Bubble Bath

Minas Tirith: Lampwright Street: The Square of Anarion

No other place in this great city of stone will see so many people as this one place. Wide and fair, this white-stoned square is set in the wide gap between the walls of the city and the walls of the second tier. Here, many come to sell their wares, and many shops line the square, crammed tightly and efficiently. Despite the hurly-burly, there is a certain sense of order here. Perhaps it is the calming influence of the fountain, in the midst of the square. There, bright waters bubble and fair flowers are set, kept ever despite spring downpour, or winter blight. Then upon the fountain, there stands a proud statue of one of the Sea-king\'s of Old.

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Weather:            Rainy

Season:             Winter

Date:               Oraearon - December 10, 3046

Real Time:          Fri May 15 19:53:38 2009

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[Merenglir(#23897)] It\'s evening, late in the evening. The square is quiet and deserted, almost. Approaching the gurgling fountain are two cloaked figures of similar size and build that seem to be hauling buckets. There\'s hushed whispering amongst them, but soon enough one of the pair is propping the pail on the edge of the fountain and quickly pouring some kind of liquid into it. By the sounds, it\'s only barely liquid, because it plops into the water in thick chunks and needs the encouragement of a scooping hand to shovel the glop in.

\"Not too much!\" One of the cloaked figures hisses, reaching a hand out toward the other in a restraining motion. \"It could take weeks to clear out if you put that much in! We just want a little to see what happens!\" It\'s Menelglir talking to his brother in a harsh whisper, but the youth is cloaked and hooded, face hidden. He does glance nervously over his shoulder, though, looking about the Square.

[Arashen(#24692)]

And perhaps the elder of the twins will espy the tall figure that quits a shop to enter the square, a bound package tucked under his arm. Arashen Telpekhor does not seem especially interested in his surroundings but his course will take him close to the fountain...

[Merenglir(#23897)] \"It\'s not too much, relax..\" Meren whispers back, still scooping generous amounts of the thick pasty substance into the water. There\'s a toothy grin on his face as he continues the activity. Already, ample bubbles are beginning to build up where the fountaining water meets the pool.

\"Hurry! Someone\'s coming our way!\" Menelglir urges his brother, a quick glance through the Square alerting him to the figure of the man leaving the shop.

\"Enough! Put it away!\" he repeats himself, hand once again reaching out to try to restrain his brother\'s. He glances again toward the approaching man, and then there is the sound of a soft curse in the night.

\"Ulmo\'s beard....\"

[Menawa(#20113)] And into the fray, so to speak, comes another cloaked figure. Soft, dove grey material with a deep hood covers this one from head to foot, and yet the stature of this being isn\'t all that far from the two young pages. This person, as yet un-identified, comes from behind them..

Merenglir finishes with the first bucket, giggling softly as he sees the soap already at work. He reaches for the second to begin liberally dumping it in, uncaring of his brother\'s concerns. \"This is going to be great!\" He exclaims in a hushed voice, just as Menel is grabbing his arm. The jostling causes Merenglir to lose the slippery grip he had on the second bucket and it drops into the water with a soft sploosh.

The young man groans, then turns to look around for the figure that is causing his brother so much concern.

[Arashen(#24692)]

The youthful Knight comes nigh the fountain, curious eyes falling upon the two boys and their activity. He grins as his grey eyes note the bucket, and then fades as they sweep to the boys themselves. He stops abruptly. \"Pages!\" he bellows. \"What are you doing?!\"

\"Arashen!\" Menelglir says under his breath to his twin.

\"C..cl..cleaning the fountain, Sir,\" he answers in a voice higher and squeakier than his normal tone. But his voice also chooses this particular moment to break, as well, as he continues, \"Good evening my lady,\" in a desperate attempt to distract attention by greeting Menawa. He also tries to stay well hooden under the hood of his cloak.

Menawa was recognized! Not very hard, considering she\'s only the one cloak that she wears about the city just now. Does she greet in return? Nay. A soft gasp can be heard from within the hood, then her hands make a hasty appearance as she lifts them out of the cloak to shove the material back off her head. She stares at the fountain with eyes widened in horror, those small hands lowering to cover her mouth now. Bubbles. Bubbles are frothing up and covering the plants that someone had managed to keep alive, even in winter.

[Merenglir(#23897)] \"Oh.. that\'s bad..\" Merenglir responds, though whether it\'s in response to his brother\'s identifying of the approaching knight or the sudden mass of growing bubbles in the pool of the fountain will forever be a mystery. The youth takes a few steps back as the soap oozes up higher and higher over the edges of the fountain. \"Time to run.\" He says in a low undertone, reaching to give Menel a shove to get him moving.

