"Lady-Heir, the bath is ready." Oorika tells me as I otherwise keep my hands to myself in whatever kind of chair I am in. I don't know what to do, this is my home but I do not want to spread my filth across it. There is comfort to be found on this chair yet I am refusing to use it.
"Ok." I acknowledge as I find the arms of the chair slowly and carefully. Gripping them, I get up out of the chair and ensure my feet are secure on the ground.
"Here, allow me, please." Oorika goes as she moves to grab me. Sighing, I accept the help and go along wherever it is she is taking me to specifically. The floor starts to get warmer and my bare feet feel as if they're peeling as we walk deeper. Oorika's grip tightens as my foot strikes something, making me act out suddenly.
"Damn my circumstances..." I moan quietly as I find my footing again.
"We have gone through the effort of enriching the bathwater, Lady-Heir. You should find yourself feeling far stronger once you have soaked thoroughly." she explains to me as she takes one of my hands towards something to grab. Tightening my grip on what seems to be metal I bring my other hand over.
"I will do this on my own..." I tell her, starting with my bandages as the need to fiddle that has sprung up in recent times means I know where to start. Going through the motions, I reach the final wrap-around before gravity dictates the rest. Oorika takes the bandages away and I look away as she gasps.
Her hand cups my chin and moves my broken gaze back her way, "Please, Lady-Heir, allow me to help."
"How bad is it?" I ask as I hold myself back from trying to cover the air-exposed wounds. Maybe even touching the wounds themselves to feel how deep the cuts are. I sniff, paying close attention to how strange it is to breathe with a chunk missing out of my nose.
"Your mother would move all the lands into the sea should she see you like this..." Oorika quietly answers before I fight off her attempts to help me undress.
"Leave me be, please." I request of her, but, I can't help but feel like she is shaking her head.
"I understand that living on your own for so long might've seeded a strong sense of independence within you, Lady-Heir. But, I cannot in good con-"
"Oh, enough of that! Leave me be!" I snap as my hand starts to hurt from how firmly it is squeezing.
"I will remain beyond the door until you are done. Please, Lady-Heir, if you need me, just say so." she explains before I hear the door open and close. Frowning my desecrated brow, I sigh as I try to keep a mental image of my hands present. Patting about to find everything, I take it all off and throw it to one side. If only to ensure it will not get in my way.
Coming to a stop, I look towards what I hope is the door as my fresh set of clothes crosses my mind. I shake my head and feel for the strengthened water, cautiously shuffling towards it until I am able to grab the sides. Going quieter than usual, I try to remember the last time I was able to have a bath, a proper one in a good tub and a nice building. Gods and goddesses, it must've been years ago, sometime before I first stepped foot on a ship again.
Reaching into the water, I feel my external-magic freeze up in a way. I smile a little, nostalgic for that time I shocked myself in my first bath at Brewbrt's home all those years ago. The smile vanishes as I then recall the arms that nurtured me afterwards. Slipping into the water more so, I clench my teeth and sit down as the difference in temperature otherwise threatens to burn me.
It lingers and stays to the point it is becoming uncomfortable, but, I stay in the water. Finding a slope in the tub wall, I lean into it, only to be surprised by a soft, cushiony sensation. My mouth opens as I recall that the baths at home have all these little differences. So many things bothered me in my time at Suhurlodst and all over Jherikra.
I guess I can find some closure in it all coming back to mind now.
Bringing an arm up through the water and bubbles, they splash and pop as I reach for my hair. Going through the process of undoing my hair, I feel strange with how difficult it otherwise seems to be. An odd thing given how I can usually do it without even watching my hands usually... I sigh as another strange whistle leaves my carved-up nose.
Yet, I prevail nonetheless and I gently force my finger through the final braid to undo it in its entirety. Making sure at least one hand is firmly secured on one of the grips on the bathtub, I start to slip down into the water. Only keeping my face up once some of it slips into my nose, otherwise burning the tender, exposed flesh along the way. A hand cups some water and I feel it all mostly leave my grip, only a tiny bit remaining in my palm.
A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.
It trickles onto my thankfully mostly wet head and I shuffle my knees up. Moving to the edge of the bathtub, I go onto my side and stare at what must be one of its sides. Impatient but otherwise understanding of my circumstances, one of my hands lazily rubs a part of me that is submerged. I am a noble of Eusorochii, but, I need the element of the Grand-Kingdom to help me right now.
"Guess... Guess I wait now, I suppose. Wait for Mother to come back, call on Lightning and put this all behind us. As well as we can, anyway." I ponder as I go back onto my back, my head finding comfort on the cushions again.
