The Laundresses

4th Litordae, 25th day of the month of Semens (Sem), the 3672nd year of Salvation's Landing

As the trio made their way around the fence line, they came to the Northeast corner of the estate, out beyond all the luxurious plants and flowers and fountains. Up here was the end of the stream that flowed through the Polivander Palace Estate, well removed from the all the beautification that the water was involved with. And it was here that the palace staff did the work that the water was needed for. Reglin saw a small stonework building right along the side of the stream. It was a very simple building from the looks, and behind it stood posts with multiple lines ran between them. And on those lines, of course, was the house laundry hanging to air dry.

It was when the guards got to about twenty feet or so from the building that someone emerged from the doorway. Reglin heard women's voices from within chatting, and the person that he could see had skirts on, but that's all he saw due to her carrying a large armful of bed sheets.

Lim chose to make their presence known in the only way he seemed to know... Loudly, "Oi! Ladies! Us cretinous guardsmen are about! Time to stifle all the gossip that you don't want us menfolk to know about!" He had a big grin on his face as he got further toward the building. Reglin assumed that this was the norm for the actors in this particular give and take. Boll too shared a smile on his face regarding the young woman.

The woman carrying the massive load of sheets lowered her arms down so that she could see over it to see the speaker. Regin's first impression was, well... impressed. She had chestnut brown hair and hazel eyes that complimented her hair. A button-nose on the smallish side definitely gave her cute, almost wholesome look in Reglin's opinion. Her skin was the tone of someone who wasn't normally tanned but spent enough time in the sun to give her a fair share of color. The young laundress's eyes squinted as she peered at men approaching. Those eyes glinted with intelligence and perhaps mischief? It was then that their eyes met and she arched an eyebrow at him. Reglin chose to stay quiet with a small smile on his lips but dipped his head down in greeting to her.

This all occurred in a mere moment, followed by her eyes descending to take in the rest of him before returning to look into Reglin's eye once more. It might have been Reglin's imagination, but he thought that she might have had the slightest of blushes. Right after though, she turned her head and yelled back into the doorway she came from, "Don't worry Lina, it's just Lim and Boll. It's not like they have the capacity to comprehend what us ladies really say anyway." She pauses at that looked back at Reglin, "Though it looks like they got company this time, the poor man. Imagine pulling the straw that put you with this pair of oafs... He must've done something horrible... But still, not bad to look at. Even if he's obviously some sort of criminal deviant." the smile on her face grew wider with every word she spoke.

Making a grunting noise, like he was wounded, Lim responded, "Oi! Asha, you would me with your words. And then flirting with the young blood with the very words you so often use for me. Oh, how many times have you regarded me with the ol' 'not bad to look at' compliment." His grin was growing as well. "But let's get to the crux of it, eh? Lina got any of her cakes in there?" He turned to speak in a much lower volume for Lim, but probably still audible to this Asha woman, "Lina makes some of the best lemon cakes... Surprised she's not working in the kitchens for them alone!"

The name Lina was familiar to Reglin, though he hadn't spent alot of time around the laundry staff. But when a middle-aged woman came out with dirty blonde hair that had some linings of silver in it and green eyes, he recognized her from his past. She was a not a beauty by any means, but she was what people may call a handsome woman. A bit thicker in the limbs than was generally seen as the standard of beauty here in the capital. But her face was kind and he remembered speaking to her on occasion and doing so because she was so invitingly welcoming. Her smile was more of a smirk, coming out wiping her hands, "Oh, is that what is most important to you, you lout? Not how we fare this day? If you had asked, you'd know that Gracelyn was under the weather and that we are shorthanded here. And if you had, maybe you could've offered to give a hand to poor Asha here as she tries to hang up these monstrous sheets. If you had done these things, maybe there would be some cakes in here for you... But alas..." She let those words fade off with her smile regarding the Guards.

The banter between them was so familiar that Reglin's own smile widened. It warmed his spirit to see these small interactions. When Lina's eyes took him, they squinted as she peered at him more intently, "Hmmm... You seem familiar...Can't put a finger on it. Damned fogging memory." Her right hand came up and her index finger laid over her lips in contemplation. "This is going to bother me..."

Reglin gave a chuckle as his fellow guards looked at him and conceded the ground for him to respond, "Well, we have met before, so I will tell you so that you may put your mind at ease. I was a messenger her in the palace for about six years until a little over five years ago. I am Reglin Farmstedt." Lina's eyes widened as he spoke, and when he gave his name, her mouth made an O and the looked of recognition came to her face.

"Oh, dear Gods! It is you! I do not think I would've been able to draw up your name, Reglin. You have changed quite a bit. What? You've grown at least a head from when I can last remember seeing you." Her eyes scanned over him some more, appraising him against her memory of him. "And I would be willing to bet that you are quite a bit wider in shoulders as well... If I was only a couple decades younger..." The last she said with her smirk returning.

Reglin thought that she was trying to get him embarrassed. He tried not to rise to the goading, but he thought he might be feeling some heat in his cheeks and so her averted his eyes to look to Asha once more. Her eyes had dropped and looked to be focused on the laundry bundle in her arms. There appeared to be some color in her cheeks indeed.

Another grunt from Lim and then he was muttering loudly, “Gods, you’d think these ladies hadn’t seen a good-looking man before. Which I know to be false, as I see you quite regularly…” With that, Boll just laughed.

Lina’s eyes bugged out at Lim’s complaining, “Oh yes! What was I thinking? Of course, we’ve the epitome of what women desire in a man right before for all these years!” The sarcasm dripping off her words by the buckets.

Lim’s hands rose to his chest, feigning hurt once more, “Dear Lina, the sarcasm is a bit much, don’t you think? I am bit a man with feelings after all.” He lowered his head in a sorrowful shake after that, “So cruel… I suppose with that, I should withdraw to a safer distance to withdraw the barbs you have effective shot me with…” Lim looked at Reglin and Boll and asked, “Shall we get going boys?”

Reglin shook his head at his fellow guardsman’s theatrics, giving a chuckle. If this occurred on the day, at least he’d have that to look forward to… And perhaps a bit more getting to know this Asha. And thinking about this had planted his feet in place while the other two and began to move on.

At Lim’s words of hurt pride, Lina made shooing motions with her hands, “Yes, Yes… Best you get out of here now and not return until your hide has thickened a bit more. There’s no reason that those ‘barbs’ should’ve stuck at all. I am beginning to question the fortitude of our guards." She looked to Reglin and raised an eyebrow in his regard once more, "At least the guard has this strapping young lad to represent to try and offset you there, Lim"

~This is knowledge for the Reader~

The Affection Multiplier

~Mana: 316~

~Mana Channels: ~Labiae Passionii (Lips of Passion)

~Tabitha~ Affectionae: 78 Erosii: 12 Libidae: 10
~Lim~ A: 22 (+2) 24
~Boll~ A: 12 (+1) 13
~Grahm~ A: 26
~Lina~ A : 24 (Memories)
~Asha~ A: (+8) 8