Nixing Emma's Eyebrows
From FiranMUX
In which Emma's brows get plucked at the request of Tia. PLINK!
Anarinuell: Palace District -- The Bath House -- The Women's Bath
Contents:
Prince Sparklepuff, the toy spaniel
Princess Sparklepoof, the toy spaniel
Tia
Emma is near Tia in the baths, looking dubious. "Plucked?" she mumbles, her brow arched in concern. "Do women actually /do/ that?" Cosmetics and personal grooming beyond remaining clean are clearly traits that Emma has not bought into. *Firan*
"When they have your father's eyebrows, they really haven't any choice, darling," Tia replies in a chipper, disturbingly bright voice. Her dogs run around merrily. Sparklepuff flounces in and out of the baths and the commoners seem unsure what to make of the bedazzled spaniels.
Soft footfalls bring the figure of a small girl into the baths. She tilts her head, gazing at the people around, skirting the edges as she slips off her sandals and stares up at the lady asking for her close. Gazing down her attire, she is quick to disrobe, but eyes the items as if she might never see them again. Wetting her lips, Eirian brushes at her wild short black hair and starts to move towards the baths, that is till one of the little spaniels nearly gets caught in her legs. Gasping, her eyes widen and she side steps to avoid a 'near' collision.
Emma narrows her dark eyes, trying to get a read on Tia. "Women think my father is handsome," she points out, shrugging one bare shoulder. "Anyhow, what's the point?" she continues, flicking her gaze towards whatever has one of Tia's spaniel's attention. Her jaw tenses briefly (even moreso than it already has) as the dog yaps, and she gives the young girl a quick once-over. "Watch out, you might hurt..." She glances from dog to girl, dog to girl, and finally settles on, "...yourself." *Firan*
Tia smiles lopsidedly, a pleasant if not slightly vapid smile. "Yes, but Emma. You are not a man. You want to be /pretty/. Not /handsome/." She makes it sound like a curse! As her dogs capture the attention of people, Tia lazily glances their way and lifts a brow. "Sparklepuff, Sparklepoof, be careful! Mommy would be very sad if you got squashed!" *Firan*
Eirian nodding to Emma, the young girl listens to the names and her brows lift. She mouths the said labels and then slowly moves towards the edge of the water. She takes her time, lowering herself with some grace into the water, till at the last moment she slips and splashes into the bath water. She stands and brushes at her face to clear her eyes.
Emma considers this point, her lips pursed tightly together. Casually lifting a hand to her brow, she draws a finger over her thick eyebrows, from one end to another. With a sigh, she glances back to Tia and exhales in exasperation. "Oh, all right. I still don't think they're that bad, but I suppose I should trust the judgement of a woman who dresses up her dogs in jewels and gets carried around on sparkly pink couches through the city. But I draw the line at makeup. I'm not putting that sh--... that /junk/ on my face." Breach in etiquette, what? *Firan*
Tia glances at Emma sidelong and lifts a brow. "Behave," she says warningly. But such is the life of Emma and Tia clearly doesn't expect too much. "No one will make you wear makeup, I promise. Though I imagine your brother would fall down dead in his tracks if you started wearing the stuff I wear." The very thought makes the former princess' eyes sparkle and she lopsidedly beams at her sister-in-law. "Hee." Nuff said. The dogs start yapping again, running into the baths after the little orphan girl. *Firan*
Emma's lips twitch in a tense little smile at the thought of such a scene, but that is all that is given in the way of amusement by the younger Firgalik. She still looks utterly doubtful at the idea at hand, though the dogs splashing in after the youth distracts her for a moment. With a detached air, she peers at the kid and the dogs, her stormy gaze slightly unfocused.
Tia takes a message and leans back in the baths, pleased as punch. "Delightful," she whispers to herself, smirking in Emma's direction. *Firan*
Mehdi curtseys to Tia without saying anything and give the kids 'the eye' and the girls curtsey. Beatrice's curtsey is a bit clumsy and Aecis bows deeply. She nods to them as if to say 'good.'
Women shriek, scream and run for cover at the sight of Tarquin. One of the bath attendants shouts, "Men aren't allowed in here!"
