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Post by Thrawn Demer on Jun 7, 2016 18:31:16 GMT -5
The one thing that Thrawn has learned so far in his travels that Sorath was fucking hot. Maybe he was just too used to the cold, or that he had been traveling a lot during the day, either way Thrawn was not a fan of the heat. Which is what lead him to the baths early that morning.
He wanted to go right after he heard about the baths but he wanted to go early since it would not be so crowded, and as far as he knew he was the only one there, which suited him just fine. After paying up and stripping down to nothing but the towel around his waist Thrawn made his way to the second floor of the baths.
The warm water suited him just fine as he made himself comfortable in the bath. He rested his head back against the edge of the bath, closed his eyes and hummed a Darthaki tune to himself. This was the most relaxed he has been in weeks, the euphoric feeling of his body unwinding was unlike anything he has ever felt.
Thrawn was beginning to like this place.
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Post by Fyrra Na'Limndra on Jun 9, 2016 16:29:20 GMT -5
Fyrrah wasn't surprised to find the Darthaki man she had met the other day in The Serpent's Head Inn at the Sorath Public Bath. She had pointed out to him that it was a place to go, and early in the morning if you wanted to avoid crowds. Merrake and Fyrrah both liked to go to the public bath over the one at the Serpent's Head Inn, where they had been staying, because of the multiple levels and the size of the pools. The Kalimbra liked to swim, Merrake liked to watch over her. The Kalimbra's free spirited nature had grown on Merrake. It was troublesome, but it was fun for her to watch someone be so free and open to talking to people of different lifestyles and of different cultures. Merrake herself felt very closed minded in comparison.
The Kalimbra had paid the two zink price for both herself and her bodyguard to enter the baths. The found the barbarian already in the middle pool.
"Atre rek Darthaki Hanneth An'dama. Ha'wamba."
Look at the Darthaki man from yesterday. He is comfortable.
"C."
-Pronouced Ch, like tsk.-
"Nae C Merrake. Ve'Paranmul'ha. I see you took my advice! Comfortable?"
Don't tsk Merrake. Let's join him.
Fyrra and Merrake had already stripped down. The Kalimbra did not wait for the Darthaki man to invite her in. She slid into the pool a few meters away from him. Merrake put herself in the pool between her charge and the man. There didn't need to be an incident.
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Post by Thrawn Demer on Jun 9, 2016 17:33:50 GMT -5
Lost in thought and the bliss of relaxation Thrawn did not not notice that he was no longer alone until he felt the disturbances in the water. Opening only one his eyes slightly he was greeted with the lovely view of the two women he met the previous night.
Thrawn did not star or ogle but seeing them in the baths had only made it more obvious how beautiful both women were. Seeing them naked did not have much of an effect on the Darthaki, his people hardly put on clothes anyways, so this was nothing new to him.
"You were right about this place," he said after lazily waving at her and her body guard, his eye still only half open. "Exactly what I needed after two weeks of traveling."
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Post by Fyrra Na'Limndra on Jun 9, 2016 20:46:37 GMT -5
"It is a good way to start a day. It helps keep you healthy too."
Fyrra could go on and on about the benefits of a good bath. Good hygiene was important. It kept one from coming down with any terrible diseases, and helped keep the parasites at bay. Not only that, but it gave your skin a healthy glow and feel, and even relaxed your mind. Stress could kill a person. She had heard of people jumping from buildings occasionally in Telle'Korasus. Suicide cults, or people that felt like they had done something so horrible that their death needed to be immediate to redeem themselves.
For her, it reminded her of home in a good way. That and the being clean thing. She enjoyed it. The thought occurred to her that it had been a while since she had done any laps around the pool Now was the time to do so. Before the people with small children showed up and started to populate the baths heavily, making it harder to do anything other than wash and leave.
"I am going to do a lap, watch out for me."
The Kalimbra started off on her swim, using slow purposeful strokes to stretch.
Merrake just sat there a n arms length from the Darthaki man.
"Willful."
She was mumbling again. She did not particularly like talking to the other races. Not after what she had seen bandits try to do to the Kalimbra. She did not trust them, therefore she did not let her guard down.
Swimming!
Slow and purposeful (Simple)
Swimming I (+5), Simple (+30), Strength (+12): 47
yKvV6TLs
-Failure
Off to a bad start. She didn't really get anywhere, and nearly went completely under when she did not intend to. She corrected herself before she tried to move any further. Once she was upright in the pool again, she started swimming again.
