Twenty Questions

Log Info

• Title: Twenty Questions
• Emitter: Aryia
• Characters: Aryia, Irshya, Culix
• Place: The TarRaCe
• Time: November 27th, 2021
• Summary: At the TarRaCe after a lunch rush, Aryia is pensively looking at the statue of three in building. Irshya sneaks some hot chocolate and biscuits. Finding out after a bit of who was gifting the mute these treats, the two get to talking. Aryia asks Irshya why she follows Rada, which from there, spirals into many questions being asked about the other. Mostly about Aryia's own chequered and dark past. Eventually they continue their conversation and drinks into the bathhouse, which Culix joins in on. Questions get more personal, and eventually answered, before Aryia quits out due to embarrassment while the remaining gobbos enjoy the warm waters.

The TarRaCe, Midday.

The middle of the day for the TarRaCe always has a lunch rush, and the leftover mess that follows after it as the lull hits before dinner.

One customer that was still lingering about, a scarred mul'neissa chewing on a cracker as she rests on her back foot, looking up at the three statues that depict the trio that overlook the TarRaCe. She's pensive, and hard to read.

While the moody Mul ponders the statues above, a mug slowly makes its way across the bar before her. A wee hand, partly hidden by the mug, powers the mug's journey towards Aryia. The Gobbo owner of the hand, hides beneath the bar. The mug itself is filled with a brown liquid, a faint waft of vapour escaping its surface. A faint smell of chocolate permeates the immediate area.

Aryia scratches her head, whatever thought process she had been going through left with her a quandary. She munches on the last of her cracker, absorbed within her reflection before-

Sniff sniff. Torch-bright eyes glance down to the bartop. She leans in some, looking at what the drink was, then glances up and down the bar. It wasn't like her to miss something like that, but...

She shrugs her shoulders, scoops the drink up, and takes a hearty sip.

Hot chocolate. Thick, and just enough sugar to mask the bitterness. As Aryia sips, the little hand returns, sliding a plate of biscuits across the bar.

The mute sighs in contentment, eyes closing as she enjoys the drink. The errant thought of who left it there was cast aside for the moment.

Then a plate moves across the bar. She looks once more, and spies the biscuits. One time is a coincidence. Two times is...

She looks left. Sees nothing. Looks right. Sees nothing. Putting two and two together, that must mean...

The cup is set down, and two calloused palms press into the bartop. She lifts herself up, teeters over, and peers behind the bar.

A pair of shining eyes crest over.

A wee Goblin face peers back, and she freezes in place, blinking. Her face begins to colour a pale purple. "Irshya did not wish to disturb your contemplation." She rattles the plate against the bar to draw attention to it.

"Shortcake biscuits. They soak up liquids very nicely..."

Aryia's face is neutral, though she slowly tilts her head to the side, hair spilling over that way. She blinks. Still holding herself up with one hand, she reaches down, pats the owner on the top of the head, and drops back into a seat properly.

Well, those pastries were great last time, might as well try these. Scoop. Dip. Munch.

Irshya pops up after the patting, settling on a stool opposite of Aryia. "Irshya saw you looking at the statues. Ceinara. Rada. Tarien.", she says, a small hand gesturing at each God as they are named. "Irshya follows Rada, and is a humble servant in Rada's service."

She casually reaches across and snags up one of the biscuits, and munches on it thoughtfully. "Do you follow a God, Aryar?"

Aryia savors the gifted snack, and enjoys it, were the light smile tugging at her lips anything to go by.

Her attention flicks between Irshya and the three statues, her nodding along as she listens.

The question makes her pause. That particular question had always been something that stirs quite a bit of controversy with some of her friends. Her sister might have had a diplomatic answer to it, but Aryia doesn't. "No," she answers simply with closing hand, then returns with a fresh query. "Why do you?" <Handspeech>

"Irshya is a uhm strange creature. She... I. I was born in the sea." The Gobbo frowns lightly. "My mother is a sea hag. Hence the sharky bits. She is pure evil. Irshya wanted more than a life full of ... that." She rubs at her chin and lets out a low breath. "Irshya swam away from home. She was nine. And in the deepest ocean, the darkest places, Irshya was alone. She talked to the fishes and sharks for company, and followed one to the surface. It was there that Rada found her. Offered her peace. And hope, a promise that things can be better. Irshya was already able to do tricks with magic, Rada guided her to better put her energies."

Aryia's attention falls from the Rada statue down to the shorter statued follower. Were there any judgement to be worried about such facts of the gobbo's origins, none flits across the mute's visage. A brow does, however, twitch upwards, catching the change in addressing one's self.

She gestures slowly, as if speaking softly. "I'm glad you managed to get yourself out of that, and you found your way to something more to your liking." She lightly smiles, taking another biscuit. "How did Rada talk to you? Did they just... show up?" <Handspeech>

"Rada is the world serpent. He spoke to Irshya in a storm. His words were like thunder.", she says, her voice dropping to a whisper. "It was the most frightened Irshya has ever been." She ducks her head lower, glancing around. "Irshya pledged herself to him. And received his power."

Aryia purses her lips, trying to not frown. "You make it sound like he scared you into it," she signs, glancing off to the side as well. <Handspeech>

The Gobbo giggles, her grin broad. "No. He is not a vengeful, angry god. Rada just had to raise his voice to be heard over the storm." She reaches out to squeeze one of Aryia's hands gently.

"Irshya has enjoyed being a priestess. Blessing travellers, tending to shrines, healing the sick, venerating the dead. And travelling on the floating houses was always fun."

That answer was something Aryia wasn't expecting in the slightest. That breaks her lips into a silent chuckle, another hand patting the top of the smaller one. "Good."

She tilts her head to the side. "... floating houses?" she echoes, then, epiphany. "Oh, boats? Boats are fun, I've been on them for a few years before." <Handspeech>

"Yes, boats! Irshya had seen houses, and the boats reminded her of them." She giggles brightly. "Irshya used to climb onto the boats to offer blessings. The crew were often surprised, suspicious and superstitious, but Irshya would hit their masts with lightning, and the crew were eager for blessing then."