Tia issues one of those really regally royal "yo" head nods to Mehdi and brightens at the sight of Tarquin. "Aha!" she says to her ward, gesturing for him to come further into the baths. *Firan*
Tarquin isn't a man! He's a boy, and though he's not actually here to bathe -- well, okay, maybe he'll do that too -- he does pay the towel boy his fee. He spots Tia by the spaniels, actually, and heads thataway. "Hello Pretty Princess Firgalik," the boy says politely. *Firan*
Emma is next to Tia in the baths, and she glances briefly at Mehdi when she and her children offer their respects. Lifting one brow, she looks as though she's about to instruct them to do the same for her, but Tarquin's arrival tears her attention away completely. Wide-eyed, she whips her head towards Tia. "HIM?" she asks, her voice taking on that crackling, stormy quality that matches her gaze. *Firan*
Mehdi undresses her little wards and baths them thoroughly before taking them out. She doesn't waste time dilly-dallying in the baths with them or they might just start splashing and getting people upset..
Tia can't. help. laughter! She covers her mouth with her hands as Tarquin greets her and steals a glance at Emma. "Oh, he's a darling, don't be so mean, Emma!" The young woman gestures for Tarquin to come closer, "Boy. I have a special task for you. Can you do it?" *Firan*
Mehdi leaves the baths.
Tarquin stops and bows, having sidestepped a puddle on the marble floor. Oooh. Children! He's momentarily distracted by the other kids playing games, but they're on their way out, which helps greatly in his refocusing on Tia. Sometimes attention is a hard thing. "Yes, m'lady," he agrees solemnly and before he even hears what it is. *Firan*
Tia squeals, "Delightful!"
Tia squeals at Tarquin's reply and claps her hands for some servants to come closer. They do. One leans down and Tia whispers to her. The woman turns and disappears for a little while, permitting Tia time to give Emma instructions. "Darling, just lay back and close your eyes, head against the ledge." *Firan*
Tarquin winces, just slightly. Squeals echo inside the baths. He comes closer to the pool with some hesitancy to the steps. And there, he waits for instructions.
With a groaning sigh, Emma regards Tarquin with a 'you'd /better/ not screw this up' glare before she very forcefully places her head upon the ledge. One can actually hear the sound of skull meeting marble, and the young Firgalik woman hisses.
Tarquin ohs. Small point here. Tia and Emma likely have not seen him since his... haircut. He's shaved bald, mostly, with uneven patches in places. Small detail.
If Tia noticed, she said nothing -- kids will be kids. Or maybe she didn't know how long Tarquin's hair was to begin with! Doesn't matter. The attendant comes back with a few tools and Tia picks one up and holds it in front of Tarquin's face. "Tarquin, this is a pair of tweezers. I have Fiora to do this for me, but poor Emma hasn't anyone and you're the first person to answer the call. Now, come here." Tia leads Tarquin to Emma and has him bend perilously close to her face. She points out the unibrow. "Do you see how her eyebrows meet in the middle? and look at mine now," Tia points to her own -- they are perfectly sculpted. "You will want to pluck out the hairs that grow here," she points, "and here," to the underside of the brow on Emma's face. "Understand?"
Tarquin kneels at the edge of the pool, mindful of the edge, as he has a fear of water. Pools aren't really deep, but still. They're water. "Lord Jalil's eyebrows are like that, on his statue," the young boy reports. He's never really heard of people plucking eyebrows before, though. Poor boy. This is very definitely more of a Fiora type of thing. "I pull them with the sticks?" he asks, referring to the tweezers. And yep, he's leaned forward to peer at Emma's brows, leaving his unevenly shorn, mostly shaven head clearly visible. It is likely not the sort of sight to inspire confidence. *Firan*
Well, at least Emma's face isn't moving. Because right now, her expression - a horrible one - looks as though it has been etched in stone. She glares straight up at the ceiling of the bath house, and if one touched the water around her, it might be ice cold. Well, probably not, for obvious scientific reasons, but... one can just imagine. "If you poke my eye out..." she forces through her clenched teeth, before catching sight of the patchy shaven head. "TIIIAAAAA!" she shrieks.
Emma shouts, "TIIIIAAAAA!"
Tarquin shouts, "Aaaaahhhhhhh!"
Tia nods enthusiastically and leans back into the water herself, eyes closed. "Yes, Tarquin, pull them out with the sticks." Yaaaawn. MEANWHILE, BACK AT THE RANCH... the dogs continue to run around yapping... But then Emma screams and Tia blinks back into action. "What? he hasn't killed you, has he? Tarquin! Did you poke her?!" *Firan*
Tia SQUEEEEEEEEALS in a high-pitched manner that causes dogs to howl. Prince Sparklepuff, the toy spaniel barks! "YAP YAP YAP!" Princess Sparklepoof, the toy spaniel barks! "YAP YAP YAP!"
