Date: 09.01.2685 (04.29.10)
Location: Bathing Cavern, Fort Weyr
People: B'ky, Galina, K'shan, R'io
Synopsis: It's bathing time! Idle chatter is had, as is much bathing.
The winter's chill fingers have hold of Fort Weyr, the bowl blanketed in snow, the few clouds in the sky blown by a an icy wind that speeds down from the mountains. But within the caverns, the constantly-lit hearths have managed to bring welcome warmth to cold, stone tunnels. And one of the warmest places in all the weyr, save the hatching sands, is the bathing cavern. Steam wafts up in small clouds from numerous pools, the place fairly empty this late in the day. One of those currently relaxing in the water is the Roc wingleader, the man's hair no longer in a runnertail, but wet over strong shoulders. The three locks of dyed hair are vivid even in the dim light of the glows - cerulean, crimson, and indigo perhaps helping to make him stand out amongst the other bathers. A jar of soapsand is nearby, although currently unopened. B'ky seems to be staring off into thin air, gaze unfocused, his bright clothing folded neatly on a bench by the towel racks. The man looks, for once, to be free of the worry lines which usually marr his features, although there is just the vaguest hint of a frown. It deepens, suddenly, as someone splashes across the pool, the man snapping a rather uncharactersitic, "Be /careful/," voice harsh enough to have him blinking in surprise at his own tone.
Winter's here at Fort…so there will definitely be no swimming now! However, there's always the next best thing — the bathing caverns! While R'io wouldn't be splashing and playing, and definitely not with Neroth, at least he'd be /in/ water. Which was almost as good. That in mind, R'io's in…well, less than he normally wears. Though he's got a thin robe on over his nothing, so he doesn't completely embarrass himself, and there's a towel slung over his shoulders. No streaking for R'io! He smiles to B'ky as he enters, and offers the man a broad smile as he makes for his own little corner of the bathing caverns. There's stripping to be done before he can get in the water.
All it takes is for one spooked runnerbeast and a poor hold on the reins to ruin a Healer's day. Muddy, drenched, and just generally miserable-looking, the usually prim and proper Galina is trudging to the bathing pools with a flat look of utter displeasure on her face. her bun is in disarray, her riding clothing — which includes trousers by virtue of necessity — thoroughly mucked up and her poor satchel being the only thing that's survived the ordeal without damage or getting terribly dirty. A blue and then a brown firelizard briefly appear, only to be sent off with a flat, "Retrieve," even as she ventures onward to what she hopes is one of the few pools that won't be occupied by others any time soon. B'ky is noted peripherally and nodded to in greeting, while the unfamiliar R'io just earns an appraising, sidelong look before she focuses on the process of stripping down — starting with undoing her ruined bun-braid.
B'ky brings two fingers up to pinch the bridge of his nose, the wingleader apologizing quietly to the poor, startled weyrbrat across the way. There might be a slightly sheepish set to his shoulders, though they sink down a little as he lets his breath out slowly. Whatever's responsible for his odd outburst, it's quickly suppressed, the man reaching for the jar of soapsand instead. R'io's entrance is met by a far more pleasant, "Hello," in greeting, the bluerider returning the smile with a faint one of his own, "Fort's duties," likely remembering the other rider somewhat from their brief meeting in the bowl sometime ago. Galina receives a glance as well, and then a second one, B'ky inclining his head politely and murmuring an, "Are you alright?" to the healer girl, in lieu of a greeting. He takes a handful of soapsand, returning the jar to the pool's edge, and leaning forward with brief concern on his face. The stripping that the other two re doing is given little attention, B'ky himself already unclothed and getting to scrubbing now.
Galina's entrance doesn't go unnoticed by R'io. He turns slightly, pausing in his task of stripping off his robe, and blinks. He's got a bit of a tan, it seems. Though sadly, there are still parts of him that are rather pale. He looks to Galina in concern, though he's spoken to by B'ky before he can voice a question to Galina. "Hello there," he states with a smile in response to B'ky's greeting. The bluerider having asked the question of Galina that he was going to ask, he doesn't bother repeating it, but finishes stripping and slides into one of the pools, looking up at Galina, awaiting her answer. He's a little worried.
