Open Call it a Wash

[Naiya]

Summer-58th-516AV
9th Bell

Two small children danced at her feet, excited to go, she had mentioned a bath, playing in the water, and the little ones lit up with excitement. She hadn't known that it was best to keep such ideas inn her own head until she herself was ready to go.

"Soon, soon" she told them, her hands dancing signing, underfoot, can't see you she glanced at Seirei seeking some sign, worried to step on their toes as she gathered bathing gear, laundry, and riding gear.

She moved again, sliding feet across the ground rather than lifting them to step to keep little toes safe. She took a gathering basket, and filled it with soaps, combs, and detergent. A bucket followed, and a yvas bag loaded with the scant extra clothing that was in need of a wash. The extra yvas pads were there as well, ready to be cleaned and looked over in case they needed repair.

She tossed the bag over her shoulder, and the basket over her arm as she moved to Wildfire's side, attaching the bag to his yvas, and carefully hooking the basket into place.

She turned to her sister and her wife, Coming, inquiry, the two women were doing gathering of their own, their work didn't stop because Naiya had a suggestion. Taerin was near, and her invitation clearly extended to her as well.

When those who were coming were ready, Naiya waited for Seirei to get settled on her mount's back, then scooped Lukar up beneath the arms, passing him up onto the horse in front of Seirei. The other's worried glance was met with a firmness, "You'll both be fine" Naiya reassured her, short ride, slow.

She bent down to Lira, "Ready, little wal?" her smile reassured the girl, and Naiya scooped her up in one arm and beconed Wildfire over, using a rock and a single hand to hop into her seat on his back. She settled Lira ahead of her, a hand around her little form to keep her in place.

She asked Wildfire to walk with her body, moving Lira as she moved, and bringing her into place. She squeezed close beside Seirei, making sure she could step in should the other woman need help. Then they set out, following a path worn through the grasses.

The water flowed slowly in the bend, the edge nearly still as the mouth widened and deepened making a place as safe as could be for a family to visit the water. Depth was a concern, but the children could stay in the shallows, they woudln't likely wander far from their family, and laundry was best done where the rocks were worn smooth, but the water remained shallow. She leaned back in her seat, slowing Wildfire to a stop and sliding down from his back with a firm arm around Lira. She moved to help Seirei, ready to take Lukar from her so that she could dismount.

They were not alone at the river bend, it seemed the weather had called to many families, and while Naiya recognised only a few, she was glad to see the people. These were the times where people could sit back, the community together to do the things that didn't ever fade despite tragedy, or loss. There was always work to be done, and today it seemed they all sought to do it.

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Naiya space Pavi | Common | Tukant
other space Pavi | Common | Tukant

[Adon]

Baskets made from braided and coiled grass sat in a harness behind him and across Goldie's rump. Adon could smell the thick scent of unwashed wool rising from them as he rode his strider at an easy walk through the edge of Endrykas to the river. As they came closer, he shifted his weight and Goldie obediently turned along the river bend. Most of the horses he knew relied on weight to know which way to turn, which meant riding a new horse - any horse that didn't know him - was tricky. He and they tended to go in circles a lot until the horse got used to the fact that Adon had one leg shorter (and correspondingly lighter) than the other and compensated for his signals accordingly.

He reached the downwind and downstream part of the laundry area eventually, slid down from Goldie, and lifted the baskets down. One of them had a few spare clothes for washing, but the rest was loose wool fibre that needed the dirt and grease washing out before it could be felted for tent dividers. Good thick felt soaked up sound the way it soaked up water, and in a city where sound carried easily, that was valuable.

He checked he had everything, then gave Goldie a clap on the neck in thanks. She whuffed at him, then drifted off a few paces to graze the river bank. He grinned, picked up the first of the garments and limped across to the rocks to wash it. He was just wringing it out for the final time and spreading it to dry when he saw another pair of striders and riders, and children, arriving. Once his hands were free, he greeted them with a smile, his signs accented by his missing fingers, but still perfectly understandable to any fluent speaker, and checked his baskets to make sure that he wasn't taking up more than his fair share of laundry area.