[Arashen(#24692)]

\"Get that bucket out of there,\" Arashen commands, glaring at Merenglir before he addresses the other twin. \"Has the Order taken over the cleaning of public works in Minas Tirith then?\"

He glances up to the young girl. \"My lady, Menawa. How fortunate to meet you this night. I hope it finds you well,\" the Knight says, the tone of his voice changing in a blink to one most courtly. \"I say fortunate, because these two young kinsmen of mine will need your healery services in a moment.\"

Though he is shoved forward, Menelglir takes only a few slippery steps, his feet sliding out on the soap-soaked ground. He slips to one knee, catching his balance with a hand, and from that position, squints up at the Knight.

\"Too late.\" This quiet, to Merenglir.

[Menawa(#20113)] And though Arashen speaks in such a courtly tone, it is lost on Menawa. She seems, for the nonce, frozen as she regards the tableu of bubbles, frothing up and over the edge of the stone fountain and starting to ooze down towards the base of it. What plant life that had been nurtured thus far by talented tenders. And then, just when it seems she is a statue in the cold night, she lowers her hands slowly, color flooding her cheeks and temples.

Only one who pays close attention to the body language of others will likely see her fingers curling into small fists a moment before the cloak hides those healer\'s hands.

Merenglir groans again, then quickly moves to follow the command barked by Arashen. He leans over, plunging his hand down through the thick bubbles on the water, fishing around blindly now to try and get the bucket back out that\'s disappeared from view. Icy water soaks his sleeve and arm well up past his elbow. \"Yes.. sir.\" He says around the shock of the cold water.

[Arashen(#24692)]

Reaching down to Menelglir, Arashen grabs the lad by the collar and hauls him to his feet. Pushing him towards the fountain and his brother, he orders: \"Help him get the bucket out. And both of you fish out what remains of the soap.\"

\"What, by the Valar, possessed you to do such a thing? Are your duties not strenuous nor numerous enough for you? That can be remedied.\"

[Menawa(#20113)] \"How could you!\" comes Menawa\'s voice now, over Arashen\'s calmer tones, and for once, it is not soft and gentle, nor warm and soothing. It is just shy of shrill for those three words. Now her eyes focus on the two young males, fire snapping within those now stormy grey depths. Her shoulders are stiff, back straight as a rod as she leans towards them, all passion and anger.

\"Do you /know/ how hard it has to be for someone to have kept those plants alive in the winter? Do you have /any/ thoughts in your heads about what that soap is going to /do/ to those plants?\" Does the novice healer give the pages any time to reply? No.

\"Clearly you don\'t have any thoughts in your head. If you did this.. this... \" she searches for a word, then hisses it out at them, \"..travesty wouldn\'t have happened! You.. you..\" and now she\'s at a loss again, her slender form trembling with the rage that\'s inside of her. Over plants.

\"Fish...fish what?\" Menelglir asks in confusion as he staggers and slides over toward the fountain. \"How?\" He nearly falls into the fountain itself, but stops himself at the last second and plunges a hand into the water to search for the bucket.

\"It\'s...it\'s just soap..\" he protests, wide-eyed at Menawa\'s sudden outburst. \"The plants will live! Soap is not going to hurt them!\"

Arashen\'s furious question also gets an answer: \"It is..that is...I wanted to see what effect the soap would have.\"

[Merenglir(#23897)] Now the soap is working it\'s way down into the inner workings of the fountain and up through to where the water spurts out again. Merenglir finally gets his hand around the edge of the bucket and pulls it up, suds flying everywhere with the rushed gesture. \"Got it!\"

Almost in unison with his brother, Meren protests to Menawa, \"They\'re just -plants-!\" Obviously he does not care so much about the flora around the fountain.

[+POLL] Announcement: Merenglir(#23897) has changed the poll to: MUSHers can\'t keep plants alive.

[Menawa(#20113)] Just plants. The boys, sweet, innocent rascals that they are, blunder deeper into the pit of Menawa anger with the \'just plants\' annoncement. \"Well consider this just your weekly bath!\" And with that, the young girl dives forward, her cloak dramatically sweeping out behind her as her hands come into contact with the bodies of the young males and tip the proverbial scales between wet and dry.

It is at the last second that the years of training at her mother\'s knee (and likely rod) comes to the fore and Menawa\'s eyes widen in horror at her own actions. She will desperately grab at the clothes of the boys to try to keep them from actualy going /into/ the water.

