Who

D'wane, Kelati

What

Bathing is for awkward naked small talk, developing Kelati's new dragon spa products, and Search.

When

It is midmorning of the thirteenth day of the tenth month of the eleventh turn of the 12th pass.

Where

Baths, Southern Weyr

OOC Date 25 Aug 2017 04:00

 

d-wane_default.jpg 010.png

Who makes the standard issue oil, anyway?


baths.​jpg

Baths

The steamy fog of the baths could be an entirely different world, transitioning from the well-lit brilliance of the inner caverns: a different world entirely, one wrought in dreams and humid fog. Steam lifts from hot waters, obscuring those who bathe within, drenching any who dare enter. Well-maintained, well-stocked, the baths offer pre-netted portions of soapsand in various scents, fluffy towels in orderly rows, and five separate spring-fed pools, all of differing temperature: from scorching hot to soothing chill.


The Weyr goes through a LOT of soapsand. This is a fact. Lots of folks doing lots of physical activity and then trying to scrub the stench of firestone of themselves so they can be presentable. It probably isn't too surprising that the more masculine scents tend to go pretty quickly and so D'wane is left wrapped in a towel, rummaging through the scents that are left. One packet is picked up, sniffed, then tossed down. Then another, but at least this one isn't too offensive cause it just meets with a shrug and he heads on towards the bath, selecting the second from the hottest pool and then gets to work scrubbing. Never mind vanilla scent now coming from those bubbles. At least it smells better than firestone.

If more people just bought their own, they'd have masculine scents enough to use for themselves! And who cares about what soaps other people use? You've got your own. This would be Kelati's logic, though she does sometimes slip her own samples into the public supply when no one is paying attention — it's cleverly baiting people into interest about 'what was that one? it's new!' and figuring out where one can find it. She's still one of the types to not be a fan of public bathing, and tries to get it over and done with as quickly as possible because otherwise people are looking at her not wearing anything and — and sometimes she gets the opportunity to look up from washing her leg to see attractive, fit chests not wearing things. Like D'wane's. Which means she's definitely looking and therefore noticing when the rider comes out smelling like … "Interesting soap choice," she says from one pool over, jovial enough. "Not a florals sort of guy?"

D'wane does have a rather impressive chest to stare at so he's completely used to being ogled. He'll just keep on doing his thing which currently involves a lot of scrubbing of said chest. At the question though, he does seem to realize he is not alone in the baths and glances over at the woman, giving a shrug. "Nah. If I chose flowers, my dragon would make fun of me or something." Not to mention his wingleader.

At least Kelati's ogling levels of glance do not last anywhere near as long as her targeted interest discussions. She also has to pay attention to her own bathing, and she has long legs to wash. (Even if she is also now trying to wash them without putting much of them on display; she is talking to a man and she is not wearing anything.) "But your dragon is … okay with vanillas?" That one is a strongly specific scent, one she does not need to employ her trained nostrils toward. Anyone could recognize what was in that one. "If they mocked you for florals, you would have to oil them with floral scents next time."

"He doesn't know what a vanilla looks like," And judging from how D'wane says 'a vanilla' instead of a vanilla bean, the rider probably doesn't either. "So at least he wouldn't be throwing pictures of flowers in my head all afternoon." Or until Rocketh got distracted by a green which would happen in oh… about two hours. Maybe sooner. And D'wane may be a man, but he knows proper public bathing protocol. Try to focus on your own thing for the most part and make polite small talk if necessary. Cause sometimes just sitting in silence is awkward. "Yeah, but then I'd have to get enough floral scent to cover him. That's a lot of oil."

"You just need a very strong scented oil, one that would make anyone blanch if they tried to smell it individually, and then use your regular … dragon oil … as a carrier oil." Kelati has no idea if that would work, not actually knowing what goes into the oils used on dragon hide. It's kind of like polite small talk, though, she's just making it more business-oriented talk than anything else. Talking about oil is a pretty small subject for most people, though, so Kelati is perfectly content to keep going as long as D'wane is willing to make the topic move forward. "Though I probably should not advocate pranking dragons with something expensive. Or pranking dragons at all, I suppose, but it is not really a prank, it is revenge." For something that didn't happen, Kela.

D'wane snorts a bit. "I'm sure there are quite a few that would say Rock deserves a few pranks." Maybe take his ego down a peg or two, at least until he forgets what happened and then goes back to being sure he is utter perfection. And the rider is perfectly happy to continue to talk oil as he starts scrubbing his own legs. Oil talk is just standard shop talk for riders after all. "How do you know this much about oil?" Cue a slightly suspicious glance over at Kelati. From where he's sitting he can't see any visible past score scarring.

Definitely not. Or any evidence of any kind of scarring, a gift that comes from a lot of interaction with lotions and oils from a very young age. And avoiding fights, but that's an unrelated matter. "I make it," she explains simply, "and sell it. Not the sort for dragons. Soaps, oils, lotions for people. Um, and candles." The candles could be for dragons or for people, but are beside the point; that is still a new venture.

