Who

Cameron, Naneska

What

Where once their paths were more or less the same, now the only thing that Cameron and Naneska share is a brief evening bath before curfew.

When

It is late night of the twenty-second day of the fourth month of the seventeenth turn of the 12th pass.

Where

Public Baths, Igen Weyr

OOC Date 18 Jun 2019 12:00

 

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"… YOU'RE THE ONE. YOU MAKE BATHTIMES SO MUCH FUN…


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Public Baths

Stout walls have been erected around several naturally formed pools, serving to provide a semblance of privacy and protection from the harsh wind and sand. Above the pools, well cleaned walkways criss-cross beneath tiled arches and descend with a stairway or two leading down to each pool to provide one means of slip-free access through the area. Surrounding the pools there are benches, receptacles to put used clothing and towels in, and areas to get sweetsand and towels from - if you didn't bring your own.


Steam billows up and about the public baths, which are blessedly empty for the moment. The haze of steam flows and shifts as someone moves within. Pants drift out of the gloom like ghosts which are quickly followed by a dirty, mud stained shirt. Underpants are the last to come flying as a large-bodied youth makes his way splashing into one of the pools. Late enough that most folk are still long done with dinner and baths, but early enough to be well before any curfew, Cameron's bath happens to occur when there's little others to be distracting. It would almost be sultry, this atmosphere, except for the LOUD and EXPLOSIVE squeak. SQUEAK, squeak. "RUBBER DUCKIE… YOU'RE THE ONE. YOU MAKE BATHTIMES SO MUCH FUN…" Cameron's exuberant voice comes belting out of the baths with lots of splashing and even more off-tune lyrics of some kind of 'rubber' duckie, whatever that is. Briefly, a wooden-painted duck goes flying into the air, catching the light in a brilliant gleam of mustard yellow with beady black mischievous eyes.

From out of the steam another billowy form arrives. There is no flinging of clothing or squeaky singing however, just the silent padding of a huntress prowling for no good reason at all, prevented by honor for going in for the kill. SHE GAVE HER WORD OKAY? But weirdly, mixed bathing is A-OK, so she does offer a sultry chuckle once she identifies the singer, even as her clothing drops and she slinks into the warm water. "Careful, ye might poke someone's eye out with that." Like all good predators, her reflexes was sufficient to keep her clear of danger. "Evenin'." She greets, even as she settles down to soak those newly developing muscles of hers.

Bawdy laughter escapes from Cameron at the same time he waves away some of the steam to get a better picture of who's speaking. "I had a good run," he explains, tossing his wooden duck up into the air. "I've made some marks and found a great supply of sweets from which to use for barter." He quiets a moment, waiting until she settles in. A hint of longing touches his voice, but it's quickly stifled with his next question, "How's that Candidate knot treating you?" A genuine query thrown at her with all the rough-house good-nature of a boy in his prime.

There really is no need for Naneska to identify herself is there? "There ain't no thing as a goodrun." She counters with a shudder that makes the water ripple. "Just one t' be endured." Yep, even after all these months, she LOVES the running! "But if ye say so." Who is she to deny him the dubious pleasures of putting one foot in front of the other at speed? "Oh?" There is ALL kinds of questions in that one little word. How did he make those marks? How many marks? Who is his sweet supplier? SO MANY QUESTIONS CAMERON! But he has one of his own, so she'll crack open one eye to glance at him, even as she continues to soak. "Oh, fine… til I told th' Weyrleader his face was offensive." Yep she did that. "K'vre's not like F'inn at ALL. Bin inventorying th' Stores ever since. ALL by meself!" And it's probably that solitary punishment that has her lurking in the baths this particular evening. She's starved for…conversation.

"I meant more of a… loot haul," Cameron states, running soapy water over his head and setting his duck on top. "Made some good trades, and found some new folk out in the old stomping grounds." He means the Great Desert from whence he came. "The man's got this like sugary stuff mixed in with his chocolate," or whatever the Pern equivalent is, "And it's great." He squints at her, squeezing one eye almost shut and lifting the brow of the other, "Why on earth…?" With a cough, he adds, "No, this one isn't like F'inn." Dim memories surface and he pushes them away. Now's not the time to think of old wounds. "So now you're spending your days in punishment. Them eggs can crack at any moment!"

Naneska wrinkles her nose. "Yeah." Sometimes, leaping before thinking has consequences! WHO KNEW!? But that yeah is pretty much ALL of the comments made by her Reika compatriot. "I'm sorry!" She is quick to apologize. "I guess wit' all th' runnin' they have us do, it's lingerin' on me brain." So candidacy has changed her in subtle ways. Such a shame her first thoughts are to duty rather than profit now. "Ye wouldn't believe th' crap that is jist sittin' in th' stores! I think I found ten boxes just o' socks!" SO MANY SOCKS! And only 14% match! "'N I found a robe, that only needed a little mendin' so I'm ready!" She's lying! She's not ready, NO ONE is ever ready! One lazy hand reaches out of the water to grab the pot of uniquely Naneska-ish sweetsand she's brought with her. While she may want to soak her duty is to be clean before curfew!

