"Of the Wastelands"

[achelord]

-1: He's back-

As anyone who knows him can attest, Ziel was not the most social of men. His gloomy demeanor gave him limited energy for dealing with others, and he often spent whole days in private, reading or meditating or just staring at the ceiling grappling with depression.

But it had been about a month since anyone last saw him. His room still had a few personal effects lying around it, if anyone cared to investigate, implying that he was PROBABLY planning on returning, but there was no information left about where he had gone.

As winter started drawing in, and both the Corsairs and the Empire bowed their heads to the greater power of Shit Weather, Ziel reappeared just like he vanished, with no fanfare at all. One day he was just back, trudging the halls of the Vault with clothes looking even more threadbare and dirty than usual. He even had a beard.

-2: He was busy-

The Corsairs are perpetually short on supplies of various kinds, so any kind of salvage that members brought back from excursions were usually welcome. There was probably a specific department dedicated to handling it. That's where Ziel was now. He looks like he's been living in the woods for a month, and smells like it too, but he has several bulging bags he's turning in.

Wandering the world of Esthere, aside from people and mundane animals, are various powerful beasts infused by so much ether that only the most skilled and well equipped hunting parties would consider taking them on. But to those who can face such beasts, the spoils are great.

Ziel's bags were full of hides from behemoths that could be tanned into leather armor harder and lighter than plate mail, tusks and fangs that could cut like the finest of blades, ether crystals that formed in the bodies of monsters with unique energy signatures, dried meat that would infuse anyone who ate it with ether, rare medicinal herbs (though not a lot of those. Ziel wasn't much of an herbalist.), and other such grisly trophies.

The woman behind the desk was staring at the pile of loot with a mixed expression. On one hand, this was undeniably a large amount of extremely useful materials. On the other hand, the aroma rising from Ziel and his bounty was...intense.

-3: But civilization makes its own demands-

Eventually, someone discreetly brought up with Ziel that living in the wastelands by himself for a month had had a few minor effects on his personal hygiene.

Fortunately, Elysium had facilities for that.

Armed with a heavy wallet from his...findings, Ziel decided to actually enjoy himself for once and went for the FULL spa treatment. Massages, extensive bathing, a full shave, a good sauna soak. Ziel even had a visit with a tailor.

The tall, good looking man in well cut robes who returned to the Vault afterwards was barely recognizable as the stinking caveman who had lurched in the other day.

Comments

3

[2mao]

Somebody, apparently, has come looking for Ziel. She had been hoping to catch him in his room, but seeing him wandering the hallway was good enough for her.

"Ah, it's you again." Maomao approaches, expression hard to read. She's a professional, and here on assignment. "I heard you recently got back from an excursion. Do you have time for a check-up?"

[achelord]

"I'm actually feeling healthier than I have in years, these days. But..."

Ziel did a brief mental calculation on whether it would be more effort to avoid her or to just get it over with. "...I guess, if you can keep it brief."

As if Ziel had any immediate pressing duties right now. All he did was kill time in various Corsair bases until they needed him to hit something really hard.

[2mao]

"You were turning in a lot of monster parts. Don't try and tell me you never got hit fighting out there." That explains who called Maomao in, at least.

She almost moves him over to a nearby bench, but reconsiders. "Is your room nearby?"

[achelord]

He didn't try to tell her that, as it would have been a lie. His body could heal on its own from most merely physical injuries, but trying telling a doctor that...

"It's a bit of a walk..."

Even The Most Civilizing Influences Cannot Hide A Wolf

[theriflespiral]

It's after hours. She has finally availed herself of coming to the Five Winds. God above, it had felt good to rinse off the salt and road dust, and as soon as she was done in the sauna, she planned to wash the sweat off properly and go home feeling clean for the first time in... God. Months. Since before leaving the village she'd been packed off to.

It would be worth cleaning the place up for the morning.

And then there was this man, who must, by the way Deedee had offered the spa, be a fellow Corsair, but not one of Natalia's acquaintance, yet.

