[ It all came about following one of their now routine training sessions. Urianger had made some comment about how sore he would be the next day, and Thancred had followed up with a teasing comment that a soak in Thorne's famous baths would certainly help with that.
Imagine his surprise when Urianger had agreed that was a good idea, and even invited him to come along. Urianger has certainly come a long way, when Thancred considers how he used to hide his face under a hood and behind a pair of goggles. He can't help but feel a twinge of pride.
They walk over to the Castle together, drawing little attention to themselves as they make their way to the bathing area. Thancred does catch some whispering among the servants about strange flashing lights that have been spotted in the sky at night, and can't help but wonder what will be in store for them next. He knows better than to brush off that sort of thing, as Abraxas seems to be as full of strange occurrences as Etheirys.
For now, though, all is quiet. Thancred doesn't want to push Urianger's sense of decency too far, so he tells him to go enter the baths first and he'll follow him in shortly after. He undresses in the changing room and tucks away his clothing, then wraps a towel around his waist. See, he can be accommodating!
He strides into the bath with the towel still firmly in place. Urianger's already in the water, revealing only as much of his bare skin as he finds comfortable. ]
How is it? Did you try the baths at the Cascading Boughs? They were—
[ But it seems some prior bather allowed water to pool on the stone floor and didn't wipe it up, and it's enough that he slips and almost loses his balance. Thancred manages to redistribute his weight and stumbles to the side slightly, which keeps him from actually falling and hurting himself, but his towel has fallen from his hips in the process.
( Urianger has learned that there's nothing quite like a long, hot soak after a day of working one's muscles to their limit. He's not fool enough to imagine that he's gained any strength yet, or increased his stamina more than a pinch, but in moments like these he can remind himself that his aches and pains mean that he's nevertheless making progress where he wasn't before.
Thancred's regimen is hard-going, but relaxing with him in the aftermath is a quiet pleasure, and so when he'd suggested they head to the baths that evening Urianger had been only too happy to oblige. He's getting much better at this whole "public bathing" thing β better at allowing himself to relax regardless of who might be watching β although a pulse of fondness warms his chest when Thancred hangs back for the sake of his comfort.
Thoughtful man.
He's relaxed and settled in the steaming water when his friend strides towards their chosen bath with a towel around his waist and conversation on his lipsβ
But then a few things happen at once, and it's all a bit much if truth be told. )
Thancredβ!
( Urianger half rises out of the water with one hand outstretched to his friend as he slips through the puddle and loses his towel β but what happens next? Well. He could never have prepared himself for it. Just as Thancred's unmentionables are about to become extremely mentionable, his modesty is temporarily saved as a wholly out-of-place nutkin leaps towards him from below. Urianger reels back in shock, loses his footing, splashes back into the bath, and a strangled shout escapes his lips as the Twelve themselves guide the nutkin towards Thancred's meat and two popotoes. )
[ It's not like Thancred can blame Urianger too much for his prudishness, not when he takes even a moment to think back on what life in Old Sharlyan had been like. Buttoned up to the point of absurdity, with the members of the Forum and even some of the professors at the Studium requiring a level of propriety and conservatism that had been stifling, to say the least.
Some of Urianger's behavior could also simply be attributed to his personality, but he's made great strides in coming out of his shell.
With that in mind, Thancred's looking forward to a relaxed evening soaking in the baths with a good friend, only for this disaster to strike. The fact that he avoided slipping onto the floor, which would have surely resulted in him landing with his legs spread open and his privates on full display for everyone to see ("everyone" being Urianger in this case), is a small blessing. Now he simply has to hope he didn't pull a muscle or tweak his back in avoiding that outcome. With his towel having traitorously fallen to the floor, there's little to protect him.
(Or so he thought.)
