Bath Buddies[Aselia]

[Jaeden Kincade]

Jaeden raised one of his legs before draping his arm over his knee as he leaned back slightly, placing his other hand down along the floor to brace himself. He then slowly shook his head for a moment. “No, no hint really at all. I can’t imagine what great calling I would have to answer. For the most part, I’m a simple man, without any great aspirations or desires.” Jaeden explained, giving a slow shrug. “I suppose it’ll just hit me like some tree that tends to jump in my path sometimes while roaming the forest. However, I‘ll let you know what it is when I discover it myself.” Jaeden’s eyes then fell to Aselia’s hand as she slowly reached out. He didn’t bother mentioning that the power of Ranuri was still active from the two previous times he had touched her as her fingers slowly glided along the surface of the skin along his forearm. When she then asked him what she desired, he paused for a moment, closing his eyes as if he were envisioning something. He then opened them widely in a mock expression of shock. “Wow, really? That’s sort of kinky, but I can always give it a shot. It will be sort of hard to clean out a tub full of chocolate pudding though.” Jaeden said as a small smile sharpened the corners of his mouth. A moment of silence passed by as Jaeden simply observed her reaction to what he said before a slow chuckle escaped his lips. “I’m just joking, Aselia.” Jaeden said as he reached out, dropping his hand to her shoulder for a moment. “You desire something very great in my opinion. You wish to stand out, to be accomplished, and to do so on your own. Something that wouldn’t be just handed to you because of your race or family name. Furthermore, you desire recognition of that special individuality, and to be free of everything that would keep you from it.” Jaeden then fell back to his lean, as his hand once again supported the weight of his upper body. “It’s a good desire to have, Aselia. Don’t ever lose determination for it.” Jaeden then commented while nodding as if to affirm his statement. “And likewise, if there’s anything I can do to help you achieve such, just let me know.”

[Aselia Timandre]

A simple man? Aselia doubted that. With a gnosis mark from Nikali and as a male masseuse and private entertainer in a bathhouse Jaeden was everything but simple. Like every single person, he was an individual of his own. Nobody was simple, although some might look like it at first sight. Nobody was simple inside, of that Aselia was sure. Her lips curled into a slight smile, but she didn’t interrupt his train of thought.

Her pale, slender body tensed like a water serpent waiting for the right moment to strike, only that she waited for the strike that would hit her. Even more than lies the absolute truth could be alluring, but also sharper and harder than any lie made up by mankind. Truth was something bigger, something the gods had created. It had to be like that, because Avalis Herself had given Aselia her special gift. Truth was precious, but a double-edged blade nevertheless. Aselia didn’t know what he would reveal to her – that was the cause of her nervousness.

But his words hit her in a different way. She blinked, velvet orbs sparkling. “Chocolate p… You dork!”, she hissed. For a person so young she had spent more thought on her goals than most other Konti. They had time … but Aselia was quite impatient for their standards. To imagine that she desired chocolate pudding! How ridiculous! Soon her offended stare turned into laughter though and she gave Jaeden a light slap where her hand had rested seconds before.

After calming down, he spoke again. This time she sensed the vivid air of crystal-clear truth around his words and in his expression. Being faced with the story of her desires somehow cast a sad look at her features. Everything she had experienced and endured back in Mura … what had been done to her just because she was a Timandre! She would show everyone that she wasn’t just “a Timandre”, but completely and utterly “Aselia” and nobody else. A person with her own personality. She hoped that her future lay in Syliras or anywhere else that wasn’t Mura, but at the same time she feared to never see her home again. Here people had never heard about the Timandre family. Her it was needless to prove that she was Aselia. Quite the complicated situation, she thought and avoided Jaeden’s sky blue eyes.

Eventually she smiled vaguely into his direction. “I’ll try”, she whispered, barely audible for human ears.

Gathering her thoughts and staying away from hopes and fears that lead to nothing Aselia looked up. A daughter of Avalis shouldn’t anxiously await the future, but rather fully live and enjoy the present and the Gods’ gifts. Life meant even more than truth or the fulfillment of wishes or anything else.

