Are you sure you're alright, Cryosanthia?" Kira sounds only mildly concerned, and more than a little amused, at the change in mannerisms and pitch . She leans forward, putting her face and rest of her torso into the water. Partly, it might be to check on the sith, but it also lets her scrub her face clean. Admittedly, it would reveal (GASP!) her back to anyone above her. How scandalous. Though the snowflake mark over her spine at the waist she could probably do without.

After straightening up, she wipes water out of her face. "See what?" She wasn't sure if Toha was asking her or someone else. Not that she can see anything for a moment.

Bina motions to Kira. "Come.. Let me..or someone else get your back, Kira. It's got blood as well. Is there a place on you that wasn't cut to ribbons?" ,she asks with smile fading. "Perhaps you could explain to me what a demon was doing here in the city as well? Or was this somewhere else?"

"Her... whatever ya wanna call it." Toha replies uncertainly, canting her head,"When she manifests her powers." There is a little, natural seeming shrug, and, "I've heard people describe my Whitefire, but I can't see it." Curiously, she curls her free hand palm up, fingers splayed lightly and extends it toward the bird to let him(?) get her scent. Like a dog, or maybe a horse. She looks to Bina on her question, but isn't sure how to answer that one. Not completely.

Responses from the sith are delayed. She lying on the bottom, arms and legs spread out, tail behind her. A question is asked and it seems like almost a minute before she says anything. Her voice deep, and slow. For her, everything is a nice haze of heat, on the verge of causing a headache. Her lungs aren't stinging anymore, although breathing is a workout and speaking difficult. "Yessss.... ssseee powerssss."

This is followed up, "My fault... ssspellsss... sssaid Hello... Mistressss..."

Kira only hesitates a moment, then nods to Bina. "Ok, thank you. I don't think she hit my back much. I just ... bled everywhere, I guess. I'm sorry." She turns to put her back to her which also lets her address Toha easier. "Oh, the magic? I'm not used to seeing it on people like that, either... but it looks very nice on Cryosanthia's scales."

She doesn't look over her shoulder as she explains, "SHE sent the demon to us. The winter. She is ... terrible. I don't even know a word for it." She's not going to say her name or even her proper title right now. "You didn't cause it, Cryosanthia. SHE did."

Bina motions for the rags that Kira is using as a washcloth and starts in on the blood spots she can see, applying only enough preasure to remove them. She makes quick work of them and then offers Kira the cloth back. "There you are. Better. There's some on your bum but I figured I'd let you take care of that?" She lreans her head over Kira's shoudler and winks with a laugh. But then it's mroe serrious again as SHE is discussed. "I'm sorry I've been out doing other things. I've not kept up well with current affairs. But yes.. SHE is something beyond aweful and likely the cause of more then a few evils."

Toha hmm's. She nods quietly at that and gives up on the bird turning her focus back to the ladies, "I don't like her, either." she says casually.

She didn't cause it. Cryosanthia lets that thought sink in, takes the time to examine it, decide it's true and put write it where she won't forget. Swimming lets her open up all the raw, unprocessed emotions and lets her work on them. She has a landscape worth, a vast field of land mines that are only safe to poke when they'll go off in slow-motion. Her thoughts drift, she should reply, she hasn't replied in a while. Find the words. "Yesss..."

"You... ssso good. Ssshee... isss Nothing... cruelty... not... Anything..." Carefully picking her words doesn't make them any clearer. Especially when there's so much, her guilt at running away, frustation at being helpless, waiting in ignorance. Unable to solve or resolve anything. Drift, float, let it melt, it happened the past it can't hurt you now. Try to learn something from it. The heat weight settles on her head, everything feeling like a dream and her mind wanders. Her fingers flash and there's a muted thump-thump of a ghostly soundbeat underwater, a dance beat, or approaching doom. "Not... a fan... Mussst... essscape her... threatensss family... friends..."

"Thank you," Kira is grateful as Bina helps, then hands the rags back. Her cheeks redden at the last part, though, but not as much as they might. She wet and rings the rag out repeatedly. At first because it needs to be, but she continues long after its necessary.

