Thursday, October 4, 2001
Baths
Steam clouds swirl leisurely to obscure from full view the sunken pool, bubbling with the subterranean thermals that bring its water to good, bathing heat. Three steps climb down into the water, opposite the narrow sitting ledge hugging the inner wall. Benches near the outer archway hold fluffy, oversized towels and bowls filled with multihued sweetsand.
Thanial, Fynelox, Nonam, and V'len are here.
Obvious exits:
Lower Caverns
Menacion pushes in from the lower caverns.
Nonam smiles slightly. "Fear not, Fynelox. You do not have to want girls yet if you do not want too. I am on your side on this issue." Uh oh, the places is getting more crowded. Eyes open, and he ponders his clothes, and if he can dress fast enough.
Thanial wallows near the edge of the deeper bathing pool and gives Fynelox a tsking glance, "Because you should be noticing girls by now," is the older candidate's reply. Not that he got to do anything at the tender age of fourteen turns, either. V'len is given a rather startled look, but he regains his composure enough to comment dryly, "Yes, all to sad for the weyr. But the rest of us thank you for not monopolizing all the pretty women." Amazing he can say that with a straight face. Taire is noticed and given a wave, as is Menace, but he doesn't verbally greet either just in case Fyne and V'len haven't noticed them. After all, Fyne needs to get over his shyness sometime... and tonight's as good a time as any.
Menacion creeps cautiously into the baths, listening intently for any sign of female occupancy. He learned his lesson a few sevendays before. Yeesh. Gave him the fright of his life. Hrmm...the voice all seem to be male. Fyne's here? Ah, well, Menace can be sure that there are no naked girls in the tub. The billowing steam hides Taire from him for a moment as he takes a few, more confident, steps into the baths.
Taire bustles into the baths back-first. She continues stepping in backwards while head bobs most exaggeratedly to the person just out in the hall. "Aye. I know. I know. I told ya I know. Don't you- Ohhh, don't you go there, girl! Don't you-" She wave a fist at the person just beyond, but she holds a jar of sweet sand in one hand as a quite a few freshly cleaned towels are draped on the forearm of the other. But, her tormenter leaves off, causing this girl to grunt primaly. In the next step, she comes to finally get a good glance at the scene before her and gets her first eye-full.
Fynelox gestures in Nonam's direction for Thanial's benefit. "See? He thinks I don't have to be in a hurry to start going after girls. I /notice/ them. I mean how can I not when they're all over the place, but really...what would you expect me to do with them?" Don't answer that. Oh please don't answer that. ;) The steam does make for some decent cover, that and the relative dim lighting. Never the less, the young candidate freezes in the hot water for a moment while he listens to the voices. "Oh, hi Menacion, cleaning up too?" He's about to resume his complaints when a female voice makes his eyes go big and round, his face burning as he promptly ducks under the surface of the water.
V'len was just about to tug off his shorts when Taire enters the room. Ahem. They stay on. Absolutely. A stiff little wave to the girl, and he steps into the water rather quickly, making his way to the back where the water is deeper, holding his back-scrubber and soapsand aloft. "I do think that you pursue that which you think is important. And Fyne, if girls aren't important for you, then, pursue something that makes /you/ happy. For me, it was knitting." He smiles fondly in remembrance, setting down his scented soapsand. "I dreamed of knitting. Double twisted cables. Trinity stitch. Lacy faggots." (that really is a stitch!) "And it's served me well. Follow your heart, Fynelox! Follow your heart!" V'len's getting impassioned. Knitting can do that to him.
Nonam lifts his head then to look from Thanial to Fynelox. "Er....Thanial, leave the poor kid alone. And Fynelox, maybe you should come by the Infirmary later...and we maybe can talk about that seriously. I still need to do your physical...that would be a good time." Yeah, that'll work. Then he turns red. Girl in the Baths. GIRL IN THE BATHS!
Thanial coughs but Taire's here, so he refrains from answering Fyne's question. Instead he shakes his head and wonders, "Where did you grow up, Fyne? Some remote hold like Half-Circle?" But it's V'len that has the candidate boggling, he'd forgotten when Anki told him, you see. "You /knit/ V'len?" Doesn't that go against the male code to be... well... manly? "And you admit it in public, with girls," or girl, really, "Present?" Nial's certainly not looking at V'len as a mentor, now. Even if he does ride bronze. Egads.