Aselia smiled at Jaeden. She would enjoy the present which meant learning as much as possible about the Soothing Waters and her work. “Would you please show me around? I’ve only been to the public bath and Miss Zia’s office so far, but I’d like to see more of our work place.” After a short pause she added: “Maybe you can introduce me to some colleagues of yours.” The black and white magpie, as if sensing the atmosphere of departure, swept from the wardrobe and clutched the Konti girl’s right shoulder with tiny claws.

[Jaeden Kincade]

Jaeden gave a nod, pushing himself off the floor into a stand once more. “Of course,” Jaeden said, offering a helping hand to Aselia. “I’ll give you the general tour and we’ll likely run into a couple of the employees along the way." Jaeden the lead her out of her room, closing the door after she had slipped through as they once again began heading down the hall. As they did so, a sleek human woman with long blond hair came stepping out of a room down the hall. “Ah, and here is one now.” Jaeden said as he motioned to the woman. “Aselia, this is Summer. The one who broke me in here at the Bathhouse, for lack of a better term. Summer, this is Aselia, a new addition to the Bath House roster.” A warm smile fitting her name appeared on Summer’s face as she gave a slow bow to Aselia. Aselia could feel the same allure emanating from Summer that she did from Jaeden himself, indicating the story of her baring the same Gnosis bared truth. “A pleasure to meet you, Aselia” Summer greeted looking between Jaeden and Aselia, giving an almost teasing look. “Is Jaeden behaving himself?”

[Aselia Timandre]

Although she basically liked her independence, this time she took the offered helping hand. Jaeden was too kind. Perhaps it was his Ranuri interfering with her Divination gnosis, but she felt something strange between them. Then she remembered what elder women said about men back in Mura. Of course it could also be the possibility of her having special feelings. One could never know. Especially in that melting pot of city that was called Syliras. Nodding eagerly, she hurried to his side. Together they left the small room. Through the fabric of her pants she touched the key – a good feeling, the symbol for her earning her first salary.

The woman stepping out of another room immediately caught Aselia’s eye. The way she moved, self-confidently and naturally seductive, made it easy to identify her as masseuse. When they approached her, she also noticed the woman’s long, slender hands, wondering if those hands would teach her a few tricks. Then, however, her attention curiously switched back to Jaeden’s words. Broke him in …? That phrase brought an amused expression on her features.

Then, however, she nodded at Summer in greeting. Something about the other woman’s aura was familiar. “Nice to meet you too”, she exclaimed with a smile that soon turned into a grin at the woman’s next words. Aselia gave a short chuckle. “So far, yes. I think I can handle him”, she claimed with a side glance to the person in question. “Or is there something he might have missed to inform me about?”

Just then insight hit her. Looking back and forth between Jaeden and Summer, she realized that they bore the same extraordinary trait, the same … feeling of Ranuri’s presence. And then she realized, or rather remembered, something else. Quite stunned, she commented: “You … both of you are marked? So you were the person he spoke of …” Her eyes wandered back to Summer. “Jaeden has told me a bit about Ranuri. I’m quite the religious person myself.”Well, if listening to the whispers of her gnosis mark counted as being religious anyway. Not knowing what to add, Aselia waited for Jaeden to say something or lead the way. Her dark violet orbs invited him to do as he pleased. Of course she would have liked to continue the talk with Summer … but weren’t they supposed to work? Aselia wasn’t sure how she should handle the relaxed atmosphere.

[Jaeden Kincade]

