Third floor bathroom - Thursday afternoon - 6/12

[new-to-liirness.livejournal.com]

I have too damned many clothes, Liir decided as he carried his things toward the bathrooms.

Between one thing and another, he hadn't done his laundry in far too long (at least by his reckoning) and now he literally had at least an armful and a half of clothes that required washing. The soap and the scrub brush rested on the top, just under his chin, until he made his way to the tub and put everything down. Two twists of hot for every twist of cold and the tub filled up quickly as he dipped the brush and the soap in to start on the lighter shades.

He'd be here for a while.

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[always-damp.livejournal.com]

Stepping out of the shower, dripping wet after a nice post-beach tanning session, Toby didn't understand why Liir had clothes in the bathroom. This was a place for nudity. Gratuitous nudity.

"Dude? Are you lost or something?"

[new-to-liirness.livejournal.com]

He looked up from scrubbing at the bottoms of his pants.

"No. I'm doing my laundry."

To be fair, he was half-naked himself.

[always-damp.livejournal.com]

Well, since he was half naked, Toby really didn't mind taking a nice long look.

"Is this one of those Fandom things I heard about? Like the magic makes you think bath tubs are washing machines or something?"

Toby really should get his towel.

[new-to-liirness.livejournal.com]

He didn't notice the long look or anything else, really.

"I prefer to wash my clothes properly. The tik toks that do it in the wash room bother me. That's all."

He took a deep breath in and the scent of the soap hit him and he almost reacted. Almost. He swallowed instead.

"I'm from a world that doesn't really have such things."

[always-damp.livejournal.com]

Toby tilted his head. "Wow, your world must suck."

"Is it like, the third world?" He'd seen the news. Or at least heard that such things existed.

[new-to-liirness.livejournal.com]

"No," he continued, leaning back against the tub for the moment. The laundry could wait.

"It's a fairy country, hidden from the rest of the world. Name of Oz. We've had a visitor or two from Earth, this place or one like it with the same name, but we're a place apart."

There was, however, no argument as to his world sucking. He agreed rather heartily.

[always-damp.livejournal.com]

Yeah, that made no sense to Toby. "Sounds awful. You should be happy to be in a place with like, electricity and bathrooms and Valtrex."

He wandered over to where he'd left his towel and dried off his hair.

[new-to-liirness.livejournal.com]

"I'm happy to be in a place where I have a warm bed, food to eat, and no one's trying to kill me. The rest is negligible."

And, of course, there was Ino, but he didn't feel like going into it with the other boy.

"Valtrex?"

...of course he had to ask.

[always-damp.livejournal.com]

"Totally," Toby replied, draping the towel loosely around his waist. "Gotta keep stuff clean."

[new-to-liirness.livejournal.com]

"...aha."

A soap?

He kept from rolling his eyes by an act of will before pushing against the tub and getting back on his knees to start scrubbing.

"Yes, I'll be here for most of the afternoon doing just that. Though this soap is rather plain in comparison. No strange names. Just... an interesting scent."

"Did you need the tub?"

[always-damp.livejournal.com]

"Me? Just like, drying off dude, am I bugging you or something?"

Toby remembered this guy now.

[new-to-liirness.livejournal.com]

He blinked.

"No. I was just checking. I wouldn't want to be in anyone's way."

There was a faint, slightly awkward smile.

[always-damp.livejournal.com]

"Community baths are good for getting in people's way sometimes." Toby didn't mind the smile, but he was still wondering.

"'Course, I should go get ready. I got a hot date."

[new-to-liirness.livejournal.com]

After the smell of the soap, he almost reacted.

"That sounds nice," he said instead. "Where are you taking him? It is a him, I recall you mentioning, yes?"

[always-damp.livejournal.com]

"Taking?" Toby hadn't considered that part yet. "We usually just end up on the beach. Or like, by the pool."

[new-to-liirness.livejournal.com]

"Oh. I just assumed as you mentioned it was specifically a date, you were going somewhere."

He tossed the pants into the tub and pulled up a shirt.

"Then again, most of my ideas about dating stem from the single relationship I've ever had and it's already ended so what do I know?"

The last was said matter-of-factly, a strange lack of bitterness to his tone. It wasn't even the over-sweet sound of someone denying themselves their real emotions.

It just was.

[always-damp.livejournal.com]

"Wow, just one?" Toby couldn't actually count his...well they were more like encounters but sometimes there were relationships.

[new-to-liirness.livejournal.com]

"One. Here. Then again, I spent most of my life out in the middle of nowhere caring for two madwomen and a passel of monkeys."

He tossed the shirt in and grabbed a pair of boxers. Those went quickly. Next came some socks.

"He decided he didn't care about me anymore. I decided to leave. That's about it."

[always-damp.livejournal.com]

"Harsh, dude," Toby shook his head, his hair damp and wild.

"At least he didn't leave you for one of the monkeys. That would've have been awkward."

[new-to-liirness.livejournal.com]

"He could have. I wouldn't know. I haven't spoken to him."

He did smile.

"It's a rather amusing thought, though. Slightly uncharitable, though."