when johnny comes marching home

[ayu_nee]

Who: Everyone
What: Returning from the draft!
When: Midnight on the 7th and on
Where: Anywhere
Summary: Open post for post-draft returning and reaction, for those not in the plaza. If you're in the plaza, go to that log; if you're not, feel free to post here. ^^
Rating: Varies.

Comments

[wise_maiden]

I had been just thinking aloud. Even so... it is unusual, but considering the circumstances, it might be fair to overlook it.

[chikaidestroyer]

...Well then. I am fine with it as long as you are. [And they should make up their minds before they're both too tired to clean up.]

[wise_maiden]

I have no objections. Lets just... make sure there are enough clean towels. And robes.

[chikaidestroyer]

[This seems to remind Albert that they are still standing in his room, now soiled with the dank smell of mud and swamp life, and he makes his way over to the door. The linen closet is his first stop.]

It looks like Caesar had the initiative to do some laundry. We have towels.

[wise_maiden]

[She leaves the room as well, opening the door to the bathroom, turning her head to look back toward him as he speaks.]

... Good. That would have been unfortunate.

[chikaidestroyer]

[He carefully removes a few towels, carrying them back over towards the bathroom. He gestures to Raine to enter if that's what she plans to do.]

[wise_maiden]

[Raine nods and steps inside once he approaches, heading toward the large sink in the corner. There are a few layers to get off before moving to the shower itself, and they might as well avoid tracking mud all over the entire bathroom. She works on getting those boots off first.]

[chikaidestroyer]

[Albert sets the towels on the racks before attempting to remove his own boots. After a few attempts with caked gloves and slippery bindings, he pulls off the ruined gloves and finally manages to remove the offending footwear. Next is the vest, shirt, and whatever tops he had been wearing -- it's something of a relief to be half-naked, even if he's covered in bruises and scrapes that had happened within the last hour or so.]

I'll step outside so you can finish undressing. [He says this over his shoulder, moving towards the door.]

[wise_maiden]

All right. [She half glances back up at him with a nod, having just gotten off her boots and cloak.] Just come back in when you hear the shower running.

[chikaidestroyer]

[He nods, stepping outside and shutting the door behind him. While he waits, the next things to come off are the completely-soaked socks. He's pretty exhausted by now, so he ends up having to sit down in the middle of the hallway to remove them.]

[wise_maiden]

[The clothes that were so practical for the jungle felt so dirty and heavy, now. Anything extra that had been requested in the dorm itself was gone, but what was left was still damp and unbearably sticky. The clothing needs to be peeled off, practically. Eased out of slowly, left in that sink. Gloves, socks, shirt, pants. Raine's fingers feel almost numb as she works.

Her eyes catch a glimpse of herself in the mirror, making a face at the state of her hair, and at some injuries of her own that hadn't healed yet. Not that there was any energy left for that. She needs a few moments herself before she can continue.

Eventually, though, she'll finish undressing completely and make her way over to the shower itself.]

[chikaidestroyer]

[Albert leans against the bathroom door tiredly, having tossed his wet socks back through his open door in his weary state. He'll just try not to doze off while he's waiting.]

[wise_maiden]

[Since she's over there, Raine first moves to start the water in the bath first. At least it'll give him a head start in case he wasn't completely ready yet. Then she pushes the curtain aside and opens the shower door, stepping inside and heaving a sigh, before reaching for the knobs. The water comes rushing on, first cold, but then she adjusts it to a much warmer temperature, waiting for it to kick in.]

[chikaidestroyer]

[There was the sound of the shower, over the sound of running water. Albert gingerly pushes himself to his feet, sighing as he leans against the doorframe to open the door. He steps inside and closes it behind him, glancing at the shower before removing the rest of his clothes and depositing them ... in the trash. He wasn't even going to bother with them anymore.

He steps into the bath, leaning over the faucets to turn off the water before finally settling on the rim. The tub is only a quarter of the way full, as he intends to drain it once he's thoroughly scrubbed.]

[wise_maiden]

[Raine hears Albert reenter the room, but is for the moment preoccupied with the running water, making it as warm as possible. She's not worried about scalding herself; the steam itself is welcome, a different kind of heat compared to the stickiness of the jungle. Thankfully there's a lot of soap, and a shower puff. Though maybe after this she'll have to get a new one.

For now she just breathes in and out, steadily, trying to keep herself stable. Removing the exsphere had made her even more tired, but for now she just wants to feel ... well, like a normal person.]

[chikaidestroyer]

[There's something very relieving about scrubbing one's skin until it's slightly red. The mud on his hands and arms sloughs off under a stiff, wet brush, dirtying the water. Once he's satisfied with the job done, he drains the tub, using that time to fill a cup of water and drench his hair.]

[wise_maiden]

[She threads her fingers through her hair, working at it to get the knots and mud out. A slow process at first, she grits her teeth at times when she runs into the more difficult tangles. The wings will be next, and those are never fun to clean.

The scent of citrus had never been so welcoming. Just scrubbing and scrubbing trying to get the job done.]

[chikaidestroyer]

[Albert soaks in the tub after it's satisfactorily filled, sighing in relief as his muscles relax under the warm water. He again drenches his hair, cleaning it well before settling back and simply ... resting.]

[wise_maiden]

[It's almost easy to forget that there's another person just three feet away. It's the getting clean that matters, the focus on the scrubbing, and for a woman, sometimes that nirvana feeling of cleanliness just isn't there until there's considerable effort.

Eventually, she just heaves a tired sigh, just letting the water do the work for a bit, tilting her head back.]


... what a mess.

[chikaidestroyer]

[He tilts his head a little, stirring from his reverie to focus on what had been said.]

Is something wrong?

[wise_maiden]

Hm? [After all of that, she had almost forgotten he was there.] No, not... really. I was just thinking aloud about what happened.

[chikaidestroyer]

We did what they wanted us to do. We survived.

[Of course, his voice is wry as he says as much.]

[wise_maiden]

The bright side, I suppose. [Wincing, she rolls her shoulders back.] ... it's good to be back.

[chikaidestroyer]

I will be very glad to sleep tonight. [How long have they been up now?]

[wise_maiden]

I don't think I'll be making it to breakfast. [She's not even certain if she can make it into bed. One thing at a time.]