Summer smirked slightly when Aselia asked her about Jaeden withholding something from her. Jaeden slowly shook his head then as he stood behind Aselia. “No matter, and I’m glad to hear that his first encounter with me was memorable, though I hope he didn’t go into too much detail.” Summer said as she began heading towards the exits. “In any event, I have a client coming. Hope you have fun working here Aselia, come to me if you need some advice. Jaeden is still green on the job, so to speak.” Jaeden Then slowly looked to Aselia, a small smile on his face. “Well then, shall we continue?” Jaeden said as he motioned down the hall once again. Jaeden stepped through the door, heading into the main hall as the smell of the public baths and slight humidity hit their noses. Closing the door and locking it behind Aselia, Jaeden then lead them down towards the door that lead to the more private areas of the Soothing Waters. Stepping through the door, Aselia was then greeted with another hall, as a smooth wooden floor lined the path to ivory stone walls. Soothing decorative art lined the walls and the pleasant scent of various flowers filled the air as an almost dimmed lighting set the mood for a relaxing atmosphere before a client even reached one of the private baths. Several numbered doors lined the hallways, some of them having more spacing between them than the others, suggesting that some of the rooms behind where larger overall. Before Jaeden took another step down the hall, he soon took a right turn, heading towards the first unmarked door. The door opened to a set of steps that lead down a dimly lit hallway. Stepping inside, the door area itself seemed much warmer as a wave of heat brushed along Aselia’s skin. As they slowly made their way down the steps, they soon were greeted with the sound of simple bickering echoing up the hall. A slow smirk formed on Jaeden’s lips before he finally stepped to the side, allowing Aselia to enter and view the room fully. The room itself was large and made up of the same ivory stone that lined the walls up above. Several shafts lined the wall, one of which currently had clothing slide out of it and into a small basket that rested underneath. Other shafts had the dim light of the sun nipping at it’s edges, suggesting it was used more for ventilation. Standing in front of a large water basin, stood a young human woman. Her hair was long and brown, reaching down to the mid of her back as deep blue eyes of her beautiful features studied the water in the basin. Her hand merely touched the surface of the water that rested within the basin itself as the water swirled around in a gentle swirl as smooth stones could be heard rattling around inside. A slow exhale was given as the swirling finally stopped before she reached inside, pulling out a set of clothing. “Another set ready for you brother, please do try not to singe the clothing.” the female said. Stepping into view was a male then, his features uncannily similar to the female as he featured the same eyes and facial features, and while his hair was trimmed short, it was the same color as the females. “I’ll have you know that you’re more likely to damage the clothing with your stone washing, sister.” The male then said as he grabbed the clothing from the woman and began hanging it along a steal line that ran along the length of the room. He then held his hand up, as a small flame began to flicker in the center of his palm. It was then that Aselia felt the same warm breeze she did when entering the room, as the current of air produced by the male slowly began swaying the wet clothing back and forth, drying the soaked fabric slowly. “Bickering again, I think the two of you need an outside atmosphere to work in.” Jaeden said as his hands slowly cupped behind his back. “Jaeden!” the female said excitedly as she gave a slow wave to him. The male quickly stepped forward, stopping inches from Jaeden’s frame as he stood eye to eye with him. Jaeden’s face leaned back slightly, as if he became uncomfortable with the male’s proximity. “What are your intentions towards my sister?” the male said abruptly. “Really? Are we going to get into this once again?” Jaeden said almost with a sigh as he slowly looked to Aselia. “Aselia, I’d like you to meet the twins. They are often the unsung heroes of the Soothing Waters. This is Marius and Elizia. Using their gifts of the elements, they handle the laundering of clothing for clients who pay for the option, and they do an excellent job at it.” Marius slowly looked over to Aselia for a moment, his eyes growing wide before a smile appeared on his face. He quickly ignored Jaeden’s presence there and stepped over to her. “Ah, a new employee, and a beautiful one at that.” Marius said, only to be suddenly cut off in his talk when Elizia’s hand suddenly slapped along Marius’ face, pushing him backwards to the ground. Elizia soon eyed Aselia suspiciously, his gaze darting back and forth between Aselia’s eyes. “What are your intentions towards my brother?” She abruptly said.

[Aselia Timandre]

Aselia raised an eyebrow at Summer’s comment. Apparently there were either interesting or private details, or perhaps both. However, despite all her curiosity, she didn’t inquire further. Every person kept their own little secrets. She was no different. Actually she was the last to press when people obviously wanted to be left alone. Obviously. After listening to the last few words she smiled, glad to have found someone so helpful and friendly. “Thanks, I’ll remember that.” Meanwhile she made a mental note to ask about massage lessons later.