Aryia snickers, knowing exactly how that would go down were that to happen. "That's funny. I've never had any Rada folk clamber on board like that, but some sailors I've been with followed Rada. They liked to pour a drink out for him before they sailed out. Not sure if it worked or not." She shrugs. <Handspeech>

"Of course it does!", she says confidently. "Well, Irshya say one thing. It's embarrassing, but Irshya only started wearing clothes when she came to Alexandria. So uh, she must have made a horrible impression on those sailors before."

Aryia sputters into her cup just as she's about to drink more hot chocolate. She coughs some, wipes her mouth off with the back of her sleeve, and grins. "I mean, if you're underwater all the time, it'd only slow you down. Makes sense." <Handspeech>

The Gobbo laughs at Aryia's reaction, and sneaks one of the biscuits from the plate. She nibbles daintily at it until it's halfway gone, and then simply swallows the remaining half. "Yes, it does make sense. But it is still embarrassing. Irshya is comfortable sharing nudity but now only in small company." She cants her head slightly, eyeing the hot chocolate. "Do you like it?", she wonders.

Aryia gives a light sigh and finally gets another drink in as she abates her snickering. The mute adds to the insight. "I don't care if others are, been around others who wore scraps for so long I've seen everything. Though, I don't like to be. Hence why I'm always wearing something in there," she gestures towards the baths.

To answer the question, she lifts the mug, brings it to her lips, and glug... glug... glug! "Ahhh..." The empty cup clanks hollow against the metal bartop. She smiles.

Giggling, Irshya nods. "Irshya is going to have it upon the menu this winter. Irshya will offer these biscuits with them, too. Irshya is happy you like it. More?"

She settles back upon the stool, and nods, a sad expression creeping across her face. "Scars?"

The mute gives a sharp thumbs up at the idea. "I look forward to it beingo n the menu. It's really good. Uh, sure, I'll take one more."

The question makes her rolls her shoulder, chewing on the inside of her cheek in thought. "It's... complicated," she offers as a lame answer, her expression neutral. But instead of leaving it there, she takes a biscuit, shoves it into her face, and leans forward to keep talking with her hands. "It's part of the reason. I don't like all the staring. The other is, well, I've never really had privacy for a long, long time. So, I like the fact I can cover up and take off when I want. Instead of just... wearing whatever is around until it turns to scraps."

More gestures, smaller, as if speaking quietly. "I still have a hard time wearing things without sleeves, for some reason. I can take a shirt off just fine. It's just the sleeves and my back is the weirdest for me. I don't know, the mind's weird like that, yes?" <Handspeech>

"Hmm, Irshya understands. It is nice to have a covering, and to leave bare what you wish to." The Gobbo lays a hand upon Aryia's once more. "Irshya has always found you to be pretty. Exotic. Being cloaked and .. shy has made you more mysterious. Irshya has enjoyed that feeling. Even more since you have begun to open up a bit."

Aryia blinks. Her scarred cheeks dust crimson as she looks down at the hand on hers, then back to the pool-shark. Her mouth opens to say something, lips move to try and say a word or two, but nothing intelligible comes out. Both because, she couldn't talk, and she was just blubbering.

Aryia turns her head slightly, ears pressed flat against her head. "Oh. Um. Thank you. I don't consider myself as such, but... thank you." Her brows pinch, and she hazards a glance back to the owner. "... I'm not that mysterious. I don't try to be, at least. I'm just fucking awkward at talking with people." <Handspeech>

Her grin is broad, and after a moment, she snatches the mug, bounces from the stool, and bounds to the kitchen. Where an argument ensues. And ends with a shout of pain. "You BIT me!"

The Gobbo returns a short time after that, bearing the mug full of hot chocolate. This she offers to Aryia, before she reclaims her stool behind the bar.

"You still do quite well for yourself, given your damaged voice and awkwardness. Irshya admires this."

Aryia's deep seated reflection of her self-image is muddied a bit as the gobbo dashes off to the kitchen. A brow raises from the yelp beyond.

The pool-shark returns to mute offering a weak smile, her taking the cup back to warm her hands. "Thank you."

She smooths an ivory lock behind a long ear, and shrugs lightly. "I mean, um, thanks? I do what I can. Haven't been able to talk for... half a century? Something like that. I've gotten used to it by now."

She sips the fresh cup to fill in still silence for a moment. Then. "... you admire that why?" she asks. <Handspeech>

"You have adapted to adverse conditions, and they have been compounded over time, and you are flourishing.", she says softly. "There are those who would claim to be your better who whine and complain at length when faced with only a small portion of what you've worked through."

She giggles. "Irshya saw it in the sailors. Many worked very hard and had little complaint, where others would shun their duties and complain about every last little thing."

The shadow elf sighs and leans back in her chair, her shoving her knee against the bar to keep from toppling over. "Well, my work ethic was sort of beaten into me."

She blinks. Coughs. And eats another biscuit.

Hands are quick to jump off that faux pas, "Yes, I saw that quite often when I worked the ships." <Handspeech>

The Gobbo blinks at Aryia a few times, and then her cheeks slowly change to a pleasing purple colour. "Irshya sorry.", she replies softly. "Irshya trying to tiptoe around and not open old wounds."

Irshya hops up onto the bar from her stool, and settles down upon the stool beside the Mul'neissa, where she leans dangerously to hug at her.

And hands were just as quick to try and mend that. "No no, it's okay, my hands went faster than my brain and sort of just say dumb shit sometimes an-" Aryia's speech was halted by an embrace.

The mute blinks, and she softly sighs, looping an arm around the gobbo and patting her on the back. It seemed like she wasn't as adverse to being hugged anymore.

She pokes Irshya on the shoulder to get her attention, then motions in front of her. "You're okay. I'm a lot better talking about it now. If... you want to ask anything specific, my head is in a pretty good spot right now, so I don't mind talking about it." <Handspeech>

Irshya sits up then, watching the fingers flicker back and forth. "Well, there are some things that Irshya would like to ask, but some of them are probably not appropriate." She hops up to sit upon the bartop, and shuffles down so that she's seated in front of Aryia. "And some things are of a personal nature that... Irshya should probably not ask." She rubs at her cheek. "Irshya is an inquisitive Gobbo. Others would say nosy. Or cheeky."