Boxcode by Shimoje

[Jasmine Stormblood]

Jasmine rounded up everyone's dirty clothes once more ready to get another round of washing done. Walking around the camp grabbing even Asher and Lodai's laundry before putting the bags on Chaser's yvas. Coughing some from the smell of the laundry the blonde had to keep her eyes from watering. Mounting up the woman rode over to the river seeing many others already there. With a smile soft blonde tresses bounced as the lady rode over seeing a couple of friends. There were two little ones with them which Jasmine figured was Seirei's kids. She also saw a man just a little ways down from the group.

“Hey Naiya, hey Seirei. Oh these must be the little ones,” the woman said while dismounting and kneeling to the twins level.

Jasmine also signed to the man a hello and good day. She was not one to be rude so no matter what the blonde would try to make friends with him. Untying the bags the woman walked over to the river them. Humming gently she slipped into the water putting the bags on the bank. Opening the first bag that contained her own clothes she took out some pants and dunked them into the water. Letting it get thoroughly soaked she began scrubbing several spots. Blonde locks fell around the woman's face while she worked.

[Amunet]

Her fingers went through her hair with some difficulty. The girl picked up an end of a section of the flaming locks and smelled it. Her nose wrinkled a tad as it seems it is time to wash her hair. Her face furrows on this task as it is no small under taking. Her hair is very full and thick. The trail of blood red tresses went all the way down to her bottom. There was a sigh from the diminutive lady as she looked at Drak, who probably needed a bath as well. There was no help of it as it seems today was bath day. It was a lovely day for it as well.

The young lady gathered wide toothed hair comb, brush, soap, hair cleanser, a hair oil, hand clothes and bath sheets into a basket nested in another basket of clean linen clothes for the ride home. A bucket was added to the mix along with one of her smaller cooking vessels. There were reasons. The red head got the two Striders tacked up and ready to go as she signaled Camile and Leia to come with. Once she had Drak up on Shetanae, she swung up onto Toite easily and lead the march for a few steps. Amunet pulled the small caravan up as her palm went to shield her eyes as she spied Gertrude and Gary lazily grazing with the White Lilly herds nearby. They were fine. The Healer smiled and nudged Toite further with a squeeze of her heels. She had to tell herself that she had to actually signal the new mare what to do instead of kind of knowing. Knowing wasn’t the exact word with the bond but the way that Shetanae and the red head rode together was seamless.

They made easy strides as with Drak being inexperienced with riding, they took it easy towards the river. It seemed a popular thing to do today was to get into the water. Some went to cool off, some went to wash clothes while others availed of the water to cleanse themselves. The diminutive one waved towards those she knew, there was the respectful but careful wave and polite nod towards the Dawnwhispers. Her eyebrows went to her hairline as she saw Jasmine not far away. She actually found herself smiling as she looked for a spot.

The spot was just a few feet down from Jasmine and the Dawnwhispers. The reeds and cattails were in patches as the sandy, muddy soil had a bit of a small ‘beach’ like front that was fifteen foot in diameter to the other patch of reeds and cattails. The Striders were dismounted and relieved of their burdens and Yvas. The Hunting cat found a sunny spot to lay down in the grass and the silkena went sniffing around but didn’t venture too far away from the little boy. The little lady spotted the spot that was sort of flatter than most that was in the water that came up a couple of inches up her ankle. The Bucket was turned upside down and plopped it right there. It tried to float at first till she tilted it one side so that the bubbles could escape and it would settle on the bottom.

The industrious girl pointed at Drak. “Alright little man, get the clothes off. Bath time.”

The boy was already ankle deep in the water looking for frogs or guppies or something interesting. He looked up and scrunched his face a moment before relenting. Drak was a six year old sturdy boy with dirty dark blonde hair that was heavily streaked by the sun. He was tanner than his sister and he was tall for his age. The clothing came off and was deposited in a dry spot that Amunet pointed to. The little red head herself stripped down to her camisole and skivvies. The thing about being short and of small stature was clothing became a problem. Most general clothing made were made on averages. The adult small was most of the time too large and the child large was too small. Most of Amunet’s clothing was folded in at the hem or bunched up in places. Belts are a god send to her. Such was the case with the camisole. It was knotted up at the top of each shoulder so it covered what it should and the skivvies were folded in at the waist a couple of times. Nothing fit the way it was intended to but Amunet made it work.