Any peculiarities in B'ky's manner are probably noted by Galina, but earn no response from the Healer. Her mouth is set in a grim line as her hair is unfettered and the rest of her clothing methodically removed — and with her back pointed, purposefully, to the others in the room. Public modesty still runs strong in this one, it would seem, and like as not it's not solely due to the fact that she could use a real tan. It's quick, all in all; she's soon in the water and seated on one of the seats to render her shoulder-deep in the steaming warmth of it. She's silent for a few heartbeats after B'ky makes his query, her expression initially unreadable before impassivity reigns and she tilts a look over her shoulder at B'ky. Dull and matter-of-fact as ever, she eventually does answer with "I will survive." Not that the ensuing grimace helps reinforce that any, but she's stubborn.
Scrub scrub scrub.. B'ky works on his shoulders, and then moves down, making the water around him cloudy with little bubbles. He turns to R'io when the other rider slides into the water, nodding a quietly polite, "How have you been?" before tilting his head a little to glance back at Galina. One thin eyebrow rises slightly at the girl's reply, the wingleader pausing a moment before simply asking, "What happened?" Yes, there is certainly worry in his voice; the man really does worry about everyone. B'ky himself is fairly pale, though the man's shoulders do carry the hints of a tan - all those cargo runs to warmer, more southern climes have at least afforded him the ability to retain one, even in te Fortian winter.
R'io doesn't really think that Galina wants to talk about it…so he's not going to ask just yet. For the time being, he sits back in the pool he's occupying, offering a smile and a wave of greeting. It's a perhaps failed attempt at making her feel a little better, but he tries nonetheless. B'ky's question comes then, and he nods. "Pretty well, yes," he returns. I went to Ierne after I graduated from weyrlinghood, and things have been pretty good there. Not easy. But then, if something's easy, where's the glory in winning it?" He grins impishly.
The pair of firelizards sent off earlier return with a pair of smallish fabric bags between the two of them. The bags — one black, one white — are carefully set down on the lip of the pool, with the young woman lifting a hand to pat the blue on the muzzle while the brown just blips Between. Galina takes her time sifting through the contents of the bag before she answers, though she does answer with, "My runnerbeast spooked. I am still not sure what got into him." Her mouth flattens. "I fell, as a result of being ill-prepared for the possibility." A small jar of something is eventually retrieved from the bag, some specially-scented soapsand that's spilled out into her hands and worked into a vigorous lather. It takes her a long moment to realize she probably should say something more, which resolves in, "How are you?" Galina catches the smile and wave, offering back a mild, "Hello."
B'ky, R'io, and Galina are sitting in pools in the bathing cavern, possibly the warmest place in all of Fort Weyr, save the hatching grounds. Steam curls up in little clouds from the water's surface, and the sound of occasional splashing can be heard from some weyrbrats a little ways off. Though they seem to be pointedly avoiding the place a certain bluerider is sitting, probably because he'd snapped at them earlier. B'ky smiles slightly at R'io's reply, murmuring, "I do miss Ierne sometimes. Have you had a chance to meet L'ren? He's a rather interesting fellow.. if you have the time, I highly reccomend his bookshop." There's a soft chuckle and a nod in agreement, "Mm, true enough, I suppose," about glory not being easy. Galina's answer to what happened has the bluerider's brow creasing with firther concern, though he at least stops questioning her about it, instead saying a quiet, "I hope neither of you were injured." As for how he is, there is a pause, B'ky answering after a moment, "I've been well."
