His House

Log Info

• Title: His House
• Emitter: Aryia
• Characters: Aryia, Irshya
• Place: The Bathhouse
• Time: February 11th, 2022
• Summary: After a trying time, a bruised Aryia seeks relief within the calm waters of the bathhouse. She spies an Irshya cleaning up and sneaks up on her, almost getting a hand bitten in the process. They share current ongoings, victories and oddities before they end up chasing each other in the pool like usual.

The TarRaCe, Bathhouse. Evening.

If there was one place to seek refuge. One, sole place, in this entire city. It was the welcoming and warm waters of the bathhouse.

A familiar, scarred mul'neissa woman enters the room in a white bathrobe, her usual wear underneath it. Her bare feet were a bit unsteady, some discolor present on her face from bruises that left them various shades of dark blue and moving on yellow. There was even a bit of dried blood on the corner of her lip.

And yet, she's standing tall. And there's an easy smile on her that ignores the minor smartings of pain.

Slowly, she finds her usual chair that she dumps her belongings in, and disrobes, more colorful bruising along her sides and torso.

The Gobbo is present and visible today, humming some tune somewhat loudly. After listening for a few moments, it appears to be the tune to a bawdy tavern song, without the words.

It appears that the lady's side has just been cleaned, as Irshya is putting chairs and benches back into place along the walls, while the pool itself is filling at a modest rate. The bucket, mop and scrubbing brush are set in one corner, awaiting their return to the storage cupboard.

The faint smell of soap and lemons mingles with the scent of fresh flowers, a mix of which sit upon a windowsill, potted and blooming in the bright light of day.

The pool-shark seems oblivious to the arrival of the monk, quiet happily busying herself with the little things of baths care.

Aryia takes note of the humming pool shark, her smile growing just a bit more. She takes the moment to doff the rest of her belongings. Down to her chest wrap and black swim trunks. She draws in a fresh breath, enjoying the familiar wafting scents of a clean bathhouse.

The pugilist shifts around behind the busy goblin. Putting the cleaning supplies away into the storage cupboard. And few more things are quietly nudged into place before Irshya can get there.

And before long, a hand comes out of seemingly nowhere and pats the pool shark atop the head.

GAME: Aryia rolls stealth: (11)+22: 33
GAME: Irshya rolls perception: (1)+11: 12 (EPIC FAIL)

The pool shark is not always easy to sneak up on. The tail is a good defensive measure, seemingly randomly swishing back and forth, especially when Irshya is pleased about things. Setting things in order seems to be quite pleasing to the wee woman.

But that said, she is quite obviously surprised when she's patted upon the head. A squeak is blurted out, which echoes from and the pool, and the Gobbo flails at the hand. A moment after, her eyes suddenly cloud over, and her maw opens, teeth coming out as she moves upwards.

Pausing, her pupils can be seen shifting under the cloudiness, focusing on Aryia. Snorting, her mouth shuts with a click of teeth, and the cloudiness slides away from her pupils. A moment later she is silently hugging at the Mul'neissa.

The bruised mul'neissa woman blinks as she sees the maw reach for her outstretched hand. She tilts her head to the side, cracking her neck with a few slow pops. Her glowing gaze is almost challenging. 'Do it. Try. I dare you.'

She snorts, wrapping an arm around the pool shark and patting her back.

"Mul'neissa are probably all scrawny and gamey anyways.", Irshya says with a laugh. "But you did startle me. You got me good. Irshya will have her revenge. Hopefully Aryia will not punch her to the moon."

Her little hands tug briefly at Aryia's waistband, enough to indicate that Aryia should settle into the bath. "Irshya has just freshly cleaned the whole pool, just for you!" Her little tail flicks back and forth. "I have missed you." The pool shark now seems to notice the bruising and apparently recently healed wounds. "Do you need any tending to? Irshya does have healing spells."

Aryia snorts, shaking her head. "Not all of them are. And I'm not scrawny!" she shoots back. "Yes, I'll boot you so hard you look nothing more like a flying bird far, far away."

Another pat before she's being tugged towards the pool. "Missed you too, Shark. Thank you."

She shakes her head, smiling more. "No thank you. Already been healed. This is just the left over that needs time and care. Hence the baths." <Handspeech>

"Irshya find most Elven-like peoples to be too skinny. You need more muscle on your bones, Aryia." Giggling lightly, she plunges into the pool with enthusiasm, swimming about in circles at a decent pace.

As the Mul begins to settle, the Gobbo moves close to eye the wounds carefully, as if to get her own opinion on whether Aryia's been properly tended to or not.

