#like very . tacked on . just checking the box sorta thing

[carrieway]

a lot of people seem very disingenuous when talking about ray

[celadonch]

Bath Break Bingo

((This is a touch long, but was collaborated with a friend tonight @bricasandine, and I wanted to share with their blessing, so time for the Cut!))

The trip to her cottage was quiet. A knot that Brica had not been aware of had released in her shoulders when Janyice had accepted her offer. She had so few visitors to her cottage she hadn’t realized how lonely it had become. Other than Dacianna and Venibeth, her other visitors had either been people looking for healing, or the workmen who had installed her bathtub. It had taken her some time to build the fencing for the coral, but it had been worth it now she thought as she took of the specially made tack for Dusty, her direwolf. Though Dusty prefered to hunt her own dinner, she made it a point of bringing her kills back to the coral and staying there. The two of them had made a good bond, and sometimes Brica even hunted with the wolf, either in her own wolf form or her bipedal worgen form.

Once Janyice was settled  with her own mount, Brica led her inside. The cottage was comfortable. New window coverings, made by Venibeth had been hung, she had also made her a tablecloth for the small two person breakfast table under the window, and Brica touched it affectionately. The hearth coals were still hot, and Brica added wood, setting the cast iron pot on the hook and pouring a pitcher of water within to make tea. A comfortably used couch sat across from the hearth, a small table covered in lesson plans and books sat in front. The signs of freshly done woodwork, waiting to be painted surrounded the inside of the front door, the wall and one of the two doors that lead off from the front room. A large hutch took up one wall, one of the doors lightly rimmed in frost.

“Welcome Janyice, to my home. There are sturdy hooks next to the door, for anything you wish to hang up, tea will be a few minutes, but there is chilled bottles of ale in the cold box,” she indicated the frost rimmed door in the hutch, “and it will take a couple of minutes to fill the tub.” With that, Brica opened the door with the fresh woodworking, touching the bare wood softly, “like I mentioned, I just got it installed recently” she said with a smile.

The tub was very large, and barely fit within the small room. Tucked tightly at one end was a water closet, which was also new. Reaching up next to the tank for the water closet, Brica turned a valve, then reached down into the tub and turned on the faucet. The young woman had to lean well over the edge of the tub as Janyice looked in to work the faucet, giving her a really good idea of the size of the battered porcelain clawfoot tub.  She had not been kidding when she said it was large enough for Brica and Dacianna, who was a tall and well built Draenei Vindicator, to share comfortable, it looked large enough that three humans might have been able to share. “I have some bath salts here on the shelf if you wish, let me get you some towels and a robe as well.”

Brica smiled gently as she opened the door to her room, the bed was large and made from heavy timber. A large wardrobe on each side of the bed, one of which Brica went to retrieving towels, though mismatched, they were in good condition, and from a hook she grabbed a large robe, possibly one for Dacianna. Nodding slightly, with a light blush, Brica handed over the items, “if you need anything, just ask Janyice.”

Janyice had to admit, the handiwork was quite nice.  She was a bit torn, knowing that it wasn’t some of the beautiful things she had been staring at while she was taking it to the Nightfallen within the walls of Suramar City, but it had a nice quality to it.  “It really is a lovely place you have here.  It sort of reminds me of my home growing up in Elwynn.”  Janyice just sort of eyed the room some more, moving slightly to catch glimpses of the cottage.  

Letting herself unwind, she decided that it would be best to take her bath, without all her armor on.  Hefting her large blades from her back, followed by the smaller blade at her hip and the shield she wore, Janyice placed them just out of the way near the door.  Her armor was next.  Taking the time and care to remove each piece. Shoulderguards, latch plates, and straps, gauntlets and then chest piece.  Janyice moved each piece into a place out of the walking path until she was down to just a pair of cloth pants and a rather ratty looking and torm undershirt, a few holes across the neckline made it look as if it was torn at by the scourge.  Her clothes had seen better days.  Much, much better days.

Janyice smiled and found a small stool and scooted it towards the center area with the hearth and the rest of the seating and sat down looking at the rest of the interior of the house.  “I have to admit, I’m actually a bit jealous of your tastes.  My place is basically a kitchen with a massive tea closet and enough room to cook for Mara and myself, a pair of bedroom and a reading chair.”  Janyice seemed to muse for a moment, then returned her attention to Brica.  “I should bring you some of my favorites when I finally have free time to head home and pick some up”

Letting her head crain a moment, Janyice looked out one of the half covered windows, just to make sure her Yak, Gary, was doing alright.  He seemed to find a small patch of grass that was a bit overgrown near the front of the house and was just sort of munching away making small grunting noises and sniffing and snorting from time to time with contentment.  Janyice chuckled softly and looked back to her host.  “So, tell me.  How is Daci, anyway?  I haven’t talked to her since the campaign on the new Draenor.”