Tarquin is caught by surprised and let's out a surprised yelp. When he tries to scramble a hasty backward retreat he plops down back on his butt.
From somewhere nearby, you hear a male voice shout, "is everything allright?"
"LOOK AT HIS HAIR! No one with hair like that is getting /near/ my eyes with a... pokey thing!" Emma continues to yell, snapping her head back in place and standing up in the baths. Water splashes down off her naked body, and she scowls at Tarquin and Tia in turn. "Get someone else or I'm not /doing/ it!"
Emma shouts, "LOOK AT HIS HAIR!"
From somewhere nearby, you hear a male voice shout, "is everyone allright?"
Tarquin scuttles backwards a little, away from the pool and shrieking, yelling adults. He's lost his toy chariot in the scurrying, but concentrates on looking appropriately contrite, since Emma is upset. Clearly. "I'm sorry, Lady Emma," he apologizes. Why? He's not sure. *Firan*
Whoa -- Oh whoa! Tia immediately flops into Fixit! mode and shakes her head, holding her hands out to grab Emma's arms. "It's fine!" she says with a smile. "Sit! Sit and -- no no, Emma, really. It's entirely fine." A winning smile coupled with a few whispered words of encouragement. "That's not his fault, he had someone else do it. Just sit back -- Tarquin, come back here. He had nothing to do with his hair, he'll do a lovely job on your brows." Beam! TiaTasticSmile! "Let him work."
Tia tries to persuade Emma to let Tarquin pluck her brows.
>>> You cannot resist Tia's powers of persuasion.
>>> You should let Tarquin pluck her brows unless it is outrageously out of character.
If you refuse to let Tarquin pluck her brows, you need to contact an admin, notify Tia of the dispute, and postpone play until a decision can be made. Use the @911 command.
Emma grits her teeth, regarding Tarquin with a more intense version of her earlier 'do not poke my eye out' gaze. But, Tia's magic has worked, and she obliges, if a little haltingly. "Fine," she grouses, plopping back into the water and replacing her head on the ledge. "Fine." *Firan*
Another winning smile and Tia leans forward, kisses her in law's cheek, and gestures for Tarquin to commence with the plucking.
PH emit: There is something of a fuss going on in the women's baths, if the women leaving it are any guide. Something about eyebrows and Lady Tia and fashion, but the stories are quite confused.
Tarquin does not contradict Tia out loud, though he does give a hesitant shake of his head at her claim about who's responsible for the haircut. Of course, most people have others cut their hair, so it's possible some irresponsible and uncoordinated young child has done that to his. "I'll be very careful, Lady Emma," he promises. Now, though, he has performance anxiety, and his hand is shaking a little as he picks up the tweezer. He's not sure how to use them so settles on a two-handed approach. And... the tweezers descend. DOOM! *Firan*
Princess Sparklepoof, the toy spaniel pushes into your leg and trods upon your foot, as if claiming you.
<OOC: ROLL> Tarquin rolls his Coordination + Hairstyling at difficulty 7 and gets 1 success.
Vesia comes in from the Rotunda. Vesia has arrived.
Bath attendants welcome Vesia to the baths and offer to take her clothing.
Tia looks pretty relaxed, actually, despite the commotion. Dogs are yapping all over the baths, people are staring at Emma, and Tia? Tia lounges. Tarquin hovers over Emma with a pair of tweezers.
Emma swallows dryly, keeping her eyes closed very lightly as Tarquin goes to work on her brow. Her lips are drawn in a perfectly straight line, except for when she parts them ever so slightly to hiss, "That hurts," or, "Too close to my eyeball," or something unintelligible, therefore most likely quite inappropriate. *Firan*
Vesia looked at you.
Tarquin has an unevenly shorn head, too, for what's that worth. Anyway, he's bent over Emma's head with tweezers, yes, in a two-handed grip, and a studious look on his young face. It seems this is to do with eyebrow plucking. One hair is caught in the pinchers, and then, RIP! He's actually not half-bad at this, as it's somewhat like plucking wings off flies and other things it is that little boys do to pass the time.