The splash from the bath is what registers next, followed by a brush of something soft between his legs. When Thancred realizes that a small, furry rodent — a nutkin, in fact — has managed to cling to him at just the right time, yet again, he truly does believe for a moment that this must be a shockingly vivid dream. ]
How—
[ But never let it be said that Thancred wasn't gifted with good reflexes and reaction time, and he pitches forward to snatch up the towel once more. As soon as he moves to wrap himself up again, the nutkin leaps off him onto the floor and then stares up at him with shining black eyes, chittering loudly. ]
No need to get cheeky. [ But his towel is back where it should be. Wait, Urianger — he'll need to check that he hasn't drowned. ] Are you all right over there? [ Thancred starts toward the baths, taking care to watch his footing this time. Oddly enough, the little nutkin scurries after him, as if waiting for a reward for its timely assistance. ]
( Urianger resurfaces a moment later, the waters churning around him as he rises from the depths with all the grace of ...
Well. A decidedly graceless thing.
He blinks through the cascade of water before pushing his soaked hair back from his face, dunked and dripping and dazed from the sudden flurry of motion. Thancred is approaching him again with his towel in place β not that that really seems to matter any more, actually β but Urianger is immediately distracted by the sudden chittering of the Surprise Nutkin. )
Aye, naught but my pride hath been bruised.
( He replies, gingerly easing himself back onto the submerged stone bench to get comfortable again. )
Thy company was quite the surprise.
( Indicating the nutkin with a wave of his hand, Urianger raises both eyebrows at Thancred in a vaguely questioning manner before gesturing for his friend to join him. He's found he quite enjoys sharing moments like this with Thancred β a little peace and quiet among the chaos β and while the idea of being stripped bare with another person still draws a flush to his ears?
He's working on it. It feels less scandalous than it did a year ago, in any case, and after those first few moments of acclimatization Urianger has been finding he's actually quite comfortable! Indeed, he already seems to have settled enough that the beginnings of a smirk finds its way to the corners of his lips: )
Nonetheless, that can be a painful thing to bruise. You're in good company, at least.
[ In that Thancred's pride has also taken a blow from the sheer fact that he almost slipped and cracked his head open when he's meant to be fleet of foot. Urianger will hopefully not share the details of what happened here tonight with anyone else, though, the secret safe between them.
It seems that despite their rocky start, however, Urianger still wants to go forward with the bath. Thancred suspects it will do him good to soak in some warm water after what just transpired, and so he crosses the last bit of distance, gesturing with one hand when he plans to remove the towel so that Urianger can avert his gaze as needed, and then carefully stepping into the waiting water.
The nutkin remains on the outer edge of the bath, uninterested in the water itself but glancing between the two of them.
Thancred shrugs in response to Urianger's question, still processing this odd turn of events. ] It seems he'd rather observe. Still, who would have thought a nutkin of all things would turn up here? Did you happen to see where he came from?
It's a self-inflicted test, really, in an attempt to find out whether he really is getting better at this β and he's pleased to find that the heat around his ears remains at his ears as Thancred removes his towel. A body is simply a body, is it not? Thancred's is more defined than most, certainly, and bears the tale of his life writ across it in fading scars; uniqueness to be quietly appreciated, not feared.
Something warm settles into Urianger's gut as he smiles at his friend. )
Aye, a humiliation shared can be a most comforting thing.
( He replies, settling back against the bench as the nutkin looks at them expectantly. )
I am afraid not. 'Tis most curious: I have discovered little of these lands that harken back to Hydaelyn, and yet for this nutkin to appear so suddenly ...
( A thoughtful line creases his brow. )
Mayhap it slipped through the rift during one of our Summonings?
[ It's not as if Thancred could miss the fact that Urianger chooses not to look away this time. He doesn't stare or make it uncomfortable, but simply keeps his focus on Thancred for the short time between when he removes the towel and when the majority of his body disappears under the water. It does feels like some sort of progress, from a man who used to shield most of his body under a loose robe and who masked his face most of the time.
After settling down into a sit, Thancred lets out a long relieved sigh as the warmth of the water soaks into his muscles. Baths like these always feel the best after some exercise, and with their training sessions, there's been plenty of that.
