14. Bath conversations
Summary: Arganan and Dagran try to discuss things in the bath. Unfortunately, their privacy is disturbed by three of the other carnies, but after they leave the conversation gets more interesting, sadly not as humorous.
Performers: Strongman Dagran, Knife Thrower Ace/Arganan, Icebreather Lowell, Gamemaster Jirall, Firebreather Yurick, Tamer Zoran
Arganan sighed as he looked to Dagran quietly. "Please," He started, "tell me we bought some scented soap while we were in that last town..." He cringed. "That place was like a pigsty. And I think the smell wore off on me too."
Dagran tried to think as he sat opposite Dagran in the bath, looking around behind him for any bars of soap. "I'm not sure if we did..." He trailed off, continuing to look with his eyes. "And a lot of the villages and cities smell like pigstys nowadays. You gotta get used to it."
Arganan just groaned at that, leaning back in the bath water. Dagran chuckled, before he took out a bar of scented soap and half-tossed it to Arganan, the older man barely catching it in time.
"You really have a thing for baths, don't you?" The Strongman spoke up, grinning. "Is it because of your pampered life back as a Count or...?"
Arganan looked crossed between pissed off and embarrassed. "Even if I am infected with an illness that could kill me in months, that doesn't give me an excuse to have bad hygiene!" The older man pouted, rubbing the bar between his hands to lather the soap. He put it down, trying to scrub himself down with both hands.
Bathing felt rather intimate for the both of them, sometimes even embarrassing as they were naked together and all, but they grew used to being naked around each other whenever they were naked and in the same room. No, they hadn't had sex, but they had a ritual of bathing together now and it was rather nice.
Nice until the other carnies walk in, of course.
Lowell strolled into the room, the long towels he had covering whatever he had down at his crotch area. "So," Lowell chuckled, "I see you two are having a good time."
Dagran glared at him, blushing. "What are you doing here, Lowell!? Don't you usually bathe later?" He snapped.
Lowell laughed, getting into the pool of water with them, grinning as he realized that it was still a little warm. "Yeah, yeah, I usually do, but I thought I'd turn in earlier tonight. Didn't expect to see you two, though."
Arganan tried to shift towards Dagran. He didn't necessarily like being naked with people other than Dagran, so he used it as a good excuse to just be close to Dagran while they were in the bath. "We were trying to discuss something." The older man spoke up, trying to give him a look without blushing of embarassment. "In private. Is it not possible that you can wait until after we're done?"
"Hey, Lowell, is it—" Yurick, Jirall and Zoran stood in the doorway of the room, both of them having towels also. "Oh." Yurick finished lamely. "Hi. I guess I'll go later."
Dagran shook his head. "Uh, nah, it's fine, really." He looked to Arganan. "Is it fine?"
The older man sighed. "I suppose so."
The three slipped into the bath, and Arganan looked around. "Oh? Therius, Zael, the Ringmaster and the twins aren't joining us?"
Zoran groaned. "Nah. The Ringmaster always bathes by himself since he stays up the latest. Zael's already cuddling with Calista, and Zesha is having dinner with Mirania. As for Zepha..." He looked around. "Honestly, I don't know. He could be doing anything."
Yurick blushed. "As for Therius, he's waiting for me back at my tent. He took a bath earlier."
Lowell smirked. "Oh? Yurick, are you and Therius already getting it—"
"No!" Yurick blubbered almost too quickly, "Absolutely not! W-we would never—"
Zoran chuckled. "Good for you to get laid, firebreather."
"Y-you—" He stopped, going silent and blushing red as Jirall chuckled in the background. "Shut up!"
"Fine, fine..." Zoran grinned, looking to Arganan and Dagran. "What about you two? You're both certainly close to each other quickly."
Dagran blushed, glaring at Zoran. "Don't you dare bring us into this!"
Arganan, meanwhile, was awkwardly silent, unsure of what to say or do. Jirall chuckled slightly. "Cat got your tongue?" He teased.
Arganan glared at him, also blushing as he got up. "I'm getting out," He muttered, and Dagran followed, the two slipping on bathrobes before walking out.
Zoran grinned. "Nice job, Jirall. We get the whole bath to ourselves now!"
Jirall smiled, but it was fainter. "Thanks."
Yurick frowned, looking to him quietly. "Are you okay Jirall? You seem...sad."
Jiral sighed, looking to him, forlorn. "I'm not okay. I...I tried to woo Calista earlier today, but..." He winced. "She rejected me. I don't plan to make any more advances towards her, I can see that she really is in love with Zael. But for Zepha...he doesn't know. But I have a feeling he'll find out soon."
"But..." Zoran looked to him. "Why not tell him yourself about it?"
Jirall sighed, putting his head in his hands. "He won't listen. So he'll pay for the consequences of not listening."
Yurick tried to think. "Jirall, I know you and him broke up, but...was what you two had between each other more than just sex?"
Jirall went still, and he bit his lower lip. He appeared to be deep in thought, but then he looked up at Yurick and Zoran, shaky.
"I...I think so. I really think so. I think I actually love him, but I thought..." His breath came out quietly, melancholic and woeful. "I thought I loved Calista. And part of me still hates her being with Zael. We were supposed to be engaged, supposed to get married and now..." He looked down again, before he stood, grabbing his towel. "I'm going to get some sleep. Goodnight."
He grabbed a bathrobe as he got out of the bath after using his towel, wrapping it about himself before leaving the tent, leaving the Firebreather and Tamer in silence.
Author note: ALL THE JIRALL ANGST. I know. It must probably be saddening the hearts of you dear readers and I apologize. Promise it gets better from here starting next chapter! XD Thank you so much for reading and reviewing and favouriting so far! XDDD