The lies, the filth! I just want to be clean!

[unbearablynaive]

WHO: The Vision
WHERE: The central fountain, followed by the lake to the south
WHAT: A gift or two for the Revivalists
WHEN: Afternoon through evening
WARNINGS: Probably none


The Soapmonger
Little surprise to anyone that had known his gardening hobby back in the Fleet, the Vision had gravitated quickly to the greenhouse and its related agriculture data point. The building is too big to explore in a single day, even a long Agri 10 day, but after some targeted searching he'd found a couple of important things. First, and most importantly, a good supply of the edible vegetables and fruits that will help sustain their small community.

Second, and probably more importantly, a supply of soap.

There are two kinds: a saponin plant discovered by Sansa that one can simply rip up and rub over one's body like soap, and a few bars of a trial soap made from one of the better-scented oils they've been able to press from some of the plants. It's made the old-fashioned way, mixed with ash and then pressed into bars with makeshift tools and the Vision's strength due to his ability to change density. To be most effective it should really cure for a few weeks at least, but for now? It's soap in familiar bars, and it should work passably well. He's even stamped it with a symbol - a little windrose.

"One bar each to start with, if you please. It will take some time to make more."

He hopes people like it.



The Shallow Lake
What's soap without somewhere to bathe? This watery area of the city was clearly not always like this - it's broad and shallow, and it looks like there are roads and parts of structures underneath. Is it coming from a buried spring? A busted water pipe? The Vision is curious and wants to investigate, but first they need to determine if the water is safe to go into.

It doesn't bother his skin, but given that he's an android, that's not saying much. Come along and help him investigate, or just splash around and test out that soap! There are probably parts where it's even pleasantly warmed by the sun. And he alternates between wading through and gliding above the water, looking for its source.



Alone Together
Slowly but surely, Wanda and the Vision have been making the abandoned shop area into a place they can feel comfortable staying, even if it will never be a home like that have back on Naviadna. But the liberal application of freshly-picked flowers, simple room dividers made of light wood and vines and broad jungle leaves, a fireplace for cooking set up in one corner, and a real wooden bedframe stuffed with the most comfortable leaves and scavenged blankets they can find. Things are beginning to shape up.

Later today he'll present his soap to the rest of the community, but the first dibs go to his wife. He's got two bars of the soap and a flowery-scented oil, and their biggest bucket heating water over the fire to get it warm.

"Now, I think we ought to be able to give your hair a proper wash."

Comments

[seeingscarlet]

She returns the kiss happily, giggling a little at the angle. He is so adorable.

Wanda's scalp is already beginning to feel a lot better and much less itchy, and thankfully whatever he's concocted seems to be keeping her hair from tangling. Pleasant shivers run down her spine each time Vision runs his fingers through her hair and Wanda finds herself drifting into a deeper state of relaxation than she's been able to enjoy so far. It's almost funny how such a simple touch has so much power over her.

And when Vision moves on to her neck she moans again from the sheer relief of it. She's tense here, and each time Vision soothes a knot away she makes another soft, pleased sound.

"Just like at home." She moans again - that was a particularly bad spot. "I miss it. I miss being close to you." There are so many casual intimacies she'd taken for granted, not because she'd ever take him for granted but because she'd finally begun to feel safe and settled in their new life. There was no foreseeable reason for them to suddenly lose lazy mornings in bed or shared showers or relaxing times in the bath. Here they can't even share a meal: Vision doesn't need food to survive and they simply can't afford to waste the resources. There were so many little tactile ways they'd expressed their love for each other and now...they still have their nights, at least. But Wanda still feels like she's not doing a very good job as a wife.

"I'm going to think of some kind of date for us. There must be something fun we can do together." She brushes against his mind briefly, a psychic caress. "You deserve it."

[unbearablynaive]

To be fair, it's not just his touch. It's also that he's gone to the trouble of making something that he doesn't benefit from for her sake with their limited time and resources. Not that there's a stretch, since they've got the food situation dealt with, but it's still a gift from him. Much like her massage for him was an excellent gift.

"Mmm. We could always go flying, love." They have that, at least. "But there are no restaurants or shopping or cinema. Perhaps a walk together, less about exploring and more about spending time with one another?"

He sighs and works his fingers up and down her neck for a bit. He misses the lazy mornings in bed, although there's really nothing preventing that. No showers or baths, though, not until they manually find or fix the water. No baking experiments for him to try, not when everyone else actually needs it.

But he's so lucky to have her here, even if he only gets to be with her a short time every day. "Or--well, what would you like to do? Aside from get your hair into a workable condition, of course."

At which point he picks up the comb and starts running it through her hair loosely. There are a few tangles that have resisted the conditioning, but not too many, and he's gentle with them.