R'io doesn't seem too upset about not being addressed immediately. Fact, he returns the greeting with a smile. "Hello!" he offers enthusiastically. He tempers it somewhat, though, and voices to Galina, "I'm glad you weren't hurt." At least…she doesn't /look/ hurt, just fairly dirty and rather upset, so R'io assumes she isn't hurt. B'ky's question draws a moment of thought from R'io, and he places a finger to his lips. "Hmm…I don't think so, no," he replies. "I haven't met a lot of the residents there yet. Too busy moving in." He grins. Apparently he has a lot of stuff.
Oh, the pitter patter of little feet. Little Kash feet, anyway. His aren't exactly huge. But he does come walking into the bathing caverns. It's as good a time of day as any to bathe..and really, probably a preferable time. Without too many people present, it's much easier to get a quiet bath in. Except there are people. K'shan pauses slightly as he glances into the pools, from those containing the trio to where the children play. Thankfully, it's not enough to make him want to turn tail and retreat. He drops his folded towel down on a bench though, before carefully easing off his boots.
"Yuri is fine," that being the name of the runnerbeast, evidently, "I will have to go to the infirmary after I am done here." Galina's mouth pulls to a side, distorting her features a bit with the effort to keep from grimacing anew. "Nothing is broken or dislocated, but there will be bruises." Not to mention her uncomfortable shifting on the below-the-water pool seat she's on. Someone might well have cracked her tailbone while she was at it. Something might have pulled in one of her shoulders, too, from the wince given when she tries to use her left arm to start scrubbing on her right shoulder. "I see," is her response to B'ky's words, with a glance being tossed back to R'io. It takes her a moment, but she eventually settles on, "Thank you," with an attempt at a smile that's quick to flatten out again.
B'ky continues to scrub, easing down lower into the water to dip back his head, in order to wet his hair a little more. The pale strands have grown out a little, and no longer look quite so dramatically styled, though from the length, he's likely going to have to visit Sabrina soon. The man retrieves the jar of soapsand from the pool's edge, taking another handful, and telling R'io thoughtfully, "There are a few cooks who have, mm, small gatherings on the beach every few sevendays, if you're looking to meet the residents in the area. I'm in Ierne fairly often as well, if you need a hand with anything. I'd be glad to help." There he goes again - the man couldn't not offer, really. He might, perhaps, miss the sound of pattering greenie feets, but he does notice K'shan's arrival as he turns to seyt the jar of soapsand aside. The bluerider inclining his head after a moment's hesitation, with a slight smile, and a quiet, "K'shan," in greeting. Galina receives a briefly confused look, "Yuri?" before B'ky seems to realize it's the runner's name with a quiet, "Ah." He continues to scrub, giving the girl a fairly sympathetic look.
Galina's winces aren't lost on R'io, and he offers a sympathetic look. But he's aware how bad it would look if he offered to wash her back. But at the same time, wouldn't he be rude if he didn't offer — Galina's obviously in pain. Ah, the perils of public bathing! Thankfully he is saved him from having to comment by K'shan's arrival, and by B'ky mentioning the small gatherings on Ierne's beach and offering to assist R'io at Ierne sometime. "Oh! Thanks, I think I've been to one, just for a bit," he states. "I didn't know they did that so often." He smiles, and then turns his attention to K'shan, raising his hand and offering a wave.
K'shan does glance over briefly, responding to B'ky's greeting with one of the very same. "B'ky." He doesn't look particularly interested in the social bathing behavior, giving a quick glance to both Galina and R'io. The wave earns a faint blink from the greenrider though, and a nod of return before he sets about the process of stripping. Or undressing, really. But those clothes do have to go.
"The runnerbeast. His name is Yuri." Explanation given, Galia lapses into silence and continues to scrub up as best she can before sliding under the water to rinse off and get her hair thoroughly wet. A different jar is opened, with some of the vanilla-scented contents spilled out into her palm to be worked into her hair in earnest. One-handed and with as much hair as she has, it's awkward … but do-able. "Lyuba has attempted to take me to Ierne to participate in the gatherings or to visit a restaurant she frequents there. She indicated that there is usually something going all all sevenday in some form or another." Failed attempts, all of them, from the tone of her voice. K'shan is noted, given a shallow nod of acknowledgement to suffice as greeting and then she's silent again, working steadily on her hair.