Faranth if he'll take up knitting, no way, no how. Nonam's words are latched onto like a drowning man seeking out a piece of driftwood to help him stay afloat. "Yes, perhaps you should explain the birds and the vtols to the boy." Nial's version is much more... colorful.
Menacion seconds Fyne's idea. "I completely agree. You can hardly miss them, but I hardly think finding out how far you can throw them is the usual thing to do." Long story. "Yep. It's me." At the sound of Taire, he half-whirls, very thankful for the fact that he hasn't had time to strip down yet. "Taire! What are you doing here?" Not only admit, but proud of it too. "Birds and vtols? Never understood why people used that." They do, after all, have very little to do with the actual subject. "I think we ought to leave that up to his parents." Yes, chicken out.
Taire just stands there for a long moment as she watches with eyes beyond the size of marks. A couple of blinks ensue as she peers through the mists at the bit of scrambling that suddenly occurs here and there. "Ohhh, puh-lease. Don't flatter yourselves so much. Like I ain't seen it all before. Just not so... not so much on a smaller scale." *cough* Men... suddenly getting all demure. Figure that one out. She rolls her eyes and passes each and every one of them by with a bit of a sniff, and then a rather scathing glance up and down Menacion's somewhat covered figure. "You, I might take home with me... as for the rest..." She really hasn't seen enough to make any kind of educated guess. Arm lifts and the girl sing-songs, "Towels?" Hopefully that answers Menace's question. But that water does look fine...
Baths
Steam clouds swirl leisurely to obscure from full view the sunken pool, bubbling with the subterranean thermals that bring its water to good, bathing heat. Three steps climb down into the water, opposite the narrow sitting ledge hugging the inner wall. Benches near the outer archway hold fluffy, oversized towels and bowls filled with multihued sweetsand.
You see Diamond and Gul here.
Thanial, Fynelox, Nonam, V'len, and Menacion are here.
Obvious exits:
Lower Caverns
No, no, Fyne's under the water... Okay, bad pun. Never mind. He has to breath eventually though, so further down the side of the pool, away from the entrance, his head breaks clear as he gasps for breath, red from heat and embarrassment. He's going to stay on this side, thank you. Water conducts sounds pretty well actually, so he manages to splutter replies to the others. "Don't need the birds and vtols explained to me. I was with the /herders/." He probably had it all explained to him last time it was Spring in Xanadu.
V'len looks to Thanial aghast. "Of course I admit I knit! Why, I was the premier textile artisan on Pern before I was searched! Certainly you've heard of people referring to original Vallens? That's my work!" He's puffing out his chest. Yep. He knits and he's proud. "And you'd be surprised how the girls react when they hear I knit." Well, maybe not... Taire just gets a puzzled look. It's another unfathomable female. Nope, knitting, and then the Magnificent Yevgeth are both so much easier to deal with. Instead, he gets to work scrubbing his back. "If you'd like to learn, Thanial, I'd be glad to teach you. There's nothing quite so satisfying as turning out a perfect bobble."
Nonam is also in the water. He reacts that way to women on the whole. Taire's nothing special as far as that goes. "No, no, not the birds and VTOL's, Thanial." The healer comments. "The....well, humans are different than animals. Otherwise, sexual education would consist of parents bringing their children to their nearest herder hall during the spring and saying 'Ok, kids, watch the animals'."
Thanial laughs at Taire's comment and just raises his dark eyebrows. "Come closer and repeat that, Taire, my dear?" Dunking should cure the messenger of that oh so smug look of hers. Menace is given a shrug and he explains, "We're here and his parents aren't." Of course Fyne is given a wicked smile as he taunts, "Well then Herder, why don't you know what to do with a girl once you've caught her?" Nial gets a bright idea and he shares it with the others. "I know, why don't you practice on Taire, Fyne? She's about your age." As if that makes a difference. "Nothing naughty, just talking to her without turning bright red. Think you can do it?" Looking at Nonam, he raises his dark brows. "Well, we are and we aren't." But he doesn't expand on that phrase. V'len is given a horrified look, "Me? Knit? You must be kidding? Why would I want a bobbitty-thing?"