"Don't apologize. I'm glad that you didn't experience them. They've hurt so many already; I don't want to see any more suffer. The city, maybe all of Ea, will be a much better place when she's stopped."

Lord Emp, the forgotten bird, didn't truely know what to make of Toha at first. The familiar cants his head from one side and then over to the other geting different angles of view on the created woman. And while he seems off-put by her he wastes no time hop-flapping up on her shoulder when the construct turns her attention away from him.

Bina glances up at this turn of events and snorts. "Womanizer." She grouses at her bird. "I wish I could have been there to help is all. I know I am outclassed in many ways but I could have been there to help you heal at least. But, that aside, I'm glad you both lived."

Toha doesn't jump as she is suddenly perched upon, though her head pivots very slightly to that side and she says, "Hey there, little buddy!" She silently laments that she doesn't habitually carry food, as critters tend to like food, but, she slowly brings a hand up across her chest with a finger crooked out to gently stroke at his chest, if The Lord Emp so allows. She remarks, "I am, too. The other thing is... awkward." She looks toward the pool with Cryo's music and she sinds her melody, the one she sang last night helping people into the temple after the brawl. Low, simple and somber at first.

At the bottom of the pool, the white lizard continues to lay there, shifted by the water currents, eased into a meditative, semi-sleep state. One land-mine goes off and she struggles to deal with it. She's listening, but the words of the others take a while to make their way around her head. A committee has to prepare a response, and then it's dropped on delivery. "Talk... more..." She slurs.

The music does continue, the beat well maintained, and the magic behind it making her sparkle in the depths. It is full of underwater tones and impending doom, perhaps her emotions leaking out in an unexpected way. The way it builds it seems as if something exciting is about to happen, and then it fades again.

"I'm sure you could and would have, Sabina," Kira may not want others in harm's way, and doesn't think they should feel guilty for being elsewere... but she's not about to discourage anyone from wanting to help.

She stops wringing out the rag and half-hearted works on her legs. While leaning back against the edge of the pool, so she's mostly getting her knee. And she doesn't really care. The various melodies are relaxing, and she absently hums along, or tries to. "Talk more? I don't want to interrupt the music; it's lovely."

"Talk more she says, from the bottom of the water. And I can't tell be it looks like she's falling asleep." Bina says with a laugh. "Talk? About anything? I can do that if I must." Her eyes almost twinkle with mirth as she goes on. "I had a wonderful few nights down at a certian bar by the docks where I read aloud Crimson Pen works. All of the Crimson Pen stories I could find on Lady Sandiel. I kept after her to attend thereadings but she chose not to."

Lord Emp does indeed allow this. Not that he would condone petting but showing the Lord Emperor of bird how much one adores him? Yes.. that will be fine.

Toha gently smooths the plumage with her fingertip and her focus turns toward the women again, though her head's position doesn't change. "Stories about Sandy?" here, her head reoriants slightly to look between them, "What's a Crimson Pen?" She lowers her volume some, but resumes her song as it left off, once the aquatic rythm reaches a good synch point, so she can hear an explaination if one comes back.

Cryosanthia has been under for a while now, long beyond the duration an average person can hold their breath. It's definitely a sith-makar species special skill. Lying there, lurking, letting the hot water bake her brain. Of course, grabbing people, wrestling and holding them other is another tactic of theirs, although Kira far exceeds her wrestling skills. Perhaps her thoughts have wandered here, as she murmurs, "Jealousss..."

The music keeps up, and to it she adds some throat singing. Deep warbles and underwater calls reminescent of other species. Just at the water on her vocal chords changes her voice, it shifts the tones of the sounds she makes. What might be chirps in the air are more churrrrrn-noises. It would be mildly unsettling if the source wasn't known.

"Invite... next time... perform... my ssstoriesss..."

Kira is under the water enough for it to start reaching her brain... or relax and heat everything else enough to start baking her brain by transfer. "She sounds like she's almost asleep, and I don't blame her at all. Books. The Crimson Pen writes books. Are books. They're romantic... and sometimes silly." Yes, Kira seems to be familiar with them. Because there are... Hearthguards that read it, then tell her about it. Yep.