Cameron waves away her apology. "It's okay. I also went for a run." A real one with pounding feet and heavy breathing and lots of gross sweat. "I came looking for you…" He tips his head to the side, considering her. "Otherwise, I wouldn't be here, in the weyr." Scrubbing his face with his hands, he lets the silence sit before adding, "I remember what it felt like when the eggs got real hard and it could come at any time… What? What crap?" All serious thought has fled in the wake of treasures sitting around. "So…" It's like Cameron has a mercenary's soul or something with that gleaming hint of a heart of gold. "You think you can pilfer some of it?" Leaning forward causes ripples in the water that ebb away from him. "I mean, forget the socks, but like real loots?" What? Is this the beginning of a quest?

Naneska nose-wrinkles again, despite the bright spicy delight of her bespoke soap, a wafting perfume light and alluring with hints of jasmine and citrus. "If we were made t' run, we'd have four legs not… two." There is half a breaths pause before she starts languidly scrubbing her arms. "Ye came lookin' fer me? Why? I'd have bin gone a month or more, if I hadn't asked fer th' knot." There is a sigh, spring is the time to get journeys started, and here she is, lingering about counting socks! "I hired me wagon n' runner t' uncle fer the season. So at least I'm not loosing marks!" Thats one thing right? "Ye kin do ye're own pilferin' I'm an honest woman!" And she is mostly, and LOYAL… to many men AT THE SAME TIME! But not now, for once she isn't juggling her assorted loyalties. "They keep th' real valuables under lock n' key. Mostly it's domestic stuff. Cloth, doo-dads n' fripperies." There is another shrug. "If ye go rummaging, ye be neat ye hear!" But otherwise, she knows NOTHING!

"It's the end, y'know? The end of something. Might be something new is coming, might not, but… Whatever else, we've been Reika together." Born as Reika or not, they were once walking the roads as a group. Cameron grins and scrubs his head. "Good, good. Losing marks is a bad thing! I got me some places to go next, but if I'm here… I'll be the crazy fucker cheering from the galleries when the time comes." The look he gives her at her "honest woman" remark would curl toes. "Oh really? Honest?" Brows lift. Humor glints in cornflower blue eyes. "Oh.. well…" It's not like a quest at all then. Sniff. "Nah, I won't. Gotta get up early in the morning. Gettin' moving before dawn, see." Beat. "You… good luck to you, Nan."

"Are ye always so dramatic?" She asks, her hazel eyes returning his humor with added mischief. "The end? O' what?" She's stood before, a few turns ago now. If anyone knows that life just keeps on keeping on, it is her. "And thank ye! I'm not sure that luck will mean much on th' day. But I'll keep me ears peeled fer ye." And any other Reika, or Reika-adjacent adjuncts who happen to be along. "I owe much t' th' Weyr, if I can give back…" Her soul isn't quite as mercenary as she pretends, there is her own drama hidden behind the smiles and the saucy quips. "I wish ye well on ye road Cameron. Marks n' women aplenty! And whatever else ye seek." Except for that lost, presumed dead sister. Her well wishes can't do anything there.

"Noooo, I am not." Cameron harrumphs, swishing around in the water. He must be cleaning other parts of his 2000 body parts. "It's just… Gosh, Nan, you can't tell me you don't feel it different now that the Candidacy part was over." Or was that just him? Maybe he is the odd one out here. Splish! Splash! Splish! Splash! And then suddenly there's so much of Cameron torpedoing out of the water. Skin, cornflower blue eyes, grins, soggy blond hair; the former Rieka now turned rogue trader fights his way out of the baths. "Thank you. It'll be a party," towels and a chaotic whirl of clothing somehow mask Cam enough as he gets dressed. "You stay frosty, Nan. Don't let Thread eat ya if that's the way it all turns out." And with that — and a toss of his wooden yellow duckie at her [think fast!], the trader boy is making his exit. Cause who's shitty at good-byes? THIS BOY. But hey, she's got a floating duck now, yeah? And to that end, the refrain of his song bellows out behind him, "… YOU'RE THE ONE. YOU MAKE BATHTIMES SO MUCH FUN…RUBBER DUCKIE… I LOVE YOUUUUU…" And then? Then he's gone.

Naneska may not be much of a runner, but she has the strength and reflexes of a farrier! She does think fast, and only fumbles the rubber wooden ducky a little bit (Look, there was a distracting EYEFUL okay?). "Don't get eaten! N' stay outta th' stores!" Bye Cameron~! And while he was in a rush, she's going to linger that little bit longer, soaking and thinking now that she doesn't have to put on 'the show'.

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