Menacion isn't /demure/. He's...prudish. There's a difference. "Absolutely not, Taire." He replies sternly. "You just want my knife." Taking pity on the other candidates, and armored in his clothing, he steps in front of Taire, using his body as a sight shield. "Give me the towels and you can get back to whatever it is that you were doing." And leave the poor males to bathe in peace. "You can practice with Fyne later?"
Taire quirks her lips as she finally gets the gist of the conversation. No maidenly blushes or anything of the sort, she instead drops the towels off to the side, casting a glance over her shoulder to Nial, lips pursed and not all that enthused at his comments. In that moment, she makes a decision, boots are kicked off, socks are shucked, and then the girl bends over to roll up her trous to her knees. With that accomplished, the girl deliberately slips about Menace with a boneless ease of a messenger used to dodging this and that to pad over to the bath. She then moves to sit, dropping her legs over the side to lap at her ankles. "Aye, Menacion, you called that one. I can't get nothing past one as bright and shiny as you are." And yet, her voice doesn't quite aquire the awefull lilt one would attribute to such words. "Something you wanna say to my, Fyne?" And then the girl's autumnal-irised gaze flickers to the herder boy, smiling sweetly.
V'len is rather offended here. Not want a bobble? Imagine! "But they're decorative! They stick out and add textural interest! Once you make one, you'll never go back!" This is very hard to understand... ah, but some people just don't appreciate the textile arts. "I suppose not everyone has the soul of an artist, Thanial. Although I have to say... tell a girl you can make her an alpaca muffler and you should see how they come running!" As he's speaking, he's moving a bit closer to Fynelox, bending a bit close to whisper in his ear. "Tell her you know all about ovine wool. That gets them every time. They always smile and nod a little at me when I say that." V'len straightens, quite pleased. Just ask him for pickup lines. He's got 'em.
Fynelox peers up at V'len rather warily and shakes his head, making his damp hair splatter water in several directions. "I don't think that would work on Taire frankly." Not that he really wants it to work on Taire for that matter. And if it should..would that be a good thing or a bad thing? He eyes the girl in question, feeling discomfiture in the fact that he's vastly underdressed yet at the back of his mind he wonders if the situation would be any better if she were as unclothed. You can always see the red rushing back to his face at the thought. "Uh..no..Taire. There's /nothing/ I want to say to you." That's almost a challenge right there. Yes, leave him alone. That's the idea.
Nonam sees a way out othe conversation and takes it, closing his eyes again and leaning his head back to do what he was doing before the room got so crowded, and that was quietly relaxing in the corner.
Thanial shakes his head, "I may have a soul of an artist, V'len, who knows?" Although it's doubtful. Nial's too lazy to be a true artist... a poser, perhaps, but never a true artist. "But I definitely don't have the soul of a knitter." And he's not ashamed of it, even if he can't offer alpaca mufflers to the ladies. He'll just have to make due with his handicap. "Is that what got you hooked," excuse the pun, "V'len, those bobbity-boops?" Nial really does want to know how a man can slide so much as to actually like knitting. There must be a story there. Taire's actions are watched with laughing blue eyes, and he almost swallows a mouth full of water as he chokes as she approaches the naked Fyne. "Oh, come on Herder," he prods. "There must be something you can talk to her about. What about the weather? Isn't it cold this far north?"
Pheniox appears from **BETWEEN**
Menacion glares at Taire as she zips by him. "What are you doing??" he asks acidly. "Some people are trying to bathe here." It's not a public show. Folding his arms, he settles down on a bench to wait for Taire to depart. "You could tell her goodbye?" he suggests to Fyne.
V'len always welcomes the chance to talk about himself. And, Thanial, you asked. "Bobbles? Well, no. Actually, it was because I get seasick." He chuckles a bit here, to cover that slight embarrassment. "I actually hated fishing anyway. I was raised up in Tillek where knitting is a high art. My pa was a fisherman, but he used to get a bit annoyed when he took me out. It made me so queasy, the sun was bad for my skin, the nets irritated my hands... well, it's just a rather messy and uncomfortable way to spend one's day, you know? So Mummy convinced my da to let me stay back with her and the aunties while he and my brothers fished. And it was from those darling ladies that I learned how to knit. Mummy is one of the foremost knitters of Tillek, but I have to say, I soon surpassed even her. It became clear that I had to go to Weaverhall to further my talent and..." is anyone listening? V'len looks around. This is fascinating stuff!