-Success
She had better results this time, going a good distance on her own without having to stop or correct her path. ·
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Post by Thrawn Demer on Jun 10, 2016 5:30:54 GMT -5
Thrawn opened his eyes a little more and watched the woman swim. He was actually surprised that her guard did not rush to her when she was struggling at first, she must have expected her to be alright in the end. Thrawn felt like they had an odd relationship; most guards would be standing outside the pool, weapon at the ready not be naked in the pool with their charge.
Thrawn turned to the woman closest to him when he heard her speak. He was surprised, she did not strike him as the talkative type, but it seemed to him that she was trying to have some sort of conversation.
"That must drive you crazy," he said to her with a smile. "Protecting someone in a foreign environment can't be easy."
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Post by Fyrra Na'Limndra on Jun 10, 2016 15:32:09 GMT -5
The bodyguard looked at the man with a raised brow. His observation was astute. She felt tense for the moment. She was physically between the only potential threat in the room and her charge. If there were more people there, she'd suggest they leave or she wouldn't have left the side of the pool. Merrake huffed, she wasn't sure if he was stating the obvious to distract her and cause her anxiety or to empathize.
"Yes. It does, and it isn't."
Meanwhile, Fyrra continued her swim with enthusiasm. She had made it about a quarter of the way around the pool, and now she was attempting to turn while swimming forward.
Same threshold as before: 47
WtKiUwZY
And she didn't turn hard enough. Instead of slamming into the wall like an idiot, she righted her self and put her hand on the wall, taking a second to catch her breath. She spotted Merrake and their new acquaintance chatting, she waved to them.
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Post by Thrawn Demer on Jun 11, 2016 13:47:36 GMT -5
"I hope she pays you enough to put up with that," Thrawn said with a chuckle.
He still felt that she was far from being relaxed around him, which he could not fault her for, but he tried to put her mind at ease.
"Look I have no reason to hurt her, she's been very friendly and helpful, I would gain nothing out of it. Besides I'm sure you can take me in a one on one fight, in or out of this pool." She seemed capable enough and Thrawn would rather not get into a real fight with her.
He waved back at the other woman. She seemed to be struggling a bit, the Darthaki admired her perseverance.
"But if it would make you feel better I could go to one of the other levels." Thrawn still wanted to stay in the level, the water was perfect but he did not mind moving if it meant they be more comfortable.
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Jorkahn Wealddir
Half-Elkagr 
Champion of Jewels
Posts: 443 
Prestige: Killer
Moral Alignment: Neutral
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Post by Jorkahn Wealddir on Jun 11, 2016 13:59:48 GMT -5
Jorkahn had arrived at the baths quite some time ago, actually. He had already undressed and was standing around in the changing rooms with nothing but a towel around his waist. He had no trouble doing such a basic task, nudity did not embarrass him as much as one may think, it was people and interaction that got him. No, the problem and the reason he hadn't entered the bath proper was because he had been fidgeting behind the threshold for a while. He was worried about other people being in the bath, he was terrified of having to talk to complete strangers.
This was another one of his attempts to climb out of his comfort zone and try new things, just like his visit to the tavern not too long ago. Surprisingly that had gone well, so had most of the other times he had tried something new. It had filled him with the courage to go to the baths, however now he was faltering. He had heard of the relaxing stays that his parents had taken in Sorath on occasion. The boy also remembered coming here with his brother and sister when they were kids. The nostalgia gave him the push he needed to enter. He took a deep breath and stepped through the door. As he went he thought of the one and only time he had been here in the past. It kept him so preoccupied that he didn't notice the trio before he was nearly stepping into the first level of the baths.
Jorkahn froze and glanced between the three. It was the kind Kalimbra he had met in the tavern, a huge and intimidating man whose ethnicity he couldn't quite place. He didn't look Cruinthian, but perhaps he was mistaken. And then there was Fyrra's intimidating, to him at least, bodyguard. The Champion of Jewels nearly lost his resolve right there and almost turned around to get dressed and go home. And he would have, too. If he didn't witness the blue skinned Drokagr nearly crash into a wall. He walked with long strides over to the Kalimbra and knelt down, pushing his platinum hair out of his different colored eyes.
"Are you alright, L-Lady Kalimbra?" He tried to keep eye contact but he also tried not to stare. He didn't want a repeat of last time. He also wasn't entirely certain about the Drokagr's stance on nudity, he felt it was impolite to stare regardless. Also, he lacked the courage or the foolhardiness to stare regardless of the fact he thought it was impolite or not. He made absolutely certain not to touch her, he remembered the rule and a small amount of their culture.