[seeingscarlet]

It's even deeper than the selflessness of this - that Vision has recognized going with dirty hair this long would bother her, done something about it, and never once made her feel ashamed of her discomfort when they have much bigger problems is touching. The amount of care he's shown her hair has always made her melt a little inside - he had only learned how to brush hair at all to help her, and now he handles it with such ease...

If he wants to reduce her to a puddle tonight, he's gotten his wish. Wanda's still relatively quiet, but those sighs and moans are a little more frequent now. "Mmmmmm...I do love flying with you." It reminds her of when she'd first realized that her feelings for him had turned romantic and their first kiss. "Maybe we can find somewhere nice to look at the stars."

Unconsciously she tilts her head back a little. "I just want to spend some time with you. I don't care what we do as long as we're together." Just the indulgence of having time with nothing to do but enjoy his company would be enough. He is everything to her, and as secure as they are in each other's love, Wanda knows they still need this. She's not going to let their lives shrink to only worrying about survival.

[unbearablynaive]

Of course he's going to do whatever he can to mitigate her unhappiness. Her smile lights up his heart and her happiness is infectious. And yes, the priority here is everyone's well-being, but his well-being is directly linked to hers, isn't it? And that makes caring for Wanda a form of self-care.

Or so he could justify to anyone who made a big deal out of it. The truth is he just melts every time she looks at him with those soft eyes, and when he hears that tone of pleasure in her voice. He's helplessly snared by her.

"Let's do that once it's dark, then. Fly to the top of one of the tall buildings and see how many stars we can count together. We can bring a blanket to lay on and be all alone."

After all, only Carol and Loki and Billy nobody else can fly up there, right?

[seeingscarlet]

Wanda moans his name softly as he works out a particularly unpleasant knot. For all her fretting over him, she hadn't realized how bad her neck had become until Vision started to work at it. It had registered as 'sore,' of course, but she'd been sick for a few days and the fever had made everything ache.

"I would say we could watch the sunset too but I know I would get distracted." How could she not? Seeing Vision illuminated by the golden light of the fading sun would simply be too much for her, and then she'd just have to kiss him, and then it wouldn't matter at all what the sky is doing. Vision is more beautiful than any sunset and she remains as weak as ever for his smiles or that cute face he makes when he is utterly at peace.m.

Wanda smiles and brushes against his mind again, a distinct hint of flirtatiousness mingling with the warmth. "Unless you want me to be distracted."

[unbearablynaive]

Oh, dear. He hadn't realized quite how bad her neck had become - yes, they were all under a great deal of stress, but it brings to mind that, except for their little not-date earlier where she'd forced him to relax, Wanda probably hasn't taken any time for herself (being sick doesn't count).

With that in mind, he leans over to her ear so he can speak in a low voice. "I've no idea why you think I would object to that. Shall we watch the sunset this evening, then?" And he punctuates it with a quick kiss to the side of her head.

With Wanda's hair detangled successfully, the Vision begins to rinse out the oil. "Now, would you like me to braid this as well, or would you prefer to keep it down to dry faster?" They only have a few pieces of scavanged cloth to work as towels, so it's largely going to have to air-dry.

[seeingscarlet]

Well, she'd been mostly all right until she got sick - being stuck alone in bed, weak and feverish and paranoid for days, had not done her body any favors. And of course when she'd started feeling better Wanda had pushed herself harder to compensate. She didn't want to make anyone worry and she doesn't feel secure enough here to not feel guilty about getting sick.

But a little extra care from Vision has gone a long way in restoring her body and spirit. Now she can properly enjoy their little date feeling like herself again and hopefully help Vision relax again too.

She shivers visibly, a soft sound escaping her at that tone in her husband's voice. "We can do both. It will be fun."

It's settled. They'll restore each other tonight.

"Let's leave it. I've kept it braided so much that it will be nice to feel the wind in my hair again." She catches his hand, first gently with her powers and then with her own to guide it to her lips. "And your fingers."

[unbearablynaive]

At least she's feeling better now. Whatever the mysterious illness is, he hasn't contracted it despite spending a great deal of time with her - fortunately. And Tommy didn't seem to be sick when he'd said Billy was feeling under the weather, so who knows? Maybe it wasn't even the same disease. On the other hand, getting over it now meant they'd be protected from a future infection of the same type, so at least there's that.

It had been trying not to be able to make chicken soup for her, though. Even he can do that - if there are chickens.

There are no chickens here.

Hair all rinsed out, the Vision is reaching out to grab one of the more absorbent pieces of cloth to towel it down and wring it out when his hand gets caught and he laughs. "Yes, and it will be nice not to have to worry about getting my fingers stuck in tangles," he agrees. He hates accidentally pulling at her hair, almost as much as he likes running his hands through it.

"Sunset, then, on top of the, er." He gestures in the direction of the communications tower, though he doesn't know its name or purpose yet. "That tall building to the west of the fountain?"

[seeingscarlet]

[continued here!]