"I'd love to see you peform, Cryosanthia... and I'm sure everyone's jealous of your talents." She opens hereye and it happens to be on Toha again, and she realizes that its not the only thing on her. "I think he likes you."

Sabina begins to giggle and then to laugh aloud. "Kira.." She says through her laughter. "I think Cryosanthia means she's jellous of Sandy and wants me to read the stories there are about herself aloud at the pub." Some more giggles before she continues. "I've even started adding in some basic cantrips to add to the story. Sounds and other things. It's gone over quite well. Many hoots and yells as well as laughter."

Lord Emp watches Toha and when her attentions seem to slack off there is a light peck to her fingers to demand that attention back. Bina looks over at him and admonishes the bird. "Be NICE, Emp."

Toha's finger resumes it's allotted task at the pecking, but she considers the women for a time, "Is romance... funny?" she wonders, her tone somewhat puzzled. She turns her head slightly at her passenger, "Not too rough?" she asks gently, then back to the women, still gently stroking the bird.

"Mikilosss... Fae Queensss..." Cryosanthia murmurs. It's an obscure reference, although one well versed in the Crimson Pen works might recognize it as a recent one. All the Pens authors are obscured, is the sith admitting to writing one. She keeps casting her music, and her deep humming. She continues to flicker, and as she mentionned earlier, some of her scales remain lit. She glitters like starlight at the bottom of the pool.

"Ssshe hugsss.... great." The submerged semi-slumbering sith says.

"I'm sure that it's wonderful," Kira offers an answer to Toha. "Fun, exciting, funny... Maybe some sad parts, too, sometimes? It's all those in the books." The mention of Mikilos and fae queens (either), makes her shiver even with the hot water, but she doesn't say anything about those.

"Thinking creatures will often make things humorus that usually aren't. It can be anything but there are writen stories that some might term..er.. romantic comedies. Others of the Crimson Pens are straight romances or even outright ..umm.. smut. I don't read those aloud so much. The romances are enough to read aloud and depending on how I read them I can get a laugh as well." Bina tells Toha before reaching out to briefly touch Kira's shoulder reassuringly. To Cryo she smirks and nods. "You give me the story and perhaps how you wish it to be read and I will be glad to do so, Cryosanthia."

Lord Emp bows his head in royal acknowledgement of Toha's continued service to the crown and lets out a haunting cry of low volume.

Toha lowers her chin slightly, considering, "It's like friendship, but... bigger, yes? With the added coupling?" The golem considers Kira as she elaborates on Cryo's statements, then Sabina as she explains the machanics of the medium. Her finger falters slightly with the bird's sudden vocalization and, "Is... he about t'puke?"

The mention of smut gets a swish or two out of Cryo's tail. Her hips even. Her deep thrumming takes on interrupted chuckling tones. There's a light scratching of her fingernails on the floor of the pool, even as she continues casting her cantrips to cause the deep water music. A surprisingly accurate whalesong call comes from the bottom of the pool, likely the magic and not the sith-makar herself. It's been a little while since she's said anything, but she must be conscious to a degree if she's casting.

Lord Emp jerks his head back in a way that proclaims his astonishment! As if he'd yark in public let alone on someone! In a huff he turns and hops off Toha, moveing to be by himself.

Bina giggle and then laughs as her familiar gets insulted. "No, Toha. That /was/ his way of saying good job. But he's aggrivated now. He's smarter then he has any right to be and can essentually understand what you say in a limited way."

Toha cants her head and reaches up under her braids to worry at the back of her head, "I'm sorry... I don't always... understand new creatures." she says ruefully. She looks to Bina at her laughter, back to the bird. Another shrug, and the construct shifs her leg to take a knee, clasping the edge of the pool with one hand and sticking her face into the water to ask, "Are you ok down here?"