Nodding, she followed Jaeden down the hall. Once more she noticed the beautiful decoration of the whole bathing area, especially the private baths they were now heading past. At least she thought them to be private baths. Different sizes were for different prices, she supposed, and eyed the doors with interest, as if her orbs could see beyond them to find out how the rooms were furnished. But of course, she would spend enough time in those rooms to get accustomed to their interior. Suddenly a subtle hint of worry and doubt hit her and she grew unusually quiet. What did she do at such a beautiful bath house? Not even Mura provided such luxurious and exclusive establishments. Konti and tourists alike enjoyed the mysteriously warm temperature of Silver Lake. There was nothing so elaborately crafted for bathing like there was in Syliras. When realizing that, Aselia felt a bit intimidated. People were building so much locations … Where was her own place between all those employees and customers? She really hoped that she would find it at Soothing Waters. For the time being, there was nothing to do about it except waiting and trying to adjust and have fun. With a little luck and Avalis willing, she would truly enjoy working after a while. At least that was what Aselia wished and prayed for. Silent words ascended to the Ukalas.

Then, however, Jaeden showed her another room that was quite different from what she had already seen. After inspecting all the details – some of which didn’t reveal their purpose immediately –, Aselia turned her attention to the woman standing in front of the water basin. Just then, she softly touched the water and froze. Only seconds later, swirls developed at its atmosphere, indicating that something had been done beyond it. Aselia let out a sharp exhale, more surprised than shocked by what the woman was able to do. She had seen manipulations of the elements a few times before, she knew what her sister did when she closed her eyes, whispered ancient words and raised her arms. However, she also knew what kind of price Kamalia had to pay for her power …

But apparently this woman was experienced at and content with the job. Leaning forward, Aselia wondered what stone washing meant. Was that the description for what the woman did with magic? She watched when the brunette’s brother received the clothing set and started drying it by creating a flame in his hand. Both reimancers. Interesting. She would have to tell Kamalia about those two.

She also watched as the man approached Jaeden and questioned his intentions, breaking into an amused chuckle. Apparently he was very protective of his sister which she could understand, but the way in which he conveyed his worries was … well, quite odd. Jaeden, seemingly used to such behavior, moved on with introducing them and Aselia suppressed her delight to get their names. “Nice to meet you two. I’m Aselia …”

She trailed off when Marius got slapped by his sister. Her eyes widened when the latter approached her in the same manner like her brother had approached Jaeden before. Speechless, she couldn’t help but stare into the woman’s face. “I’m … just a new employee …? Really, I have no intentions at all …” Backing away a bit, she sent a nervous glance towards Jaeden. Hopefully he would be able to treat those two more appropriately than she was able to! Elizia had caught her completely off guard.

One thing had been confirmed for Aselia though: Wizards were weird folks.

[Jaeden Kincade]

