bakerstreet | A tub for two

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A tub for two

the intimate bathing meme;

Grooming is an important part of many species' rituals. It keeps them clean, healthy, and content. And a good bath? It can change the whole tone of a day from terrible to relaxed and blissful.

But nudity is sometimes viewed as a weakness - and it is almost always sexualized - so bathing is often kept a private matter. If you do share these moments with someone, they're almost always a significant other or a sexual partner.

Like you're doing now.

Whether it be after a battle or after sex (or before sex, even), the two of you are going to get clean. Be sure to help each other out with that, won't you? After all, there are places on the back that just can't be reached...

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[Maria's hand stills as she thinks about the question for a moment, then ultimately decides on:] I want... enough transparency for you to feel comfortable. I am a creature of secrets by nature. I don't particularly enjoy divulging them, but for a relationship to work and grow, concessions must be made... on both our parts. It is not the most pleasant thing to think or talk about, but... if you want to know, I will answer what I can until it is too difficult to speak more about. Or if it just confuses the situation more, which I fear is what it usually does.

I feel plenty comfortable. I don't wanna hurt you by always askin' questions, which I've... come to realize I do often. I've got the gist of it, anyhow.

[ She reaches up and brushes Maria's cheek with her knuckles. ]

Enough to know why you hurt the way you do. Ain't no need to drive the knife in deeper if it ain't gonna help nothin'.

Mm... [She can't really argue with the logic, and she doesn't want to push things too far.] I suppose I could have warned you earlier that you were walking into quite the mess.

[She gently puts a hand over Ashe's, and turns her head in to press a kiss or two to the other woman's palm and fingers.] I'm afraid it doesn't get any cleaner or nicer from here; just darker, dirtier, and bloodier. [Pause.] And quite possibly more insane, if you don't already think me completely mad.

Could've warned me, sure, but I doubt I would've stayed away.

[ Ashe is a little bit of a mess, herself. Takes one to know one, even if Maria's variety of mess is... worse in so many different ways. ]

It's surprisin' that you didn't go mad, Maria. After all that? You've told me as much before that it don't get any better. I don't expect it to. Don't gotta apologize for it or warn me. I know life wasn't kind to you.

Point is, I can stop askin' if you want me to.

... Well, I highly doubt I made it out of Yharnam with all of my mind intact. I know at the very least it changed me, quite a bit. I wasn't... always like this.

[Even when she was killing people for... sport. Well, kind of. Maria's hand drops back to her side, and she searches out the remote, pulling back up the menu, searching for movies. Looks like there's some in English with Italian subtitles. That should work, too.]

I don't mind some questions. In fact, it's for the best that I answer some, I think, so you do understand. I won't force myself to answer anything I truly do not want to. Deal?

[ Of course, it only makes Ashe wonder what Maria was like before it all. When she had the opportunity to experience happiness without all the baggage that weighted her down and loomed over her. Not that it particularly matters, now. Life has a way of changing a person, either way. It's just... unfortunate.

Ashe smiles up at her, slowly letting her hand fall away from her cheek. ]

Deal. But I ain't gonna ask anything more tonight. Let's gets some rest and have ourselves a good mornin' tomorrow.

Alright. Cheesy romantic comedy, docudrama, or... hm... a horror movie, I believe?

[Yes, Maria could fall asleep to a horror movie. She pauses, then holds up a finger before Ashe responds.]

And one more thing, Elizabeth... [She looks down toward the other woman because she's serious.] I feel like you've buried many skeletons, as well. Mine have just overflown their graves. Still, I would like... your trust. Your openness with me, as much as possible, as well.

There have been things to shape you into the person you are now. They are not gentle, or easy to face. You seem to respond to yours with fire, the way I respond to mine with ice, but I would like to know, and understand them, as well.

[ And Ashe is just about to ask which horror movie when Maria speaks up instead. She glances up at her again curiously; not that the tone of their conversation hadn't already turned more serious, but she wasn't really expecting this. For Maria to call her out with such precision. It spikes some internal fury within her; that fire, which only proves her right.

It's... fair, she supposes. Just a part of learning to trust each other with everything, no matter how uncomfortable. Even as insignificant as she wants to believe those skeletons she buried are. Simply agreeing is easy, actually talking about it won't be so much. But, she can try, can't she? It isn't as though they're going to talk now.

She actually hesitates before slowly nodding her head. ]

Alright.

Thank you. I know it will not be an easy road for either of us. But I think it all for the best.

[She leans forward, and gently presses a kiss against the side of Ashe's forehead, before she leans back, and settles back in to her pillows, a hand gently draping over Ashe's chest; loose enough that when Ashe decides to lay on the bed properly, she can just bring Maria's arm with her.]

Now, which movie do you want?

Sure.

[ She's still deciding on whether or not she regrets agreeing to this up until Maria kisses her forehead. She releases a soft sigh. Yeah, it's... gonna suck. But watching Maria deal with her own past, have nightmares and then try to answer questions related to them hasn't exactly been a walk in the park, either.

She can... be open with Maria, can't she? She trusts her, right?

A movie sounds amazing right now, though. And so does settling back with her girlfriend. She sits up and scoots back to snuggle into her side, wrapping her arms around her waist and resting her head against her shoulder. ]

Mm... Horror. There ain't any good ones these days. Might be fun to laugh at.

Very well, horror it is.