Brica looked up from spooning tea into a basket, “Daci is good I guess. She is away right now helping Nirahsa, or Ahsarin at the moment I guess.” She frowned a little at that. She missed the tinkerer, but Daci’s apartment had been cold when she visited between classes indicating she was still gone. “It has been a couple weeks now since I got to visit with her.” She eyed Janyice’s shirt for a moment in wonder, “I take it that is a lucky shirt?” she said softly with a smile, “It looks as if you have gone to see Helya and come back a few times. It must be able to tell some good stories for you to have kept it so long.” She carefully set a sturdy cast iron tea kettle down onto the coals as she peeked into the large pot to see if the water was bubbling yet. Sighing she sits on the floor next to Janyice, “Dacianna took me in at a time I needed to find someone stable, I wouldn’t trade what we have for anything in this world, but I do worry when she is out there. I lost her once already to the Isles, and had almost given up hope. Nira was the one who kept assuring me that she wasn’t gone.” The glint of light off of Janyice’s arm caught her attention, “Do you need help with your arm? I mean, I am sure you don’t, but for the bath, will it be a problem? I have oils and such in the shop behind the house if you need…” her eyes were soft as she spoke.

Janyice looked at her shirt as Brica spoke, her mind sort of wandering a bit.  Janyice idly poked a finger through the set of holes at the neckline as she just sort of hummed a moment.  “Lucky, isn’t exactly the word i would use for this old rag.  I’ve had this thing since Mara and I met.  It was one of the first things she gave to me when we moved in.  I, had a really bad habit of not wearing one all the time, and being the modest little thing she is, bought this for me.  Makers that was, what, almost 4 years ago.  I’m shocked this thing hasn’t disintegrated yet.”  Janyice chuckled softly as she looked back down towards the floor.  

“I can’t really say much about how much i’m glad you and Daci are friends.  She sorta set me off at first, but when i found out how she was fairly open about who and what she did with her life, I sorta left her alone about it.”  Janyice frowned a moment and then proceeded to crack her neck idly, followed by a round of her shoulder, elbow and wrist.  This was followed by rather loud cracking sounds from her fingers as her wrist rotated.  Janyice then seemed to arch her back, letting her spine, no, that wasn’t right.  Was that her chest that just popped?  

Janyice seemed to shiver, exhaling a bit loudly as she closed her eyes and opened them slowly.  “See, it’s been close to two days since I could get a good crack out of these joints, and close to a month since I could rightly take my armor off long enough to do that.  This is already turning out to be a much needed moment off.”  Janyice smiled then turned back to the final question.  “Arm, oh.. Right.  Honestly, It’s pretty tuned up and all that jazz, but I’ll most likely want to do some check ups on it before I leave, but for now.”  Janyice tapered off and followed what she was going to say with a rather beat up leather strap in her mouth.  “Ahl juff hake eh ofh”  The strap pulled taught and the arm fell into her waiting hand.  Turning on the stool and placing it on the floor next to her armor, Janyice turned her attention back to Brica.  “You should see it when people find out about that thing.  It’s killer at parties”

Brica’s eyebrows rose at the sudden and very loud crack. The healer in her sparked, a soft green hue filled her eyes without a pause, and lit along her fingers, before she stopped herself and realized the other woman was not actually in any pain, but rather relieved. Relaxing back, she had started to reach for the ladle so she could spoon water into the now warm tea kettle, the basket of fragrant leaves smelling of Suramar, or at least she hoped it did since she hadn’t been there, when the muffled voice brought her attention back around. The tinkerer in herself took over and she started to look to see if she could see the method of attachment, then began to giggle at the light hearted comment about parties. “I sent several people to Stormwind during the invasion who would love to have such a prosthetic. The veteran I got Dusty from for instance, he made it through Draenor only to end up losing most of his leg in Westfall. He came by here a couple weeks ago, the stump had gotten an infection and some of the townsfolk sent him my way. I make a trip to his apartment in town twice a week to make sure it is healing well.” She looks down into her lap a moment before turning back to ladle some water for the tea. Once the pot is full, she sets in the basket of leave, then uses a hook to pull the pot from the coals and settle it on it’s trivet just in front. Then she rises heading for the bath, “He is really lost. All his life he has fought in one battle after another. A career soldier, and now…” she let her voice trail off as she turned off the taps. “This is deep enough, I might need to put the stool in for you to keep from drowning” she giggled as she came back out. “I don’t float so well, too much muscle left over from my bear form and being worgen.” She seemed to fidget a little at this point before deciding to settle back onto her knees next to Janyice. “I don’t think I have met Mara, though,” she touches her eye patch, “I might have, but that part of my memory hasn’t come back yet. Why not tell me about her while you settle in, I set it hot, maybe a little warmer than a hot spring, I hope it isn’t too hot. I am still trying to get used to the gnomish water tank I put in.” She stopped then, realizing she must sound like she is babbling.