The young lady did not remove the under things as she was still uncomfortable being naked without her windmarks. Without a family and the clan mostly ignoring her by design, she hadn’t obtained new marks. She could if she had family able to stand with her as tradition dictated, but a six year old child was not adequate. The little medicine woman was self-conscious enough as it was. The little boy was handed the hand towel and soap as she sat on the bucket. Amunet pointed to where he can take his bath as the little boy tried to do a five chime rush job. “Done!”

Amunet had just filled the cooking pot with a little water to start wetting her hair as she turned towards the blonde boy and gave him a look. “Drak? Really think that is going to work?”

The boy held her gaze for two ticks before making one of those groans children make when they were made to do something. “Get behind the ears and wash your personal bits good.”

“Ami!! You don’t call them bits.” He said with this tragic look on his face.

Amunet had started getting her hair wet as it was tilted to one side and the ends dipping into the water below. “Oh really? What do you call it then?” This had a smile on her face as she glanced over at the over serious expression on his face. This had her working very hard not to laugh at him to hard. The snicker had half escaped from her smile.

“Ami!!” He stomped his little foot in the water. “The other boys call it a dick. “ His fists were on his hips as he meant business.

The edges of her lips was cracking way up to a smile that was doing its best to hold back the gaiety of the situation. “And who told you that piece of information?” She asked as she poured more water on her head to wetten it.

“The men that get treated at the River Flower. They said that a man part is called a dick. “ he said with a nod. “Right?”

“Some men do call it that. Clinically in medicine, it’s called a penis. But I was trying to be polite and not scream out to absolutely everyone that you are washing your dick.” She lowered her voice the best way possible as she told him the state of affairs.

The little boy blinked and looked around the stands of reeds and cattails as if he realized there was other splashing around. “Oh.” He said in a smaller voice. He blushed a little and then went about to wash his body and hair with the bar of soap.

[Seirei Dawnwhisper]

Seirei grinned at Lukar's and Lira's antics. Their excitement at the upcoming trip was obvious for all to see. Unfortunately, their eagerness to go to the river had them toddling around underfoot, clinging to any legs they could get to as they tried to "help" the adults get ready faster. They were grinning, and chattering away, using a mixture of words, and basic signs. Some of it was their unique childish babble, but there was a distinct refrain of "Go now? Now? Want go now!" that had Seirei torn between laughter, and exasperation. Next time they went on a family outing like this, Seirei suspected that Naiya would wait until they were ready to go before informing the twins about it. It was a lesson Seirei herself had learned a while back. Excitement inducing news was best kept until as close to the upcoming event as possible...for the sanity of the adults who had to deal with the hyper twins.

Raiden and Teirue were far less excited about the whole thing. At four months old, they would enjoy the change of scenery as something new to look at. But they were too young to truly understand what was going on.

"Of course, I'm coming." Seirei said with a warm smile in response to Naiya's question.

The thought of leaving the camp gave Seirei a twinge of anxiety. But Naiya would be with her. And from Taerin's response, she would be as well. If anyone did decide that Seirei wasn't truly a real Drykas, they would be less likely to act on their feelings than they might be if Seirei was alone. Hopefully, anyway.

It didn't take long to get everything ready to go, even with the twin's "help." Seirei wasn't quite certain of the wisdom of riding with Lukar when her own skills weren't the best gave her more than a little worry. But Naiya's reassurances as she handed Lukar up to her helped. Seirei made certain of her grasp on her son, and they were on their way.

Naiya was right. It was a short ride. And at the slow, easy pace they kept to, Seirei didn't have any difficulties, even with her precious passenger. Once at the river, Naiya seemed to know exactly what they were looking for in an ideal spot. After they found one, Seirei waited for Naiya to take Lukar before she dismounted. She was afraid of losing her grip on him if she tried to dismount with him in her arms.