Aryia shrugs, moving her drink out of the way so the pool-shark could sit comfortably in front of her. She preferred this, it helped with signing. "I don't really mind much. Ask whatever. If!" She holds a finger up, then points to a random bottle on the shelf. "You spike the drink with that," she smile innocently. <Handspeech>

"Are ... you going to be drinking it, or me?", she wonders, softly. "Some of these questions are such that Irshya might need to be drunk too." Laughing, she stands and hops from the bartop to the shelf, climbing up a level to pull down the bottle in question.

"A crowd pleaser. Delightfully perfumed and floral, soft, and sweet - it's easy to enjoy. Shows irresistible aromas of ripe pear, peach and orange blossom with a touch of honey and honeydew melon. The palate is sweet with balanced lemony acidity, leading to flavours of exotic fruit compote with a citrus twist.", she reads methodically from small paper affixed to the back. "Barefoot Moscato. Sounds... fancy." Irshya struggles with the cork, eventually clamping her teeth around it and yanking with all her might. It comes out with a loud pop, and a small fountain of fruity-smelling spray. The Gobbo offers up the slightly damp bottle to Aryia.

Another shrug. "If you want to, I just think this might be a fun drink if it's spiked," she mentions, but she shifts a bit. Hmm, what kind of questions required the asker to be drunk? This only made the elf curious.

She raises a brow at the description of the drink. She chuckles, takes it, and inhales a waft of it.

This... might not taste really good with the chocolate. Ah well. She drinks straight from the bottle, and puts it on the bartop next to the gobbo.

The mute leans back, grabs her hot chocolate, and looks to Irshya expectantly. <Handspeech>

"Is... is it good?", the Gobbo wonders of the drink, picking it up to sniff curiously at it. "Irshya does not usually drink much. Too easy for Irshya to go from cute to annoying to snoring loudly in a puddle of her own sick." She does, however, put the bottle to her mouth and tips it back, swallowing a mouthful in a noisy gulp.

Her cheeks flush a deep lavender almost immediately.

"It's a little warm going down. So uhm. You were a slave? Did you have a set task? Servant? Soldier? Farmer?"

Aryia swishes some spittle around, contemplating the question before nodding. The drink was good. "Maybe a bit too fancy for me to get all that stuff you said. But it's a good wine."

She chuckles and shakes her head. "Then we take it easy. Don't need a repeat of the bathhouse party."

The query is answered without a moment of thought. "Yes, I was. I did all that. Well, not the soldier stuff, they wouldn't assign a task where a slave had a weapon to me. I was too rowdy for that. I did a lot of manual labor, paving roads, building stuff, hauling crops, taking care of animals and children. Later on, after I lost my voice, I was a gladiator exclusively."

She thinks about drinking more chocolate, but instead just imbibes more wine. The mute was answering in a detached manner. It clear she was in a good headspace, as her visage didn't dim or draw downward.<Handspeech>

"Goodness, no, we should keep the parties to once a year. Well. Maybe a little more often than that." Irshya rubs her chin. "It was fun, after all." She cants her head slightly. "How... how did that happen?", she wonders of the Mul. "How did you lose your voice? Is it possible to get it back?"

Aryia snickers. "I'd be okay with it being even more often than that. I have a lot of years of partying to catch up on."

The mute rubs at her throat for a moment at that question. A jagged line of scars run horizontal across it. It roughly stitched back together a long, long time ago.

She doesn't answer right away. "The last thing I ever said was 'no'," she mentions, running a finger over the rim of her hot chocolate. "In Aby'ssa, it's considered rude to damage your own property so bad to the point that it doesn't work. So, you either maim it so it can heal. Or you dispose of it."

Her hand stops motioning for a moment to grip at something intangible. Fingers curling around an object. "I was given a rusty knife and told to kill a slave for misbehaving for the last time. I told them no. They drew a blade and tried to kill me. They cut my throat. I cut their heart."

A breath in. And out. "Then someone witnessed it, bought me quickly, and patched me up."

The mute drinks some chocolate, warming her throat with it. "Maybe. The cords are gone. Had to get them removed. It's whatever now." <Handspeech>

As Aryia gestures her words, the Gobbo leans forward slightly, a hand coming up slowly to lightly touch at the Mul's neck, if allowed. A little flash of light is followed by a cool feeling. "Irshya think it possible, but needs more power than she can muster. Irshya will look for something that can do such."

Her little feet begin to sway back and forth slowly, the little hard claws on her toes tracing back and forth on Aryia's knees.

"So someone felt that you should be allowed to live." The Gobbo takes a swig of the citrus flavoured wine, and offers the bottle to the Mul'neissa. "Irshya wonders how it came to be that you escaped."

Aryia tenses as the hand touches her throat. It's rough, jagged. Old. She suppresses an urge to grab the wrist as there's a light flashing, but she forces herself to calm. "Don't bother. I don't want it fixed right now," she dismisses. "Thanks though."

The mute lightly kicks her feet from the stool, making the feet bob. She scoffs. "That someone just wanted a warm body to clean up gladiators' gear after fights," she amends, grabbing the bottle and drinking deep from it before gasping. She offers it back.

The next question got her to smirk with pride. "The gladitaor group I was with had a stop on the border. Owner told us to load up a friend's caravan for him. Elves don't rest much, so I was put on night duty to load the caravan. They left early in the morning, before dawn."

She thumbs her nose. "... I shoved myself into a box, loaded it with food and water, and sat in there for five days. Ended up running out of food and water. Got found out that I was a stowaway on a ship. And instead of being turned back in, the captain was nice and let me join the crew." <Handspeech>

Irshya's smile is faint and sad. She takes a long sip of wine, and sets it upon the bartop. Her feet continue to swing, but avoid the knees below, moving in a circular motion to do so.

"It is unlikely Irshya will find a method immediately. But, at the very least she can look. If she finds something, you will at least know you have the option, yes?"