[Arashen(#24692)]

\"You wanted to see...,\" Arashen begins, with an exacerbated tone. But then Menawa speaks again, and the Knight falls silent, smiling slightly as she offers her second lecture. The smile widens to a grin as she moves to push the boys in.

He does nothing to intervene.

[Merenglir(#23897)] There\'s a wild cry and while Menawa\'s managed to save his thick azure cloak from the frigid water, the rest of Merenglir hits the pool with splash.

Menelglir isn\'t as lucky--he falls over backwards, wet hands losing their attempt to grip Menawa at the last second. Cloak and all, he hits the icy water. He lets out a scream as he does so.

Menawa gets splashed with so much soap and water, she may as well have gone in too.. at least the front of her. Hands once more come up to cover her mouth in shock. \"WhathaveIdone?\" Comes out past those fingers, then her wide eyed gaze jerks to Arashen as she sort of huddles the shoulder closest to him inwards towards herself. Not quite a cower or a wince, but telling none the less.

[Arashen(#24692)]

Arashen roars with laughter. \"Well done, lady! That should make your task easier, lads. Get to it!\"

He bows deeply to Menawa, his fist placed over his heart. \"My lady, would you care to become the Order\'s new taskmaster? I believe we\'ve a recalcitrant squire or two who needs discipline.\"

Merenglir shoves up a moment later, splashing back out of the fountain with a horrified expression on his face. \"That water is freezing!\" His passage back to dryer grounds does not much benefit the plants that get trampled in his passing.

The page stands, breathing raggidly, clothes clinging to him in a sodden fashion that rather has the young man looking like a half-drowned, soap covered cat.

Laden with a water- and suds-soaked heavy cloak, Menelglir is slower to react. He sits shivering for a moment in the fountain before he springs up and out--the action throwing a great deal of soap bubbles and water out of the fountain with him.

The youth gives a sour look to Arashen. \"It is not possible to get all the bubbles out! It just has to run its course!\"

[Menawa(#20113)] The angry flush on Menawa\'s cheeks deepens as Arashen bows to her. She lowers her hands and lifts her chin, allowing the cloak to fall back around her body. She turns her gaze on the boys as they exit the soapy mess they had made. She waits for a moment in which to be heard and states calmly, \"You\'ll want hot baths now, to counter the chill of the fountain. And likely a dose of tonic to bolster your bodies.\" Probably the nastiest tasting tonic available to the healers, too.

And with that statement, she absently moves a little closer to Arashen, the wetness of her dress front hidden by the cloak.

[Arashen(#24692)]

\"Not the bubbles, the soap cake,\" Arashen counters. \"Get it out before it completely dissolves.\"

\"You\'ll be needing it each night after you finish cleaning out the stables.\"

He glances down to Menawa, catching a glimpse of her gown before her cloak swings shut. \"And apologize to the lady for getting her dress wet.\"

[Merenglir(#23897)] \"The.. s..ss..soap.. stables?\" Merenglir answers with chattering teeth, tightly hugging his arms against himself. He looks back at the fountain and all the suds that are still erupting bubbles over the lip. \"We\'ll never f.. find it now!\"

\"I\'ll find it,\" Menelglir sighs, sounding resigned. \"I\'m already as soaked as I can be, so what difference does it make,\" he tells his twin. And though he is shivering, he takes off his soaked cloak--throwing it on the ground--and then steps into the fountain, wincing at the cold. In a moment he is on his hands and knees in the icy, bubbly water, searching for the cake of soap--and muttering a string of sailors\' curses under his breath. The apology to Menawa is not given.

Menawa seems stands not too far from Arashen, the hem of her cloak (and the dress under) wet with bubbly water, her cheeks a lush red, as if she\'s been mildly sunburnt at some point. Her eyes, though hard to see this late at night, are sparkling with a stormy anger. The eyes that note detail will see fabric of a different color pooling out in front of her a bit, from under her cloak. Oddly enough, it matches the sodden cloak of one of the wet boys there by the bubbly fountain.

\"If you\'re going to curse, you might wish to put a little more pepp into it. You sound like a fishwife.\" And with that, she notches her small, too stubborn chin up a little higher.

[Arashen(#24692)]

\"Go help your brother, Merenglir,\" Arashen orders firmly but without anger. \"The sooner you fish it out, the sooner we can get you out of those sodden clothes and treated with Lady Menawa\'s foul remedies.\"

Merenglir breaths out a hot sigh that fills the air with a small white cloud. Gingerly he climbs back into the cold water, wincing. \"We\'ll never find it. It\'s probably already dissolved into the water.\" He grumbles in complaint, kneeling down in the water, swishing away the thick bubbles so that he might have some chance of seeing the thicker pieces of soap mixing about. \"We\'re going to freeze to death and this isn\'t fair! The soap isn\'t hurting anything!\"

[Imrakhor(#30834)]

There, a flash of cape-borne crimson!

