Away from Champions Calling [open]

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The pantheon was miles behind. Away from the arena where the gods use mortal beings as entertainment and diversion. Away from her mother who had forgotten all about her. Away from everywhere she didn’t want to be. However, she could hardly say that the Crystal Springs was terribly far from the city, but far enough to be relaxing. She finds a place to stay fairly close to the springs, which weren’t very populated this time of year.

She grabs a few things, like towels and a change of clothes, before heading the hot pools. Wrapped in a large cloak to protect her from the cold, she searches for a place to bathe. She manages to quickly spot a vacant pool. Wonderful! She could bathe in peace and enjoy the heat of the springs. She gets undressed before submerging herself under the water, thankful for the lack of any other presence. She didn’t really want to give a show for free.

The heat instantly puts her at easy. Lying back against the wall of the pool, she has a blissful expression almost comparable to her own mother. Why didn’t she come out here more often than twice a year?

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Amiee left the city behind for the day, the chill in the air had kept her busy along with the other dancers the last few weeks. Men and women alike if they were not going to check out the brutal fights where the Gods choice a champion then there were looking entertainment. If it wasn't making her money she would have turned a nose to  it. 

Her thoughts soon ended up on the scents of the springs, the fresh water was always calming. Lifting her head she took a sniff of the air finding a spot that wasn't too populated by humans. It's not that she didn't mind humans just unless she was entertaining them, they didn't take well to her kind. Finding a spot, she headed down, following the path.

Looking into the pool, she notice a lone person, not able to pick on the person to know if they human or not. Taking a deep breath she stripped down, thankful for her fur since she didn't have to wear coat unless the weather turned for the worst. Placing her paw into the spring testing the waters, before slowly lowering her body fully into the waters.

Unlike the others who may come to spring, she didn't come to bathe, she came to relax and let her nervous unbundled. Lifting up some of the water in her paws, she let it wash over her head. A soft purr left her, as she relax more, taking her hair started combing through it with her claws, being mindful of the other person sharing the spring with as well. 

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At the sound of something entering the water, Lia looks across from her to the new presence. She’s almost surprised that another person was here. Teair Nova was probably packed with people from all over. Few other people skipped out on the festivities of Champions Calling. Perhaps if this was her first time seeing a half cat-half person, Lia would have been more curious. Yet, considering last time the half tigress yelled at her for simple singing, she was slightly more reserved.

A few moments of silence pass between the two of them, and Lia realizes how awkward it is easy to sit next to someone without saying anything. “Are you running away from the commotion of the capital as well?” she asks with a friendly smile.

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Her ears twitched every so slightly upon hearing the person's voice. To be all honesty she wasn't truly expecting the woman to be friendly. Thinking upon her words she stopped for a moment. She wasn't running away from the commotion it was good source of income for her this time of year. Shaking her head, no at the question,

"I'm simply enjoying a day off. Plus the water here is good for your body." She replied flashing shy smile. Normally she would have felt uneasy around strangers, yet for some strange reason she wasn't at this moment. Maybe it was simply due to the fact that they both were naked, so feeling uneasy would be silly in the situation. 

"What is there to run from? The fact that those people." She paused for a moment looking to the sky, whisper a soft apology to the deities. "Are willing to harm each other to become a champion. The only thing that makes it bearable, is the fact that it brings in money to the city." Having voiced her thoughts she now did wonder why the woman was here. "I truly hope you don't mind me asking but why are you here?" 

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As the cat woman says the water was good for one’s body, Lia smiles and nod. “I can’t disagree with that.” The stress of everyday life seemed so far away, and she hardly remembers being this relaxed in the past few days. She moves her arms through the water a little, enjoying the relaxed feeling of her muscles.

The response that the woman gives takes Lia a bit off guard. Lia blinks before looking at her curiously. So she also disliked watching people fight each other for the god’s amusement? While it was sentiment that she shared, it felt almost blasphemous to say aloud due to just how many people seemed to disagree with her. However, here was a person of a like mind. “Well, the reason I normally give is that as an entertainer, people pay more attention to the fights that myself, so there is no real reason to be in the city during that holiday. The truth, I guess, would be about what you just said. I don’t enjoy watching the games that gods play with mortals,” she says, watching the steam from the water rise up into the cold air. "And I am not sure what I would do if happened to meet one of them, which is a distinct possibility if I went."

[Rivers]

As the two women talked there was a plop in the water as a stone seemed to fall from nowhere. If either of the girls looked at the rock they would find it carved with an odd rune. About a minute later a man suddenly emerges into the hot spring bare ass naked and holding was appeared to be a wash basin and a bar of soap. "And now for a quick bath be..fore...I..." He trails off as he peers through the stream and finds himself in the presence of two ladies.