She puts her hands behind her and leans back upon the bar. "Irshya takes it you were on the ship for some time? They might not view stowaways in a good light. Did they make you work for your passage? Did your former captors ever come looking for you?"

Aryia glances to the sad smile, the mute softly sighing with her own easy smile. "Yes. Thank you. I'll keep that in mind for the future. Thank you for not pushing it. It's just something I've learned to live with, and learning how to talk again sounds like a pain in the ass."

The pugilist bobs her head. "The captain made me work. She's a good person. Said she wouldn't say a word, and the crew would have my back if I put my own back into it. I couldn't read or write then, so I was hard to tell her how thankful I was for that. I showed that with working really hard."

The elf lets out a long sigh, taking some more wine for herself and replacing the bottle back where it was. "Yes. And the captain never gave me up. But they found me a few months ago. Almost got me too, if it weren't for some friends with me. They're actually digging all of Charn up looking for me. I've been... keeping tabs on it just in case they try again. My exploits had reached some ears, and I'm very valuable now." She rubs her face at this, annoyed that she was having to deal with them once again.<Handspeech>

The Gobbo's expression goes from sad to angry in a flash. "Irshya will bite them!", she declares, "If they come again, Irshya has your back too." She hops off the bar, standing on Aryia's knees.

"Do you have your own place to live, Aryia? Or do you have room mates?"

"Irshya is glad that you found a decent person who helped you out. And also glad that you made it to Alexandria. Where you found more good people, yes?"

Aryia blinks, her brows raising at the sudden anger. Though, she grins, her knees ceasing their bouncing so Irshya can steady herself. "Please do. And tell me if you do so I can break their legs."

The question makes a bashful smile cross her lips. ".. I, um, used to. I'm about to move in with Violet. My girlfriend."

She nods, her smile growing more warm. "Yes, at lot of really good people. This place has its problems, but it's no where near as bad as Charn. Made a lot of friends here, and have learned way more than I ever could have." <Handspeech>

At the mention of Aryia's upcoming roommate, the Gobbo smiles. "Ahaaaah, good good! Irshya was just worried about Aryia living alone. Having a roommate means that you have someone else around who can watch out for you, yes?"

Irshya giggles at the Mul'neissa. "Irshya cannot guarantee that both legs will be intact enough to break. At the very least they will not be running away." Her grin becomes very toothy, almost predatory. "Irshya think they have made a mistake, one you will pay them back for. They made you tough. We made you smarter. Now you're going to kick their ass!" She makes a victorious pose, swaying a little on the Mul's knees.

Aryia nods belatedly. "Yes, I think she'll watch out for me quite well. Though, living by myself was quite nice. I actually could block out the window and make it dark all the time. Though, that doesn't work well with Violet. She's human, so..." she points to her glowing eyes, then shrugs with a little smile.

She snickers. "Good. They deserve no less." The mute's own visage sharpens a bit, and an oddly fitting, somewhat sinister smirk graces her lips. Predatory like that of Irshya's. "Oh don't you worry. They'll get payback soon enough. I've got time. Lots and lots of time," she gestures, another hand reaching out to steady the wobbly gobbo. The malice sweeps away into a proper, more fitting smile.

"Got anymore burning questions?" she asks, lifting her drink once more to take a hearty gulp. Nooow it finally is starting to hit her. <Handspeech>

The chat was moved to the pool, the bottle and a few of its friends were along for the company. The two occupied the lady's side, with the Gobbo simply stripping herself bare, and hastily stuffing her robes into a cubby hole. She then turned and dashed to the pool, rolling into a tight ball, causing a large splash as she hits the water.

Aryia has swapped into her black trunks and chestwrap, her taking her time with their things as she was sipping on her hot chocolate still. Her brows raise as the tidal wave comes, and she holds the drinks high so they didn't get any pool water in them. She chuckles silently at Irhsya's antics, shaking her head and walking over to the edge to take a seat and soak her feet.

The sharky-one circles the pool, and then floats up to the feet, the cold, and now wet, nose pressing at the toes.

Surfacing, she laughs. "Irshya adores the Tarrace for this very place." She smacks her hands on the water for emphasis.

"So. So. Tell me how you feel about Violet?" Irshya floats up to the edge of the pool, and takes up one of the other bottles. "Spiced rum.", she says, squinting at the label. She sinks her teeth into the cork and pulls on it.

A scarred and calloused foot raises some in response, and lightly boops the nose.

Aryia smiles and nods, "I can see why."

The new question gets a light flush to dust her face, aided by what drinks she's had thus far. "Ah, um, well, I like her a lot," she gestures slowly, glancing to the bottle. Hey, that was her favorite! "Love her, even." <Handspeech>

Irshya gulps down several mouthfuls of the rum, and sets the bottle down on the edge of the pool. Her expression is one of surprise and pain, as the alcohol makes its way to her stomach.

"It... burns a little.", she says, hoarsely. A pleasing purple colour radiates out from her cheeks and down her neck to her chest.

"Love? What is it like?", she wonders, moving to settle her chin upon one of Aryia's knees.

Aryia holds a up hand, taking the bottle and taking her own mouthful. "Take it slow, you said you aren't good with the stuff..." she signs.

She looks down to Irshya, her face softening. "That's... a complicated question."

She closes her eyes, and is silent for a few moments. Long enough to make it seem like that was her answer, but her hands rise to further explain. "It's a nice feeling. Warm, fuzzy. It gives you drive and passion. It makes your day just seeing them. To hear them. To know they're there for you even if they aren't there. There's different kinds of love. I never really had a lot of it until recently. Never got any. But family is one kind of love, even if its not blood related. And your friends, you can love them. You can love the people that are closer to you than friends. Violet is that for me," she elaborates, breathing easy and faintly smiling. Yep, she was totally thinking about Violet right now. <Handspeech>

She giggles faintly as she floats, "It's easy for me to become drunk."

Her expression is placid as she listens to the talk of love, nodding slightly from time to time.

"And what happens if someone loves you but you don't love them back?", she wonders. "Has.. has that happened to you before?"

Aryia chuckles and reaches out to pat the knee-shark. Though, she sighs and looks up to the ceiling.