[She settles a bit as Ashe adjusts, making sure she's comfortable as well, then flips the movie over.

Some relatively cheap American movie, the Italian subtitles are a little annoying, but otherwise doable. A haunted house, of course; some family unwittingly moving into it because one of the parents got a new job. Because Hollywood is forever original.]

I presume you won't spook easily? I'll probably be asleep halfway through this.

Edited 2020-10-04 18:22 (UTC)

[ Ashe actually pauses to pull the sheets up over them before getting comfortable again. The movie is one she's seen before; she'd spent many late nights watching movies and drinking with her boys at the hideout.

It's generic, but terrible enough to be entertaining, at the very least. ]

Oh, I do. [ She so doesn't. ] But I reckon I'll manage if you hold me nice n' tight.

[Hmm. Doubt.jpg. Especially in Maria's experience with her, so far. Nothing's spooked Ashe yet; at least not as far as movies go.

Maria yawns as the warmth of the bed settles over them, contrasting the cool air conditioning and the dark room. Maria does curl into Ashe a little, though, as the father of the family in the background starts saying the words that will curse the whole family: It'll be great, it's a new start, the kids will make new friends and be fine. Even if Ashe hadn't seen the movie before, she's seen the movie for as generic as the premise is.]

I'll do what I can to protect you for as long as you can, but I may fall asleep on the job. Try not to scream loud enough to wake the dead when something spooks you. Or laugh.

I make no promises. Whatcha doin' fallin' asleep on the job anyhow? Tsk, tsk... Shameful.

[ There's a good chance that Ashe will fall asleep fairly soon as well, but she is trying to pay attention to the movie for now. The daughter of the doomed family passes by a window where the first spook appears briefly before it cuts to the next scene. ]

Why is it always the little girl who befriends the damn ghost?

Probably the contrast in the image of what is considered pure and innocent and sweet with something that is significantly less comforting.

[Maria's eyes drift partially shut, and she raises her eyebrows only a little as the screech of violins simmers into a low cello thrum to release tension, then goes quiet.]

I prefer it when the little girl is the evil entity, but the imagery is the same.

Edited 2020-10-05 08:13 (UTC)

I think creepy kids overall are over-used. Guess they've done run out of ideas.

[ Ashe affectionately nuzzles into Maria's neck, closing her eyes for a moment. Gah, that feels nice. Maybe she'll just... keep them closed. Just for a little while. ]

There's an omnic director who makes better movies than most humans these days. Maybe he oughta try his hand at horror.

I suppose if he does, we have a date then, hm?

[She leans her head, just a little, into Ashe's. Even when the violins shriek again, she hardly cracks an eye to see what it was... and that she missed whatever jumpscare it was supposed to be.

Oh well. What a loss.]

Yeah. That'd be fun.

[ Ashe does turn her head a bit at the sound of the shriek, glances at the holovision briefly and then closes her eyes again. It's so early into the movie and there's already screaming. ]

Ain't even much build-up. Just tossin' you right into the thick of it. [ The parents start arguing and the little girl is crying. ] ... Mmkay. Nah. Let's watch somethin' else. That's gonna get old real quick.

Mmm? [Just when she was drifting off. She doesn't argue, though, reaching out a bit blindly to pat around for the remote. She flips the channel twice, just picking a direction, and it ends on the romantic comedy from earlier. This one is slower paced; for movies that started about the same time, the girl and the guy are just now meeting.] Alright. Whatever that is.

Mmn... sounds sappy.

Better than Banshee Barbie shriekin' every five minutes.

[ Ashe reaches to adjust the covers a little more and closes her eyes. While she typically likes the quiet of her home in the middle of the desert, a little bit background noise in a new place is oddly comforting. ]

Wha's wrong with sappy, anyway?

It has its time and place. I suppose this fits the mood of our little... outing here, better, anyway.

[And the two start to go their separate ways after their comedy of errors, but the pining is already beginning. Oh look, they're neighbors.

Maria is already half-dozing though. More than a horror movie, a romcom is going to make her really pass out.]

Mmhm.

[ She lifts her head just enough to press her lips to the corner of Maria's jaw before she nuzzles into her again. She's not even paying attention to the movie. Romcoms are... hit and miss and otherwise kind of a bore. ]

Already like it better than Paris.

Hm? Ah, Paris has its charms, but the French countryside is better, I think. For being a city so well known for romantic getaways, I just found it cramped. It's changed since... I was last there, though, I assume.

[Her hand comes up, slow and sleepy and heavy, and she strokes a few strands of Ashe's hair.

Then, she yawns pretty mightily, and her eyes crack open to watch a bit more of the movie.]

Probably. Guess that depends on how long it's been since you were there.

[ Thanks, Maria. Yawns are very contagious and Ashe yawns shortly thereafter. She's only barely listening to the movie, now focusing more on Maria's breathing and the hand stroking her hair as she gently runs her own fingertips up and down the hunter's side. ]

Maybe next time we'll go explore France and... I dunno. Germany?

Oh... I think I was in France last some time before I left Europe... hm... that was many years ago.

[She circles her foot under the blankets, and her ankle pops quietly, releasing a bit of pressure, before she turns a little, and seems to settle into the bed even that much more.

And she closes her eyes again.]

Germany is also a very gorgeous country. The cities are pleasant, and the Black Forest is always full of beautiful sights. Many old castles there, too, if you're in a mood to look for some.

A tub for two

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