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Post by Fyrra Na'Limndra on Jun 12, 2016 11:31:27 GMT -5
"Oh.. oh! Jorkahn, right? I'm fine really. Just wasn't expecting the wall to come up so quickly. Anyway, Merrake is over there lounging with our new friend. I'm doing laps. See you in a bit! Oh, and Lady Kalimbra is redundant I think? I'm not an expert."
She had looked up from the pool where she had been staring intently before. Her focus had been interrupted by Jorkahn, so he surprised her a bit. It also surprised her that he was here in the public baths in the first place. He seemed like a nervous sort, despite his champion status. How strange the world could be at times. Once she was done speaking to him, she attempted to swim forward once again. At first it was a false start, but she managed to regain her composure and swim towards the other end of the pool with slow, purposeful strokes.
Swimming! Same as before: 47
a7Omz0oK --Failure
--Success
Merrake eyed the boy that had just entered the baths and started speaking to the Kalimbra. She mumbled back to the barbarian, as she was indeed more comfortable with him now that he'd voice his intentions of not doing anything regarding her. It was harder for someone to go back once they've said something about it. Especially if they weren't an experienced liar. Jorkahn made Merrake nervous because he was so nervous.
"You're fine right where you are. Just do yourself a favor and not touch her, I'd be forced to kill you. The simple honor it brings to protect her is payment enough."·
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Post by Thrawn Demer on Jun 12, 2016 12:37:28 GMT -5
"I'll keep my hands to myself then," Thrawn said as he raised his hands in a gesture of surrender, he was happy that he managed to get to be relaxed around him, at least a bit more relaxed than before.
He looked over at the newcomer who seemed to familiar with the Half-Drokagr. Thrawn assumed he was human but he was still surprised by the man's hair color, he had never seen a human with silver hair before.
Turning his thoughts back to the woman beside him, he was surprised to hear that she was not being paid for her hard work, and she seemed to be fine with that. A part of Thrawn thought she was making a mistake, another part of him admired her.
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Jorkahn Wealddir
Half-Elkagr
Champion of Jewels
Posts: 443
Prestige: Killer
Moral Alignment: Neutral
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Post by Jorkahn Wealddir on Jun 13, 2016 18:36:23 GMT -5
The fact the Kalimbra remembered him brought him some small form of comfort. He smiled sheepishly at her, attempting to keep her gaze but mostly failing, his eyes glancing away constantly. He nodded when she said his name and listened to her words. Jorkahn briefly glanced over in the other's direction when they were mentioned by the blue-skinned half-breed. They both intimidated him, the Kalimbra was much easier to talk to in his opinion.
She mentioned then that she was doing laps around the bath. He noticed how truly big the different pools were then. Perhaps she was practicing, or maybe she was just having fun? Fyrra didn't seem particularly experienced with swimming, but then again neither was he. He wanted to say something in response, his mouth even twitched as it opened to make a sound. Maybe he could ask to join her? The young warrior could use some practice himself. Alas, the boy's mouth quickly shut. He couldn't muster the courage, most of it had already been spent walking into the baths to begin with. When she mentioned the redundancy of his greeting he finally said something insignificant. "Hmm." The Champion would file that away in his brain for later.
Jorkahn watched the half-Drokagr nearest to him struggle to swim away. When she finally was able to push off he climbed into the bath and sat against the back wall out of the way of the swimming woman. He looked back over at the Darthaki and the bodyguard as the large man raised his hands up into the air. They seemed to be getting along, it made them seem less scary to him. That was until he realized Merrake was looking at him. The Champion of Jewels swiftly averted his gaze to look down at the water. His heart was racing he was so anxious, so he decided he would try to calm it.
The boy submerged everything of himself below his nose into the water and closed his eyes. He took a long, slow breath and repeated the process a few times. The warmth of the bath wafted into his nostrils and the smell of the water served to calm him down considerably. He focused on the sounds and how the water felt and smelled. He was not yet ready to attempt to converse with the other two. Jorkahn's platinum blonde hair floated lazily in the water around him.
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Post by Fyrra Na'Limndra on Jun 13, 2016 19:23:51 GMT -5
She continued to swim, oblivious to what was happening around her. The boy had entered the pool as well. As far as the Kalimbra was concerned all was right with the world. She was having a great time practicing her swimming skills. Which apparently desperately needed practice. She took her time, listening only to the sounds of the water and herself swimming. She could hear muffled voices through the bath. The water was nice though, and it gave her peace. She came up for air once, rubbed her face and eyes, and went back to it.
Merrake continued looking at Jorkahn until he settled down in the bath. Then she turned to the Darthaki man as the half-elfs head was under water.