Cryosanthia seems to have acclimatized to the heat a little, at least that tail wiggling kept up and now she's powering herself around the deep end of the hot pool. She pushes off either side, and then she flips over so she's lying on her back, staring upwards. Her eyes seem odd, an underwater lid blinked over them so she can see. The deep doom-doom music continues, and it's much louder and more interesting underwater. She slips herself up into the shallows where she can look up at the others. She waves at the peacock on Toha's shoulder, keeps humming.

Bina gets up from her spot on the side of the pool with another laugh. "Don't worry about it, Toha. Normally a peacock is more fiesty and offputting. But as he's a familiar he'll get over it." She peers at her bird. "Eventually." Another smirk as she concentrates on her clothing and reverts it back to something normal. "Don't stay in there too long, Cryosanthia! Humans can be harmed with too much hot water time. Not sure how the Sith function." She moves over and puts her shoes back on and then snags up her bird. "Take care!"

Toha pulls her head out of the water, the eyeslit somehow not beading the moisture that runs in rivulets down her face, as Cryosanthia opts to shift positions. She returns the wave, then looks to Sabina as she gives reassurance and warning before taking her leave. She waves with a, "Cya later!" then turns her attention back to those who remain.

Somewhere between the shoulder touch, the peacock's cry and the increase in music volume, Kira ... dozed off? One would think it'd be a relaxing nap in the hot pool and now mostly clean, but it isn't, really. She twitches now and then, or mumbles something unintelligible but unhappy. It's not until Toha's friendly farewell that she wakes with a start, abruptly sitting up with a bit of splash and panic.

"Yesssss..." Cryosanthia drags out her word. Sabina's warning drifts around her mind, eventually settles on a mental rock, where her inner white dragon picks it up. It reads it over carefully, great advice, things are getting hot in here. She murmurs, "Cold... pool..."

It looks like she's inhaling, then she pushes off the bottom and surges out of the water. She takes heavy steps up the stairs in the shallow end. Water streams off her, leaving a wet trail. She's moving slower than she should, grabs her haversack and robe and staggers into the hall. A few more heavy thumps and there's a loud splash from the cold pool next door.

"AH! AHhhh! Cold!" Her voice burbles in ears.

Toha looks to Kira as she restarts and she straightens, "Are you alright, Kira?" she wonders, her tone gentle and concerned. There's a look to Cryo as she emerges and her head pivots to watch her leave then, the exclamation, "You're ruin your temper if you keep doing that."

Kira blinks and starts to get her bearings after her abrupt awakening. No, she's not drowning. She's ...just in the pool. No, she's not nake ... Ok, she is, but not in the midst of a public address. Everything starts to seem as it should be and she begins to relax again.

Just in time to recognize Toha's concerned words and then hear Cryo yelp(?) out in shock. Oh no! Fearing the worst, she's up and out of the water in a flash, padding rapidly and drippingly, streaking to the hall and around into the other room. "What's wrong?!"

"It'sss cold! So cold! Heee. I ssshould like the cold." Cryosanthia is curled up in a little ball, in the deep end. A little bit of steam rising from the water above her. Unheated, this pool is a lot more clearer. The rippling surface still distorts her, and there's a wet splash zone making it obvious she jumped in as a ball. Her things are on a new bench, same position. "Thinking so much faster now! Had to hold a waterbreath, if I let air in I can't breath under for a day."

Toha pushes up to her feet and follows the exhibition out to the other room. Her head has a slightly curious camber to it, but her expression is unchanged, then, "Ya can rework yer thinking bits?" A shrug, "That'd be handy, now an then."

"Oh!" Kira finally has her thinking bits kick in, not so much reworked. Maybe they need to be. "Ah!" Now she realizes the rest of her bits are out in the open, and we just running down the hall... even if it was just around the corner. She nearly jumps into the water to cover herself... with clear water. Nearly.

"You are alright, though?" she asks as she steps into the shallows with a bit more poise and grace than jumping in, though that takes more effort. "It's not too -COLD!" She exclaims as she steps in. On second thought, maybe plunging in all at once would've been better. As a compromise, she sits quickly in the shallows. She looks over after, to Toha. Not sure what to make of her expression (or lack of one), she hopes the water will cool her cheeks. "Hello again!"