"I... think it has. Yes, it has. Well, um, if that happens, well... hope they learn that it's not going to work out, and they can try to move on. I think there might have been a couple people in the past like that for me. Some before I was a slave, and some after." <Handspeech>

"Were you kind?", she asks softly, "Or were you cold?" The Gobbo peers up at her, and smiles brightly. She blinks a few times, and reaches up with a hand, and gently tugs one of her teeth free. "Another tooth for the drawer."

Aryia's lips draw downward in a pensive frown. She tries to recall... "It's... hard to remember that far back. Especially before I was a slave. Um... probably both. Maybe more cold than kind. I'd be more kind nowadays."

She chuckles as another tooth is collected, and she swings from the wine.

Though, the thought crosses her mind. "... uh, why do you ask?" <Handspeech>

She goes quiet for a moment. "No reason.", she says sweetly. "I was only curious."

Rubbing at a cheek, she blinks. "Irshya supposes that's a downside from living so long? You've got so much to remember."

Aryia eyes Irshya with a skeptical gaze. Life has been hard to her, the gobbo was right. It was written in her voice, her eyes, her face and her posture. But such a life makes it somewhat easy to read between the lines. She lightly sighs, and nods. "... I'm sorry," is all she says about that.

The elf shakes her head. "It depends. What's important is to do things that are memorable. It's why I've pushed myself so much as of late, and I try so much stuff that's new. I couldn't remember my early easy because, well, they were intentionally stripped away from me. I got traded around so much I lost all sense of myself. It's all a big, big blur. It's only until just recently it's been getting untangled for me." The mute rubs her neck, looking at her leg and some of the scarring that lines it.<Handspeech>

"Irshya sorry, too."

The Gobbo flips over onto her back, still with her head resting on Aryia's knee.

"Irshya understands how that is. How she got from the deep ocean to here is a bit of a blur too. Not everything is clear in her head. The only good in it is that she forgets some of the bad things that happened to her." Her hand comes up to her left side then, tracing a thin, faint scar that runs from her shoulder down to her hip.

"Except the things that left scars."

Aryia leans forward, tilting her head to the side to inspect the scar. "I get what you mean, about forgetting the bad. But I forgot so much, that I don't even know how I grew up. I don't even remember most of my scars. Except for the really, really bad ones."

She points to the one going across the small body. ".. what happened there?" <Handspeech>

"A sailor hit me with his sword. Called me a demon. Said Irshya was leading the others astray, that I was not one of Rada's. They stopped him from killing me, and Irshya jumped from the ship to the water. It took a long time to heal." She holds her left side. "It really hurt."

Aryia pats the shoulder where the scar starts, the mute nodding in sympathy. "Sorry that happened. I know how a sword like that feels." She points to her chest, tracing a line that carves into her from her sternum, over the side of a slope downwards, vanishes into the chest wrap, then trails off to terminate on her muscled stomach. Then another one on her flank, recent, pink and starting to form into a grey scar like the others. Then another on her forearm that goes across it diagonally. "What happened to the sailor after that?" <Handspeech>

"Irshya did not care.", she says testily, before she takes a breath, and then another long sip of rum. "But Irshya did hear a scream, so she supposes he was punished somehow. Irshya still gave blessings to the ship."

The Gobbo returns to laying on her stomach, but lifts herself up, her little tail working to lift her higher in the water. She peers at the scar that runs from Aryia's sternum to her stomach. "That one was very serious, lots of blood goes through there."

Aryia gives a slight nod, her reaching towards her chocolate and taking a sip of it. "Well, good, I'm glad they got punished. Rude of them."

The elf sighs some. "I lose a lot of blood a lot of the time, if you can't tell," she signs, weakly joking. "Funnily enough, I'd probably get hit *more* if I was in armor." <Handspeech>

Irshya lowers herself down, and ends up sprawling into Aryia's lap. Her feet dip into the water, while at the other end, her hands trace shapes.

"Irshya understands. Move fast enough, and you get hit less. Just that... each hit will hurt more." She giggles lightly. "Irshya has heavy armor for under her robes, she is not fast, so she has armor to take the hits."

Aryia shifts a bit so it pool shark had a good resting spot. "That is true. But by this point, my skin is so tough sometimes things just don't get me. I can even dull my pain to a point where I don't feel some hits." She tilts her head to the side, trying to imagine the little gobbo in heavy armor. "I've never seen you wear any. What's your armor like?" <Handspeech>

The Gobbo giggles. "Irshya does not like wearing it. But it is called scale male. Little metal plates that overlap, with leather underneath and some cotton padding. Ish very, very heavy for Irshya. But she can pull her robes over it." Her grin broadens. "Irshya has worn it in your presence. Just. With robes over it. If you see Irshya limping, she is probably wearing armor."

Aryia snickers, taking another drink and sighing contently. Her head swims some, face tinged red. "Ah, yes, I know that armor. Oh, well, I'll keep that in mind next time I see you in a robe." She glances down, smirks a bit micheviously, and signs. "I wonder if you're wearing it now?" She pokes a ticklish belly. <Handspeech>

Her stomach is warm, and wet, to the touch. With a slightly rubber texture. The Gobbo obviously feels it, because she immediately squeals in surprise and laughs. The squirming starts a moment later and Irshya grabs at the hand tickling her. "Eeek!"

Aryia snickers as her hand is grabbed. "Didn't cheat that time," her free hand gestures, the poke abating. She picks up the wine, and chugs the last of it. "Alright shark, hit me with another one. I'm drunk enough now for the good shit." <Handspeech>

She breathes heavily for a few moments, slowly relaxing. "No, you didn't cheat. But you almost made me pee myself!" She snorts and giggles, stretching out comfortably again in the Mul'neissa's lap.

Irshya reaches for the rum and gulps another mouthful down, before offering it to Aryia.

"Irshya not know if she is drunk enough. Irshya can't bring herself to ask. It's uhm... embarrassing."

Aryia chuffs and pinches the bridge of her nose. "Please don't, you're sitting on me." She takes the offered bottle, only taking a sip as the wine was starting to hit now.

