Heavenfall

Ko thought she was plenty clean, especially since the adventuring party planned to set out the next morning and they would obviously all get dirty again right away. But the suggestion from the Seidou person--house-mother? elder aunt? important thrall? this tribe of the Crab was so huge Ko couldn't yet parse all the relationships--had been pointed. Ko was a little scared to sleep in the enormous stone castle, which seemed as big as a hill in its own right, but she was damned if she'd shrink from it, and besides, last night she'd been rained on while sleeping on the road. Washing her hair on purpose in exchange for a spot indoors was a lot less bother than that.

However, now that she was actually in the bathhouse, Ko was... out of her depth. Only figuratively, at least, so it could be worse?

Here were buckets and cloth and herbs for scrubbing off. That made perfect sense. And the water for rinsing was warm, the sort of luxury she could already tell the 'Empire' held cheap. But what was that great steaming cauldron for, as big around as a small roundhouse of the shore People? Boiling a whole deer all at once?

Still fully dressed, Ko hovered uncertainly just inside the bathhouse door.

Nezumi may look like filthy rat scum but that doesn't mean it's true! Ik'tch'krit disrobed without any shame, for his body was perfect breeding material for any female Nezumi. And what were humans going to say about him that would matter?

When he got into the cauldron, however, he started to chittering. First it was out of surprise, then out of contentment. He sank inside, nose wrinkling out of delight.

Satone enters the bathhouse and disrobes, then when she is about to enter the water she freezes, going into a defensive posture, staring at Ik’tch'krit

"Your dirtying our bath, Rat."

She says in a cold tone.

The Nezumi still chittered his teeth in delight despite the accusation. "Bathing water meant to get dirty-dirt off," he said as a defense.

Satone slowly enters the water, keeping a good distance from the Nezumi, and still very defensive in posture.

"True. There's a river that works just fine for that."

Ko watched as the rat-person hopped into the big tub, a dusty hand hovering in front of her mouth in case she unwittingly left it hanging open again. It felt like that was happening a lot lately. So... it's for the ratfolk to swim in? She'd seen a few around the town and was getting used to the idea of their existence, but it was unsurprising if there were things about them she didn't know.

But then a human got in there too! And seemed not to think the ratling belonged in there? Still fully clothed, Ko approached the tub. "Hey. Do... um... is a person supposed to go in there?"

Satone gives a glance to Ko and nods.

"Yeah, it's nice and warm. Come relax. Though I can't say how good the company is with the current...infestation"

She glares a little at the Nezumi.

Ninube comes in and disrobes. She neatly folds her clothing and puts her possessions in the corner opposite of where she gets in so her eye can stay on it all times.

"Hello, -samas." She looks at the Nezumi. "Hello...." Would calling him a rat be insulting? "...big guy." Yeah. That works.

Giving the other woman a nod, Satone says in a much friendlier tone,

"Evening."

Having a clear numerical advantage, Satone relaxes a little now.

"River is not warm-hot like bath," he stated as another defense. He closed his eyes, pleased twinkling of his nose, until being called an infestation of all things.

"Infestation? Even if true-true, I am only one Nezumi."

It didn't occur to him that maybe, just maybe, the humans had gender segregation for these baths. It certainly seemed like there were only female humans and one Nezumi.

Ninube, out of pure ignorance and curiosity, asked "Is an infestation what you call numerous Ne..zum..i?" That seemed a little insulting, but maybe it meant something different to these Nezumi creatures?

She didn't know or care about gender segregation. The fortunate thing about growing up with no one to teach you right from wrong is lack of shame.

Satone scoffs.

"It's what you call any group of pests that inhabit your home."

She looks at Ik’tch'krit directly.

"Still, you seem...smaller than most. At least I don't have to worry about you trying to smash me with an ax..."

"Oh. I see." She gives he Nezumi a nod. "Err.... Sorry. Didn't mean to offend."

"I am not here to hurt-harm man-things... Even if man-thing's hurt-harm my feel-feels." Ik'tch'krit sniffs a bit. Could be taking in the bath smell. Could be... Sniffling?

"Why are you here? Have your people come to serve the Kami?"

At that, Satone actually frowns and a look of shame crosses her features. She visibly deflates a little, her large shoulders dropping.

"...I'm...sorry"

She mutters softly.

"Old habbits. It was not long ago your people were killing my friends."

Ko looks exceedingly uncertain. "How much wood do you burn every day for this?" She pokes the water with a finger, licks it--sweet, not salty! But also not soup, so probably not going to cook her--shrugs, and starts taking off her clothes.

While wiggling out of her shirt, she asks in a rather muffled voice, "Do you mean it isn't usual for outsiders to come to this village? But it's so big..."

"I'll be honest, I havn't the slightest ideas. Word is it came from one of those gods who fell. Um. Shinjo?"

"And I should just get in there? Instead of scrubbing? Does a person do that, too?" Ko shifted from foot to foot as she unwound her kilt. From the dirt ground into her hands and feet after a busy day, it definitely looked like scrubbing first would be a good idea...

"Who knows the mysteries of the gods? So.... scrub if you think that is right?"