"Irshya finds the care in these wounds to be adequate at best. If you find any nagging pains here and here..." Her little hands gently cover a few of the larger wounds momentarily, "Come and see Irshya. She will fix it properly. But you are right, time and rest will fix just about everything."

Her head bobs and she grins brightly. Rarely, it seems as though all of her teeth are in, filling her smile with off-white beauty.

Aryia huffs and flexes. "I /am/ muscle, Shark!" she pouts before sighing and all but faceplanting into the pool. She resurfaces, smoothing her hair back and out of the way as she rubs at her face and leans back against the inner wall.

The wounds do seem like they've been looked after. The dried blood on her lip and the bruising suggests she was struck with something blunt, repeatedly, and very, very hard.

She gives a little nod, holding up a scarred arm so it's easier to inspect. The mute smiles a bit at the sight before her. "It does hurt, just a little, but honestly, that's okay. It was worth it." <Handspeech>

The comment earns another grin from the Sharky-one, and she reaches up to pat at Aryia's hair. "Yes, dear.", she says in a motherly fashion, tinged with humour.

She glances at the wounds once more, and looks up with sad eyes at the Mul'neissa. "Irshya would very much like to make it better. You have had more than your fair share of pain, it isn't right."

Aryia scoffs and shakes her head at that. "Oh hush," she playfully pushes the smallfolk in the water.

The mute sighs, her smile softening. "It's okay. This pain is worth it."

There's a joy that sparkles in her eyes. She motions slowly, like sharing a secret that was exciting news in of itself, "... it was from me getting my sister back." <Handspeech>

Irshya squeaks dramatically, and makes a show of flying backwards into the water after being 'shoved hard' by Aryia. She surfaces a moment later, grinning toothily. She squints at the finger gesturing, and her eyebrows rise up slightly. "Oh?", she wonders.

The pool shark carefully beaches herself in the Mul'neissa's 'scrawny' lap, stretching out on her back, her fin squishing between Aryia's legs.

"Irshya did not wish to poke or prod, since you seemed sad, and mad. But could you explain to Irshya what has happened, now that your sister is back? The whole story, at least, what you know?"

Aryia chuckles at the dramatics at play, but she gives a soft sigh, and nods, leaning back and closing her eyes. She adjusts the shark in her 'not muscled' lap, and then starts to sign.

A lot.

"I'm going to leave out parts of it for her sake. But, in short, she traded herself for a child to a demon, and lost her soul in the process. Me and some friends went and got her soul back after a lot of digging and trial and error and fighting cultists. We went to the Grey Halls, got her soul, then did something to bait the real body out. We killed a copy of her off, and that one beat the shit out of me. Then sister, who's now got demon powers, is trying to stop us from doing something. I was told I had to put her soul that's on this necklace on her and to run away."

She grins victoriously. "I put it between my knuckles and jabbed her with it in the chest. That worked on expelling whatever demon shit was in her. As, well. She exploded. Well, the demon stuff did. And she was back!"

Her smile softens some, as she's hung up in the memory of the reunion. "... fuck, that felt so good to punch her in the fucking face once she was herself again..." <Handspeech>

The pool shark is easily enraptured in the tale of adventure, her excitement in the telling obvious in the quiver of her tail.

The Mul's victorious grin brings a similar grin in Irshya, a wee hand patting an unbruised part of Aryia's knee.

An eyebrow drops while the other rises up, and there's a brief 'Yoo wat?' look, before the Gobbo raises her hand up to smack her forehead.

"You really did, didn't you?", she says with a snort and a sigh.

Aryia snickers, nodding briskly. "Of course I did! Of all the worry she put me and my friends through, she fucking deserved to get decked in the face. Don't worry, I cried like a little bitch and hugged the shit out of her after it." <Handspeech>

Irshya crosses her arms, and grins. "Irshya would have punched you back and asked what took you so long..." A wee finger pokes at Aryia's stomach, in a spot clear of bruising or recent damage.

"You give rough love."

The Gobbo holds up her hands, and begins to meticulously sign. "Despite ... that, I love you."

Aryia snorts. "Wouldn't surprise me if she did that as well."

A sigh leaves her, and she gives a little nod as her abs are prodded.

And she pauses at the motions.

Unbeknownst to Irshya, or perhaps, inferred easily, the mute has been sort of in an emotional gobbo coaster as of late. So instead of any sharp reaction, or bawling that might happen.

Her face softens. She pats the pool shark's head. And whispers ever so quietly: "Love you too."