It is this that heralds the Lord of the Bragollachs, who comes to stand aspace from the fountain. He asks: \"What is this madness?\" and looks to Arashen.

\"Will this do?\" It\'s a sorry-looking piece of soap cake that Menelglir now holds up, only a tiny portion of the whole that they threw into the fountain. The Page is shaking with cold, and is covered in soap bubbles, as well, some of which have settled on his nose. \"Can\'t feel anything in this water, can\'t see through the bubbles, either.\"

The bubbles, though, don\'t cover the fact that Menelglir reddens at Menawa\'s scolding. \"Didn\'t mean for you to hear that, Lady,\" he mumbles.

If Menelglir is aware that the arrival of the Bragollach lord means more trouble for the twins, he gives no sign of it.

Menawa jerks her gaze towards Lord Bragollach and loses just a hint of the pinkness in her cheeks, but has her wits about her enough to dip him a gentle curtsy, as well as duck her head in respect to him. She falls silent now, allowing Arashen the moment to speak.

[Arashen(#24692)]

\"It is not fair to be responsible for one\'s actions and provide remedy for their effects?\" queries Arashen. He glances at Knight-Captain as he approaches. \"The boys dumped two buckets full of soap into the fountain. I came upon them in the midst of the act by chance.\"

\"Lady Menawa, in her concern for the flora, expressed her displeasure in a rather physical and highly entertaining manner,\" he adds, smirking.

\"Have you searched thoroughly, Menelglir? If so, you may come out.\"

Menawa gnaws on the inside of her lower lip, watching the two, young males with a mixture of annoyance and a hint of worry. She looks down at the cloak.. the one that is mostly under her own, then back up at the boys. She sighs oh so softly and sets herself in motion. With a gracefull sweep of her right arm, she pushes the edge of her cloak back over her shoulder, folds the mostly dry colored cloak over her left arm, then brings her right hand up to the clasp that holds her dove grey frock in place. It is but a moment before she has it in her right hand..

[Imrakhor(#30834)]

At the word \'boys\', the Knight-Captains eyes come to regard each of the youth individually and then again as a whole. He blinks, and looks again.

\"Why?\" he then asks, his question addressed to no one in particular.

[Merenglir(#23897)] \"Well, there\'s reasonable remedies, and unreasonable, sir.\" Merenglir says with a bit of a scowl on his face. He\'s half-searching the water, but seems more interested with arguing than finding soap. \"The fountains get cleaned anyhow, I\'m sure, and it isn\'t hurting anything. Expecting us to be able to find something that isn\'t even there, in the -dark-.. it\'s not fair... Sir.\"

In contrast to his twin, Menelglir does not argue. He looks at the small piece of soap he holds in his hand, and at Arashen\'s question, frowns and shakes his head. \"There is probably more,\" he says, tossing the piece of soap cake onto the ground, then kneeling once more to try to fish for soap pieces in the cold water.

Perhaps in an effort to distract himself from the cold and his shivering, he speaks up, though, even as he searches. \"We cannot take your cloak, Lady Menawa.\" And to Bor, a shrug. \"I do not know. It...it seemed fun. At the time. And harmless...it\'s soap...\"

[Arashen(#24692)]

\"The light doesn\'t matter, use your hands,\" Arashen replies to Merenglir. \"You\'ll endure far worse than cold water if you become a Squire and go on campaign. I suggest you grow used to discomfort. Find a piece and you can come out.\"

Menawa works her jaw a little, still holding the two, mostly dry cloaks. \"I dare say the fountains are cleaned, but the plants would be removed before hand. There is lye in that soap, and those plants will not benefit from them.\" She sighs softly. \"And one of you will accept a cloak. I will not have Lady Laeraelin taking me to task for allowing you to grow ill. Besides..\" she sniffs once, \"..a little humility from wearing a Lady\'s cloak may do you more good than the search for soap in fridgid water.\"

[Imrakhor(#30834)]

The Knight-Captain shakes his head and walks off.