"Well, I didn't expect anyone else to be here." He says as he slowly begins to lower himself into the water, completely ignoring the awkwardness of the situation. He lets out a blissful sigh as he finishes sinking in and then seems to reach into the air itself and pull a small bag of pebbles out and his coat and cloths which he carefully lays on the side of the spring. The stones had the same runic markings as the one that had suddenly appeared in the middle of the air and plopped into the spring.

"Sorry to intrude on your little vacation ladies, my name is Rivers are you are?" He asks, not able to quite see through the steam at the moment.

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Amiee listen to the woman who seems not enjoy mindless fighting as much as she did herself. Maybe they could talk maybe they were more views they shared.

Her thought were interrupted by the sudden ripples in the pool. Her eyes looking for the spot of which the pebble came from as her ears turn trying to find sounds of another person. She would have tried to sniff them out if it wasn't for the fact water hide all other scents.

Her whole body stiffen upon hearing a male voice. Her fur standing on the edge, even with the matted water log fur. She didn't even hear footsteps. This person and a male to boot just appeared out of nowhere.

Her tail went to wrap around her waist, prayed that the stream didn't clear away. She didn't need nor want male to see her during this private moment.

Hearing his question, she felt compelled to answer. Her voice shaking as each word left her lips. "I'm Amiee."

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Lia watches the other woman for a response, but Rivers’ sudden appearance breaks up their current conversation. An in effort to preserve some level of modesty, she sinks further into the water, hoping that the water and steam covered up enough. She quickly averts her eyes until Rivers also gets into the water.

Lia shrugs as Rivers says he didn’t expect anyone else to be here. “Me either. This is my normal vacation spot, and I’m normally the only one here this time of year.” She watches as the stones appear in the middle of the air and fall into the spring. The markings were some form of magic, but she couldn’t really discern what their purpose was.

However, she gets pulled back into the conversation as soon as the other woman mentions her name. She had completely forgotten to exchange names with Aimee. “Sorry. How rude of me. My name is Lia.” Looking back at Rivers, she says, "I would have thought you would be watching the fights and seeing who would become the current Champion."  

[Rivers]

Rivers glances up at the figures in the steam and after makes sure to lower himself, though he was not particularly embarrassed. There was an age at which one realized they are what they are and modesty is only for the benefit of others. After thinking for a moment he realized he recognized one of the voices. "Oh, hey is that Lia? I'm surprised to find you here, figured you'd be performing and trying to catch the attention of the nobles. Events like this are great if you're trying to make it big." he points out as if lecturing someone.

When Aimee introduces herself he smiles a bows his head slightly. "Well Ms. Aimee it is a pleasure to meet you." He greets as he splashes some water on his face. This place was nice he could feel tension seeping out of him. As he leans back he looks up at the sky, It's always the most brilliant when one is not in a city. He muses to himself and closes his eyes.

He opens his eyes again when Lia asks him about watching the fights and he lets out a low laugh. "Well there is merit in watching the fights, but many see them and they are recounted often, I can piece together the stories of earlier fights from others." He explains then closes his eyes again. "I will of course be going back for the major fights, the semi finals and finals most likely, but no need to worry about it now."

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Amiee waved her paw at Lia, if anything she should have introduce herself first since she was the last one to come. Looking from the others she lift her tail out of the water. She ran her claws silently through the end of her tail, combing out the knots.

She was in a little awe of the humans, it never did seem to amazed her. Both Lia and River came for the intention of a bath, based on the supplies each had near them, while she had come simply to relax for a few hours. It was truly amazing how human s thought in her opinion.

Bowing her head to Rivers. "It is nice to meet you as well." The conversation was soon back on the championship again. Then it was the reason all three of them were here after all.

"Uh... Rivers. Lia." She looked at both of them when she spoke they names as a small blush rose to her cheeks. "I was wondering are you two from this world or are you what they call." She wanted to say Fated but it felt like that wasn't the right to be used. What part of them was fated to be in this world, they were taken from they place and now forced to live in their world. If anything it was more of a kidnapping than anything else. "Fated." She finally said, as she let her hair fall down over her face hiding it from view.

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Lia didn’t need the sudden lecture to remind her of missed opportunities. However, she tries not to let that bother her. “Well, the fights are the highlights of that particular event. My own performance would be forgotten as soon as the next round came up. I doubt most would remember a small performance compared to a fight for the gods,” she says, trying to defend why she was here. “The Festival of the Gods would be better for getting attention, but I don’t feel like working on my birthday normally.”