What strands of my hair do find the water I fiddle with in the hopes of cleaning it of whatever mud I picked up at the Terraces. Taking one of my arms away, I raise it above the bathtub, past the protective plating.
While I do not let my magic come out, I am still able to somewhat see it thanks to the training I underwent at Suhurlodst. I can somewhat see my hand and the magic within, an unsightly blue clump of volts. Bringing the hand closer to my face, I think about how although I was mostly useless, I think I was able to kill some of my pursuers. In the manner the bathtub has been geared to preventing...
"To think I once had my life in jeopardy over a bath." I mutter before taking what water I can and rubbing my lower face with it. Splashing my legs a little, I hope to get some of the looser muck off into the water, though, I would love to actually know if it's working. I sigh loudly and pat around for anything that might be a loose cloth or towel. Finding something it falls into the water as my knees go above it, the moisture trickling off to the point of feelable near-dryness.
Placing the wet cloth on one leg, I look towards the door and contemplate Oorika. Shaking my head, I get to scrubbing and visualise the circumference of my legs. The muscles in them are harder than I recall them being, which is almost delighting in a way. With all that I have found myself doing since I originally left home, it felt odd to be so soft-fleshed throughout it.
Long gone and meaningless as it is now, I still have pride in the fact I defeated a stronger creature like the wyvern I fought to save Nin. To think I did that whilst I was otherwise still a noble lady on the run from whatever is after me here. My washing slows down as the hardness of my newfound athleticism reminds me of someone whose name has already passed my mind. I'm home now.
Vadei, Liadanann, Nin, Tiyanat, Omb, Larishazza... Even Quinshuu, isolated as he otherwise wanted himself to be.
If they came with me or even some of them, I'd be able to show them around my home. They could meet my mother and provide me backing against any would-be teasing or doubt from anyone, really. I would probably still be able to see as well, though, admittedly, how Tiyanat and Larishazza would be treated would be a concern. Liadanann for that matter too, she hates Thurnmourer and still did when I last saw her and the people of my land love the Thunder God.
My mind goes back to Nin and I come to a stop.
"I wonder if those here would see the same things in you as I do... Did? Did..." I remark, settling on what I would rather not as thunder from far outside somehow warps to sound like him. At least, the sounds I only ever really heard when I finally decided I had enough. It's been years and that sound still terrifies me, funny, really. I am blind but a noise that is soon to be ancient to me is what will probably keep me up at night for far longer.
A hand covers my face and I start to tremble under the burden of the thoughts in my mind and not the cool air. I have Brewbrt, yes, but, I wanted to come home with those lot, I wanted my friends to be with me as I walked through the gates. I wanted to be able to tell and show Mother that not only did I survive my exile, I thrived and found people who wanted to hold me up. All these years of being away from home because of the colour of my magic of all things and I would have come home with people who didn't dismiss for their own petty pride.
"If they want Mother to be away from her halls because of causes of concern regarding her ability to rule... Maybe I would be able to take her to Jherikra, to go and meet everyone? If they're still around, anyway." I contemplate, finding myself feeling hollow as vile pessimism finds its way into my words.
No, I'll be able to see them all again, the years will be kind to us, they will be. Gods and goddesses make it so, I want to be able to see their smiles again when I cross the Thunderous Wind Gap again!
Moving forward to wash further as I find some energy to move, I stumble into a problem, I can't really do my back...
"Oorika." I call out with a quiet tone I hope is loud enough.
The door slides open and she likely steps in.
"Yes, Lady-Heir?" she asks as a bit of water drips down from my brow and past some of my injury.
"Can you finish off what I have missed, please?" I ask of her as I shuffle around, moving what hair I can feel around to my front. Yet, with it feeling weird to have it all on one side, I split it up and the normally professionally strict woman lets out a giggle.
"Your mother will be very happy to know you have kept enough similarities to how we last knew you as." she remarks before something goes into the water with a popping gollop.
"I just don't like it all together..." I mutter with a slight pout before water rushes down my cooling back, giving it much-needed warmth. A slippery block finds itself going across my skin and bones and the build-up of bubbles, though physically light, I am able to pick up on it.
"I recall, you often undid all your expected hairstyles for the sake of your braids and tails." Oorika giggles again as she passes the soap into my hand from within the better grip of a moist cloth. I get to rubbing my front with it, working around her efforts to clean my arms.
"You haven't changed much, have you? I don't remember you giggling this much..." I comment, a little surprised at how vocal she is with her amusement.
"It's temporary, Lady-Heir, until your eyes recover so that my smile will suffice once again." she explains close to my ear, with a noise that only really comes with a smile goes down it.
"I would rather hear and see both..." I comment as I splash some water in what I think is her way.