Alas, D'wane has not been so fortunate. A few turns spent as a guard and then more now as a rider and some fights here and there along the way mean he has a whole assortment of different types of scars here and there. Most of them he might even remember the story behind if asked. Or he could make something up. "What's the difference between oils for dragons and oils for people?" Has D'wane just been using the dragon oil for any of his oiling needs? Maybe… Lotions and soaps at least he knows dragons don't use. Or his dragon doesn't.

Kelati droops slightly. It's incredibly slight, and so D'wane probably doesn't even notice, what with being focused on bathing, but he has hit upon a question she can't answer and isn't that unfortunate and damaging her reputation as an expert! "I'm … honestly not sure," she admits shyly, "because I am not a particular expert on dragons and dragon skin care. Dragon oil is probably thicker?" She's never actually touched it. She's also putting something in her hair that definitely has a nice floral scent that might suit Rocketh.

"They'd have to be careful, I might end up trying to exfoliate dragon toes." Kelati has such a wide variety of products she could use, and many of them are partially made by the lake shore … exfoliating likely wouldn't help the smooth hide of a dragon much, though. It might feel nice, like scratching. When D'wane identifies her conditioning scent, she looks impressed. "Yes! It is. One of my favorites."

"Exfoliate?" D'wane raises an eyebrow at that. Look at this girl using all those fancy terms. Although normally talons or claws are used to describe those particular dragon appendages instead of toes. "It's one of Rock's favorite's as well." Who knows why hibiscus goes with his beachy mindscape. It's just there. Except when it's not. Dragon minds are weird. Now the man is looking in Kelati's general direction, although slightly above her and not really at her. "So… are you interested in knowing more about dragon care?"

That very interesting space above Kelati's head. It's great. She has gotten past the definition of exfoliate, distracted immediately by the idea that D'wane's dragon actually likes a floral scent. "Oh," she says, sounding impressed, "Maybe he does need a nice floral oil after all. Hibiscus specifically. It's fairly easy to work with, and obtain, it would just be the whole 'making enough of it' complication …" That last part was a question. "I suppose I wouldn't mind, I hadn't thought of expanding into a hide care line, but it could be interesting."

It really is an interesting space above her head. Or just the fact that D'wane's now getting a earful of something from Rocketh. "He is rather large. Bronze." She'd need a lot of oil to cover the seventy foot dragon. But her answer to his question has him grinning. "Hide care line wasn't exactly what I was meaning, although if you do, there's enough riders around you'd probably be able to make some marks off it." He thinks, he normally just uses the standard issue oil from the stores. "Normally this would be the point where I'd be dangling out a little white knot and asking if you'd accept?" But alas, he is naked and in the baths, so no pockets to store those knots in at the moment. The bronzerider is just going to stare at the girl to wait for that answer now.

"Or services." Kelati operates on a barter system, and the idea that she could get rides places for dragon oil is an excellent one. Since presumably dragon oil won't be that difficult. She hopes. Who makes the standard issue oil, anyway? Another good question. "I would probably end up asking people to take me to — " Er, wait. There was another question. One that results in a head-cant to the side so far that Kelati's ear is approaching touching her shoulder. " — what," is bewildered, half statement, half question. She'd argue there are no riders in the family, no blood for it, but technically there are two of them. "Can, um. Do I get to ask why without that being assumed to be an automatic no?"

"I mean, you can, but I don't really have an answer. He's just saying because you should Stand." D'wane just shrugs. There may also be some more about how Rocketh is the bestest dragon ever and so of course anybody he Searches will then make the best rider ever, but D'wane is NOT saying that part. Also, not pointing out how usually the blues and greens tend to have some pretty amazing luck with searching. He's tried having this conversation before and the dragon immediately forgets. Draconic memory plus selective memory loss is fun. "Besides, if you don't Impress, you'll have made contacts with all forty two of the new weyrlings." So potential new customers for her dragoncare line.

"… That's a reason," Kelati concludes, though it's probably in regard to Rocketh's argument-or-lack-thereof, and not the helpful additional sales pitch at the end. But it is a helpful sales pitch at the end! And one that makes an impact even if it isn't going to be useful for some time yet. "I, well, I'll have to find someone to cover the stall for me, and — finish washing my hair?" it's likely that any official Candidacy Declaration stuff can't be done in the baths, she suspects, " — but I am willing to accept the many-week detour to my life in the interest of future investments."

She also can't really find stall coverage while washing her hair.

And she's not the only one that needs to finish bathing. D'wane might not have any hair to wash, but he's still got a bit more of that firestone stench to scrub off. He'll nod. "Yeah. I'll be at the nighthearth going over reports this afternoon. Once you've made arrangements for the stall, I'll get your your knot and we'll get you settled into the barracks." Yeah, this might be the least official candidacy declaration, but they'll do all that official stuff later! Once everybody is squeaky clean and clothed. At least she shouldn't have a hard time finding the wingsecond later. In addition to being one of the largest people in any given room, she can also just follow the scent of vanilla.

Add a New Comment