She raises a brow. Oh, now the elf was really, really curious about this one. "... go on." <Handspeech>

"Well surprise tickles may bring more surprises." Irshya laughs and lets out a huff of breath.

"Irshya is pretty sure you would not agree to it." She rubs at her cheeks.

"Irshya wants to see your scars."

The question makes the elf pause. She eyes the bottle of rum, takes a long pull on it, and sets it down. "Are you sure you just aren't trying to see me bare for once?" she teases. Then, surprisingly, she sighs, and nods. "... sure, fine. Just don't oggle me or I'll punt you into the men's side." <Handspeech>

Irshya shakes her head. "It's a side effect of that, but no, Irshya is just curious. Irshya will keep it to herself. Irshya won't stare." Rolling into the water, she circles the pool once before coming to float in front of Aryia.

"You do not have to, though. It is just a curiosity that Irshya has. But.. well... perhaps the only chance Irshya has to ask and get an answer that is not 'No.'".

Aryia nods, thankful. "Appreciated." She watches the pool shark do a lap before they return. The mute silently chuckles, nodding in agreement. "It's fine, no one else is here. Just don't make it weird is all I ask."

The pugilist hooks her thumbs into her trunks, takes a steeling breath, and shimmies out of them. The chest wrap, too, is unwound and set aside.

There wasn't really much more to see, though some scars did clearly continue through underclothes, and some were new, hidden by such attire. She stands a bit timidly, showing a leg to present more of the scarring that litters her, and holds up an arm to show other scars that followed the curve of her chest. "More of the same," she adds. <Handspeech>

The leg scars that are presented are what seem to fascinate her the most, a gentle hand reaching up, fingertips testing the flesh. "Fights or punishment?", she wonders, before looking at the newer scars. "These are fights, yes?"

The Gobbo does take a moment to appreciate all of the other woman, and then swims away. "Irshya thinks that you should not be too shy. Women, in here, are more... respectful than men. Your scars are a part of you, and you bear them well. You should be proud.

The flesh is tough. Scarred, rough, and muscled, just like the rest of her. The mute does a good job of hiding away all that firepower. She lets her friend inspect via tactile as she points to various scars. "Punish. Punish. Fight. Punish. Fight. Fight." It's clear which are which. The ones that are darker grey, closer to her skin tone, were punishment. Lighter grey and pink ones were fights. Meaning, the fighting was sooner. Which, makes sense, considering she was a gladiator later on.

She shifts a bit, then sits, a hand covering her chest. "Yes, well, women can be weird too." She sighs, picking up her trunks and pulling them on. She pauses. Then. "Thanks. I am. It's why I haven't gotten them removed yet. I'm proud of them. They tell people not to fuck with Aryia." <Handspeech>

Irshya watches as the scars are catalogued, nodding faintly. "Oh, don't get them removed. They do serve very well as a message. Also a warning. 'Better people than you have tried and failed.'". She giggles faintly. "Irshya does like how you say fuck with your hands."

Aryia nods, grinning some behind her reddened face. "Exactly." She wraps her chest up, and slinks into the pool finally. The mute grins. "Oh, should have heard me when I could talk. I swear a fuck load. And in four different languages." <Handspeech>

The Gobbo swims back, looking for the previous lap, hoping to get comfortable once more. "So just how much is a fuck load?", she wonders. "Irshya always used to blush at the words the sailors used."

Aryia rolls to her back as she floats, her reaching over to plop the gobbo square onto her resting spot. She snickers. "I can tell, sounds strange to hear you say it. It just means a lot. A lot of whatever. And to think, I was a sailor too. Imagine all the words I know that I can't express in this language. If I could talk, you'd be purple from blushing." <Handspeech>

Irshya laughs at that thought and lets out a long sigh. "It would be strange, almost, to have you speaking again. Wonderful and awesome, but also strange. It is neat how we take things that happen to us and incorporate them into us. You're you and then you lose your voice. You're you without your voice. Then eventually you're just you again."

The Gobbo reaches up to pat Aryia's shoulder. "Irshya likes you."

Mul'neissa and pool shark continue to lazily float about the baths, the latter atop the former's lap as the mute elf holds a bottle of half drank rum in a hand.

Aryia chuckles. "It would be very strange indeed. And yes, I agree. Though, it is those things that happen that shapes us, for ill or not."

The mute shakes her head, closing her eyes. "Glad someone does," a hand jokes. <Handspeech>

From her comfortable spot atop Aryia's lap, Irshya struggles to reach the bottle of spiced rum. The bottle has company, one empty bottle of citrus based wine, and a few half to full bottles of vodka, absinth and whiskey.

The Gobbo-shark swallows a half mouthful of the rum, and nods, giggling and swatting at the Mul'neissa's hand.

"Well, you were a little stand-off-ish before, yes? It was difficult for people to get closer to you. Understandable, though, given your life up to that point. But Irshya is certain you have lots of friends now."

Soft footsteps pad against the tiles of the changing rooms, entering from outside. Shortly therafter, there's the sound of laces being undone, the rustle of clothes being removed, and then some quiet swearing and one-footed hopping. Finally, Culix pads her way out from the divider and into the women's baths, carrying a towel clutched to her chest as she makes her way over towards the tubs.

She sprouts a grin when she spies familiar faces already there, lifting her free hand to offer a wave.

When she gets a little nearer, she sets her towel down by the side and then climbs in, "You pair hitting the sauce?" she wonders as she settles into the water.

Aryia snickers as she's smacked on the hand. "Yes, yes. I don't like it when strangers get all in the face. I have a punch-in-the-face reflex with that."

The mute woman cranes her head over as another approaches, her raising a hand in greeting. She nods, and gestures off towards the half full bottles nearby on the edge of the pool, inviting Culix to have some. <Handspeech>

Irshya giggles. "Well, it's not just the in-your-face stuff. You were a little prickly." She gasps and grins as Culix arrives, and as the other Gobbo settles into the water, the sharky-one rolls out of Aryia's lap, and dives down, swimming towards Culix.

She noses at the other Gobbo's toes and surfaces there. "Yes, we are into the sauce!", she says cheerfully, her skin mostly purplish at this point. Irshya reaches out for Culix's arm, attempting to tug her towards Aryia and the alcohol there.