Janyice chuckled and proceeded to crack yet again as she walked.  It sounded like her hips, knees and then seemed to press her toes into the floorboards as she took a few steps over to the bath.  “Makers, when you actually look at it from here, you aren’t kidding”  Seeming, as if on queue, Janyice just seemed to pull her shirt straight up and over her head and spinning it around into a small ball, she let it roll from her hand and land on the floor.  She leaned over the water and let her hand swirl around in the water for a moment.  “I mean, when you have had to take a dive into the springs up in Winterspring because someone decided it would be funny to toss someone that couldn’t swim at all.  You get used to heat pretty quick”  

Janyice seemed to move slightly and slipped her thumbs into the cloth pants and just seemed to step out of them and into the tub as she appeared to just melt into the water.  She seemed to moan and just slide into position in the hot water.  She could just feel the heat and warmth soak across her skin, and she just closed her eyes for a moment letting it just sort of all just wash over her.  She took a deep breath and just dunked herself for the breath.  Thirty seconds, forty, fifty, a full minute.  Janyice slowly pushed herself above the water line and exhaled, rubbing her hand across her face as the water dripped from her now short hair.  Pushing is back from her face a bit and then leaning into the back wall of the tub, Janyice just looked over the edge and looked over at Brica.  

“Makers, this is heaven.  I”m Jealous you get this whenever you want.”  Janyice let her right arm just sort of drape across the ridge of the tub as her head draped slightly over the edge.  Exhaling again, letting her body just soak in the waters.  Feeling the tension in her muscles just falling apart, the knots and the soreness and the weight of the world just, floating away with the water.  Janyice looked up at the ceiling just sort of trying to make sense of the past few days.   This was nice, time to reflect.  She had seen the letters from Mara for the first time since the Legion attacked, then Lycandria.  It was good to know she was still doing well enough.  Even if her father…  Janyice shook the feeling from her head.  Ly was a big girl, and she was safe, she would make it on her own for a bit until they could meet up at the base camps again.

Brica’s eyes lingered over the muscular back the woman possessed. Hell, she didn’t think it was possible for a woman with her talents and skills to not be worth admiring. Her legs were just as worthy of looking over and she couldn’t help but smile to herself. After Janyice came up for air, Brica poured a cup of tea and brought it in, moving quietly so as to not disturb her thoughts. Kneeling next to the tub, she set the teacup, a sugar jar and jar of cream on a stool. Taking a sip of the Suramar tea brought a gasp to her lips as the flavors exploded on her tongue. She relaxed even more as the hints of mana thrilled through her system. After a few more moments of silence, “I was an invalid in Rhiswyn’s tender mercies for awhile, at her new home above the clinic, and I got very spoiled at the tub she had. Both legs had been badly broken, and fel poisoned as well. The long soaks in that tub lead me to make a promise to myself, if I ever got my own home, I would find one just as big and by hook or crook, having it installed.” Her voice had been wistful as she spoke, as if there were more to her words than she let on. Grinning, she took another sip of the tea, “make you a deal, you smuggle me out some more of this tea, and I will loan the cottage to you and Mara for a weekend, oh fel, who am I kidding, smuggle me out some more of this tea and I will loan it to you for a week.”

Janyice rolled her body, pressing her chest into the wall of the tub, taking the cup and taking in the aroma of the tea for a moment.  “Oh, this stuff is some of the better leaves they have.  Oddly enough, this is pretty common.  You haven’t had the reserve they have in the area’s that are tolled by the larger packs of Legion warriors.”  Knowing the leaves and just sorta wanting to make sure she could enjoy this for as long as she could tonight, Janyice took a small amount of the cream and dropped it a bit into the cup.  Picking up the small spoon, she stirred the liquids together.  