Jaeden gave a slow sigh as he reached in between Elizia and Aselia. Elizia’s eyes brightened slightly as her focus on Aselia broke away to look at Jaeden once again. “Well, I need to continue her tour.” Jaeden said to the twins as he grasped Aselia’s shoulder slightly and turned her towards the stairs once again. “You two have fun down here.” Jaeden then began escorting Aselia back up the stairs as Elizia waved goodbye to Jaeden. The two of them could be heard bickering once again before Jaeden and Aselia made it halfway up the stairs. “Don’t worry about the two of them. They may seem confrontational, but they are good people.” Jaeden explained as he opened the door to the main hallway of the private bathing areas once again. “From what I heard, before they came here they ran into an event that caused them to slightly use the magic too much. It gave them a very small sense of paranoia, especially when it comes to each other.” Jaeden then led Aselia down the hall of the private area. Stopping in front a pair of double doors at the end of the hall, Jaeden looked over his shoulder, smiling lightly to the Aselia before reaching to the doors handles and pushing them open. The entrance right away announced the elegance of the room as the floors were marble and tiled, their gray tone with swirls and sharp lines of black were only cool to the touch of bare feet, rather than cold you would normally find them to be. The surface, while having a slight shine to it, had a almost rough, grain like texture to it every fifth tile along the floor, allowing easy footing along it for walking, even if it’s surface was wet with the waters from within. The ivory walls within were the same colors as those in the hall, however they held within their surfaces sculptures of various design. From abstract to animals such as doves could be seen etched into their surface. Along the wall, which were smooth and void of any sculpting, sat a large black iron trays, each of them holding several candles. The wicks on every candle burned with a tiny dancing flame, but the odd thing with the candle was that the wax itself didn’t appear to melt as the flame continued to flicker around. Much like the candle that lit the room Aselia was assigned to. Based on the number of candles, Aselia could tell that the room would be well lighted during nighttime hours. The ceiling of the private bath was lined with small windows as sunlight filtered in from above. Some of these windows were stain colored, as small images could be noticed in their surface, others were clear. The bath could be first noticed when she entered the full of the room. A black and white color tiled border ran around it’s edge, it’s space was large enough to fit twenty or more people, and was close to five feet deep at one end, hosting a more shallow depth at the other end for those who were vertically disabled. A set of steps were present entering the bath at corners of both the deep and shallow end of the bath. Two large faucets were at the front of the bath, one for cold water and another for hot water obviously. Along the edge of the bath near the facets, sat a large steel basket, housing jugs which offered various oils and salts to be added to the bath waters. The bath itself was currently empty, and the inside was a pure white, like a fresh snow covering the ground. As ledge along the mid of the bath wall around the entire wall of the bath, save for right beneath the facets itself, providing a place for those who soaked in the bath a place to sit. Along one side, a small basket held various shampoos and sponges for cleaning. On the other side, a medium sized silver tray for holding food and drink rested. In the corner of the room to the right, a small area held a large basket which seemed fixed to the wall itself. Looking inside, Aselia would see the shoot which lead to the laundry area below where she had just previous visited, however the sounds of the twins bickering could not be heard echoing up from below. A small closet rested along the wall next to it, offering a place for one to store their clothes if they chose not to have the Soothing Waters launder them for the added fee. In the center of the far wall was likely the oddest looking of things for the room itself, as a large chamber of sorts stood there. It’s walls were a clear glass and it’s borders brass. A single faucet made of brass came out of the wall, high near the top of the chamber. The head of the faucet was wide, and its surface had several small holes. Two small knobs rested along wall below it, each made of ivory and shaped like a cross with rounded tips. Finally, sitting in the other corner on the far side of the room, sat a long massage table. The surface was padded and was wide enough to hold two people. A small table sat next to it, holding sever different jars of scented oils and lotions. Near the foot, a safe distance away, sat a small table with various incenses and scented candles. As Aselia slowly moved to examine the massage table itself, he felt Jaeden’s hands rest lightly along her shoulders, applying gentle pressure as his thumbs rubbed lightly along the muscle found there. “So, at this point we could either do some questions and answers, or get a little training in perhaps?” Jaeden suggested, speaking once again in the language of her home.

[Aselia Timandre]

Aselia was grateful when Jaeden shoved her away from the protective sister and towards the exit. Stumbling first, but quickly adjusting her pace to his long strides, she followed him and called a short “Well, see you!” out to the twins left behind. However, the topic of overextension was a serious one, she remembered when listening to what Jaeden knew about them. “I’m glad that they got away with only slight paranoia. You see, magic is very popular with our family, so I can tell you from my own experience that even worse things can happen with people because of overextension. I guess Elizia and Marius use their powers in a safe environment, but still … someone should keep an eye at them. You know what I mean?” she asked, not sure whether the danger had already been taken care of. She certainly didn’t want to sound like she owned the place.

Silence accompanied them until Jaeden showed her to a private bath that was currently empty. Taking a few steps into the room, Aselia inspected the scenery. It undoubtedly was a very beautiful and relaxing environment, yet the architecture carried a certain roughness and naturalness to it which the Konti greatly appreciated. The sensation of bare feet touching the rough tiles brought a smile upon her features. Linel, obviously not as comfortable as his companion around the baths, circled the room in order to discover the place with the freshest air. Eventually he settled on top of the closet and shot an accusing look at Aselia as if telling her to hurry up and get out of the bath soon. His claws nervously clicked at the wooden surface. Aselia raised an eyebrow towards him, but then silent understanding and agreement lit her features.