The Gobbo's ears perk up and she giggles brightly. "Goodness. I do not know how anyone can keep up with you." She laughs then, and sighs. "Irshya thinks that maybe she should get out of the Tarrace and see more of the world. Would you show her some of it?"

The pool shark stretches then, her legs wiggling as she yawns. "Irshya thinks she could become almost as scrawny as you if she tried moving around."

Aryia grins. "I slow down for them," she teases before gaining a pensive look, her gaze going out across the waters. "... that wouldn't be a bad idea, Shark," she gestures slowly. "I can show you some places, yes. I have some favorite hang around spots."

She smiles. "... oh? Is that a bad thing?"

The pool shark giggles at length, patting again at a wound-free spot on the Mul's stomach. "Irshya is proud of being your friend. You were hardly willing to crack a smile, let alone make a joke. It is very nice to see."

Her grin is broad and full of mischief. "But Irshya would like that. To see a few of your hang around spots. Irshya would show you some of hers, but you would have to be able to hold your breath. For a bit." The Gobbo chuckles. "Yes, and no. Irshya would like to be like rock, like you. But Irshya likes her plumpness for its protection in the colder water."

Aryia chuckles silently. "I'm still like that, but I'm certainly less prickly nowadays. To be honest, I was still getting used to being in a free city back then."

The mute quirks a brow, her smirking some. "I can't hold my breath forever. But fine, I suppose a compromise can work to stay warm."

"Oh yes, it is chilly in places, but it will be warmer than the water at the top." The Gobbo stretches again, her small frame shaking almost violently. "Mmm, something popped and felt good.", she murmurs. "Irshya thinks the breathing thing is the harder problem to solve." Little slats begin to open and close on her neck. "Not so much for Irshya, though. Maybe there are boats that go under the water? I mean, people have made boats that roll on land, float on the water, and fly in the air..."

The mute empathetically smirks, rolling a shoulder and nodding. "I'm a pretty good swimmer, but I don't, you know, have /gils/ like you do," she motions before pointing at the slats with a squint.

Though, she shrugs. "Maybe, wouldn't surprise me. I think it'd be easier just to find someone that can do some magic to breathe underwater. I've been subjugated to that before. It was..."

She rubs her face, remembering an adventure. "... I was a kobold, sneaking into a kobold place. Underwater." <Handspeech>

She turns her neck to give a better view. "Yes, part of... my mother's heritage, Irshya supposes. And magic could work, but you have to be very vigilant. Don't want it to run out while you're deep down. But we can go to the easier to reach places first to practice."

Irshya blinks, her eyes widening. "Awwww. You were a kobold? So cute! What colour of scale did you have?"

Aryia nods slowly. "We had to be careful with timing on the magic for sure. But okay, that sounds like a good plan. Plus, if the magic is about to go out and we're outside the city, I can get out /really/ fast if I have to."

Her ears droop a bit and she rubs her neck, looking aside. "... grey scaled. Was a spell that did it. I... thought they were going to do an illusion. Nope. Actual change. I was not used to having a tail at /all/." <Handspeech>

Irshya's tail wiggles lightly. "Awwww. Irshya would have loved to have seen that." Her eyes are full of mischief. "Irshya loves playing with Little Fang, Cryo's little girl. Oh. She must have had the hatchlings by now, else she must be about to burst!"

The pool shark grins. "She is so full of egg."

Aryia's face colors a bit. "It was when I was more prickly, so I was an awkward kobold. Still would be. It was... different."

Though, the topic change makes her smile. "Little Fang is wonderful. And is keeping Cryo company. She's not full of them anymore though, now we're waiting for them to hatch. I helped around with keeping her sane in Mictlan," she taps her chest with her thumb, a bit proud. "Picked up some dragon talk while I was there, because /man/ was it awkward at first when a mul'neissa shows up to help the mothers out." <Handspeech>

"Eeeee, awkward kobold..." The pool shark giggles. "Sounds adorable! And Irshya thinks it would be pretty different. If it were not for the mission you had to do, it could have been fun, yes?"

She sits up a little. "Oh? She's laid them all already? Irshya would like to see that."

The Gobbo's expression grows thoughtful. "Irshya wonders if they know other languages. She.. is going to learn more hand sign. Maybe she can learn how to speak dragon."

Aryia sniffs, rubbing her nose. "I guess. Colors were different. Smells were different. Couldn't see well in the dark like I can now. I wasn't super comfortable with myself then, so imagine how I felt being completely different and just as uncomfortable."

