Poolside Thoughts

Log Info

• Title: Poolside Thoughts
• Emitter: Irshya
• Characters: Irshya, Aryia
• Place: TarRaCe Bathhouse
• Time: January 4th, 2022
• Summary: Irshya and Aryia have a lovely poolside chat. Though, the conversation takes place in their heads, the mute having acquired an amusing item for communication. They cover various topics, from symbology and finger painting, to food and friends. Aryia bullies Irshya to eat something, and they go do just that.

A cold and windy day has eased into a cold and windy night. Many patrons have made their way out, leaving a few hardier folk to enjoy another cold or hot drink.

The baths are empty, and the tiling, furniture and pools are all shiny and spotless. All of the laundry has been cleaned and neatly folded, and the usual employees have headed out for home.

In the lady's pool, a wee blue form moves around the bottom of the pool at a decent clip. Enough speed to have caused the entire pool to churn about, with a small whirlpool indent in the middle.

Aryia is one of the few souls that respects the night crew. As she was one of them. In she slips, clad in a white robe that hides her bathing wear, going straight over to the lady's pool. Her affects were placed down one by one. But it slowed, her blinking quizzically at the light whirlpool.

Torch bright eyes spot the wee blue form.

She doffs her robe, and pads over, peering in.

It appears that the small form in the pool is simply riding the current around and around, with little movements of her tail keeping her from brushing the edge of the pool. Her eyes shift, eyeing the form that leans over the water, peering in.

On the next go around, the pool-shark leaps up out of the water, attempting to cling to Aryia's form. "AryiAryi!", she says, loudly and cheerfully.

Aryia has a hand raised half way to say hello, but instead finds a pool shark latching onto her. The mute is typically pretty solid and unmoving. Getting her to budge is like attempting to shove a pillar of stone over. But when that stone is already leaning to the side, sometimes it just takes a breeze to topple.

Or, in this case, a little gobbo.

"Ack"

>Splash!<

A moment later, Aryia resurfaces, her spitting out water but snickering to herself and raising a hand in greeting.

The Gobbo giggles underwater, and surfaces to cling once more to the Mul'neissa. Little kisses pepper one of Aryia's cheeks, before she's released, the sharky-one floating about on her back.

"Irshya is pleased to see you, Aryia. How have you been?"

Aryia blinks as her face is peppered, scarred cheeks tinging red some. That was certainly something she wasn't used to in the slightest.

She gives a thumbs up as an answer, and points to the pool shark with a tilt of her head. Returning the question.

Irshya makes a complete rotation of the pool, before floating up to Aryia, and prodding her side with a bare toe. "Irshya is quite good! Happy and healthy. Enjoying a bit of quiet time before sleep. All of her work is done."

Aryia gives a soft smile and nods. She shoves her reverse band further on her head and wrings some water out of her hair. "That's good," she eventually motions, resting against the side of the pool. "Glad to hear it. I haven't been too busy myself as of late. Went to that new years party. Was pretty good, though some people kind of have a stick up their ass." <Handspeech>

The Gobbo-shark giggles brightly. "Irshya think some people have the entire tree up their ass." She dives under the water and does a few circuits of the pool, before surfacing at Aryia's side.

"Irshya is glad that you were able to enjoy the party. You might have avoided it, were you your old self, yes?"

Aryia sputters at Irshya's word choice, her snickering and coughing the entire time. She shakes her head and rubs at her face. "Yes, yes they do..."

The mute wavers her hand. "When I first got here? Yes. The old, old, old me? They would have attended the party."

The elf sighs, her looking... somewhat more relaxed than normal. She wasn't as self conscious, if at all. Her just lazily soaking with her eyes half lidded. "Had good food though. Those damn Ressurectionists put me through a ringer. I ate as much as I could on their coin." <Handspeech>

The pool shark nods enthusiastically. "So it is good, you have come so far lately. Irshya is pleased for you." She giggles at length to what the Mul'neissa says about food.

A wee hand pinches gently at her side. "Careful, too much food will ruin your figure. You'll end up chubby like Irshya!"

Aryia is pinched on the side, the relaxing elf making a surprised sound of air as she sits upright. She pouts a bit, and sticks out her tongue. "I eat a lot already! I work my body to the bone every day! Takes a lot of food to keep this thing going!"