There were other people at the river, but Seirei tried not to let their presence make her anxious. It was a nice day, and everyone seemed intent on their own business. Not long after they arrived, Jasmine approached them with a friendly greeting. Seirei returned it, and nodded.

"Yes, these are Lukar, and Lira. Taerin is holding my other two, Raiden, and Teirue."

Lukar and Lira looked up from their play, taking in the strange woman with a curious gaze. After a moment, they waved at Jasmine cheerfully, before turning back to what they'd been doing. Seirei kept a close eye on them. Although they loved to play in the shallow water, even the smallest amount of water could be dangerous for them if she wasn't careful. At their age, they wouldn't be able to get out without help if they fell in face first. Sitting at the edge and splashing with their feet and hands was safe enough...but only under the close watch of an attentive adult.

As Seirei watched her children play, she noticed a vaguely familiar red haired pick a spot not far from them. Wasn't she a healer? She had a young boy with her, who appeared to be about five or six. Although she wasn't eavesdropping, bits and pieces of their conversation could be heard over the sounds of happy play. Seirei couldn't help but smile at the innocent comments the boy made to his mother. She looked at Lukar fondly. Would she and Lukar have such silly discussions when he was a little older? It was something Seirei would look forward to.

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[Khida]

Khida had no idea what she was doing.

Not in the technical sense -- tools, wood, shaving and cutting and shaping were all straightforward in concept -- but in the conceptual. The goal of putting Shahar's tools to use, personally significant though it might be, did not readily lend itself to answering what she should make with those tools. So it was that Khida found herself this morning seated to one side of the camp, woodcarving kit unwrapped and laid out beside her, and a stick of peeled wood in her hands... doing nothing but letting her fingers drift over its surface, feeling the knots and planes. Bereft of focus and intent, her thoughts wandered well beyond the wood, into the vastness of space both within and without...

Motion recalled her to the present, motion and the noise of excited children, their wife working her way through the camp as quickly as the rambunctious obstacles under her feet allowed. She cast a query to Khida, to which the Kelvic's response came readily; Yes, she signed, for it had become clear the task she had set herself this morning was best left to another time. She would help with their wife's and sister's tasks instead.

Both of the other women were well on their way to leaving, and Khida did not dally over her own things. The wood and the tools she bundled into the tent, and returned with all the few clothes the Kelvic possessed, including those she had been wearing. Those she gave to Naiya for the washing, with her old robe on top because their wife would want something to clothe Khida in when they arrived. By now, that didn't even need to be said.

As the other women corralled the kids into place for transit, Khida turned her attention to her own Strider, who seemed to be observing the proceedings with interest. I we go, she signed to the mare; indeed, with Taerin packing up as well, it seemed the camp would be entirely left to their four-footed companions. Stay you watch all.

The horse flicked her ears, which may or may not have been a reply. Khida never was sure what to make of the horse's manner, except when the Strider was at her most overt and obvious. Nonetheless, Khida trusted Sephra and Akaidras between them to safeguard the camp, whether formally communicated or not.

Shifting to falcon, Khida took to the sky while the burdened horses ambled their way down to the river. It seemed quite a few Pavilions had the same thought as they; but of course, everyone had washing to be done. Greetings passed between the Dawnwhispers and several others that Khida herself had not personally met; she made note of them, against the likelihood that that lack would probably change. As the other women got the children dismounted and as settled as they might be, the falcon dropped to the earth beside Wildfire, returning to human form in a brief shimmer of light. Khida made herself useful by unloading the bags and baskets, the better to keep the work moving along even with the children about.

Khida space Common | Pavi
other space Common | Pavi

[Naiya]

A man greeted them as his hands freed, he was a distinct character, there was no mistaking him for another. While she had seen him often in the city, he was not familiar beyond the markers of his appearance. All the same, Naiya returned his greeting.