Vesia waves off the bathboys when she enters the baths, and like a few trickling women into the baths, she is looking for what all of the commotion is about! Is someone dying? Did they drown? She asks the people she passes before alighting on the scene! "Oh." She utters to herself as comprehension dawns. Still, she lingers and watches Tarquin - the small little boy wielding the painful device. Hah. *Firan*
<OOC: ROLL> Emma rolls her Endurance at difficulty 7 and gets 3 successes.
This is really not bad. Emma doesn't seem to be having that horrible of a time being plucked, by the way she is able to remain still - but she does attempt to spice up the grooming session by saying, "Ow," every time a tiny hair is pulled out by its root. "Ow. Ow. Ow. Ow." It's probably very annoying.
Tia gives an exasperated sigh when Emma starts carrying on. "Oh, /really/, Emma," she says, opening one eye. "You would be intolerable in battle, you know." *Firan*
<OOC: ROLL> Tarquin rolls his Hairstyling + Coordination at difficulty 7 and gets 2 successes.
Tarquin plucks. Plucks. Plucks. Where do the eyebrow hairs go? Why, into the pool. Or on the floor. He hasn't noticed Vesia's observation since he's intent on not poking Emma's eye out or anything. Honestly, the boy does have a knack for this. Latent floof tendencies? Who knows! He avoids impaling an eyeball or even making it hurt any worse than eyebrow plucking normally does, for what that's worth. Eventually, though, he looks up at Tia expectantly, paused.
Okay, so.. Vesia might have stayed for it all, since eyebrow-plucking is so terribly exciting but! There's a cockatrice gladiator for her to jeer at! Now, that? Serious business.
Vesia leaves the baths. Vesia has left.
"I would not!" Emma insists in between plucks, her eyes opening narrowly. Tada. She stfu's with the ow-ing.
"Don't stop," says Tia with some amount of exasperation.
"Yes, m'lady," Tarquin says dutifully. He really is trying very hard here, though it's clear that the boy has grown quite bored of this particular chore. He is bored enough to ask questions, in fact, as he riiiips out another fine hair, adding to a developing gulf between the two brows. "Why are you getting rid of your eyebrows, Lady Emma?"
Tia sinks down further into the baths and then disappears altogether. Ploop!
Emma purses her lips together to consider that question, and she stares directly up at Tarquin. With that ploop, she glances towards the underwater visage of Tia, and grumbles out a covert answer, "Because I have a sister-in-law who is the daughter of Lady Lucretia." Apparently that's supposed to speak for itself.
Tarquin is confused. He plucks a little more and then stops, shaking out one hand, and then the other. "How do I tell when it's done?" the boy asks, as he leans over closer to peer once more up close, looking down at Emma upside down. "When they're all gone?" *Firan*
"No. NOOOO," Emma gasps, pushing Tarquin out of the way so she can touch her eyebrow...s? Oh wow, there's two! And they're not completely gone. Phew. "I don't know, get me a mirror," she replies to the plucked-out boy, sitting up straight. She snaps her fingers at one of the servants that hover around her and Tia (mostly Tia) and lo! A bedazzled mirror appears. Peering at her reflection, she pushes her fingers against her eyebrowS and nods once. "I think that's fine." Even if they're still a little thick, at least there's two of them. Right?
Tarquin watches Emma for a moment, but then he decides to try this on himself. Very awkwardly, he maneuvers the tweezers around toward his own eyebrow, narrowling missing gouging himself in the eye, and tries plucking a hair. It takes a few tries for him to get a good grip on one, since it's sight unseen, but then he rips! And howls with pain.
Tia bobs back to the surface to see -- OH LOOK! Tia? squeals. "Oh, Emma! You look delightful! darling! lovely! You're a catch for any man, truly! I wish I could be as pretty as you! Oh, you must grow your eyebrow," single! "back! I fear I grow envious of your beauty!" It sure /sounds/ enthused -- and for all that enthusiasm, it's terribly Tia-ly sincere. When Tarquin starts howling, Tia stops prattling to stare at him oddly. "...Commoners are terribly odd." *Firan*
Tia SQUEEEEEEEEALS in a high-pitched manner that causes dogs to howl. Prince Sparklepuff, the toy spaniel barks! "YAP YAP YAP!" Princess Sparklepoof, the toy spaniel barks! "YAP YAP YAP!"