It's true. Under all those scars, the shadow elf is, to put it simply, positively ripped. <Handspeech>

Irshya laughs and pats that same spot she pinched. "Irshya is teasing!"

The Gobbo attempts to occupy Aryia's lap. "Irshya is enjoying the clothes you sewed for her. They are comfortable and fit her nicely. And Irshya has ideas for delicious dinners."

Her little tail curls back and forth, much like a housecat's. "Were there fireworks at the party?"

Aryia smirks lightly and nods, reaching over to pat the gobbo atop the head. She knew, shew knew. The mute's lap is occupied, so she goes back to lounging back against the pool wall. More gestures after she fixes the ivory band again. "I'm glad you like them. It was a fun challenge."

She purses her lips, and thinks. "I... don't think so. But some mage got spell happy and built a catapult. The city wasn't happy. It was meant to fling food." <Handspeech>

Her eyes flick up to the curious ivory band, and she smiles brightly. "So has Aryia figured out all the secrets of the band?" The tail flicks back and forth a bit more animatedly.

Irshya's head cants to one side. "A catapult? Is uh... isn't it a weapon? Wouldn't... that hurt if it flung food?"

The sharky-one's tail twitches. "Irshya would like more. Irshya enjoyed the personal time, and the sensation of measurement. Also.. Irshya finds she likes having clothing." Says the naked Gobbo-shark.

Aryia lightly smirks and nods. "I already knew its secrets," she motions, winking before shrugging lightly. "Maybe, I don't know. It'd just fling an apple at most."

That gets her head to tilt to the side. "Sensation of measurement?" she repeats with her hands, raising a brow high. "And I thought you didn't like clothing? Was it just that you had the wrong clothing this whole time?" <Handspeech>

That tail wiggles and wags. "But but... Irshya is curious. What can it do? Amazing monk fighting moves? Does it let you run on water or air?"

"An apple? Well... if it was tasty, Irshya could handle that."

Her cheeks colour a light lavender. "Yes. It uhm tickled but not too much. It was an odd sensation. Irshya kinda enjoyed it. And uhm. Aryia's clothes are nicely fitted."

Aryia shakes her head. She holds up a finger to her smiling lips, then gestures, "It lets me read minds and talk to people with mine."

The mute blinks at that. "Okay." She didn't know what to make of it. So she moves on. "I try to make sure they fit well. Of all people, I know how important it is to be able to move easily in whatever you're wearing." <Handspeech>

The Gobbo cants her head and squints suspiciously. "It lets you read minds? And lets people talk to you?" She grins, "That's amazing!"

She nods then. "You did very well in fitting Irshya. She wants more clothes. Something in black, this time?"

The mute dips her head. "Yes, it does. But if I have to talk to someone, I kind of end up hearing what they're thinking. So... I don't use it very often."

Aryia gives a thumbs up, running her hands over the surface of the water. "I can do that for sure. And thank you." <Handspeech>

"I want to hear what your inside voice sounds like!", the Gobbo says, her grin cheeky. "Bet you can't read my mind!"

Aryia shrugs her shoulders, then settles her gaze on Irshya. The onyx and quarts gems on the ivory band faintly shimmer. She smirks lightly.

The Gobbo grins at Aryia, and squints at the headband as it shimmers.

"You cannot guess what Irshya is thinking.", is the foremost thought in pool-shark's head. Followed by, "And if you can, Irshya thinks you are pretty."

Aryia tilts her head to the side. It takes a moment for the headband to work. But then...

The mute's face tinges red slightly. She clears her throat. Takes a breath, and-

There is a thought that isn't Irshya's own in her head. A voice. It's soft spoken, feminine. Middle in pitch, yet rich. A practiced tongue.

"That's kind of you to say." <Telepathy>

Irshya gasps lightly, her own cheeks brightening.

"So you can read my mind and speak to me!" She giggles brightly.

"It's the truth!", is her reply. "So so we can talk and no one else can hear us!" The pool-shark hugs at Aryia.

Aryia snickers, nodding. More soft spoken words. Yet it had a honed edge to it that belied a more careful, noble upbringing. It also spurs the idea that: this is probably what she sounded like before her voice was snipped.