Most people didn’t think Lia was anything other than Novian. “Do I seem so exotic?” she jokes before smiling at Aimee. “No. I was raised within the walls of Teair Nova.” She would have liked to have said born there, but she wasn’t exactly sure if she was. “I can’t really imagine what it would be like to suddenly be ripped away from one’s home like that.” Some of the Fated seemed to come from worlds far different from this one. It was both amazing and frightening how far Fate’s reach extended.

“How about you, Aimee? Are you from here or someplace else?” she asked.

[Rivers]

As Amiee greets him Rivers gives her a casual wave in greeting. "It's nice to meet you Amiee, my name is Rivers." He greets.

"Lia, you know that you really underrate you're performances, I think you're pretty good, we managed to get a lot of attention after that little stunt we pulled at the ball." He reminds her, smirking a bit at the memory. "I am sure some would remember your performance." Though he does not push the conversation or point any further than that.

After listening to Amiee's comment on the fated Rivers stays silent for a moment then says. "We don't all feel like we were kidnapped, though I am sure most of us do." He informs her with a clear implication in his words. "I think to some extent the Fated are people who had fewer attachments to bind them to their prior world. Though this world is much closer to the world I am from than the one I was in before." He admits, this was the closest he had been to "home" in years.

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Lia has to agree that most people don’t share her and Aimee’s opinions on Champions Calling. Not that it made that less disappointing. The whole idea of worshipping such flawed, immortal beings struck her as close to insanity. However, it was what it was. “It hasn’t been for lack of trying, but I can’t ever manage to get the spirit of the holiday.” There was a point once when she tried to enjoy it when she was younger, but even then she had trouble actually having fun watching the pointless fighting.

Concern takes over when Amiee sheds a few tears over reminiscing about other villages and towns. However, she acts as though she didn’t notice when Amiee ducks her head below the water. Clearly, the other woman didn’t want to draw attention to it. Lia nods as Amiee asks if she had been outside the city. “Besides right now? But I guess this hardly counts. You can still feel the city’s reach here. But yes, I’ve been to villages and towns outside the city. However, they tend to be a lot smaller and quieter than I am used to, and I normally don’t stay there all too long.” She did love the city, and unless she travelled to further kingdoms, she probably wasn’t going to find another place comparable to Teair Nova in size, the number of people, or things to do and see.

Lia looks at Rivers curiously as he reveals himself to be Fated. “I thought you said you were from Heaven’s Pass?” Bards, they never were a straightforward sort, were they?

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Amiee smiled at Lia she had a point being outside the city right now didn't count one was still within claw grab. Listening to Lia it seem like she wasn't as much of worldly traveled but the city in a way was she safety blanket to keep her safe from the unexpected elements of what could happen on the road.

"I didn't mean any insult Rivers. Just I don't think that ever person who are Fated feels the same way. What about those that had more to hold onto, in they worlds." Looking at the water, she took a cup full in her paw, watching the way the water trickled between her claws falling back to join the spring it was just taken from. "I am happy that this world it close to you own. Not many I believe see this world anywhere close to they own."

Finally looking up at Rivers, as Lia mention that he said to her at some point it seem that he was from Heaven's Pass. It was interesting, so was in his world that was a place that was similar to Heaven's Pass.

[Rivers]

As Lia calls him out on telling her he was from Heaven's Pass he laughs a bit. "Well I can see why you would be confused, I am from heavens pass, but 1000 years and 1,000,000 decisions distant. When I originally came here I thought I had traveled through time, but returned to my original world, that's not the case though. This place is different, far too different from the place I came to possibly be the same world. For one mages are not oppressed, I imagine most of the mages who would one day become the foundation of my hometown are currently in this city studying the craft." He admits, it had been a long time since he had thought about his home, he wondered if what Aria said about most of it being gone was really true.

He lets out a sigh and relaxes into the water, but when Amiee brings up the people who had more attachments in their original worlds he shakes his head.

"People move, forget, and change all the time, coming here is basically no different than leaving your village in another world...well most of them anyways, I've been in one that had the infrastructure to actually move people all across the world. The key though is not what you've lost though, it's what you will do going forward. A Fated, more than anyone else needs to seek enjoyment in the hear and now, they should laugh, love, try to make this world home because it very well might be." He explains, as though he was speaking from experience.

"I don't know what Fate is up to, bringing strangers here, but I think it is a sign that the world needs to change, and sign that this world's fate needs to change as well."