"That one is nervous always. His nervousness makes me nervous. Like a fidgety child that stumbles over everything, only focusing inward, creating a chaotic situation around themselves. I am afraid he will stumble over himself and accidentally touch her. I would then have to kill him. He seems to be his own worst enemy."
That was the most talkative she had been since... she was alone with Fyrra last. To the Kalimbra she would talk, but always in her mother tongue. Never without being aware of who was around her. Never this much to a stranger. This human seemed to be in control of himself.
Swimming! Same as before: 47
WmhkU0j7 -Failure
-Success·
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Post by Thrawn Demer on Jun 14, 2016 17:48:37 GMT -5
Thrawn could not help but chuckle, of all the reasons to get killed, falling and touching a woman seemed silly to him. He looked over again at the man briefly before he submerged himself, he did not seem like he posing a threat to anyone.
"Would you really kill the man for a simple accident? How much harm could befall your charge from a touch?" He asked, his tone sincere not judgmental nor accusing, he really wanted to know how far she would go in retaliation for a touch.
"Besides, he probably has a crush on her, wouldn't make for a very compelling love story if you cut him down so soon," Thrawn added with a sly smile, he was clearly enjoying the conversation with the Half-Drokgar.
Thrawn had met plenty of fighters, people who liked to fight for the sake of fighting, or money. But it was not very often that Thrawn would run into warrior who fought for something, or someone else. He found it most admirable.
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Jorkahn Wealddir
Half-Elkagr
Champion of Jewels
Posts: 443
Prestige: Killer
Moral Alignment: Neutral
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Post by Jorkahn Wealddir on Jun 14, 2016 19:57:38 GMT -5
The rumbling of the filtration system. The water flowing through the pools on each level. A woman swimming without a care in the world. A man and a woman talking. A chuckle. There were many sounds to be heard, each one filtering through his elven ears. They held no substance to him, his mind lost in the feeling of the water around him. The boy almost felt as if he were asleep, drifting through a dream world of his own design. His eyes still closed Jorkahn pushed off from the wall and floated on his back. Now that his ears were covered by the water the sound muddled. He noticed then how clear his breathing was, felt the air enter and exit his lungs. The young man felt he could almost see his lungs expand from the inside before collapsing to expel yet another breath.
After a few moments of laying there, Jorkahn would open his eyes and align his body till it stood up straight and his feet touched the bottom of the baths. He kept everything from his chest down submerged, only his head above the water. This was the calmest he had felt in a long time. He had always loved the rivers in the forests of Cruinthe. It was where he taught himself how to swim. But the baths were something different. They were a comfortable temperature always and gave him a sense of peace and serenity.
His mind slowly came back to reality as he looked around again. The Champion's gaze paused as it passed the stairs to see if any newcomers had decided to come along. Curiously enough no one was around. He glanced back over at Merrake and Thrawn. The all-encompassing sense of bliss dissipated a bit and some of the anxiety came back, but he fought it down. He had already spoken to the Kalimbra, it would be rude of him not to acknowledge her bodyguard and Merrake's companion.
Jorkahn closed his eyes again and took even more deep breaths. He was trying to work up the courage to swim over and say hello.
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Post by Fyrra Na'Limndra on Jun 14, 2016 21:00:21 GMT -5
"It would seem unjust. I agree. It is law though. No. Law is not the best word. They are revered. Kalimbra are not to be touched without their permission. Kalimbra Na'drakka, crushing the standing flower. It isn't to be done. It is understood. I don't really expect you to understand. It would be a tragedy if he were to accidentally touch her, I would have to kill him. She knows this, I know this, he knows this I think. If he has this... crush on her, I think I understand what you mean. Nimwa, we call it. If he desires a Nimwa with her, then it will not happen. He will be disappointed. She is a practicing Kalimbra. They don't engage in that until they retire from their art. She is young, she has just begun her career. More than anything she loves her art."
Merrake gestured at Fyrra as she mentioned the Kalimbra. She shook her head though. Clearing the thought of having to choke the life from him from her mind. She had imagined herself in the pool, holding his head underwater for accidentally brushing past her here in the baths. In her imagination she was surrounded by people. They were all screaming, children were running. Guards were coming. It was just a run away thought. Not a daydream, just a logical following of events. She hated it. Not only would it cause trouble for her charge. It would be problematic for her, and a boy would be dead.
"How would you suggest we handle this situation. What is this called?"
The Kalimbra continued her swim this time without any problems whatsoever.
Swimming! Same as before: 47
9wOxO7gx
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