"Of the Wastelands"
Dec. 27th, 2024 09:17 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
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vivala-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.
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.
3, spa
Date: 2024-12-27 07:22 pm (UTC)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.
no subject
Date: 2024-12-27 07:27 pm (UTC)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..."
no subject
Date: 2024-12-27 07:59 pm (UTC)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."
no subject
Date: 2024-12-27 08:42 pm (UTC)"...Alright."
She said it was fine, so he would assume it was fine. Ziel got into the water somewhere safely out of her sight lines, and settled down, letting the heat seep into his bones and sighing contentedly. The wilderness might have a certain stark beauty and primal simplicity that he admired at times, but it didn't have anything like this.
no subject
Date: 2024-12-27 09:57 pm (UTC)Waiting until it seems safe and she no longer hears the water being stirred, Nephenee very carefully peeks out from over the boulder, so there is light, flushed skin and a pair of emerald eyes to go with the emerald hair. Seems safe... "Your voice s-sounds familiar...Sir Ziel, right?"
no subject
Date: 2024-12-27 10:03 pm (UTC)“Just Ziel.”
no subject
Date: 2024-12-27 10:59 pm (UTC)"Sorry, kinda a habit." Given so many of the people she'd interacted with after joining the Queen's Guard were above her station considerably, a somewhat necessary one that was proving hard to break in this new world. "Ah'm Nephenee..." Dang it, this wasn't going to stop worrying her unless she said something, which she did, in a soft voice that wasn't judgmental in the least. "Uh...beggin' pardon, but Ah ain't sure Miss Deedee wants soap in the springs...think it's for the showers only. That way the waters are kept clean, Ah think...somethin' 'bout special water an' all." As far as she understood, anyway.
no subject
Date: 2024-12-28 03:16 am (UTC)After a moment he sighed, then dunked his head against to get the soap out, putting the rest of the bar in the little bowl he'd brought it out in. "I forgot. I haven't been in a place like this in a while."
It would drain out, eventually, he figured.
no subject
Date: 2024-12-31 03:40 am (UTC)"Accidents happen...ya didn't mean to, once shouldn't hurt things. Ah probably woulda if they hadn't told me in the beginnin'; we ain't got these back home. Not that Ah've ever seen, anyway. Best we got is swimmin' holes."
no subject
Date: 2025-01-02 07:15 am (UTC)Nephenee was destined to learn, if she kept up with this conversation, that Ziel wasn't very sad about it. He just always sounded like this. Ziel stretched out and sunk himself until he was entirely submerged save for his head, staring up into the sky.
"Anyway, swimming holes have their own appeal, I guess."
no subject
Date: 2025-01-16 06:53 am (UTC)Emerald eyes followed his gaze up as he spoke, and Nephenee made a small noise of agreement. "Well, sure...can't really go proper swimmin' in these, an' sure can't run an' jump in or jump in from a tree." Yune, thinking about darting around in a pond made her want to do just that, and Nephenee had to remind herself of her own words just now. Not the place, not the time!
"Are there a lotta these or swimmin' holes where you're from?"
no subject
Date: 2025-01-16 07:16 am (UTC)"I guess. More than there are hot springs, at least, and they'll get dirt off of you as long as you don't mind being cold."
He didn't mind being cold. He didn't mind much of anything.
no subject
Date: 2025-01-16 07:12 pm (UTC)However could naked hugs send the wrong message?Perhaps surprisingly, she chuckled a little, allowing herself to peer a bit more over the edge of her
censorshiprock so she could see him better. Oh hey, a freckled nose."Ah think cold's better...for me, anyhow. Ah run real warm, so can't stay in the water here for too long. Cold water feels nice, though."
So long as it wasn't combined with dark dungeons, though she didn't even allow herself to go there. That was a long time ago...
"We don't got anythin' that gives ya hot water without heatin' it yourself over fire, so Ah never knew any different 'til gettin' here."