"What's the occasion?" Culix wonders and then squirms, shoving Irshya away, though without conviction, with a foot before rolling her eyes dramatically and allowing herself to be dragged over. "Oh yeah, well, world aint friendly so it makes sense to be a little prickly." she says then as she catches the tail end of what they're talking about.

Once over by the booze, she picks up a half empty bottle, sniffs it, then shrugs and takes a swig of whatever happens to be inside.

Aryia snorts and nods. "Yes, I was, and still am."

The lounging elf idly paddles a foot, drawing closer to the duo of gobbos. "Nothing really. Shark and I are just hanging out. She was asking me twenty questions, some that she needed to be drunk for," she gestures with one hand, grinning slightly. <Handspeech>

Sharky giggles and tickles at the foot that half-heartedly shoves her away. She eyes the bottle that Culix swigs from. "Whiskey is a good choice. Burns a little, though, going down."

Irshya grins at Aryia and shrugs. "Maybe to total strangers, but Irshya thinks you're less so, now. With friends." She wiggles back up atop the floating Mul'neissa, and takes three tries to snag the rum bottle. Misses each time. She pouts. "Irshya didn't realize the bottles could move."

Culix chokes down a cough after the swig of whiskey, and nods in affimration at Irshya as she settles in to sit at the edge of the tub. "Questions she needed to be drunk to ask, eh?" she wonders and grins. "I'd say I don't mean to be nosy, but I think you'd both know I was lieing." she adds then with a chuckle.

She takes another chug of the whiskey and then sets the bottle back down by the side. "An' yeah, I have to agree there. You seem to let your hair down more these days with folks you know." she tells Aryia.

Aryia holds the rum out towards the pool shark after the second attempt, her snickering silently as she misses multiple times. Eventually, it is caught, and handed over.

The mul'neissa nods towards Culix, her sighing quietly. "Yes, I need to. Things are too stressful sometimes to keep a guard up at all times."

She shrugs, cracking open a torch-bright eye towards them. "Or maybe I'm changing a bit? Who knows?" she jests, smirking. <Handspeech>

The Sharky-one takes a swig of rum before offering it back to Aryia. She giggles at Culix's cough, "It does get better after a few swallows though. You'll be all warm inside."

"You are definitely changing.", Irshya says as she slips back into the water, to do as the others and float lazily upon her back. "As are you, Culix. Perhaps you would play our game too? Let us ask questions of you?"

Culix looks like a deer caught in the headlights when Irshya turns it about on her, and she pauses a moment to scratch her cheek, "Welll... sure, do your worst." she eventually decides- though she does nab the bottle and take another swig to steel herself, if she's to be asked personal questions.

The pugilist takes the rum back, her knocking back another one, her properly buzzed now as she closes her eyes. She snorts at the observation, then nods. It was true, she has, for better she thinks.

She was a bit surprised that Culix was down for questions, her remembering some conversations about finding difficulty opening up in the past. She wasn't sure of an icebreaker, but the drunk pool-shark certainly could think of one.

"Irshya only knows that you have a difficult past. People are ... looking for you, yes? Debts owed?" The Sharky's tail flicks, moving her about until she is floating next to Culix. "You were part of something. And then you were not. What happened?"

Culix blinks a bit, and then shakes her head, "Hey, that aint fair- that's three questions." she says then, folding her arms across her chest and huffing lightly. "But, fine, I guess I'll answer the last one. I got betrayed by folks I thought had my back, and ended up in prison." she says then- giving as vague an answer as one probably expects from the shifty gobber.

Aryia shakes her head at the rapid fire questions, expecting Culix's answer to be guarded. She floats on over, stopping to be right next to them. "And now it's stupid they did that, because Culix is one of the sneakiest people I know!" she tries to assuage, smiling. <Handspeech>

Irshya chuckles and shakes her head. "You're not drunk enough.", she says softly to Culix, gesturing at the whiskey bottle with her chin. "Though you don't have to answer anything. We're all friends here."

Culix sighs and then looks across to Aryia, and then huffs once more and shrugs her shoulders. "Fine- I was with a gang. Pretty nasty one." she says and turns her head to the side, pointing out the crossed kukri tattoo on her throat. "They needed someone to take the fall for a job, and figured they'd have me do it." she explains in a bit more detail. "My turn to ask a question, now?" she wonders

Aryia shurgs, not surprised by the information since she'd already was knowing of the answer. "Shark here has been sort of rapid firing them on me, but sure, go ahead," she gestures, getting upright in the water before pulling herself up to sit on the edge of the pool. <Handspeech>

"Irshya is curious about her friends.", she says quietly. "Irshya not mean any hurts." She nods in reply to Culix, "Yes, you may ask a question. Or multiple questions." The sharky-one begins to slowly circle the pool.

Culix nods her head, "Yeah, sorry, I guess I did agree to it then I got my back up right away." she says then. "Guess I was expecting something easier to start with, like what's my favorite drink. It's gin, by the by." she says then. "Uh so, let's see. Guess I can ask one you both can answer, how about... Why'd you come to Alexandria? Me, I was born and raised here."

"You're fine." Aryia answers that one easily, perhaps the answer was already known. "After escaping Charn, I was a sailor for a few years. Had a lot of pent up anger and and fears. Took on a Korite passenger who showed me a thing or two, mentioned they came from Alexandria. Our next stop was Alexanria, so I parted from the crew, and now I'm here. When you met me Culix, in front of the explorer's guild? I was only a couple weeks off the ship." <Handspeech>

Irshya giggles lightly. "We're asking questions that might only be asked or answered when one has had... some liquid courage.", the Gobbo-shark says cheerfully. "But really, any questions are good. Irshya will make sure there are some variety of gin stocked at the Tarrace's bar."

"As for why Irshya is here? She swam away from home, and followed many a floating house... the ships and boats. She wanted company, and to know others of her following, and it seemed all ships were going to Alexandria. So she swam here."

She glances to Aryia, then to Culix, and smiles. "Irshya has been here for a few years, now."

