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

Shallow Waters

[doubled_speed]

Sure, he respects the whole water and washing and all that stuff that's going on. Especially since his 'Dad' helped set them up with all of this. But the actually going and doing the thing? He's staring nervously at the water.

"You're sure this stuff is pure enough for human skin? Like, what if it makes my skin burn or something?"

[unbearablynaive]

"Well, and that's why I'd hoped to get some other opinions," he says, not looking at all like he knows what's going on. "Nothing seems to be different about the structures or vegetation nearby, and it doesn't trigger any of my pain receptors or other senses, but I cannot taste it and I do not have the same skin sensitivity you might."

He hovers above the water and crosses his arms, looking out on it.

"The last thing I want is for any of you to get hurt, but this lake could be a great asset to us. What do you think?"

[doubled_speed]

"I think this is a really silly idea. I mean, we could wait. I met this girl, Katara. The one that's helping me water things. She sorta manipulates water. Maybe she can tell. It's a lot better than just jumping in. But I guess this might be faster?

But it would only answer if one person was susceptible and not necessarily others.

[unbearablynaive]

"Ah, yes, I met her as well. We should probably wait."

He eyes Tommy suspiciously. Why does he get the impression Tommy is not the waiting type?

"Although if you wanted to test it out yourself, I'd recommend dipping in the tip of your pinkie rather than jumping in."

[waterwhip]

Of course, that won't be necessary, as the waterbender in question arrives as if summoned, jogging up to them with an excited gleam in her eyes. "Hey! Are you going swimming?" she asks, looking out over the lake. It's been days since she's been able to fully immerse herself, and she almost can't stand waiting any longer.

Caution is the better part of valor in this case, however. "Better test it first, right?" she asks, reaching out with her bending to feel the water. She makes little waves at first, sending ripples across the surface of the lake.

[doubled_speed]

"Speak of the waterbender," Tommy grins. And to think, he'd just been reaching to pull his shirt off. Instead he's smiling. Smiling and moving closer to her, watching the waves move. That's really interesting, he's intrigued like he always is.

"You keep amazing me. Can you really tell if it's pure?"

[waterwhip]

"It's kind of hard to explain," Katara says, blushing a little at Tommy's enthusiastic compliments. "But I've seen polluted water before. My friends and I have been traveling through the Fire Nation, and we came across this village that was built in the middle of a lake. They were suffering because the water was all gunked up by a Fire Army weapons factory up the river from them, so we... uh, well, we helped clean the place up after the factory closed.

"The element you bend is a part of you. If it's tainted somehow, it just feels... wrong." The waves get larger, until one breaks away from the lake's surface in a gravity-defying swirl. "This just feels like water."

[doubled_speed]

Just feels like water. Well, between his dad vouching for it and Katara saying it's good to go...

Speedsters have a lot patience, people don't realize that. The thing is, their patience is measured in the time scales they experience. He strips off his shirt and his shoes and pants before Katara can blink and then heads right into the water, wading in a bit of the way.

"Well, it doesn't burn."

[waterwhip]

Following suit, Katara pulls off the outer layer of her clothes, then takes a few steps back so she can get a running start to jump into the water. The surface of the water domes upward like a cresting wave to accept her, allowing her to plunge in.

She stays under, just swimming for a moment before surfacing with a sigh. "Sweet, sweet water!" Floating on her back, she paddles lazily around, floating here and there. "Tommy! Can you swim fast, too?" she asks, propelling herself in his direction with a little bending.

[unbearablynaive]

The Vision grins at the two of them, looking relieved. "I'm glad to see it's safe for you, then. But wouldn't you say this is a recent lake?"

All the signs point to it having been here a very short time - the plant growth around it , the lack of significant sediment deposits, the clearly visible building shards and roads under the water.

"I wonder if there's another fresh water source it's coming from - a spring, perhaps, or a broken pipe?"

Shallow Lake

[pileofspirits]

Phalanx is all about investigating, especially when other people in the area are also interested in the same thing. There's sort of an intangible feedback loop of curiosity that the creature happily follows... but the water part of the equation isn't noticed until they gracelessly wander right into it.

Near whatever shadowy alleyway space that Phalanx appears from, a surprised whoop rings out as they accidentally wade into knee-high water... and immediately after that comes an exceptionally awkward splash. With how fantastically absorbent cloth is, their cloak of rags soaks the water right up until the weight of it drags them off balance, and they topple right over into the "lake."

[doubled_speed]

Tommy laughs at Katara's specialized way to dive in. So jealous. But he grins at her question, swimming over quickly.

"Yeah, I'm a speedster. Can move my legs really fast, so effectively, I swim faster. But... the more important thing right now..."

His dad is asking questions. Stop being logical. He turns back and with a powerful thrust of his arms, splashes some water toward Vision. And hopefully it comes short.

"Come on, if you're waterproof why don't you come in here and look?"

alone together

[seeingscarlet]

Their little corner of Agra 10 is starting to feel a lot less sterile. The flowers especially make Wanda happy - when he'd first brought them home, she'd laughed and almost tackled him in her joy. But her poor hair has been an ongoing source of stress as the days go by. She's kept it braided as much as possible to keep it from tangling and one of her first non-essential creations had been a prototype comb.

Now her hair is in a rare unbraided state as she comes to join him. Vision's so sweet and considerate to put this together for her, and before they get started she catches him for a slow, passionate kiss. "You are the most wonderful husband on the planet. I could marry you twice for doing this, Vizh." She grins and fidgets with the blanket wrapped around her shoulders - she's stripped down to her underwear to keep her clothes from getting needlessly wet. "Should I sit?"