Taire's eyes light up, only to stifle a giggle at V'len's suggestions, "Well, I think something like that might interest me... but where a gift is nice 'n all, words 'n actions are just as fine." Not that she has ever has someone try to woo her before. Perish the thought. Legs kick back and forth in the bath, slowly swishing the waters about, as she turns a kindly glance to Fyne. "Awwww, thats okay. If'n you come up with something later, you've but to whisper it in my ear." As she speaks this, the girl leans over to drag fingers across his scalp, ruffling up the boy's dripping hair. Nial is deliberately ignored, her smile only to Fyne, for the moment. Menacion gets the same cold shoulder. Well, except for a little nettle of a taunt, "My, Menacion... I didn't know you were so shy. Got something to hide? Nothing would be lacking now, would it?" And still, her voice sing-songs, as she sidles a glance to the ex-guard, which is on the brink of being coy even if a tad warped.
Ashelyn pushes in from the lower caverns.
Ashelyn enters the baths, towel in hand and towel wrapped about her body, auburn hair tied up loosely, rebel locks falling down about her face. Wow, quite the place to be tonight.. Waves go to those of known face, which, by this point, is everyone. "Ah this should be interesting.
Fynelox gulps for a moment as he feels Taire's fingers in his hair, his face burning once again. Heck, people probably don't recall what he really looks like 'normal' considering how often he's this way. Still, with all the goading from various people and such attentions to his 'development', for a brief moment there's a certain wild look in the boy's hazel eyes. He looks steadily over at Thanial for a moment, then at V'len before his chin comes up. "You really want to know hmm?" Then inexplicably, he rises out of the water. Oh, he's kinda short so he's not exactly about to flash the whole room and it's steamy enough to uh... make details sort of indistinct as he turns about to face the girl seated on the pool's edge and leans forward. With both hands, he gently cups her face and quite /boldly/ kisses her rather thoroughly for a moment before releasing her and moving back a bit (probably anticipating getting the heck smacked out of him.) and simply tosses over his shoulder, "Who needs words?"
Thanial's eyes are glazing at V'len's story, he tries to hide it, but it's there... that distant, confused look that is Nial's standard response to things that somehow get out of control. And not only is it the bronzerider and his story, but also Fyne and Taire. Popping up in the water, he just stands stunned for a minute before clapping his hands together. "Well done, Fyne, well done. Didn't know you had it in you, Herder." Nial's going to have to watch out for the younger candidate, he's all innocence one moment and then a kissing fiend the next. Nial should really be taking notes.
"I've got all parts of my anatomy intact, thank you." Menace replies dryly. "Ten fingers, ten toes, two arms, two legs, nose, two ears, and all the rest. Or any horrid scars, disfigurements, or embarrassing birthmarks." That's all she could possibly be referring to, right? "I just don't undress in front of women." Which is why he's sitting on a bench, sweating in the steam, fully dressed. Jaw drops open and he nearly topples off the bench as he stares across the steamy room at Fyne. He did not just see that. Just a trick of the steam. That could /not/ have just been /FYNE/ kissing Taire. He passes a hand over his eyes, blinking. Must be losing his sanity. "Fyne??!" That can't be him. An alien abduction, perhaps.
V'len is leaning forward to offer more romantic advice when Fyne makes his move. V'len steps back a bit, blinking, eyes widening. "Well, I suppose there's that approach, too. That could work. Yes, well, yes it could. Never actually was my style, never tried it myself, but I've heard its rather effective?" Offering advice where it's clearly not needed. Actually, V'len the bronzerider might do well to be coached by this 14 turn old herderboy.
Of course, that herderboy was coached by M'lan...
Taire was just about to turn her head to the side to send a few more nasty remarks Menace-wards, when a flash of glossy, wet skin erupts before her eyes. And then a pair of pursed lips and "No! Wai-" The girl abruptly finds herself most thoroughly kissed -and her first one at that. As Fyne pulls away, the poor girl looks as though she is about to melt right on into the pool and merge with the heated water within. She blinks, blinks again, and then blinks a third time at sweet, darling, chaste lil' Fynelox. "Shards..." she mutters, drawing the back of her hand across her lips as she continues to peer at the boy. Glossy-eyed and dazed, caught off guard, that simply won't do. Sure, it was a rather amazing experience, but still... its the principle and she has a reputation to keep up. Mortified at having such happen to her, before all these particular males... Not a word is spoken as the girl aburptly darts hands as if to dunk Fyne right on back under the water. But one simply cannot discount the wherry-eating dragon grin that is addressing her lips.