"That is true, we can speak like this and no one can hear a fuckin' word." <Telepathy>

"Your voice is very noble." The Gobbo-shark leans lightly against the Mul'neissa. "Irshya likes it." There's a mental giggle. "Hearing you say bad words is quite funny."

Aryia rubs her neck, shifting a bit so the gobbo has more to lean against. "I was raised as such. And trust me, this isn't the fuckin' start of it, sharky. I'm usually cussing assholes out every other bleeding hour." <Telepathy>

"Irshya does like Sharky as a nickname.", comes her thoughts. "Is AriAri okay?" A few other stray thoughts bounces about her mind. "How easy is it to do this? And like.. are you able to pry into Irshya's mind? Look at her secrets?"

Aryia nods her head in affirmative. "Yes. That is fine to call me that. Just don't call me Zils-" the voice stops. She clears her throat. "My old name. Glad you like that."

There's a little shrug. "Fairly easy. Just have to think about using this thing and it works as much as I want it to. But uh, no. No prying. Just whatever you're thinking is as much as I get. So I only do this with people that trust me with their thoughts." <Telepathy>

"Irshya does not know that name, so Irshya can't make that mistake." The Gobbo grins. "Irshya trusts you, else she wouldn't sit in your lap, or press your patience with tickling, and prodding, and making fun." Her expression shifts lightly, becoming somewhat unhappy. "Irshya's mother is a sea hag. Irshya is greatly worried that people might think... poorly of her, for her heritage. Irshya tries not to talk about it often, but, this is perfect."

Aryia lightly smirks and nods. A bit of gratitude comes through the mental link. "Good. And I know you do. Else I wouldn't be in the Order of the Tooth."

She flicks the shark tooth necklace on herself. "Well, if you want to talk about it, I won't care. Shit, I used to be a priestess of Taara and the Tyrant. Did some horrible shit. I have no room to judge." <Telepahty>

The pool shark smiles brightly at the Tooth reference, and she reaches up a gentle hand to turn it over and then back again.

"Irshya has a thought to add something special to the teeth. Perhaps a little carving of something. Something that reminds Irshya of the bearers of the tooth. Irshya has seen a symbol before. A circle divided by a flattened ess. One side is black, the other white. With dots of the opposite colours in them."

"That would be yours."

Aryia tilts her head to the side, her eyes closing as she listen's to Irshya's thoughts. It takes her moment to realize what it'd look like. There's a little gasp.

"Wait. It..."

She peels the gobbog off, and gets out of the pool. Wet feet pad over to a wall. One hand lights up moonlit, another drips with shade.

She starts drawing. <Telepathy>

"Oh, is something the matter?", the Gobbo wonders. She follows along in the pool, until the Mul starts drawing. Then she laboriously pulls herself out of the pool, and pads over to where Aryia draws. The pool-shark squints, watching the progress of the drawing.

Aryia can draw her lights on things. And the wall is the canvas.

In front of her, she draws a semicircle with the light. Her shaded hand mirroring the movement. The top half is raked slowly with clawed fingers to give a hatching effect to fill it in. And on the bottom, a smiliar. Though no light touches, like a dark shadow cast on the wall. And the center, a solid grey line that meets both horizons.

She steps away, hands alight and dimmed in their respective paint. "In my mind. I see this. I am at the center. Between the light and the dark. It's all me. It's hard to explain. But my sister and Strike, they taught me a lot about myself. About how to use one's will in ways that defy even the greatest odds. It's how I do what I do. It's me."

She turns to the poolshark, smiling lightly. "What you propose..."

Her hands wipe and paint to add the adjustments. A curved S with little dot of shade and light in each. Then looks over her shoulder with a light smirk. "Pretty damn spot on, I'd fucking say. Real clever, Sharky." <Telepathy>

She watches in verbal science, but her mind is a constant babble of thoughts.

"Hmm, well.. it works on so many levels. One might say that there is a balance of colour and a lack of colour. Irshya also thinks that it suits you, because it could represent both good and evil, yes? You've changed in that manner, perhaps?"

The Gobbo reaches for both of Aryia's hands, tugging lightly so that the Mul's hands caress the pool-shark's cheeks.

