Splish Splash, I was taking a bath (Bendy timed to just after the weddings)

[psi-flames.livejournal.com]

Not everybody wanted to go to the consummation huts straight off the bat. Which meant if they wanted to get cleaned up, they needed another spot to do so in.

Luckily, the city had just such a place: the great public baths. They were rather immense. And open, since the Moai didn't have much in the way of nudity taboos. There were private stalls around the edges, though, for those who weren't quite so open. Or just wanted to do a little 'private' bathing (wink wink, nudge nudge, say no more). It's traditional for the baths to take a while. After all, pretty much everybody here has just gotten married! Enjoy!

(Oh. And your clothes are going to disappear. Nothing personal, the Rapa Nui just want to make sure you have something clean and dry to change into when you've bathed. Isn't that nice?)

((Yep, there are public baths in the city. Have fun with it! And Jono's still outside the city. I just want to be able to get notifs after I ask for no notifications on the main post.))

Comments

[morphitudinous]

Billy loved Jamie as a brother, really he did, but jumping out of the bath and making demands of the locals while naked was not a course of action he was prepared to follow Jamie with.

"Jamie, wait," Billy called, rising beside him and moving for a grab. "I'm still looking, and I don't want to start a diplomatic incident unless we absolutely have to."

He kept searching the area for further clues. As he looked, he saw another local who had been there for quite some time getting out of the bath while a Rapa Nui went to greet them, clothes in hand. While he watched (discreetly of course), the person seemed satisfied and pulled the comfortable clothes on.

"They're also bringing clothes back. What do you think?"

[bonnypiperlad]

As his arm is caught, Jamie turns and fixes Billy with a decidedly irritated look. Half moving to pull his arm free, he stops himself at the words 'diplomatic incident', and pulls a face.

"Aye, all right," he replies, still not sounding pleased about the situation, but settles back down to watch - for the moment. As the local pulls what seems to be their own clothing back on, he starts to look less annoyed and rather more confused.

"They're giving them back?" Jamie scratches his head, then spots a couple he had noticed earlier - one that had been a little enthusiastic about the ceremony, if their clothing had been anything to go by. They, too, are getting their outfits back, but there's something odd there.

"Hey, now wait a minute...I saw those two before. They had paint all over everywhere, but I don't see it now."

[morphitudinous]

Billy's a little irritated too, but largely relieved to have averted a bad situation. Had Jamie gone out there, Billy would have felt obligated to follow, and that road led to nowhere good.

As Jamie notes the observation, Billy thinks for a moment. "The paint was removed? Then...based on this case, it would be a fair guess to say that they're washing our clothes. That's generous of them, but I would've preferred to be asked," he huffs.

Definitely would've preferred it. Now he's still searching the pool's edge for some sort of string: if worst comes to worst, he can always jam the scrubber into the ledge and rub like a cat on a scratching post, but that's just undignified.

"I don't think twine needs to be washed, but maybe it's easier to organize that way."

[bonnypiperlad]

"I would have as well," Jamie mutters, but joins Billy in searching the edge of the pool for something to use to tie the scrubber with. He doesn't seem to be having much luck with that so far, but he keeps looking anyway.

"I don't see what the point is in taking the other things," he complains. "It's not like we'd go anywhere without our clothes anyway."

Just ignore the fact that a minute or so ago he was prepared to do just that.

"See if you can find a plant or something, Billy. If it's got a sturdy enough stem it might do."

[morphitudinous]

"Some of us might," Billy commented idly, with a shudder that indicated that he would definitely not be joining these theoretical people. "At least they're not reselling our items at exorbitant prices."

That was the one silver lining that came to mind. Billy shared an exasperated look with Jamie while he kept up the search, his toe eventually catching on something. "Hey, what's this?"

He had to disappear under the water to reach it, searching desperately for a few moments. When the fleshy shape finally bobbed back up, Billy had a strange green rope in hand. It was slightly slippery, but very sturdy. Enough for him to tie a knot and scrub his back, which was a good sign!

Encouraged, Billy lifted the rope in his hand and brought the scrubber close. Much to his surprise, causing him to jump, the 'rope' violently jerked out of his hand and wrapped around his waist. It was apparently a tentacle with a very upset owner, drawing closer and closer to the human.