Only in M'lan's dreams...
Ashelyn smiles at Fynelox. Well done, child! She looks over to Menace. "Menace, take some of those clothes off or I'll take them off you myself. You look a fool!" Looking at Taire brings another grin. They came here one person and will leave another, it is sure. "Thanial, I'm guessing this is your doing?" She points to Fynelox. "Mayhaps you should take some pointers from the boy, you could use them." A challenge, mayhaps, but Ashe is in a rare mood. One dripping with the power of femininity. As she slips into the water, the towel is removed and thrown promptly on Menaction's head.
Fynelox doesn't resist much as Taire tries to dunk him, he's pretty sure that he had it coming and he was expecting worse possibly. After what he did, it's only fair that he lets her restore some of her dignity right? The candidate splutters a bit as he comes up for a breath afterwards, but there's something that *gasp* resembles almost a smirk at the corner of his mouth for a moment before it's replaced by his usual embarrassed expression. "Ahem, well now are you happy?" he murmurs, but to whom it's hard to say, he just fixedly stares at the ceiling instead, staying mostly submerged.
Thanial is innocent, truly he is. He may have egged the boy on, but that was to have him talk to the girl, not kiss her. Still, he's not too ashamed of the results, in fact he's rather proud. "Who says I need pointers," he returns dryly, moving back into the steam to help keep him at least somewhat covered given their mixed group. Grabbing a clean, white towel, he wraps it about his waist and joins Menace on a bench, bare feet stretched out towards the water and the bathing people. "Oh indeed we are, Fyne. That was quite a show."
This would be a good time to direct some remark at Taire, but for the life of him, Menace can't think of one. Mainly because it was...Fyne! Fyne kissed her! He's still not quite over that. "For the last time, I am not taking off my clothes." Menace rumbles, still staring Fyne-wards. "I don't really care if I look like a--gah!" The last part of his statement is muffled by the towel going over his head. One hand reaches up indignantly to pull the towel off--and then stops. No, he really doesn't want to see what's going on in the baths. A lot of splashing, apparently. Nor does he want to see what Ashe was wearing under the towel. "The question is, are /you/ happy, Fyne?" Ahem.
Taire continues to eye Fynelox. You never know when those lips could come out of nowhere once again and suddenly latch themselves onto something, maybe as long as it's... "Whatever possessed you, boy?" She grumbles Fyne-wards. "I ain't some wench to be applying your virginal wilds upon. Shells, you better be glad that you fuddled me so, otherwise I'd just have to beat you soundly, Fynelox. Mark my wards." She doesn't quite stoop to fingerwaggling, only going so far as to glare at him most soundly. Sure, she keeps licking at her lips and glancing to his, but that is besides the point. "And just /what/ are you all lookin' at? Eh? Never seen a boy kiss a girl before?" *huff*
In these places are these people:
Ashelyn wades over to Menacion and reaches up, lifting his tunic just a bit. "What are you hiding under there?" Grinning, she does her best to look curious and not just playful. "Come on, I bet ya got a right nice body under all those clothes.." It's a good thing Ashe isn't a rider. A proddy Ashelyn would be right scary!
Fynelox starts to wade to the other side of the pool, to where he stashed his change of clothes. A mild shrug is tossed towards Menacion, though that faint smile reappears. "I was fine as I was. I appreciate the concern, but honestly does it really matter if I cared to chase girls or not?" Quickly he gets out of the pool to snatch for some towels to dry off and get dressed, wrapping one about the waist before looking back over at Taire. "It was... a sudden inspiration Taire, my apologizes if I have insulted you." Geeze... he doesn't even talk that way usually, when he talks at all. He inclines his head to the girl, almost gallantly before quickly dressing and aiming to make a hasty exit. He'll pause by the doorway though, to look back at everyone. "You know, when you're smaller than everyone else, look like you're turns younger... it's easy to just people think you're just cute and harmless." A sort of sheepish grin appears before he ducks away.