She poured some water on the coals. Clearly this was some intended meeting. Vague images of someone with those horns played back-- one of the many things in the blur of activity that went mostly unnoticed in her rush to prepare everything for the fireworks.

But she would wait for him to speak.

[achelord]

Ziel briefly opened one eye when he heard the young woman come in, double checked that his towel was keeping him properly modest, then closed his eyes again and went back to soaking in the heat and sweating it out, paying her no further mind.

But years of battle had ingrained a certain predator's instinct into him. One that perked up when someone was watching him, and the girl was definitely paying him more attention than he felt like he merited.

So, after a couple of minutes, he finally opened his eyes again to look at her. He didn't say anything just yet, but the expression was clearly one that asked "What are YOU looking at?" in a very low key kind of way.

[theriflespiral]

A more careful look would show that she, too, was a predator, of sorts. She kept looking towards the door, when she wasn't waiting politely for him to speak; and for all her pose might looked relaxed, there's a certain tension in it, like a coiled spring waiting to be loosed, or a tiger in ambush.

At his expression, her eyes turn back to the door. She hadn't expected him to say nothing. Instead, she ventures a paper boat into the conversational waters. "Good night to sweat, eh? Miserable out there."

And then, she ventures even further: "One could swear the sky was red with anger."

It was a blatant sign, and inwardly, she cursed herself for being put enough out of sorts by the awkwardness of the conversation to not blend it in more carefully.

3, spa

[relentless_sentinel]

Ziel isn't the only socially challenged Corsair around here; the resident Sentinel of Flotsam had been...not quite hiding, but a bit more in the background recently, just doing her thing and recovering from the intensity of the past few months. Sometimes, that meant going and recovering wreckage with another Corsair or two.

It's after one of these outings Nephenee is relaxing in the hot springs, letting the waters soothe muscles that ache more from Deedee needing to pummel the knots out than the trip itself, her emerald hair splayed out on the rock behind her where she rests her head. She's still in the habit of being a bit more off to the side, because this is Nephenee and she still has way more shame than most, but the soldier's always where she can watch the entrance in case they need to escape. Or listen in this case, as her eyes are closed at the moment. So she doesn't immediately see Ziel when he enters, and because she hasn't been around him enough, she doesn't recognize his footsteps. Her muscles tense up unconsciously - she wasn't aware there were other patients here at the moment - and she ducks under the rockline.

"...Who's there?" The warm country voice is tinged with some apprehension as it comes off to the right as he comes in.

[achelord]

Ziel paused, balanced on one foot while the other hovered over the water, about to dip his toe in and test the temperature. Of all the things he had expected in here, the voice of a young woman was not particularly high on the list.

Fully aware of the kind of story that started with a man stumbling upon a young woman in a hot spring, Ziel squatted down and picked his towel back up, holding it up to his waist.

He still peered into the steam, though, seeking out who was speaking to him. "Just looking to soak for a while. I didn't realize they had mixed gender bathing here..."

[relentless_sentinel]

Nephenee doesn't know any of those stories, she just knows she's not wearing clothes or armour, or have a weapon. Soldier Priorities?

The voice does sound familiar to her, though, if vaguely...what was that guy's name, again? She knows he's a Corsair, at least, which relaxes her a little bit. Still, that's a guy, so there's extra embarrassment there...

"Y-Yeah...didn't have nothin' like this back home." Given his height and being on an elevated surface compared to her, once he's able to make details out in the steam, there's a shock of bright green hair that sticks out from its contrast to their surroundings, behind one of the big rocks. "B-But Ah'll stay o'er here, behind stuff. So..." The steam also prevents her from seeing much either if she were to peer over, but just in case he's not covered, she doesn't poke out of hiding just yet. "It's fine."

1

[straykitty]

My my. I suppose the Vault truly is home to all kinds of interesting characters~

[ The voice comes from a young woman with long purple hair wearing a black dress with a white bust. She's sitting daintily on a rocky outcropping above Ziel, a large, extremely distinctive and definitely recognizable scythe cradled casually against her right shoulder. ]

[achelord]

[Ziel looks up, feeling the presence of someone soaked in blood above him. Metaphorically, if not literally.]