She nods. "She has. Six eggs, if I remember correctly. Perhaps one day you can, I'll ask her. Getting to the nesting grounds is... a bit involved. They treat that stuff very seriously. Culture."

A grey hand scratches behind a grey ear. "Handspeech is good, and not just for my sake. A lot of my friends have picked it up, and it's super fucking helpful when we go on missions and we have to be quiet. The dragon one is... hard for me. It's a lot of growls and throaty sounds, I can't make those. But I can write it decently well. I know a handful of elf-adjacent languages, and some esoteric ones. But lately I haven't really had the need to do so. I kind of... how do I put this..."

She rubs her face, searching for the words. "... I kind of get the gist of what people are saying, no matter what tongue they say it in. It's fucking weird." <Handspeech>

Irshya ohs and nods. "Irshya often wonders what other people see compared to her own vision. Can see in complete darkness, while Irshya knows some can see heat, others are just really good with moonlit nights."

The pool shark claps her hands. "Eeee! Irshya guessed five or six eggs, she could hear them talking! Irshya is so glad." She rubs at her chin. "Irshya uhm she knows Khazad, and the trading tongue, and Gobbo-speak. Also a uhhh couple of languages one might consider to be evil. Or degenerate."

She nods to the Mul'neissa. "Maybe it is a benefit of the headband? Or perhaps your training as a painter of light and darkness?" A broad grin shows off her teeth. "Or maybe it's because you punch people so hard, they begin to make sense?"

The pugilist chuckles. "Good guess. Though, for me, I can see really, really well in the dark. Even magical darkness doesn't blind me," she smirks, tapping the corner of her glowing gaze.

She nods in understanding. "I get it. I know one that's a bit in a grey area. And another that... makes no sense why I should know it. But I do."

The elf weakly shrugs. "I.. really don't know. Maybe the painting bit," she breathily snorts. "Sort of happened after I had a little self-acceptance. So yes, I get what people say now. But... now I can't fucking /curse/ without people knowing my shit talking them." She pouts.<Handspeech>

The Gobbo blinks, canting her head slightly, peering up at Aryia. She snorts, and then begins to giggle at length. "S.. so... so people understand.. what you're saying?" Her laugh sounds slightly pained, sharp and lengthy, a wee hand hitting her own thigh.

Wiping an imagined tear away, she sighs. "Irshya thinks that is hilarious." Another blink, and the laugh returns. "You can't even say nasty things in your head because of that headband!"

Aryia sticks her tongue out at the gobbo. "Y-s, -t's f-ck-ng -nn-y-ng," she hisses out in a more elegant sounding prose, yet the underlying meaning could still be picked apart. <Sildanyari/Tongues>

Though, at that, she shakes her head. "No. I have to use the headband for people to hear me. I can still bitch about someone in my head and they're none the wiser." <Handspeech>

The giggling pool shark makes a half-hearted attempt to snatch at Aryia's protruding tongue, while her giggles continue. "Ah, still... you have to see the humor in it. With your voice damaged, you struggle a little to make yourself heard, and understood. Now it doesn't matter, people get what you're saying. And you're mad!" Irshya snorts and falls to more giggles.

She pats lightly at the Mul'neissa's stomach. "Life has a sense of humour, after all."

"They still can't understand my hands, Shark!" Aryia points out, poking Irshya's head to keep her away from snatching distance. A sigh leaves her, and she chuckles, shaking her head.

She flinches a bit, precursor of a successful tickle. "Yes, it's so funny. I'm sure Tarien is laughing his ass off." <Handspeech>

Irshya rubs at her forehead, and then tries a bit harder to tickle, prodding lightly with her fingertip claws.

"You are in his house, after all. He can see and hear you in here."

She looks up to the Mul'neissa. "But he loves best those who have a sense of humor."

The mute's cheeks puff out as she tries to stifle some laughter. A palm presses against the shark's head, trying to keep her away. But, alas, Aryia isn't the largest folk, so those claws find their mark. "Then I guess he'll find it funny when I do this-!"

The gobbo is scooped up. The pugilist turns on the spot. And suplexes Irshya into the pool. <Handspeech>

The Gobbo looks quite surprised as she's scooped up, and squeals when she's suplexed into the pool. She squirms and wiggles, attempting to escape afterwards, her little tail churning up the water.

She attempts to tickle at Aryia's feet.

Aryia releases her after the splash and submerging into the waters, only to find most of her air being released in a torrent of bubbles as she laughs from the assault.

She surfaces for a breath, then dives in under, trying to chase after the pool shark of wisdom.

-End Scene-