As they both look at the nutkin, it chitters at them, its black eyes shining as its head tilts from side to side. Thancred considers Urianger's theory. ]
I suppose that's the only logical explanation, but it's never happened before. Then the question becomes, what changed?
[ Not that he expects Urianger to have the answer, but it is rather curious. Of all the things that might have slipped through, at least it was a harmless rodent. After a pause, Thancred reaches out to give the nutkin a gentle scratch on its head. ]
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rifts prelude; mid-july
Imagine his surprise when Urianger had agreed that was a good idea, and even invited him to come along. Urianger has certainly come a long way, when Thancred considers how he used to hide his face under a hood and behind a pair of goggles. He can't help but feel a twinge of pride.
They walk over to the Castle together, drawing little attention to themselves as they make their way to the bathing area. Thancred does catch some whispering among the servants about strange flashing lights that have been spotted in the sky at night, and can't help but wonder what will be in store for them next. He knows better than to brush off that sort of thing, as Abraxas seems to be as full of strange occurrences as Etheirys.
For now, though, all is quiet. Thancred doesn't want to push Urianger's sense of decency too far, so he tells him to go enter the baths first and he'll follow him in shortly after. He undresses in the changing room and tucks away his clothing, then wraps a towel around his waist. See, he can be accommodating!
He strides into the bath with the towel still firmly in place. Urianger's already in the water, revealing only as much of his bare skin as he finds comfortable. ]
How is it? Did you try the baths at the Cascading Boughs? They were—
[ But it seems some prior bather allowed water to pool on the stone floor and didn't wipe it up, and it's enough that he slips and almost loses his balance. Thancred manages to redistribute his weight and stumbles to the side slightly, which keeps him from actually falling and hurting himself, but his towel has fallen from his hips in the process.
Whoops— ]
no subject
( Urianger has learned that there's nothing quite like a long, hot soak after a day of working one's muscles to their limit. He's not fool enough to imagine that he's gained any strength yet, or increased his stamina more than a pinch, but in moments like these he can remind himself that his aches and pains mean that he's nevertheless making progress where he wasn't before.
Thancred's regimen is hard-going, but relaxing with him in the aftermath is a quiet pleasure, and so when he'd suggested they head to the baths that evening Urianger had been only too happy to oblige. He's getting much better at this whole "public bathing" thing β better at allowing himself to relax regardless of who might be watching β although a pulse of fondness warms his chest when Thancred hangs back for the sake of his comfort.
Thoughtful man.
He's relaxed and settled in the steaming water when his friend strides towards their chosen bath with a towel around his waist and conversation on his lipsβ
But then a few things happen at once, and it's all a bit much if truth be told. )
Thancredβ!
( Urianger half rises out of the water with one hand outstretched to his friend as he slips through the puddle and loses his towel β but what happens next? Well. He could never have prepared himself for it. Just as Thancred's unmentionables are about to become extremely mentionable, his modesty is temporarily saved as a wholly out-of-place nutkin leaps towards him from below. Urianger reels back in shock, loses his footing, splashes back into the bath, and a strangled shout escapes his lips as the Twelve themselves guide the nutkin towards Thancred's meat and two popotoes. )
no subject
Some of Urianger's behavior could also simply be attributed to his personality, but he's made great strides in coming out of his shell.
With that in mind, Thancred's looking forward to a relaxed evening soaking in the baths with a good friend, only for this disaster to strike. The fact that he avoided slipping onto the floor, which would have surely resulted in him landing with his legs spread open and his privates on full display for everyone to see ("everyone" being Urianger in this case), is a small blessing. Now he simply has to hope he didn't pull a muscle or tweak his back in avoiding that outcome. With his towel having traitorously fallen to the floor, there's little to protect him.
(Or so he thought.)
