Early Evening Bath Chat

Participants:

Fiala.jpg Nenienne.jpg

Date: 18 Jan 2011
Location: Eastern Weyr: Baths
Synopsis: Fiala and Nenienne meet in the baths and chat.
Rating: G
Logger: Nenienne

Underneath the upper set of hatching sands, this cavern is fairly large in size, though it is dwarfed in comparison to others nearby. A natural hot spring, the steamy water has been diverted into one large pool - capable of holding about twenty odd people - and several smaller ones around the edges. Shelves have been set up along the northern wall, lined with different scents of bathing salts, sweetsands and oils. Under the shelves are benches where folk can dress and undress. Even given the tropical nature of the climate, this is still one of the most popular places in the weyr.


It's evening in the Weyr, a little after most people have had dinner. The baths are mostly empty, save for one of the smaller ones, which is occupied by Neni. The Smith seems to have just finished washing, if the small dish of soapsand, mostly empty, is to be believed. Neni herself is wearing a modest bathing outfit, and is submerged to her shoulders, a blissful look on her face (but she's still not smiling).

Fiala limps into the baths, a bit battered, definitely smelling of stable and herdbeast and runnerbeast. She stretches, wincing and then rubbing at sore and stiff muscles. She is barefoot, only wearing a bathing shift; her dirty clothes have already gone to laundry. Seeing Nenienne she offers a nod and a smile.

Nenienne opens her eyes, spots Fiala, and returns the nod. If she can smell the stables she's not showing it. Instead she says, "Hello there. Here for a nice soak? If you want, I have some soapsand leftover."

"Mmmm, yes, please," answers Fiala. "A nice long soak to get all the aches out, and to get clean. Clean, nice and clean. Only to stink again tomorrow, but it's nice while it lasts. Thank you." She strides over to Nenienne's pool and looks down.

"I know *that* feeling," Neni says emphatically. "Come on in; the water is lovely."

"But your water's nice and clean, isn't it?" Fiala shakes her head. "I could take the bath next to yours. Besides, I need to undress to get clean. I mean, you know…" She flushes a little. "Anyway. How are you?"

Nenienne says, "It recirculates, so it's no biggie. You should have seen it when I first got in, with all of the ash from the forges, and to look at it now, you'd never know." She falls silent, then adds, "If you would feel more comfortable in a different pool, though, then I won't be insulted or anything."

"Well, just until I'm reasonably clean," muses Fiala. "Then I'll come join you, all right?" She goes to the closest pool and eases herself into it, then slips off her shift as she sinks below the water. Taking a handful of soapsand she begins to wash off the day's grime. "Ow. Oh, this… mmm… feels good."

Nenienne nods while averting her eyes politely, and then submerges to give her hair another rinse.

Fiala grins and begins to warble happily, sanding herself and rinsing herself and sanding herself again. "Bath, bath, o beautiful bath. There's nothing half… so nice as a bath. And…. more words, lala!" A giggle and another warble, and the girl dunks herself happily.

Nenienne runs her hand through her hair, which is too short to squeeze the water from, then asks, with a poker face, "Did you make that up yourself?"

"Oh yes, I sure did!" chirps Fiala. "I think I'll audition for the Harper Hall with it. Wouldn't that be grand? I could dress up in my least-patched or faded and sing my marvellous songs!" Then she dunks herself, giggling softly.

Nenienne hmmmms, then asks, "How old are you, anyway?"

"Fourteen. And a half, now, I think. Sounds about right. They weren't much really into my brithday, 'cept that it fell during foaling time. But that was in Keroon, and the seasons are different here. But I know fourteen sure." This is said once the water is out of her mouth. Fiala looks over to Nenienne. "Why?"

Nenienne says thoughtfully, "Fourteen is a bit on the old side to apprentice, but certainly not unheard of. Good luck with the audition. Will Journeyman Teallan be setting it up?" If she got that Fiala might not be completely serious, it doesn't show.

"Oh, aye. I'm sure she'll sponsor me. I have twenty-five verses, all about how wonderful baths are, the fine grain of the soapsand, all the lovely oils. It'll be grand." Fiala dunks herself again, then waits for the water to run clear before tackling her hair.

Nenienne nods gravely, then says musingly, "Apprenticeship is hard, but rewarding. And who knows, maybe you'd be able to serve out some of it here — after all, journeyman Teallan herself was a senior apprentice when she first arrived."

"Except…. you do know I'm kidding, don't you?" Fiala's head pops up, and she looks over at the older woman. "I mean, I can't actually sing very well. Though… I'm really a bit old to start anything other than beast-keeping, aren't I…" The girl's head droops a little, and she bites at her lip.

"Ah." If she's surprised, it doesn't come through in her tone. She peers at Fiala and says, "Not everyone is Menolly, and can sing and compose and play a dozen instruments. You don't need a good voice to make an excellent Harper." She also shakes her head. "Fourteen isn't too old - look at Menolly, after all. I think they said she was sixteen when she apprenticed. And if it's something you want, then you're not too old. If you wanted to make jewelry, for instance, I would be happy to sponser you into the Smithcraft."

"I like the animals," answers Fiala, thinking a bit. "I just want…. I think… a chance to decide. To figure out who exactly Fiala is. And then maybe I'll know. But. I do *not* want to be a harper. And I look horrid in blue."

Nenienne nods thoughtfully at the first, and snickers at the part about wearing blue, though she manages not to smile as she does so. "So long as you enjoy what you're doing, then everything is good," she says, decisively.

"well… mostly," muses Fiala. "I mean, some people enjoy hurting others or being drunk all the time or touching people where they oughtn't or things like that. I want to enjoy what I do, but it has to be a Right Thing, you know?"

Nenienne nods soberly. "I just don't expect you're the type who wants to do any of those."

"Well, no, I'm not. Though sometimes I just want to be lazy because I've never been able to and…." SHe stops. "Nenienne, what's a playground? Or a playroom?"

Nenienne says, "That's what restdays are for — being lazy, that is. Unless you're like me and enjoy looking at pretty rocks even in your time off." She cocks her head at the next question, then says, "I'm not sure. We didn't have either at the cothold I grew up in. my guess would be an area to play in, though."

"We didn't have one either. Nor restdays. Leastways, I didn't." Fiala finishes working the foam through her hair. "Sad thing is… I used to look forward to being sick. When I was sick, I actually got to rest whenever I needed to. It was wonderful. But I had to be pretty sick for that…"

Nenienne winces in sympathy. "That sounds pretty bad. At the cothold we didn't have restdays, per se, either, but we weren't worked quite that hard. And I've gotten pretty spoiled about them once I joined the Smithcraft."

"I hardly know what to do with them, here. Sometimes I just sleep. I get so worn out, sometimes. It's nice to sleep." Fiala smiles faintly. "And sometimes I ride. And sometimes I just watch people and learn things."

Nenienne says, "All of those sound like good uses for restdays. Sleep deprivation can be a real problem, and doing fun things is relaxing." When Fiala mentions riding, she asks, "Ah, took L'han up on the offer, then?"

"On my pony," Fiala explains. "I haven't talked to L'han yet, no. A dragon…" She smiles. "Yeah, I have to do that. It'll be wonderful." She sinks back in the water, sighing, letting herself float.

Nenienne blinks, then says amusedly, "I'm going native, I think. Time was when I would have heard "riding" and thought of runners instead of dragons." She suddenly looks at her hands, which are wrinkled like dried fruits. "Ugh, I've soaked long enough that it's beginning to hurt. I should get going." She reluctantly pulls herself out of the pool, towels off, and heads out into the Weyr.



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