Culix nods her head over at Aryia- she's getting a little flush in her cheeks now, the whiskey working its way into her system, or perhaps the warm water, or a combination of the two. "Think I'd heard bits and pieces of both of them, myself. As for me, born here. Ma is a barmaid, still. Pop's a merchant, both in the goblin quarter. Got three brothers and a sister." she volounteers. "Older brother got in with the same gang. Neither me nor my folks've heard nothin from him since I got put away."

Aryia nods along, doing her best to not move too much as her head was properly swimming now. "Ah, I see. Maybe I should go say hi some day to them?" she teases. But then her smile goes a bit sad. "Ah. Well.. uh, do you want to try and find him? I know a friend who's good at finding people." <Handspeech>

"Irshya would happily help him, if he wants to get away, or if he is hiding already.", the Gobbo offers. "Just as she is willing to help you, should you wish it." The sharky-one does another lap of the pool. "Irshya is happy that you have made good your escape."

Culix scratches her cheek again and looks away for a moment as she ponders this line of inquiry. She huffs, mussing her own hair, and then grabs the whiskey again taking two solid glugs before setting the bottle down with a thump. "Alright, I lied." she says then. "Truth is, he did come see me." she tells them then, "When I was in prison. They have him convinced it was me what betrayed the Syndicate, not the other way 'round. He's still with them, somewhere. Maybe Veyshan." she says then, and throws her head back to rest on the edge of the tub, sprawled out. "Even if I did see him there's a decent chance he'd stick me between the ribs." she says then and sighs.

Understanding crosses Aryia's visage, a faint 'ah' coming from her lips. "Well, if he shows up, I'll punching him in the face if he tries anything. Maybe can talk some sense into him. But, alright, we'll leave it," she abates. The mute considers imbibing more, but her head was already swimming, and anymore would cause a repeat mishap of the party prior.

She slicks her hair back before she starts to fuss with it, working on some kind of braid idly. A hand comes up during a pause, "Alright. Question for you two. What's the dumbest shit you've done? I jumped after a devil in the air and nearly broke my legs after missing terribly." <Handspeech>

"Irshya will bite him, if you want her to.", the Sharky-one offers to Culix. "It must have been hard when that happened. Irshya hopes that one day he will know the truth and that you two can be reunited."

She blinks at the question from Aryia, and her cheeks turn a darker purple. "Irshya did something naughty with a man.", she says softly. "In the other bath."

Culix scoffs, "Opening that fucking box at the docks." she tells Aryia then, and shakes her head. "I knew it was a trap. I knew it. I should have checked it for mechanisms first." she insists then and huffs, folding her arms across her chest once more. But then Irshya's admission causes her to crack a grin, "Oh yeah? I thought there were rules about funny business here. I see how it is, one rule for us common folk, another rule for the owners, eh?" she teases.

Aryia blinks at Irshya at the admittance. Then she throws her head back and starts to laugh in a breathy manner. "Ha... ahah... ha... aha..." she wheezes, and ends up ceasing her laughter short as she starts coughing and rubbing her throat. After the fit dies down, she resumes snickering. "Shit, that's fucking rich. I don't think I could ever have the balls to do that."

She wipes at her eyes and nods towards Culix. "Yes, in hindsight, that was a bad idea. At least now we know to check boxes for sure." <Handpseech>

The Gobbo looks completely embarrassed, and she looks away in a huff. "It's not funny.", she says with a sniffle. "Irshya got carried away. Not proud of it at all." She slowly slips beneath the surface, becoming a little shadow near the bottom.

Culix snickers a bit herself, grinning toothily at Irshya, "Aw, it's not that bad." she muses. "Sure we've all had a tumble or two we thought better of after the fact." she tells her then and shakes her head a bit. She swipes the bottle of rum, and then wiggles it to entice the pool shark back to the surface.

Aryia dies down her laughter and shakes her head, starting to feel bad for finding the situation humorous. "Sorry, Shark. Wasn't laughing at you, honest." She reaches into the water and holds a hand out to the little shadow. "If it's any consolation, I've done that in a few less than preferable places," she offers, hand outrunning her brain and confirming Culix's wisdom.

The mute blinks, flushes red, then clears her throat, pretending she didn't say that. <Handspeech>

The shadowy sharky-one sulks for a little while, remaining near the bottom of the bath. Eventually, she comes to the surface, sliding up to Culix and holding her hand out for the rum. "Irshya has only done... that... once. Not proud that it happened in here, against the rules that Irshya helped put in place."

She grins toothily, then, showing off a gap in her teeth, and snorts. "Oho, the prickly one is off doing naughty things in public?"

Culix's grin grows wider as she peers over towards Aryia, "Oh yeah? Now these are the sort of questions I was expecting." she muses. "What are we talking, a quick back alley shag, or something a bit more exotic?" she wonders and snickers.

Aryia sighs and shakes her head. "Well, at least now you know not to do that again so you don't feel bad. Wasn't it you that told me that you shouldn't get hung up on the small stuff?"

Attention on the mute now, she purses her lips and looks off to the wall. "Not in public. For... the most part." Alcohol brain kept the hands moving when the brakes should have been applied. "... some fancy parties are a bit too boring, and some nights in the bunkhouse get a little lonely. Man, woman, didn't matter. The parties were more wild, but the others were a bit more... desperate, I guess."

Realizing she was oversharing, the now scarlet pugilist slowly rises, puts her face into a hand. Then gestures slowly. "... I'm going to go before I say something really fucking stupid that shatters my innocent image. Thanks for the drinks, Shark."

With that, Aryia leaves to go stick her head into a hole. <Handspeech>

giggles brightly, and offers as much of a bow as she can while floating in a pool. "Irshya is most pleased to have had this heart to heart, with both of you. Irshya will keep all of what was said to herself."

She offers a polite wave to the Mul'neissa, "Please, drink some water at the bar on your way out. You'll have less hurts in the morning."

Culix giggles to herself at that, "Aw come on! Like I say, we've all done it now and then." she offers a wink to the retreating Mul, before grinning back towards Irshya. "Well, I guess opening up aint all bad." she says then, settling in for a relaxing soak in the tub.

-End Scene-