"Irshya also finds that it is very aptly the colour of your magics, that leak out of your hands. Your skin is a pleasing colour that is a mix of white and black. Your eyes and your hair, and the accents that you use, are all shades of those two colours. Irshya is.. clever, yes. She will allow herself the vanity of calling herself clever."

Aryia lets Irshya take her hands into her own, a soft smile cresting her lips. Though, it morphs to amusement as a shadowy handprint and a glowing moonlit one appears on both sides of the other's face.

She chuckles. "I think I'm rather well in between those sides. Evil is too cruel, but being good leaves you open."

Her features being pointed out makes the mute close her eyes and nod. "And I like those parts about me. I accept me."

The pool shark could feel the conviction behind those three words.

"So yes. I think you should 'allow' yourself to think you're clever. Because you are." <Telepathy>

The Gobbo's eyes narrow ever so slightly at the amused expression the Mul'neissa makes, and she eyes the symbol a moment, before she huffs. "You just made glowy and shadowy handprints on me, didn't you?" She snorts and giggles. "Wait, does that mean you can paint people with it?"

She nods to the talk of good and evil. "Being evil can also leave one open. Both have vulnerabilities, and neither exists without the other. And Irshya accepts you for you." Her expression brightens at the compliment.

"But if Irshya gets too proud, she won't be able to fit her head thorugh the door. And then how will she bathe?"

Aryia grins just a little bit more. Then she bobs her head, poking Irshya on the nose to make a little dot of moonlight. "Yes I can."

"Guess we have to make the door a little bigger, eh?"

She gives a little sigh, and looks up at the modified 'painting'. "You're right about that. And thank you. Sometimes some people don't like when I present hard truths. The world is not painted in black or white. It's all shades of grey." <Telepathy>

The pool-shark goes cross-eyed for a moment, trying to peer at the now glowing tip of her nose.

She tugs at Aryia's hands lightly once more, and runs them down her front, eyeing the progress of the shadow and white. At her stomach, she runs the shadow first, and then the white over it, observing the results.

"This is more fun than I expected it to be. And so, you can make it vanish? Or it fades on its own after a time?"

The Gobbo nods. "Sometimes the truth is used as a weapon to hurt people. Irshya thinks one should be gentle, even with the truth. Not to lessen the truth... just... be kind while telling it. Irshya believes Aryia is fair when she speaks the truth."

The light was as expected. An almost bioluminescent apperance as it shimmers and shifts in its silvery hue. The shade, however, was more interesting. It was like a shadow is cast over where it goes. And the light within it is dimmer where it merges together.

Aryia was fine with this, though she adjusts the course of her hands to skip over a portion. Her mental voice murmurs something about, "Nice, but these aren't Violet's. Hands off, Zilly."

Whatever that meant.

She pulls her hands back, and clears her throat. "It goes away after a bit, or I can make it go away. And, uh..."

Her thoughts are a bit jumbled at the moment, her scratching her head before shaking it. Some of her hair gets colored in moonlight. "I'm glad you think so." <Telepathy>

A flush comes to the parts of Irshya's cheeks that aren't cast in shadow or illumination, and she laughs at length at Aryia's thought process.

"Irshya apologizes. She does not wish you to get into trouble or lead you astray. Irshya is just comfortable in her skin, and would see a harmless touch as just that, harmless."

She takes some time then to admire her 'handy'work. "This really is amazing. Even if all you could do is paint with it, Irshya would have hours of fun, and mischief."

Aryia waves a dismissive hand. "It's fine. I just, uh... wasn't expecting that is all. I tend to keep my hands to myself unless I'm punching someone."

Anyways. "It's fun to do. I can't do it a lot, but sometimes it helps when I have to write something to someone." <Telepathy>

"Or painting people?", the Gobbo wonders. "And Irshya expects that it is very handy getting across ideas and sketches." She tugs upon Aryia's hands once again, this time pulling the Mul'neissa back to the pool. Irshya won't be too insistent, but she intends to dive back in. Where she's a glowing and shadowy form that circles about the pool.

"Can you still hear me?"

"No, just people in general. I'm not very handsy. Used to be, not anymore." There's a mental image of a scar-less Aryia hand reaching out to shake hands, clap people on the shoulder and loop around arms and waits. Then it goes away. "The painting thing isn't very precise."

