parsley, sage, rosemary, and thyme

[Jupiter]

A monochromatic strix simply padding along in the woods was quite an unusual sight. Jupiter bobbed and weaved between the moonlit trunks, head twisting to and fro. Pupils expanded to their full depth, she stared straight through the dark, tail lashing curiously. The grass underfoot was still dewy, but not completely soaking her trousers or squelching uncomfortably. Duck underneath a branch and - oh!

She'd been following the sound of water, in need of a drink to go with the meal taken earlier (a rather large stag she hoped hadn't been Awake) and clean it off with. A creek no larger than three of her steps across bubbled over some rocks. Jupiter was immediately taken by it, hopping over eagerly.

It wasn't polluted or blackened water, but clear enough to see the bottom and minnows darting about. The mossy moon glistened above and in the mirror-like reflection. If she stared down a particular way, her face resembled the unseen moon.

Odd, wasn't it?

Feathers puffing out, she slowly trudged into the widest point she could see, squatting low. Moving her wings in quick, decisive flicks, water splashed up onto her underside and back. Jupiter craned her neck, dousing her throat and chin with water. Rinse-and-repeat, with a few bits of preening and grooming here and there.

Nothing to see here but a massive bird taking a bath under light of at least one full moon.

[Vivilene]

If Vivilene could help it, she didn't leave the White Woods.

It was nice in there. Comforting, even! She'd teased around going outside of the threshhold before where the grass turned green and the trees stopped being white-- they were huge and brown and green and held colourful little birds in them. Something about it seems cold to her, however.

That much didn't keep her away for long, however. Vivilene had a curious mind, and some days after she found herself waking up in the middle of the woods, she was wandering out where the land turned green, following the bank of a river.

As she had discovered (surprisingly!) she could see fairly well at night. Perhaps even better than she could during the day. The white forest was nice, but during the day, when everything was bleached and glowing silver, it did become a bit of an eyesore.

This was nice. Peaceful, even. She took a deep breath and fought off the lingering sense of dread, right up until the sound of splashing caught her ears.

Her head spun for the bird. "--you're very big," she spluttered out immediately, because Jupiter was.

The elf trudged carefully closer, until her ankles were engulfed in cool, dark water. For a time she studied the strix with her thin hands clasping over in front of the silver-leaf cloak draped over her, thinking. "Are you... bathing? Do you--"

She hesitated, and then lowered her voice to a near-whisper. "Do you need privacy..?"

[Jupiter]

Jupiter's head twisted rather horribly to stare at the approaching creature with widening eyes. She stiffened - all bathing was put on hold - and just... stared. First at the glowing?! being and then herself. Clearly, the strix had no clue what it was she was looking for, but she did have an answer for the first statement: an unequivocal "yes." What a dumb thing to say. Of course she's big. Hardly anything came close to her in size; she often wondered why that was the case.

Now, though, she was wondering... did she need privacy? It didn't occur to her as a thing required to survive. She'd never thought about it, and the awkward silence ensuing was definitely a good hint to that. Jupiter stared blankly at the elf, then herself, then back. No feathers or fur except on top of her head... but covered up in... plants? Bathed in moonlight?

She wasn't... naked, right? Shuffling to face Vivilene fully, the strix peered under her own wings and between her soaked trousers. Tail fanning out and completing one (1) lashing motion, she considered and found... "no... ?" Blink. "... should I?"

Maybe it was polite to have your own privacy?

Maybe you weren't supposed to just bathe in public for the whole world to see, even if you were a giraffe-sized bird?

Jupiter blinked owlishly (hah) again and lowered herself, "do... do you?" Was the elf bathing? Is that why she asked? "My name is Jupiter - I think. Yeah, Jupiter." the strix blurted abruptly. Can't forget that detail.

Vivilene

[Vivilene]

With a bounce of her hair, Vivilene nodded her gentle agreement at the confirmation. Jupiter was big. This was now a fact. There was some strange comfort in this, though Vivilene was unsure if she could entirely explain herself on that one.

She was patient, but she was waiting, watching the unreasonably huge bird look between her, themselves, and back again. Only once did Vivilene ruffle herself out again, cloak rustling almost melodically.

And then-- "I think that's up to you," she said, with a tone of wisdom totally unreasonable for the subject at hand. "Some people like to be alone when they do certain things. Some people feel a little threatened when they're bathing, or drinking, or eating. They might feel vulnerable."

A gentle pause, and a tilt of her pale head. "If you feel vulnerable I can go?"

She of course, did not explain what the hell she was doing there, or why she decided to stop to interrogate a bird about their bathing habits.

Vivilene's head lowered just a little as Jupiter did, watching politely, looking mostly at her face rather than the wet, soggy feathers that was the rest of her. "I'm, ahh, Vivilene," she went on gently. "Pleased to meet you."

And then, she considered the question. The times Vivilene bathed she had been alone-- no one had been around her and no one had tried to talk to her. She was unsure, personally, if she would have minded? The white forest was very peaceful, but if she were to bathe in these waters--

"I think sometimes it's nice to do things alone," she settled with. "I'm not bathing right now, though? I don't need privacy right now."

Jupiter

[Jupiter]

Jupiter was big - and water was wet. Two irrevocably true things.

Alien eyes widened at the bit of wisdom, indeed too ancient- and powerful-seeming for the subject matter, but altogether fascinating. Something up to her? For once? The strix had no hand in when she was hungry or thirsty, nor the speed of the sun (no matter how many times she asked it to slow down or stay for a while longer as it set) or the cool night that swept in on its tail. But a choice whether or not she liked to be alone with some activities?