"I apologize profusely for the tugging without permission, ma'am---" Billy started to stammer out, but it was already too late. The curses (well, those angry noises were probably curses) heading his way heralded nothing good. Sending a look that could only be described as fury, the woman whipped the foolish human once or twice with the offended tentacle, making a pleasant 'crack' sound. She took a moment to survey the mark of her lesson before dropping Billy and turning away in a huff.

"...remind me never to try that again," Billy mumbled, surveying the damage. It was apparently very similar to a perfectly executed towel snap.

[bonnypiperlad]

Jamie, for his part, is just about to give up when Billy's exclamation draws his attention. For a moment, it seems as though all their problems have been solved...and then Jamie gets a good look at the rope.

"Er, Billy, I don't think..."

Unfortunately, his warning isn't in time, and the owner of the tentacle is already making her displeasure known. Jamie winces. Ouch. Once the woman turns away, the Highlander goes over to make sure Billy's not badly hurt. It looks somewhat painful, but not permanent, which is a relief. It could have been much worse.

"At least she didn't decide to throw ye out of the water."

[morphitudinous]

Billy sinks further into the water at that suggestion, clutching himself defensively. No, that would not be good at all.

"Right," he mumbles, swiping another cool rag across himself in the hopes of soothing the sting. His words are slow and deliberate, working around the swelling marks on his face and chest. "I should've been more cautious. She seemed to try it for a moment, but her tentacles aren't quite strong enough."

What a day. He looks back fearfully in the event that she's bringing over a husband to rough him up some more, but the coast appears to be clear. Now they simply wait for their clothes.

[bonnypiperlad]

If Jamie was more familiar with the plants here, he might have been able to offer a suggestion on something that might work, but there's too many what ifs with alien vegetation.

He, too, looks warily in the direction where the woman has disappeared, but once it's evident that there's no angry husband or wife or whatever their race would call the spousal partner he picks up the scrubber.

"I don't think we'll find anything to tie the scrubber off with any time soon. Ye might as well turn around and I'll get the paint for ye."

[morphitudinous]

"Not for a lack of trying," Billy mutters, turning obediently. Luckily it's a small area---Billy had been able to reach low and high, so the only remaining marks are mid-back.

"I owe you one, Jamie. Probably several."

[bonnypiperlad]

"Och, don't be ridiculous," he replies, rather matter-of-factly going about scrubbing that small section. "Likely it would have come off on its own, anyway. It just would have taken a wee bit longer."

If nothing else, once they got back on the ship Billy could have come up with something to get the paint off. He's clever that way.

"Besides, ye kept me from going out after our clothes, so I'd say we're about equal."

[morphitudinous]

Billy nods, placing a cool cloth over the welt while Jamie works. It's not much, but the sting lessens somewhat.

"They should be back soon if I'm estimating the time correctly," he notes, stretching and smiling gratefully when Jamie finishes. "I hope so. My water-saturated fingers don't look like they can take much more."

It's so much fun when they wrinkle, isn't it?

[bonnypiperlad]

"At least no one can complain we're not clean," Jamie comments wryly, finishing up on removing the last spot of the paint. Just one more go with the scrubber, and...

"There," he says then, sounding satisfied. "Ye are now officially paint free." Waterlogged or not, it's true - although he's not bothered by the idea of getting a bit prune-like, himself. It's not like he has to worry what he looks like when he goes back to the huts with the Doctor.

Billy might, though, so he adds, "I don't think Ronnae will mind ye being a wee bit wrinkled, though."

[morphitudinous]

Billy looks satisfied with the job. Well, he certainly feels adequately scrubbed.

"Right. As uncomfortable as this is, I do feel better about that."

And...he hasn't even thought of that night for a few minutes, if the blush and quick check of himself if any indication.

"I wasn't even thinking of that. It might just be a little strange. I'm not sure that orcs wrinkle the way that humans do."

[bonnypiperlad]

Jamie casts a puzzled look over at his friend, even as he goes to rinse out the remnants of the paint from the scrubber. "Orc? Is that what her people are called?"

The name doesn't mean anything to him, clearly, and he shrugs, unconcerned by his lack of knowledge. "I didn't think to ask her." He just assumed she was some sort of alien, and he's pretty used to them by this point.

"I'd not worry about it if I were ye, though. You'll probably unwrinkle by the time ye go back to the hut."