The splash from the bath is what registers next, followed by a brush of something soft between his legs. When Thancred realizes that a small, furry rodent — a nutkin, in fact — has managed to cling to him at just the right time, yet again, he truly does believe for a moment that this must be a shockingly vivid dream. ]
How—
[ But never let it be said that Thancred wasn't gifted with good reflexes and reaction time, and he pitches forward to snatch up the towel once more. As soon as he moves to wrap himself up again, the nutkin leaps off him onto the floor and then stares up at him with shining black eyes, chittering loudly. ]
No need to get cheeky. [ But his towel is back where it should be. Wait, Urianger — he'll need to check that he hasn't drowned. ] Are you all right over there? [ Thancred starts toward the baths, taking care to watch his footing this time. Oddly enough, the little nutkin scurries after him, as if waiting for a reward for its timely assistance. ]
no subject
( Urianger resurfaces a moment later, the waters churning around him as he rises from the depths with all the grace of ...
Well. A decidedly graceless thing.
He blinks through the cascade of water before pushing his soaked hair back from his face, dunked and dripping and dazed from the sudden flurry of motion. Thancred is approaching him again with his towel in place β not that that really seems to matter any more, actually β but Urianger is immediately distracted by the sudden chittering of the Surprise Nutkin. )
Aye, naught but my pride hath been bruised.
( He replies, gingerly easing himself back onto the submerged stone bench to get comfortable again. )
Thy company was quite the surprise.
( Indicating the nutkin with a wave of his hand, Urianger raises both eyebrows at Thancred in a vaguely questioning manner before gesturing for his friend to join him. He's found he quite enjoys sharing moments like this with Thancred β a little peace and quiet among the chaos β and while the idea of being stripped bare with another person still draws a flush to his ears?
He's working on it. It feels less scandalous than it did a year ago, in any case, and after those first few moments of acclimatization Urianger has been finding he's actually quite comfortable! Indeed, he already seems to have settled enough that the beginnings of a smirk finds its way to the corners of his lips: )
Will he be joining us?
no subject
[ In that Thancred's pride has also taken a blow from the sheer fact that he almost slipped and cracked his head open when he's meant to be fleet of foot. Urianger will hopefully not share the details of what happened here tonight with anyone else, though, the secret safe between them.
It seems that despite their rocky start, however, Urianger still wants to go forward with the bath. Thancred suspects it will do him good to soak in some warm water after what just transpired, and so he crosses the last bit of distance, gesturing with one hand when he plans to remove the towel so that Urianger can avert his gaze as needed, and then carefully stepping into the waiting water.
The nutkin remains on the outer edge of the bath, uninterested in the water itself but glancing between the two of them.
Thancred shrugs in response to Urianger's question, still processing this odd turn of events. ] It seems he'd rather observe. Still, who would have thought a nutkin of all things would turn up here? Did you happen to see where he came from?
no subject
( Urianger doesn't avert his gaze.
It's a self-inflicted test, really, in an attempt to find out whether he really is getting better at this β and he's pleased to find that the heat around his ears remains at his ears as Thancred removes his towel. A body is simply a body, is it not? Thancred's is more defined than most, certainly, and bears the tale of his life writ across it in fading scars; uniqueness to be quietly appreciated, not feared.
Something warm settles into Urianger's gut as he smiles at his friend. )
Aye, a humiliation shared can be a most comforting thing.
( He replies, settling back against the bench as the nutkin looks at them expectantly. )
I am afraid not. 'Tis most curious: I have discovered little of these lands that harken back to Hydaelyn, and yet for this nutkin to appear so suddenly ...
( A thoughtful line creases his brow. )
Mayhap it slipped through the rift during one of our Summonings?
no subject
After settling down into a sit, Thancred lets out a long relieved sigh as the warmth of the water soaks into his muscles. Baths like these always feel the best after some exercise, and with their training sessions, there's been plenty of that.
As they both look at the nutkin, it chitters at them, its black eyes shining as its head tilts from side to side. Thancred considers Urianger's theory. ]
I suppose that's the only logical explanation, but it's never happened before. Then the question becomes, what changed?
[ Not that he expects Urianger to have the answer, but it is rather curious. Of all the things that might have slipped through, at least it was a harmless rodent. After a pause, Thancred reaches out to give the nutkin a gentle scratch on its head. ]