"Thisss one isss fine! Yesss. The heat. A little much. The water. Ssslowss thinking." Cryosanthia says, uncurling on the bottom and actually swimming around. Two tailstrokes one way, turn and kick off the wall, two tailstrokes the others. It's not a lot of swimming, but she has to warm up somehow. "Cold, isss nice. The world feelsss right. When cold. You have changed coloursss!"

The golem settles into her three-point crouch again at the edge of the pool and she wonders, "Hello?" at the new greeting, then as she looks into the water she wonders, "Were they able to help that old man?"

Kira is changing back, though. She hopes. She looks down at herself and back up. "It's from the heat..." Some of the flushing probably is. She pauses. "Or do you mean because I'm clean?" Kira realizes that possibility a little late. She forgot the fallen man entirely. "I... I'm sure he's well. He was taken to the healers...?"

"Yes. Thisss one got him to priesst. Heart isss fine." Cryosanthia says, rolling over and over in the water, thrashing a little. She comes a lot closer to the surface now, then splashes with her tail as she dives to the bottom. Then she's circling Kira, ominously. She starts the music up again. The sounds of doom. "Everyone in the sssquarre, wasss fine. Thisss one isss ssstarting to hate that fountain."

Toha shrugs again, "I used my healin' gadget on'im, but... his heart was hurting and I... I didn't know what to do." she says guiltily, "Cryo took'im to the Temple." When Cryo elaborates, she nods and she gives a soft, relieved, "That's good, I'm glad we kept the bystanders safe."

Kira lets out a breath she didn't realize she was holding when things seemed up in the air a moment. "Good. Good. I should have taken him there. Or the woman and child. Or... There were so many."

Cryosanthia surges up, bringing a wave of water with her so she's standing in front of Kira now. She turns to the side, hugs her chest and bends over, throwing up a tremendous amount of water. A huge, clear stream that seems to go on forever as she empties her lungs. She finishes with a cough, several gasps, and a strong inhale, that leaves her panting, "Oh that always stings."

"We did save them. All of them. Most listened and ran, that was good. The others...." She looks down on the human, grinning widely, all her teeth showing, "Should we try water wrestling like we do in Am'shere, where I try to hold you under until you drown? Not all the way, of course."

Toha nods, "The others were stupid." she says softly, "If yer not gonna fight, run. Unless yer... a bard or somethin', I guess, but I don't think there were that many." The offer to wrestle to unconsciousness cants her head a little, "How would ya not go all the way?"

Kira looks a little shocked and maybe mildly queasy as Cryo ejects all that water. Though, she guesses it makes sense since she was breathing it. Then nods at the news. "Good. Good."

She then abruptly stops nodding and blinks at the white sith at the suggestion. "That is a sport? Drowning other-oh! Until they have to breath water?" That would make much more sense to her. She couldn't really imagine people actually drowning each other for sport.

"Yes! And... practice for fighting Charnath elite troops, but it is also a youngling game. Until the opponent has to breath water, or thrashes a lot. Not holding one under very long, is how to avoid going all the way." Cryosanthia explains, "There are others, keeping a ball up, a call and echo to find others while blind. Body surfing rapids, though one needs rapids for that."

The golem considers that in silence and shrugs, "I guess I make sure it breaks up if someone taps out?" she inquires dubiously.

Kira listens, uncertain of some, though the games of calling or even with balls sound much more familiar. "Oh, I think I know of some of those games... or a version of them." Then Toha is volunteering to referee and things suddenly seem rather abruptly solid. "Do you mean now? Are you sure it would be safe? Maybe we could begin with something more simple?" This reminds her of something that does make her smile. "Halani and I are working to offer training to any who would want to defend themselves. Without weapons, without harm."

"I remember, you were talking by... the fountain, a few weeks ago. That would be fun, to try that training." Cryosanthia says, swishing backwards in the water. She crouches low, so her head and shoulders are exposed, but with her neck stretched out so they're all partially submerged. It would seem crocodilian if it weren't for her horns. She blows some bubbles, "We don't have to. It's a silly game, Elite Charnath vs Loyal Am'shere defenders."