B'ky nods to R'io, "It's fairly regular, as far as I can tell, although it has been awhile since I last lived there." He dips his hands into the water, wetting the soapsand and continuing to scrub. "The weather is certainly warmer," he comments, thin smile for that, "Lovlier at this time of year, in any case." Given the recent blizzards and icy hazards around Fort, Ierne might seem rather lovely in comparison, at that. The greenrider, unlike the other two, /is/ glanced at idly as clothing is beaing removed. There's a quiet, almost thoughtful look given to K'shan, though B'ky is polite enough to drop his gaze back to the water once he seems to realize he's almost staring. There's a pursing of his lips before he simply starts hair-scrubbery, keeping his eyes firmly on the pool for now. "I see," he murmurs, at Galina's explanation, thin brows drawing together with a thoughtful 'hrmm' and then, "Lyuba? I believe.. I've met her. She's a relative of yours?" tone puzzled, as if still attempting to place who said person might be.
R'io smiles broadly when K'shan greets with a nod. He seems happy with the acknowledgement. Galina speaks, drawing R'io's attention, and he grins. "Ah! I haven't been able to catch anything going on except that one I stumbled on," he states. "I should try to get out and about more there…." He also nods sagely to B'ky's assessment of the weather. "Most definitely. One of the reasons I originally moved from Fort. It's too cold." He grins, though. "Still, a visit every so often isn't bad…."
"Just don't come in the middle of a blizzard, and things should be fine." Undressed and bath-ready, K'shan does finally climb into the water. At least he doesn't seclude himself by finding a separate pool to wash in. But he does sink down to his shoulders in the wonderfully heated water, soaking it in. "I don't appreciate it, but I suppose the weather here is better than in Bitra." B'ky is given a brief bit of..eyeing. Caught in the almost-staring? More likely he's simply assuming there was staring. He does glance though toward Galina again, sighing. "That seems..far too frequent for having..gatherings." But then, he's not the most social creature.
"I have known Lyuba all of my life, but she is not a relative of mine. Friend is a poor word for what she is." Galina's mouth pulls slightly to a side. "I owe her a debt that is not easily repaid." Pale eyes flick askance to B'ky, briefly, then shift back to focus on the water of her pool. Fingers flick at the surface idly, sending foamy ripples outward. To R'io, there's a bland, "If that is your inclination, then, yes. There is a lot to do there, from my understanding. However," and this is a nod to K'shan, "it is far too frequent for my tastes, as well. There is too much work to do." Workaholic? Galina? Nooooo.
B'ky chuckles softly, agreeing, "Mm, it is rather cold…" the man sinking a little further down into the warm water, eyelids lowering somewhat as he murmurs, "although, I suppose I've grown used to it over the turns." His gaze flickers briefly to R'io, "Are you working as a craftrider there?" The eyeing he receives from K'shan has the bluerider sinking further into the water, which is convenient, because he needs to rinse the hair anyway. He'll just dunk himself momentarily, sitting back up slowly and pushing water and soaked strands from his eyes. Those dyed locks might be a touch lighter. "How long has it been since you were last in Bitra?" B'ky asks softly, having caught part of that the greenrider said, "I cannot imagine living somewhere colder than Fort in winter." There is a slight smile, though one eyebrow rises a little, the man glancing back toward Galina, "I see." He might be curious, but he doesn't ask about the debt, too polite, likely. "She was.. looking for someone or, ah, something the last time we met. Hopefully she found who or what she was looking for," too polite to ask about that, either, though he tilts his head at the greenie and Galina, commenting quietly, "Mm, I imagine the gathers provide work for those crafters who live there. It must be difficult, especially for riders, to support themselves without a weyr." It's not as if he would know, being thoroughly weyrbred.