Oh no, that's not it. "Of course we have," Thanial replies helpfully. "We just never saw Fyne kiss you before. That makes all the difference, Taire." Relaxing against the cool stone of the bench and the wall, he crosses his arms, waiting to see if the show gets any better. His cobalt blue eyes take in the whole of the room, from Menace being... well... menaced by Ashelyn to Fyne and Taire and their oh so interesting forays into adulthood. He's mighty glad he didn't miss any of this... Taire's not going to be able to forget this moment ever if he has his way. Rising, he makes to follow his fellow candidate, "Wait up, Fyne. You know I didn't mean it like that..."
Menacion squawks and slaps at the hand blindly, towel still being over his face. "What in the name of all that's decent are you /doing/, Ashe??" He yelps, scooting sideways on the bench away from the hand, right off the end of the bench. Oof. Pulling the towel off his head, he stares at the departing Fynelox. "Who are you and what have you done with Fynelox?" The boy's mind must have snapped. The stresses of candidacy and contact with Kish have destroyed his sanity. "Nevermind Fyne kissing you, it's the mere idea of Fyne kissing /anyone/."
Taire twists about from where she sits to gaze after Fyne with some rather twinkling doe-eyes. His words manage to effectively disarm her. "Ohhh. Well... Uh. Um. Okay..." Hands fidget in her lap as she remains at the bath, feet still dangling within no matter that most of the occupants are now gone. With a swish, she swings her legs back up and the girl slowly moves to regain her feet. Gaze flickers to Menacion, and the girl arches her eyebrows in challenge, "Well, he did... 'n it was me." My, she almost sounds proud, when but a breath before she was doing her best to protest such an accosting upon her very figure.
Ashelyn starts to laugh at the former guard but catches herself. "Menace, what have you so got against me?" Eyes are serious this time, piercing green and almost hurt. "You always act like I'm about to bite or something."
Fynelox is feeling pretty high right now and he'll probably blame the uh... soapsand fumes or something in the morning when he looks back and just boggle at himself. Morning's going to look pretty scary isn't it? ;) A backwards glance shows him Taire looking at him in a way no girl has ever looked at him before and the urge to run rises. Oh yeah. Looks like the adrenaline rush is leaving and the cold stark terror is returning. ;) What? You didn't think Fyne was just going to change his colors in one startling instance didja? He flicks a glance at Thanial and sticks out his tongue, reverting to just any ol' 14 turn old. "Don't have to explain anything. I know just what you were tryin' ta do." *Zip*
Thanial looks hurt, it flashes quickly and then is gone, but it was there nonetheless. "You make it sound like I was trying to corrupt you or something." Which isn't true at all... he'll leave the corruption bit to T'var. "But hey," he shrugs his shoulders and clad only in his towel, makes his way towards the barracks and a clean change of clothing. "Believe what you will." And with that he heads out towards the candidate barracks.
Menacion turns his stare to Taire. "I'm surprised you're not screeching like a banshee and trying to throw Fyne through a wall." He climbs back onto his feet, staring off at a point on the wall when responding to Ashe. "Because you want to undress me!! And you just tried to!!" It's not the biting, it's the undressing. "When I wasn't looking!" Not that it would be any better if he /was/ looking. The fear that's starting to show on Fyne's face is slightly reassuring. Now there's something familiar, at last. "That boy is starting to worry me."
Thanial leaves for the lower caverns on a puff of steam.
Taire pads over to where she left her boots and socks, bending over to retrieve them, set foot-prints marking her path to the spot. She peeks up, braids cascading away from her face as she watches Nial leave off, in something that looks almost like a huff. Menace's words bring her up though. "Its different. If'n it was you... I'd have you demanded so fast it would make your head spin. Fyne.... thats something different." With that, she straightens, boots held in one hand. Ashelyn's antics cause the girl to quirk in a grin. "Be sure to give him a right toe-curling smooch on the lips, girl. That'd prolly strip him best."
Ashelyn gives up. "I wasn't trying to undress you. Don't think yourself so privileged! It's called playing around, joking around, having a good time. Apparently all that guard training beat that concept out of your mind." In a flash, Ashe leaps up out of the water, takes her towel, wrapping it back around her body and storms out.
Ashelyn leaves for the lower caverns on a puff of steam.
Fynelox goes home.