Emma stares at Tia strangely, completely and utterly dubious at the elder Firgalik's compliments and apparent envy. "Thanks," is all she can manage, as the flesh around her brow begins to redden and swell somewhat. She's probably not helping, pushing at it as often as she is. "How often do I have to do this?" she asks, one eye on Tarquin as he... plucks himself. *Firan*
Eirian giggles at Tarquin, quickly covering her mouth as she dips her head. She lifts a finger to touch her own eyebrows, thankfully still separate at her age. Water runs down her face from her wet hand as she considers the young man, quite taken still with the fact he is in the women's baths. But she slowly goes about the pool to gaze at Tia. "Lady..T...Lady Firgalik."Her smile is warm and she seems caught for words at first. "I am Eirian...I live in the orphanage you sponsor." *Firan*
Tarquin moves a hand up to rub at his brow, which is all owie. When he spots Eirian, he stares curiously for a few moments and then waves, forgetting about the tweezers and his 'job' there for a moment.
Tarquin whispers, loudly so that Eirian hears, "Don't forget to bow." Or curtsy, of course, since she's a girl, but that's not what he says. *Firan*
Tia answers Emma first, ignoring Eirian for a moment. "Every two weeks or so," Tia says simply. "I do mine every day, but for someone of your disposition, I'm sure two weeks will suffice." A bright beam and Tia turns to look at this orphan of hers. "Aha. Do you? And do you find it pleasant? Are your caretakers good people?" She's remote, perhaps distant, but as friendly as royalty might be expected to be with those of other stations. *Firan*
Emma's brows scrunch together as she gagues the gravity of this statement. Her eyes fall on Tarquin, and she snaps her fingers at him. "Every two weeks. You got that?" Apparently, Tarquin is now Emma's official brow-plucker. She doesn't wait for him to respond before her intense gaze seeks out the current object of Tia's attention, who gets a quick once-over and nothing more. "I'm going to go... do... something," the younger royal announces vaguely before stepping out of the baths and making her way towards the bath attendant with her clothes. *Firan*
Eirian beams at Tarquin and waves, her hand lifting just out of the water, before she attempts a bow in the water without rising too high. She looks then at Tia. "Yes, it is nice. Except they do not like me going to Uf and Eesha..." She blinks, "can I do that Lady Ti....Firgalik? You like Uf and Eesha, right?" She smiles warmly at the lady. "You are prettier than your statue.." she murmurs, looking quite shy. *Firan*
Tia's eyes widen when Eirian starts talking about pagan gods. She looks at Tarquin as if it's his fault and then back at Eirian. "Are you not a Gold Dragon?" she asks, lifting a black brow slowly. Emma gets an absentminded nod. Toodles, Emma. "If you are Gold Dragon, you should know that there is but one true god and what you speak is blasphemy -- and I'm afraid I cannot abide by that." *Firan*
Tarquin gives the expected answer to Emma, which is a politely stated, "Yes my lady." Oooh. And suddenly he is reminded. Time to tattle. "Pretty Princess Firgalik? That girl Fiora, I like her but she believes that there are other gods too. We almost got in an argument." *Firan*
"She is not a Gold Dragon," Tia says simply. "You'll have to learn to live with it."
"May I please teach her about the One True God?" Tarquin presses. He's not a zealot, not by far, but he does try to help others.
Tia rolls her eyes and sighs at Tarquin, "If you like." *Firan*
Eirian gets that look of 'oh no' not another. "I....Mer Raheem says my father was Gold Dragon...but mother was Griffon...she ..she taught us about Eesha and Uf." Her gaze falls and she steps back. "Mer Raheem.." She starts softly, "Told me that because we didn't pray to Zutiv, my family died. He said Zutiv was angry." *Firan*
"Uh huh," Tia says absently. "I'll find you a priest."
Tarquin has an opinion here, that he interjects. "It make Zutiv upset when people pray to things that aren't gods," the young boy explains. "That's why you should only pray to Zutiv. He's the One True God." There's no passion in his voice, really, like some of the more enthusiastic children, the ones who play games like Inquisition the Heretic, might play. He's simply parroting the only thing he's been taught. *Firan*
Emma dons her stupid girly clothes hastily, pulling her hair into a braid and stuffing hairpins inside unceremoniously. With her two separate eyebrows, stola, and palla, she actually makes a pretty presentable Gold Dragon lady. Of course, the Griffon talk elicits a glare out of her. Right at the kid. There, she's counteracted any softness that might have surfaced since her brow transformation. But she's getting the hell out of here, before Tia applies lipstick.