He was doing laundry, a goal they shared. She took a moment to consider before adopting a posture of teasing. She glanced at his work and his rather large assortment of cloth and raw wool, "It isn't often I see a man doing laundry alone, did you lose a bet with a loved one?" The prodding of the man was simply one of camaraderie, a welcoming into their work and conversation that allowed him a number of responses to either enter or leave their group's work. They shared a common task today and it was one Naiya had every intention of finishing before her bath. There was no sense working up a new sweat from washing after she got clean. She pulled the basket from where Khida had placed it, followed closely by the bucket which she filled with rocks and sunk in the shallows. Once she was sure the bucket was going nowhere fast, she placed the basket of soaps on top where they would be mostly safe from water.

For help, appreciation she signed to Khida a smile touching her lips as she passed her wife. In the water she was on the deeper side of the children, where she could work, but silence from the children or a sharp word from Seirei would allow her to step into action without having to move, a task that was growing ever more difficult from a seated position. Naiya took a few minutes to make sure her position was deep enough for washing, and shallow enough for scrubbing, and when she was sure, she caught Seirei's attention and let her know that she was going away, few ticks. She would have to keep an extra close eye on the children as Naiya moved away.

To her relief, Jasmine approached, an extra set of hands in an emergency since Taerin had her hands full already. "Well met," greetings Naiya signed as she went to help Khida with the bags of clothing and yvas pads. Since there were more hands and eyes around, she felt comfortable taking the extra time help Khida to remove the tack from both mounts, piling their yvas out of the water's reach and adding the pads they wore to the piles to be washed.

Her wife, free of feathers and dressed only in skin worked as though it was no bother, and today Naiya was in agreement. The wash was to be done, and there was no sense in having made the trip to be left with clothing that still needed washing. Not to mention the missing sense of bathing while dressed. When things were unloaded, she paused to brush hair out of Khida's face, just a quick comfort in their proximity to one another.

Naiya stripped off her own clothing before she returned to her spot, toting the laundry all the way into the water beside her. The bag was heavy enough to stay, and sturdy enough not to fall over and dump the contents. Settled as she was, she sat herself into the cool water, letting the gentle flow of the water wash away sweat and horse hair from her body. The weather hadn't been so bad the last few days, but all the same the cool water was a relief.

She dragged the first article of clothing from the bag, submerging it in the water to let it saturate the cloth. The loin cloth was quickly dampened, and she added the upper half of her daily ensemble to the water as well, pinning it beneath a rock while she pulled the former up to rub soap into the band and belly of the cloth to be sure to erase the marks of sweat.

The cloth she rubbed against itself, spreading the soap above the water before using the shallow stones work as a secondary wash as she pressed and pulled against the smooth stones.

Despite her work, once she had soaped an article, her attention was quickly back on the children and their surroundings. Her eyes catching sight of new arrivals and the tasks being done. With the general unrest, it was hard to be relaxed despite the relief of shared work.

"It has been a while since we have spoken, Jasmine. How is your family?" The words were spoken without signs, her hands busy with their work, but her demeanor was clearly friendly, her question one of casual interest.

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Naiya space Pavi | Common | Tukant
other space Pavi | Common | Tukant

[Adon]

Title and Date

A blonde woman also arrived with laundry and Adon returned her greeting as he moved onto the next shirt, beating it briskly to knock the loose dirt out, then submerging it to scrub at the stains. A child's voice rose from the bathing area and Adon's mouth twitched in a half suppressed smile of remembrance as four more paddled and dabbled along the edge of the water. He did raise a grey eyebrow as a falcon dropped out of the sky, landed by the horses, shimmered into a human, and began to unload baskets. "Well, that must be useful for hunting," he murmured.

One of the arriving women teased him about the laundry, and he chuckled with amusement, crow's feet deepening around his eyes. "No, no bet. I'd not be much of a tentmaker if I wasn't up to cleaning my raw materials, and if I'm going to be washing things, I might as well make one session of it as two." He turned the shirt to examine it thoroughly. "And while my wife might have joined me, my dotra's carrying her first child and wanted a heart to heart with her before it's born, so I left them to it." Finding the stain gone, he rinsed the shirt out and spread it to dry beside the first, then limped across to the first basket of raw wool and hauled it, basket and all, into the river. Since this basket was delibarately made not to be waterproof, the river water ran through basket and wool alike without sweeping the loose wool away with the dirt. "Adon Gloaming," he introduced himself, his hair as grey as the dusk his pavilion was named for. "Ruby Clan."