Taking the cup to her lips, after putting the spoon back, Janyice took a sip and smiled.  “The flavor really springs to life when you add the cream, and it gives the cooling sensation of the night when you exhale.  It’s kinda fun, actually”  smiling, Janyice set the cup back on the platter and leaned back into the water again.  It was about that moment when Janyice finally felt the last of her tension slipping from her body causing her to slide a bit more into the water, and where her tears started to touch the water.  She tried to hold it back, but it just sort of started and she had no control left to stop.  

“I thought she was dead, she was silent for so long, then the notes started coming in batches.  I had no idea. I read them all in a night.  I was so happy to know she was okay.  Then, Lycandria, her father was killed, and she was stuck in some underground arena.  Everyone I cared for was all messed up and I wasn’t able to help them when they needed it.  How can I really be a shieldmaiden if I can’t even protect my own wife and friend.”  She just closed her eyes, trying to keep her cool and just trying to breath.  Her teeth clenched slightly, gritting while she just sat in the heat feeling everything just sort of float away.

It wasn’t like she had intended to just blurt out things like she did.  Janyice just sort of let it come out and as each word and thought escaped her lips she seemed to find her calm.  Rubbing her face with the water again, she just sort of exhaled again, finding her center.  Grabbing at the towels she unfolded it, then folded it once and placed it on her head.  Letting the moment pass she looked over at Brica.  “Sorry about that.”

As Janyice had spoken, Brica had reached out and taken her hand, just holding it comfortingly. She didn’t even think the other woman was aware of what she had done. She gave no resistance when Janyice had used her hand to wash at her face. Rising quietly, Brica took down a custom made shampoo and conditioner, then settled herself just to the side. Without asking, she began to work some shampoo into Janyice’s hair, massaging her scalp lightly with her fingers. The lavender and chamomile shampoo gently filling the air with a calming scent. “We all need to just let it out from time to time. So many have done the same for me, I can’t help but offer the same for you. Taking a breath of her own as she worked, “I was in Draenor, out on patrol with two of my peers. We were ambushed. I did my best, but had never fought a Death Knight before. I was struggling, doing my best.” She could see the woman’s face, cold and ruthless in her vision as she spoke, “I wasn’t good enough, she managed to crack me in the head hard enough when I came to, I had been bound to a tree. Both of my peers were lost. They were teaching me while on patrol, and I failed them. It is still hard, but people like Daci, Rhis, Vember, Niviene, Pinapple and Kaewynn taught me that it is okay that I wasn’t good enough then, because for whatever reason, I survived when I should have died. I am still here today. Everything I have learned since has been amazing. I can do microsurgery in the field if I need to, something I didn’t know anything about a year ago. I can fight using spells and magic, or wade into a sea of wounded and start healing. I was so focused on being the best Guardian I could, I had neglected my other studies. Now, I get to teach children to read, at a school that accepted me, and gave me a home when my fellow druids had cast me out as too broken to save. Sometimes even the trying times can lead to times of strong learning. It doesn’t make it any easier, they are still trying and weigh heavy on our souls, but we find out strength when we move beyond that pain.” Her voice had stayed soft and comforting as she spoke, each name had been spoken with it’s own reverence, it was easy to see each had touched the young woman differently. With a cute smile, Brica gently pushed on Janyice’s forehead, “Now rinse.”

Janyice, took the command, surprised at the whole set of events going on now.  Washed hair, talks of insecurities and basically just a calm evening, away from the front, a time to reflect and understand.  Janyice slid down into the water again, closing her eyes and just letting the suds from her hair wash away.  Pushing herself out of the water she rubbed her face again, knowing full well she was drained and getting tired.  She leaned back into the wall of the tub again, awaiting the next steps.  

She kept her eyes locked ahead of her, just sort of taking in the surroundings again.  Noticing the workmanship of everything around her.  “This really is a nice place you have here, and I'm sure there are plenty of stories to be told.  You did what you did because you knew what you knew.  I’m the same, I do what I know how to do, but recently, the front has changed, so I had to change with it.  It’s why i carry the other weapons I do now”  Janyice seemed to nod in the direction of the two large blades next to her armor and shield.  

“I have different ways to protect, and to serve the Alliance...and my friends.  Brica, I hope you don’t mind that, even if we don’t really know each other all that well, that we can be friends as well?”  Janyice seemed to turn slightly to look at the other woman with a half smile.  Her own weight seemed to tilt her and she slid half way into the water again.  The lack of an arm kept her from righting herself for a moment and then was able to find her balance and slide back into place, back to the wall of the tub.