She watches the gobbo splash back in, and she herself wades into the waters. "Yes, I can." <Telepathy>

"Do you know how far you can ... reach and still hear someone's thoughts?", the Gobbo idly wonders, her thoughts moving to the warmth of the water, and its taste and smell, before returning to the subject at hand. "Are people able to block you out?"

Aryia shrugs. "I don't know how far it works. But if you try to resist it, it blocks it usually. I don't try and try without giving a heads up, so I don't know how strong it is."

Such thoughts do come across, and the mute tilts her head to the side at the strange sensory information. <Telepathy>

The wee shape slowly circles the pool a few times, before beaching herself once more in Aryia's lap.

"It's a very neat headband. Are there more? Is it something you made?" Her tail curls back and forth like a cat's. A few stray thoughts of food precede her stomach gurgling.

"Irshya wants to hide in here all day."

Aryia raises a brow at the beached pool shark, the mute letting her legs float to the surface so she'd have more to rest on. "I don't know, probably. I uh, pulled some strings to get it cheaper. No. I didn't make it. I have no clue how to make magic things."

There's an amused chuckle in the gobbo's head, the mute's lips quirking upwards in a smile. "You can't hide there all day. How are you going to eat? There's no fish in here." <Telepathy>

Her ears droop slightly. "Irshya knows. But Irshya doesn't wish to dress. Or walk over there." The Gobbo-shark giggles lightly. ""They wouldn't add Irshya's suggestion. She wanted piping and pools everywhere, so that she could swim from place to place inside the Tarrace."

Another growl emanates from her stomach and she sighs. "Irshya is also comfortable. You have a good lap."

Aryia is silent for a moment, both in her thoughts and physically. Then, she pokes the gobbo's nose. "You... do realize you can do whatever you want to the TarRaCe now? It's yours."

The mute bounces the gobbo in her lap. "We can go get something to eat together. Can still sit in my lap if you want." <Telepathy>

Irshya blinks at the nose boop, and nips at the finger as it retreats, her teeth making a clicking noise.

"Yush. Irshya can change the Tarrace. But it would be so much work. We took down everything from before, and built the place to our specifications. And the Tarrace might lose all of its customer base if we close down for a long while, or change everything around."

The Gobbo chuckles. "Irshya was severely tempted, though. Oh. Irshya not that hungry." The growl and thoughts of fish say otherwise.

The nip at her fingers is met with empty air. A finger alights once more with moonlight, then pokes a dot on the pool shark's forehead. Aryia sighs, her nodding and cupping her hands to splash her face briefly. Warming it. "You have a point. Though, you could get a small spot in the dining area? Like an artificial hot spring that fits only two or three?"

The pugilist blinks, then looks down at Irshya. "Oh, shut the fuck up with that, I can literally feel the hunger pangs gnawing at your thoughts. Come on, Sharky, up we go."

It wasn't a request. Irshya was scooped up under one arm as Aryia rises to her feet. <Telepathy>

The Gobbo erks and squirms a little, but sighs, resigned to her (somewhat delicious) fate.

Another thought of food is followed by a stomach gurgle, and she goes limp. "Irshya give up, she will eat."

She latches onto one of the cubby holes closer to the door, and she pulls free a familiar matching pair of blouse and skirt. Irshya squirms more vigorously. "Irshya needs to dress. Then Irshya shall feed us both."

Aryia carries the little gobbo over to the cubby holes and puts her down, giving a thumbs up before returning to her own belongings. It's strange, hearing that voice from nowhere as Aryia was clearly toweling off and slipping her outer wear back on. "What are we having?" the soft yet practiced tone asks. <Telepathy>

The Gobbo gives herself a good shake, spreading droplets of water everywhere, and she quickly dresses.

"Irshya has learned a new dish. Butter chicken. It's spicy, and Irshya hopes you like it."

Irshya reaches up hand to take Aryia's once she's done dressing, tugging lightly to lead her out.

Aryia pulls her boots on, gives a few bounces to make sure they fit well before she walks over to the pool shark. "Oh, you know I love spicy food. Your food is always good."

She blinks, looks down at the hand holding onto hers, and lightly smiles.

She gives it a little squeeze as they head out. <Telepathy>

-End Scene-