One of the children came toddling in his direction, and Adon shifted his stance to block them from the deeper water at his end, his amusement now shaded with protection and memory. "And you?" He teased lightly back, including the other women with the children in his words, "Are you trying to use the river to stop the little ones, children acquiring dirt faster than you can scrub it off?"

Boxcode by Shimoje

[Jasmine Stormblood]

Jasmine waded into the water some. She took out a couple of shirts first before dunking them into the water. Holding them under long enough the girl raised them up checking how drenched the items had become. Content the woman put the sleeve of one in her mouth before suding up the first shirt. Thankfully it was Lodia's first that she had began and her own in her mouth. To say that it would have been very creepy to have his gut wrenching shirt in her mouth was the least of her worries. Looking up to the other red head the woman smiled and put the first shirt out before taking the second from her mouth.

“I'm not living with my mother and her husband any longer. Az took me in after I was banished,” Jasmine said quietly looking down, shaking her head the woman smiled gently, “How is your family doing?”

After talking to Naiya for a few moments the woman spotted Amunet talking with her brother. Excusing herself the blonde haired woman put the first batch of clothes on a couple of rocks to dry. Sighing gently she walked over to the red headed girl happy to see her again. Waving the woman snickered hearing the young boy. Smirking the woman looked to Amunet and winked before clearing her voice.

“Oh my a dick you say? Why I had no idea that's what little ones were calling it now a days,” Jasmine said.

Smiling at the look of embarrassment on his face the girl turned to Amunet still very amused at the young boy.

“Any ways, how have you guys been?” Jasmine asked looking at the woman.

Blue orbs looked over to the boy when he called out that he was indeed finished and snatched some pants. The girl shook her head extremely entertained by him, turning the woman allowed the young girl to answer.

“Will you be joining the trade caravan this year?” the woman asked looking at the girl.

[Khida]

oocJust moving this along, however belatedly...

After the baskets and bundles were settled came the removal of tack -- releasing buckles, hauling off the yvas, and the pad beneath it as well. That freed up the horses to move away where they might graze, out of the way of the humans and all their activity. It was a task made easier by two sets of hands, given the height and breadth of the Striders; their wife stepped up to it in timely fashion, pausing briefly for a moment's fleeting touch.

Their wife settled into the stream with cloth and soap and a companion nearby, the blonde woman none too familiar to Khida. Clearly known to their wife, though, which was good enough for her. There was a man also, older, who applied himself to helping keep the young ones from wandering too deeply into the water. Khida cast a quick gratitude his way, as she joined the others in the river and made sure the toddler in question made it safely back into their sister's purview.

It was relatively cold water, compared to the warmth of summer air and summer sun; cool, and not entirely welcome for it, as the contrast prickled Khida's skin. She laid claim to a pile of clothes and a piece of soap and set about the work of cleansing -- working free any tangible dirt, soaking the cloth, scrubbing with the soap to remove sweat and oils and whatver other blemishes the garments happened to possess. It was a very nearly mindless task, which let the Kelvic listen to the conversations around her -- so much of them as she could follow, anyway.

The older man spoke of his family -- wife, daughter, children -- and gave his name, then turned some of the same around in a query of their wife. The blonde woman spoke of family as well, but in a tone far less ebullient, hinting at less than happy developments. Perhaps. It wasn't long before she excused herself, the Kelvic watching her essay through the shallows to speak to an entirely different red-haired woman.

It didn't particularly come as a surprise that family was the theme of both conversations. Sometimes, it hardly seemed like Endrykas spoke of anything else.

Still the washing went on. Khida paused as she took note of Naiya's progress through the task. I take, she signed to their wife, slinging the garments she had finished cleaning over her arm and then sloshing through the water herself to pick up Naiya's cleaned clothes She would move them to the shore to dry, letting Naiya -- who seemed, on the face of it, to enjoy the water somewhat more than she -- continue working where she was.

Khida space Common | Pavi
other space Common | Pavi