Toha hmmm's, her usual expression on her face as she stands, "I can fight with my fists, but not without meaning ta do damage." With a bassy clang, her fist slams into the other palm, "Pullin' punches so I don't break bones leaves me open."

"We hope it will help those in need," Kira nods, smile growing fondly. Perhaps the first major instance since the plaza outside. "Help those who feel weak to be strong, in defense of themselves and others, and without bloodshed. It is ... a dream of mine. Many tell me it is foolish, but I think it worthy."

"Your game is not silly. It is good practice. I just worry I might do something wrong. Or..." She looks down at herself, though manages to not redden. "...that I'm a little ... exposed. You have scales," a glance to Toha, "or leather and metal. I think I would ... chafe."

"This one is not as sharp as demon claws, but does have rough scale patches. That is true. I did not consider. We can another time." Like many of the whitescale's thoughts, of times long ago in places far away from her, where she romped as a young lizard and pretend charnath troops were her clutch-mates. Before she met the real thing, and before she came to Alexandria, where things got worse. "You should swim, submerge and hold your breath and push yourself off the wall towards the other. Kick feet. The water flowing over the body is exquisite. If you sink I will save you."

Toha turns, "I'll be back." and she steps out into the hall to venture into the other room for a couple of moments, then comes back with some of the cloth items left behind to offer Kira's way.

Kira's renewed smile turns mmore mirthful at Cryo's words. "I may not know all the games, but I do enjoy swimming.." A bit unabashedly, at least for her, she leans forward towards the deeper end and pushes off. Her arm strokes and kicks aren't as elegant or efficient as a tail, but she manages. On the surface for a body length until it gets deeper and then she angles under the water. She tucks and rolls at the edge to reverse direction, pushing off the wall to coast her way out and back up to break the surface. In time for Toha to return with some of her things, even, that she notices after wiping water from her eyes "Oh, thank you! On the bench is fine for now, if you don't mind?"

"Yes. It helps most, when I want to sink." Cryo says, ducking under then powering herself along with her tail. She doesn't move much faster than a human pace, but she does seem to be at home in the water, sliding sleekly through it. Bubbles trailing from the tips of her horns. She turns in the deep end, returns to the shallows and surfaces. Her eyes look strange, until she blinks and the underwater lid snicks away. "Seldan and Malik questionned me harshly about my motivations yesterday, blamed me for the demon, accussed me of wishing to be owned by Salina and trying to make Seldan break his vows. I was very upset. Then. Zeke choose to leave with them, as if he does not trust me. Salina and the Tower could not break him, but scant weeks out and I have."

Toha turns to set the items on the bench, "Yer welcome!" then turns back to see what's going on, "I can swim, but it doesn't do anything for me." she muses, resuming her three-point at the edge. She looks to Cryo, canting her head, "I missed how 'Wanna see how I saw you' turned inta any of that." She worries at the back of her head with the free hand, "I don't understand what's between you and this 'mistress'. I don't like that she calls you 'Pet', but that's all I understand."

"After all that talk, and this," Kira laughs a little, "I almost wish I had a tai-what?!" Happy feeling gone and her eyes widen at Cryo. What? Why? How?" She already knows Who and When. Where doesn't matter so much. If there were other interroagatives, she might ask them.

Despite her recent statement, and state of dress, her immediate reaction is very Kira. She makes a stroke or two to the sith to offer a hug. "You didn't do that. SHE did. We know that. Cryo..." She may not even wait for outright permission unless Cryo moves away to embrace her. "I'm sure Zeke trusts you. He must be working for you. If they are worried about you, and I think they're wrong or confused, but they trust him, he would be your advocate."

"This doesn't like it either. The Mistress was very persuasive with her knives. I could barely follow their logic. I think they were spoiling for a fight, for me daring to say they presume without knowing. Malik said to look at things objective, see that my actions cause more harm than inaction. They all seemed ready to ascribe the worst intentions to me." Cryosanthia growls, her tail splashing. She stands rigid and cold in the hug. Holding her is not a good sensation, it feels very similar to wrestling an ice demon the day before. "I don't know. His scents were not good. It seemed he wished to escape me."