Having come to a halt in front of the massage table, the Konti girl felt Jaeden approaching from behind. Then a hand touched her shoulder, lightly and firmly at the same time. The combination of soothing scents and the excitement of that day’s experiences made her lean against the rubbing motion and let out a pleased “hmmmm”. Training … sounded like a good idea now. If it really was what Aselia imagined, anyway.

First, however, she escaped Jaeden’s touch and walked over to the chamber with the elaborately crafted faucet. It almost looked like something the Konti would invent. Resting a hand on its surface, she turned towards her companion and asked: “What is this for? And how does it work?”

After that question had been cleared, she took another few steps towards the room, inhaling the atmosphere and letting the quiet and peace put her thoughts at ease. Nothing had happened so far. She could relax. Working here would be exciting …

Then she returned to Jaeden and the massage table, running slender fingers over its surface and the various vials of different oils. Sparkling violet orbs met his gaze. “Let’s get some training then, given that you’re willing to show me.” Twirling a strand of snow white hair around her finger, she stood and waited. A Konti girl, her form white and gently shadowed and glittering with scales all over her body, cute perhaps and undoubtedly appealing to men.

[Jaeden Kincade]

“You know, I was as confounded as you when I first saw this thing.” Jaeden said as he began towards the chamber, opening the small door in front. He slowly reached in, giving one of the cross knobs a small turn before water began to spray lightly out of the faucet head in several small streams. “It’s called a shower. Used for pretty much cleaning away any major dirt and grime that’s on someone’s body, like it was for me, before entering the shower. Water runs down from a basin up top. Both hot and cold water. The water is normally heated by the sun itself, or by Marius if it’s a cool day.” Jaeden then slowly turned the knob once again, cutting off the stream of water. He flicked his arm a couple of times within the shower, shaking off the excess water that coated his arm before finally closing the door and stepping back to Aselia. A moment of silence passed before he slowly stepped back over to the Massage table where Aselia had wondered back to. He slowly nodded as she commented about starting training, taking a step towards her. “So, which aspect would you like to begin with?” Jaeden said as his arms reached out, bracing the weight of he lean towards Aselia along the surface of the Massage Table. His face paused a mere inch from hers, his lips close enough that there was almost of feeling of static bouncing back and forth as they nearly brushed up along each other. “We have the shower, the bath or the massage?”

[Aselia Timandre]

With an interested expression Aselia listened and watched as Jaeden explained the chamber with the faucet. Surprise crossed her features when water suddenly came out at the top – and even in dozens of small streams! A shower. If she ever returned to Mura, she would have to tell the Opal Order about this curious new invention. There were few baths in Mura since the city itself was partly swimming on top of Silver Lake. Any Konti could get a shower at any time of the day by simply slipping from the balk into the water.

Anyway, she was impressed by what Syliras had come up to entertain its citizens at the bath house. “Looks very useful”, she commented and sent one last glance to the shower before following Jaeden back to the massage table.

He was standing at the opposite side of the table and leaning towards her to ask what she wanted to check out next. Observing his movements, the way muscles tensed under his skin, Aselia tried to find the answer in her mind. Yet she couldn’t quite concentrate. Suddenly he was so close, his sky blue eyes reflecting her snow white mirror image. Electricity covering their skin like an invisible coat, physical privacy, mingled and sizzled in the air between them. What was it what she had wanted to say earlier? Confronted with the strange sensation of being so close to another living being – that wasn’t her sister or mother –, Aselia stood frozen. Control had somehow slipped out of her hands, but she wasn’t afraid.

Eventually she managed to smile. Warmth brightened her violet orbs when the answer was whispered: “Massage please. If you want to show me.”

If Jaeden indeed agreed on that, she would do as instructed and stretch out in the middle of the massage table, exposing white skin and elaborate linings of silver scales to his experienced hands.