\"Kids.\"

[Arashen(#24692)]

\"Nay, lady,\" Arashen denies, seeming to notice for the first time her cloakless state. \"Do not take cold for them. It is my intention to give Menelglir my cloak once he is out.\"

[Merenglir(#23897)] \"There are too many bubbles.\" Merenglir grumbles, swiping at more of the foamy mess to sweep it away along the surface of the pool. \"I can\'t feel anything now.. my hands are numb. And I don\'t want to be a squire, anyhow. I\'m going to join the Company of Ithlien.\" He adds in further complaint and then statement, but after another few minutes he pulls up a sizable hunk of the slimy soap. \"Will this do, sir?\" He asks.

Menawa ignores the boys for now, focusing on Arashen. \"I have removed it already, and it is nigh impossible to replace one handed.\" As if she can\'t pass off the cloak hanging off her left arm. \"Besides, would you not like to see one of them wearing it? I believe the dove grey of it will go very well with thier skin tone. And, seeing as they are twins, one wearing a Lady\'s cloak is as good as the both of them doing so.\"

Menelglir has grown very quiet, except for the splashing of water as he searches still. He gives a sharp look to his brother, surprised, then looks to Arashen.

[Arashen(#24692)]

\"I am more concerned with your health and comfort, lady, then the boys reputation,\" Arashen replies, shrugging. \"But I will not argue with you.\"

\"I will not force you back in if you choose to give up the search, Merenglir,\" the young Knight says, turning his attention to the boys once more. \"You must listen to your conscious. Have you done your best to undo your mischief?\"

He spares the departing Knight-Captain a wry grin but soon returns his attention to the younger of the twins. \"The Company of Ithilien? Pray tell me why this interest has come about. You do not think the life of a Scout will be more comfortable, do you?\"

Menawa bites the inside of her lower lip, then steps towards the fountain. \"Menelglir.. come out of the water. You\'ve been in much too long.\" She drapes the second cloak over her left arm and reaches out her hand to him, worry now crinkling her brows. \"You, too, Merenglir. Enough is enough.\"

Merenglir throws the piece of soap out of the fountain and goes back to searching for a few more minutes. He finds another smaller handful, then gives up the search as his hands truly are quite numb. \"I know it will not be more comfortable, sir.\" He says as he stumbles out of the water, dripping all over the stones of the square. \"It is what I want to do, though.\" He says behind chattering teeth.

It\'s a moment before Menelglir realizes the healer is talking to him. He looks up and nods, tossing a few more pieces of soap out of the water before he stands and reaches an icy cold hand to her to climb out of the fountain. Teeth chattering and with blue lips, he shivers. \"Is there tea?\" he asks, his brother\'s words about the Scouts not drawing his attention now, either.

[Arashen(#24692)]

\"You will be the first of our family to do so,\" Arashen replies, considering. \"Those in the Company of Ithilien usually hail from families who once dwelled in that lost land. But there have been exceptions. And there is plenty of time before you are age and need decide.\"

\"Now come along, a vigorous walk up to the upper levels will warm you. We\'ll get you in front of a fire with a cup of tea.\"

Menawa wraps Menelglir in her cloak, drawing the hood up over his head, her expression now very concerned. \"There will be tea and broth alike.\" She makes sure the cloak is fastened, ignoring her own chill, then moves to Merenglir to treat him to the same gentleness as well.

[Merenglir(#23897)] \"I already spoke with Master Scout Ceredir about it a great deal. I\'m very sure, sir. He said I could join when I am fifteen.\" Merenglir\'s words are a bit choppy from his shivering, but Menawa\'s kindly wrapping of the cloak around him helps to take the edge off. \"Thank you... I.. I\'m sorry about the plants, Lady Menawa.\" He murmurs, beginning to move now with that promise of warmth.

\"We can try to find new ones,\" Menelglir offers, also shivering. \"Your dress...sorry. You shouldn\'t give me your cloak.\" It\'s all the boy can manage at the moment, and he instead focuses his attention on hurrying after Arashen and his brother--his own wet cloak left by the fountain in the rush to head to warmth.

[Menawa(#20113)] \"We\'ll deal with that later.\" Menawa calls after them, then louder, \"I\'ll send along the tonic, Sir!\" That last to Arashen, no doubt. Then she picks up the soden cloak, balls it as best as she can, then hurries off in another direction, seeking her own warmth, no doubt.

[Arashen(#24692)]

\"Ceredir said that?\" Arashen replies, glancing over his shoulder to the Page. \"I will speak to him and my mother about it, then. After that, we will see.\"

The young Knight sets a steady but not exhausting pace up the many tiers to the Chapter House, moving through the darkening city with two shivering boys and a cloakless young lady in his wake.

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[+POLL] Announcement: Ceredir(#1394) has changed the poll to: OMG: 10 Years. Now What?