Toha lowers her chin slightly, but doesn't say anything. She considers the words, the inferrences, trying to understand. Aside from that initial movement, her stillness, her silence promise to be lasting, as the last bead of water from her earlier snorkeling falls from the point of her jaw.

If it is reminiscent of the day before, a similar thought cross Kira's mind. She could choose to not let go. While it would be for completely different reasons, for a different outcome, and (she would hope) very much more soft and comfy, maybe unending hugs would be the right choice?

But, no, that would be rude. Cryo is not like the demon, and definitely not like HER, no matter what some might seem to think. So she releases her, reluctantly. "I think they are weary, disheartened, suffering. We all are. She is evasive, seems unending. We all want her stopped. Maybe they want to find blame, or reason, or something that they think makes some sense. That doesn't make them right, and doesn't make you wrong, Cryosanthia."

Kira sighs. "Sometimes, we they can't find it anywhere else, I think people will seek hope in the darkest of places, just to have it. Terrible things can come from that. I'm sorry that they might think this, and are upsetting you. Please know that I don't think that, and never would."

"He smelled distressed, like he was really, really worried. If he was worried about me, why did he leave with them? If he was worried about them, why not assurances he would correct their thinking? Zeke suggested I did not care about spectator casualties." Cryosanthia says. Released, she abruptly dives underwater, completes another length. Surges up in the shallows, splashing a cold wave. Hoarfrost forms on her once she's stood out of the water for a minute. Whatever hasn't managed to escape her scales freezes on them.

"Well they found someone to blame. This one is sick of being their punching bag. So objectively, I sacrificed almost a century of my life, great pain, to try and get some information that would save this city. I'm called selfish. Maybe the Soldier's Defense and the Everstorm Station wouldn't have happened. Maybe Zeke wouldn't have been dragged in, if I hadn't offered to help. Objectively, does this city seem like it's benefitted from eight decades of my effort? Have I got a worth of that? Why? For who? To have my cihuaa leave me?"

Toha rises to her feet and steps forward to drop with a weighty splash in the pool before slogging over toward Cryo. There isn't a lot of worry about her breathing as such, but she moves rather quickly, considering to walk up into the shallow end, but her gesture isn't a hug on closing the distance. Instead, her hand reaches out for the Sith's shoulder, "bleh" she says in a low tone, then, should her hand successfully make contact, 'I saw someone tryin' ta help me get the innocent clear o'the battle, so the others could fight.' She doesn't full grasp what cihuaa means, but, 'It's hard ta keep trying after ya been hurt. Hurt deep. The weak stop. The selfish stop. That isn't what I saw.' <unknown>

Cryosanthia leans into the shoulder contact. She listens, observes, "You were so badly broken. The things... you said when you were coming back. It was clear you were terrified and hurt. Languages this one has never heard. I know you know. I would not think a war machine could feel those things. This one is not a machine. If I look objectively..."

She stares off at her whitescale haversack. It's well made, solid. It came from the mage. Perhaps his advice is as good as it is. "Objectively... I endanger everyone I'm around. She wants me back, she will send another demon, whenever she feels inclined. I should be someplace suitable for a demon. I should go to Charnath, the desolation. She can find me through the mark, they are smart enough mages this one is sure they'll figure it out. My cihuaa fears to be around me, or feels I'll be safe without him, or trusts me to make it through... well this one can do that elsewhere. Not be the liability to their plans. Objectively ... this city will be safer without me and owes me more than it will ever repay, so I should take my disaster show and poor judgement somewhere else."

The whitescale sith looks over at her pack again. She climbs the steps out of the water, what doesn't stream off her freezes, and the wet trail she leaves skins over with black ice. "Everything I own is here. I have no nest. My cihuaa has teleported to Empress knows where, he'll be able to teleport to Empress knows wherever I end up. Yes."

Cryosanthia slings on her pack. She bows, "This one appreciates your friendships. This one apologizes. This one goes."

She walks out wearing nothing but frost and a frosty demeanor.