"How long?" K'shan blinks a little at the question, but moves across the pool to get at the soapsand. Taking in a handful, he simply shakes his head, offering a small shrug to B'ky's question. "Since before I went to be an apprentice. However many turns it's been.. I don't keep a good count."
There's a testing roll of her shoulders, though Galina makes a bit of a face that goes mostly unseen when her left shoulder is lifted. Some mental note is made and she sinks under the water again to rinse her hair out. When she reclaims her seat, she sinks down to chin-depth, eyes shutting with a slow exhalation of breath that's not quite a sigh but, rather, a meditative, calming thing. "If you met her here, then I imagine she did." Her lips pull taut, into a stretched line. "She is as adept at finding something she is seeking as she is at getting what she wants." Such displeasure and irritation is quickly dispersed on another exhalation, while the young woman lapses into silence.
"You haven't been back since?" B'ky asks softly, tone perhaps faintly surprised, the bluerider tilting his head to regard K'shan for a moment. He opens his mouth, as if to say more, but after a second simply closes it again, instead sinking lower in the pool, one hand slowly rubbing his neck. "Hm, I see," he tells Galina, the man also growing quiet. He runs a hand through his hair, leaning back a little to rinse it again before settling back against the pool's edge, gaze drifting across the bathing cavern. "I sometimes wish Fort would hold more gatherings," head shaking slowly, "With all the work we have to do, it is nice, sometimes, to simply relax." As if he isn't relaxing now, the only real commotion being from that group of weyrbrats having some kind of water fight a few pools over. B'ky gives them a narrow look, but refrains from scolding. Again.
K'shan slants a look toward B'ky, shrugging. "It's not my favorite place in the world, so I don't have much reason to visit." The noise from the children has the greenrider looking in that direction, but it seems to be a calm enough gaze. Alas, rowdy children don't seem to bother him all that much. But he does continue scrubbing himself, sinking down quietly in the water. Bliss.
Some silent soaking is had before Galina gives her face a good scrubbing and then casts about for- right. The one thing she forgot to grab: a towel. So much for that, then. The young healer glances over at the commotion over yonder, a slow blink being given while she tries to suss out just what's going on over there. The set of her mouth eventually relaxes into mere neutrality rather than irritation and she settles on peering into the water for a little while. "Gatherings are rarely relaxing for some people," she points out after a moment. It's just a matter-of-fact utterance, offered up as a bland observation. "However, I can understand the desire to want to do something out-of-the-ordinary."
Turning back from the splashing going on over there, B'ky just sinks lower in the pool, until his head is resting lightly against the edge of it. "I see," the bluerider says softly, with a slight nod to K'shan. He doesn't ask anymore about Bitra, even if he does give the greenie a curious look for a moment. But whatever's on his mind, it seems it will stay unspoken, at least for now. "Mm, that's true, I suppose," the man says quietly to Galina, "Roc would likely have more work if there were more celerations, in any case." He sounds tired. Then again, when /doesn't/ the wingleader sound tired? The children, meanwhile, are thoroughly soaking themselves, the far wall of the cavern, and the floor around the pool they're playing in. Occasional squeals and laughs carry through the steam.
"Of course." But that's all the young healer seems inclined to say. After some consideration, she does the figurative equivalent of biting the bullet; she clambers out of her pool to reach a nearby shelf, where several towels are folded and stacked. One is wrapped around her, a second used to wrap up her hair, and then she's gathering her things. "Be well," is offered, genuinely meant if a bit deadpan, and then Galina's off, no doubt headed off to get a change of clothes before dealing with her fellow healers.
As the noise across the way rises in pitch and volume, B'ky sighs quietly, eyes closing for one long moment before he, too, sits up in the water and begins to make his way out of the pool. There is a, "Take care," for Galina, the man bringing one hand up to massage his temple, and giving those weyrbrats another look before he moves to find a towel of his own, drying off and dressing quickly. The others are given a bit of a nod in farewell, and then B'ky is hurrying back out into the caverns, town rubbing dry his hair as he goes.