Others would respect that, too?

Feathers ruffled, puffing like a pipe-cleaner or worm off a string. Her tail flicked up and up, and swung slowly in either direction. Jupiter twisted to inspect her undersides again, and carefully decided, "I don't... think that I mind." She didn't feel entirely vulnerable, being a giant bird washing she and her clothes.

"... pleased to meet you, too," she parroted, voice pitching up like she was about to sneeze. But, of course, that wasn't the case. Jupiter had been taken by an extreme urge to shake herself out. Poorly socialized as she was, the strix thought that her new friend? wouldn't appreciate being splashed if she wasn't currently bathing.

It was so... so tempting. Water was just dripping between her feathers and running down in ticklish rivulets now. Balancing on one leg and itching herself wasn't enough. Jupiter nodded briefly, hooting a soft "'cuse me" before sending a torrent of water splashing all over the place. She underestimated the radius of it, having only stepped maybe five feet away.

Still wet, but not as much - oh "oh, no - sorry, sorry, I didn't think it'd go that far -" the blow-dried owl hopped out of the stream, traipsing slightly down the shore towards Vivilene, who she was sure would be sopping-wet now.

Vivilene

Rolling to restrain dog energy...

Rolling 1d20: 10

[Vivilene]

Vivilene nodded a little. "That's good," she said in response. "You can always change your mind later, anyway? Whatever, ahh, makes you happy."

The change in Jupiter's pitch was barely-noticed as the elf was briefly distracted thinking of what to say next-- she was about to explain how happiness is important and boundaries should be respected when the strix excused herself and turned away.

"Okay!" She responded cheerfully, politely, and then was promptly fucking soaked.

For a moment she didn't notice, not until the cold hit her seconds after thick, heavy droplets of water did. She stood in the spot confusedly, hair stuck to her face and leaves stuck to the rest of her.

And then she was... sad. Vivilene wasn't sure if she'd ever been sad before, and there was some nipping feeling of fear as it washed over her. It almost hurt-- though she knew in the back of her mind that she was physically unahrmed, she felt as though Jupiter might as well have swept her off her feet and sent her painfully tumbling onto the ground.

Even as the strix apologized, the feeling didn't go away. Thorns pricked the back of her nose and as she sniffed, just a little, she felt water spill out of her eyes-- or maybe they had just gotten wet, too, with the splash?

"No, um, it's okay?" She said with the uncertain waver of someone who was Not Really Okay. "It's-- um, fine I--"

She took a breath much shakier than she would have liked, wobbling and hissing through her aching throat. "I guess I'm, uh, taking a bath now?" She tried to laugh it off, but this sound too, was a little miserable to hear.

Falling quiet, the elf started to pick leaves off her skin and sweep her hair back against her scalp, gently peeling the cloak off over her head. It was colder without it on-- the night air stung, but she figured keeping on wet 'clothes' would just make it worse.

At least she'd dry out faster this way.

Jupiter

[Jupiter]

Change her mind later? Nothing's set in stone?

There weren't enough words to describe the look of pure awe on the enormous owl's face. Everything seemed pretty permanent so far (except for, y'know, being alive.) Trees were trees forever, yeah? Her eyes were blown to one hundred percent openness.

Then... there was the monsoon and the aftermath of it. Jupiter visibly shrunk - she didn't like seeing others hurt, not even the prey she had to hunt to survive. If she killed, it was made quick and merciful. Did water hurt others? No, she was just standing in it... Did she hurt? It was a little cold, but... rain didn't hurt?

It had to be the cold.

Jupiter huddled down, trying to seem as small as possible. Positioning so her legs were perfectly hidden underneath herself, she let out a soft coo, "I'm sorry..." You could hear the frown in it. Nestling into place, the strix watched Vivilene stripping off her clothes (with no small amount of wonder, because that wasn't attached to her? Wouldn't that make her colder? Having less... fur? on herself?

Her feathers were still a bit wet, but it was better than nothing - "I think I'm warm... ? If it'll... help? I'm sorry." Jupiter lifted a wing, offering her side after preening at it a few times and flicking water off (thankfully away from Vivilene) the feathers.

Vivilene

[Vivilene]

Vivilene rubbed her face a little harshly, trying to force the emotions that were bubbling up in her chest and trying to make their way out her face (which was, also, alarming to think that her face was leaking) and then, gently, she lowered her hands to her bare arms to rub them, too.

Jupiter was trying to make herself smaller-- but that didn't seem to be entirely working out. She was still several times larger than Vivilene, but she was gentle, apologizing. "No, it's-- it's okay," she kept reassuring shakily, but she didn't feel like it was okay. She felt cold and hurt and she wanted to go back to the white forest and lay underneath a tree and sleep.

... but the strix did look warm.

The elf crept underneath a garantuan wing and shifted close, sticking her pale face (and then the rest of her) into a thick swathe of ashen feathers. It was warm, though a little damp. It couldn't be worse than she was.

"Thank you," she said quietly and Vivilene began to quietly settle, taking a seat and folding her legs underneath her.

A few beats passed and slowly, Vivilene took a very long breath. Her head angled upwards to the sky-- the stars glinting across like paint, dark patches of clouds unevenly wisping along, framed with dark feathers above.

"You could probably fly all the way to the stars," she murmured, half in awe. "Land on one of the moons and rest."

Jupiter