If you meet any of them, feel free to talk to them instead of me.

[Something about her was familiar though. He needed a minute to remember.]

[straykitty]

But you're the most interesting one here, Mister.

[ She intentionally pushes her voice up a few registers, giving it a sing-song, childlike quality. ]

3 of course

[lightnovelexperiences]

"Heard you had some exciting adventures," Deedee says brightly as she warms and scents oil for Ziel's treatment. "Oh, and - I have been doing those exercises, and they've been working. Thank you."

Deedee rolls her shoulders and claps her hands in preparation. "You mostly looking to relax or is this theraputic, today?"

[achelord]

"They weren't that exciting. Just some hunting."

Ziel lay down on the table, resting his head on folded arms. He didn't comment on her progress as a martial artist.

"Just looking to relax today."

[lightnovelexperiences]

“Given the sort of game out there, it’s more exciting than Terrestrial hunting.”

She hums something as she finds her scents - lavender and lemon, and a light resiny incense.

“Let me know if anything hurts or you need more or less pressure… and with any luck, you’ll doze off in the middle of this.”

She gently drapes her fingers, then palms, around Ziel’s shoulders and lightly presses in.

2

[tisfinished]

Monster parts? For sale? Ziel has become a tallman after Senshi's heart. Hell yes is he going to examine the man's wares. He even has a shopping list.

"Let's see," he says. "Most important is wind ether crystals, something that can produce or purify a breathable atmophere in a pinch. After that, d'ya have anything that carries and conducts heat well and evenly, or any good ingredients for a hearty, stamina-boosting meal?"

[achelord]

"Most of the crystals I got were earth or blood aspected, not a lot of wind or fire." Ziel admitted.

"But I do have meat from a demonic boar. It tried to eat me, so I have no compunctions about it getting eaten in return."

Pork was pretty hearty, wasn't it?

[tisfinished]

“I can use the boar,” Senshi says. “Much of it as you got. Can pay in coin… or trade, or favors, and you’ve got first crack at the sausage I’ll make.”

He pauses, thinking. “Actually, regular foraging parties would be great. You just reminded us there’s lots of useful stuff to be had.”

1

[upupatomway]

"Mr. Ziel! You're back!"

While some of the Corsairs were avoiding the dirty, smelly man who had walked back into The Vault, his grumpy demeanor possibly exaggerated by his state, Atom simply turned off his nose sensors and hurried to greet him with a big smile. At least he doesn't hug him?

"Where have you been off to? It looks like you went on a real adventure. Do you have bags? I can help with your bags if you like."

[achelord]

"I am," he confirmed.

Ziel braced himself for being tackle-hugged, but was silently relieved it proved unnecessary. This new and improved socially aware Ziel was still not what anyone would describe as "affectionate." He gestured to the mass of bags on his back, which he did not need help with.

"I needed some time to myself. Thought I'd make myself useful while taking it."

[upupatomway]

Atom leans a little to the side to get a better view of how much Ziel has on his back.

"You've been busy getting... Something!"

He could technically scan the bag and try to find out the contents that way, but he wasn't so rude as to peek in bags uninvited left and right, and he much preferred to ask people and hear in their own words what things were.

-2: He was busy-

[spacetogrow]

The smell was a lot. Ilphyl was glad that elves had keen vision and hearing, but a pretty ordinary sense of smell. The downside was that animals with keener senses of smell tended to be able to pick through the odors to learn things, rather than the gut-punch of 'strong'.

"If I'm smelling any rot, that's from your bounty and not your wounds, right?"

Sweat is fine. General 'outside' smells are fine. Dried blood is 'I assume you know what you are doing smelling like that in the wild'. Rot is cause to redirect into the infirmary.

[achelord]

Ziel blinked, then looked down at himself. Did he actually smell like gangrene?

"...It's not THAT bad, is it?"

[spacetogrow]

"I mean, I don't want to mess around with infection or anything else," Ilphyl said. "But you smell awful, and I can't pick out all the different notes of awful."