Brica blinked at the comment, her expression softened, “I would not have invited you into my home like this if I did not think we could be friends. Don’t get me wrong, I don’t mind helping people, but this,” she indicated her now wet blouse, the bottle containing a conditioner, and the comfortable setting,”is only reserved for friends.”

Janyice blinked and just sort of sat there a moment, then noded.  “I’m glad then.  I honestly didn’t really know what you thought of me.  Hel, I don’t really know what a lot of people think of me anymore.  I’m not the easiest person to get along with, and I didn’t exactly start off with the best impression when I met most of the Meddlers… or the Dragoon’s for that matter.  Makers, I know I still scarred Nira after what I did to my arm in front of her.”  Janyice just sort of chuckled softly to herself for a moment, remembering the problems and her attempt to take her own arm off at the pandaren temple.  

Janyice moved herself up slightly again, waiting for the next step in her hair care.  “By all means, continue, and… Thank you”

Brica just nodded, looked down at her surprisingly wet blouse before sighing a little. It only took her a moment to remove her own blouse and pants, setting them aside before she settled again. It only took moments for her to work the conditioner into Janyice’s hair, then she took a comb and began to slowly work the tangles through. “You’re right though, what you said about adapting. I think that is the biggest thing of all. I had just gotten used to having normal sight again when I got ambushed coming from the Grove a couple of months ago.” She couldn’t help a slight sob of a snicker, “Yes, it has been one fel of a year for me.” Sighing and collecting herself a moment, she went on “getting used to the lack of sight is more of a trick when it comes to flying. Harder to track the movements of the thermals and crosswinds when they come at me from the blind side, but still, I am adapting well. Same with people. Our friendships adapt to situations. Some grow closer because it is right for it to happen, and others slip quietly aside to make room. But it is funny how we can all end up at a tavern and drink ale together like nothing had ever happened.”

Janyice took the moment to smile and laugh.  She hadn’t really had time to do that recently.  Too many hardships, too much combat, death, problems, sorrow, pain, loss.  She had watched from the airship, her king, the legion, at the tomb.  Everything was a blur, and it just kept building.  Gul’dan was slain, but the invasion was far from over.  She had to see it coming soon enough.  The inevitable final breath.  Then the final words from Brica “Like nothing ever happened” she muttered and let out a soft laugh.

Her hand came to her face again, rubbing at the bridge of her nose.  Trying to figure out what her next step was, where her next foot fall would take her and she just sighed and let the other woman finish with the product in her hair.  Janyice let out a soft sigh, her mind wandering a mile a minute and yet still grounded as she needed it to be now.  Knowing this was coming to an end soon, she rolled her head back slightly to meet the eye of the woman behind her.  “I… don’t want this to seem like I’m asking anything of it, but it’s a hard ride back to Stormwind, and it’s late.  Would...you be alright if I stayed the night?”

Janyice just sort of sat there, waiting, expecting a “sure, but I only have room for one” moment.  She blurted out “I can just take the couch, I shouldn’t be a bother either, and I’m sure Gary would love a night off from travel as well.”  She smiled and took to the response.

“Why would you stay on the couch when the bed is built to Draenei size, of course you can stay the night. There is plenty in the larder, though I admit, I am lacking on feed for Gary, but with Dusty around and my own vines, there isn’t anything out there that will bother him. I do have classes to teach bright and early, but you are welcome to take all the time in the morning you need.” Brica had started to workout the conditioner from Janyice’s hair as she spoke. It only took moments for it all to be out. “If you had hooves, I could treat you to a polishing too, I managed to talk Nira into teaching me.” she said with a giggle.

Chuckled softly, “For the best I think” Janyice just sort of smirked.  Snagging at the towel, Janyice stood in the bathtub, rubbing the cloth across her body as she just sort of dripped water  where she stood in the tub.  Letting herself take a moment, she just let the towel rest around the back of neck and draping across her breasts.  Stepping from the tub she snagged up the robe and wrapped it around her form.  Knowing that it was late, she sort of let it stay semi open as she took up the now cooled tea and took it down rather quickly.  

“I suppose the bed does sound like heaven, considering the cots and bedrolls of the base camp aren’t exactly luxury.  I suppose you win again, Brica.”  She chuckled softly.  “It will have been close to 10 months now, that I haven’t slept in a real bed.  I look forward to your hospitality once more”