[waterwhip]

"I could probably trace the water back to its source," Katara says, sitting up and treading water. "It shouldn't be too hard--if there's flowing water I can follow it."

[unbearablynaive]

Tommy did you just--yeah, yeah you did. The Vision sputters as the water misses him, even though he's already quite wet.

"It's--ah, that is, it's not stagnant, so it must be flowing from somewhere, and to somewhere." Where is it going? Sinking into the ground? Is there an outlet around? He regrets not having a geological map of the place, but that's something he's had to get accustomed to. Sometimes it's difficult to be as curious as he is.

"And I am not waterproof. I am made of metal. There is a difference."

[unbearablynaive]

That sounds like someone who needs help! The Vision flies over and quickly sees the floundering figure and he zooms over to help them up.

"Ah, are you quite all right? It gets a bit slippery here."

[doubled_speed]

Of course he did. In fact, the young man is grinning in the water, his eyes sparkling with challenge. He's been taking care of two people full time and tending the greenhouse, he deserves a bit of fun.

"I'm asking if you'd fry getting in the water. But I'll stop splashing, wet blanket. Katara can find an answer. And I'll help. Except, I'm not great at seeing under the water. Left my goggles back in the hotel."

[pileofspirits]

In a tone of distinct alarm, they call out "It gets! Slippery here!"

There's quite a bit of floundering happening, but it's mostly because trying to find any sort of purchase in the water while limbs are tangled up in layers of waterlogged rags is going very poorly. They're not in any real danger, and they don't seem to be in the sort fear that comes with believing that they're in the process of drowning... there's just a lot of completely useless splashing going on.

[unbearablynaive]

The Vision beams a smile at Wanda and gives her a light kiss on the temple in response. It really is easier not to have to deal with hair at all, but he knows Wanda loves her hair and, to be quite frank, so does he. He loves running his hands through it and, when she lets him, brushing it until it shines.

"Yes, please sit down. I'm going to imitate a salon-style hairdresser - we'll wet your hair first, then lather it up and rinse it, then try out the oil as a conditioner."

He brings over one of their crate-chairs and starts soaping up the water. "It took a bit to find a saponin plant - one you can use as soap - and then we had to find a good oil. And an alkaline plant to use for the ash in the soap bar. The short version is, we can have as much soap as we like, it just takes a few days to cure."

The water is warm, and he enjoys rubbing her scalp.

"Now lean back, let's soak it in the water."

[unbearablynaive]

Okay. Okay, they're not drowning. The Vision offers a hand, careful to keep watch in case their head goes underwater in which case he'll just grab them and fly up for a bit.

"Are you all right?"

He hopes they aren't drowning.

[waterwhip]

"I can bend the water away from your face," Katara says. "Make a little bubble so you can see under the water. But, we should be able to feel the current without going under all the way. We'll figure out where it's coming from in no time."

Closing her eyes, Katara lets herself sink in to her nose, floating for a moment before pointing off towards the center of the lake. "It's coming from that direction."

[unbearablynaive]

"In that sense, I suppose I am waterproof," he admits. "It would be a poor choice of places to explore if I were not." Besides, how could he share a bath with Wanda if he couldn't immerse himself? Tommy probably doesn't want to think about that.

"That's a fascinating use of your ability. I'll see if I can see anything from above?" And, because it's faster, he glides over the surface of the water, following Katara's lead.

While they're on the way, he decides to get their opinions. "What do the two of you think - would it be appropriate to set up bathing facilities here? Or should we reserve it for swimming?"

[doubled_speed]

Mentioning bathing with his mother could get something blown up, Vision. Possibly Tommy’s brain so he doesn’t imagine his parents together. Ew. Super ew.

“Dude, my family is full of people who make really poor life choices,” Tommy shoots back at Vision. Doesn’t say out because someone is there to hear them. He does twist in the water to look at Katars. “I guess you get to be our water eyes? I prefer sticking to the surface. Actually I prefer running over the surface, but I’m already in now.”

Hell, he can barely even float. Not even remotely enough far on his body. He’s even leaner than when he got here, his hyper-efficient metabolism already burning off what fat he had. Unhealthy, but unsolvable really.

“Bath houses. Japanese style. If we can find a way to heat the water. People need to get clean. I think it’s a health issue?”

[seeingscarlet]

Wanda lets the blanket fall off her shoulders and sets it aside before she sits in front of the bucket. This is one of her favorite things and she can't help but sigh softly as Vision begins to rub her scalp. He really knows how to pamper her, even here.

Her powers support her as Wanda leans back to get her hair wet - the last thing they need is for Wanda to accidentally tip over the bucket and she'd like to avoid neck strain. The water is warm and soothing, just the thing to help her relax after a long day. Wanda closes her eyes and sighs Vision's name, putting herself entirely into his care.

"This is going to make everything so much better. I hated feeling so dirty all of the time."

[unbearablynaive]

It would be worth it for her reactions alone, nevermind the general need for cleaning supplies, but it might still be a while before they have anything approaching modern conditioner. Still, humans oiled up their hair for thousands of years, so he supposes this will have to do for now. At least he and Tommy had found some scents that are pleasant.

The warm water and the act of massaging her scalp is soothing for him, too, and he finds himself smiling warmly as he works the soap through her hair. "Now granted that I've not yet found or made a suitable bathtub, but there's a shallow lake to the south I'm going to look in to later today. The water is sun-warmed, so it's not frigid, but a truly hot bath will still elude us for a little while, I'm afraid."

A nice lather should work all the built-up dirt and oils off, and once he's satisfied with his work he begins to rinse it. Next will be applying the oil as a conditioner, and he's quite curious to see how it works.