Lucia leads Anisa and Aaron across the track and up the steps that form the base of the gymnasium. A fighting exhibition is going on inside, with two large adolescents (at least, larger than Anisa) in leather armor going at each other with padded shields and swords, while the rest of the students sit in a circle around them and observe.

Aside from the combatants, the sole standing figure is an imposingly large gray buck who occasionally barks out a comment or critique. The tips of both of his ears appear to have been torn or bitten off, and beyond a patch over his right eye, all he wears is a simple loincloth. From the number of visible scars on his body, he is either a veteran of many battles, or else was dragged for a few miles behind a Dromodon over sharp rocks.

The watching students are of various ages, and all wear loincloths or shorts, except for a few that are wearing red leather armor.

"That's Epimetheus the Trainer," Lucia whispers to Anisa. "It looks like he's pitting a warrior candidate against a guardian trainee. The guardian is the one with the taller shield, since he doesn't have to ride on Vykarin-back."

Anisa watches the two combatants go at each other, then to the enormous trainer. "So that's Epimetheus? He looks like he's had his share of battles."

"He's a tough one, alright," Aaron comments. "He was training people here back when I as just a kid, and is one of the only bucks that has gone on raids with the warriors."

Lucia perks her ears at this, and asks, "Why did they take him along?"

"He picked out which defeated guardians should be taken as slaves," Aaron explains.

Anisa furrows her brow. "You mean they never take the bucks on raids? So why is he the one teaching? Shouldn't it be a doe?"

"He does all the basic training, Anisa," Aaron whispers. "The does that pass go on to train with the warriors, and the bucks continue their training to become guardians. At these ages, there isn't much difference between bucks and does, after all."

CRACK! The top quarter of the guardian's shield is smashed into kindling and the boy is knocked to the hard marble floor. The warrior stares at her padded wooden weapon in astonishment, pausing just long enough so that Epimetheus yells, "Never freeze up like that! In real combat, another guardian would have taken you out by now." The grizzled instructor strides into the circle and helps up the fallen boy, who cradles his shield arm as if it were broken. "Deianira, take Aeson to the infirmary," Epimetheus says to the surprised warrior, and then he waves to the rest of the class. "That's it for today, go to your exercises."

Silently, the class gets up and begins to disperse to the field, except for the two red-armored students who head off back towards the villa.

The smaller doe shakes her head. "It's just kind of confusing, is all." She watches the group disperse, then looks to her companions. "Well, should we go say 'Hi?'"

"Of course!" Lucia says, and waves to the instructor. "Epimetheus, I've brought visitors from the sky island!"

The old buck turns towards the call, and looks over Lucia and the smaller pair of Lapis with his good eye, which is a surprising gold in color. "An outsider bringing more outsiders, eh?"

Anisa starts to smile, but the expression fades at the trainer's comment. "You count Xavier as an outsider?" she replies, and looks to the smaller buck.

Lucia's ears go back a bit at the reminder of her status, and she covers by introducing the others. "This is Anysia Snowshoe – no relation – of Rephidim, who is also a trainer. And this buck trying to hide behind me is Linnea's son Xavier, who is Anysia's student."

The old trainer looks over Anisa, and nods. "Yes, the runt is only part of the Clan by heredity, not by action."

Aaron tries not to slouch, even though his ears give that impression when they're lopped to the sides as they are now. "Hello again, Trainer," he mutters.

The smaller doe blinks at being referred to as a trainer, and can't help but grin at the title. The grin disappears at Epimetheus's words, and she crosses her arms with a frown. For the moment, she remains silent.

"What sort of training do you do, Anysia?" the old warrior asks, noting the doe's mood.

"Hand to hand, unarmed. Boxing mostly," Anisa replies. "And Aaron's been coming along nicely. Don't be so fast to count him out." The doe raises her chin in a bit of a defiant look, which is almost comical considering her stature in comparison to the buck's.

Epimetheus looks over Aaron with a bit more consideration this time. "Hmmm, he looks a bit stronger. Still too small, but no amount of training can change that. What is this 'boxing,' though? Some sort of bludgeon?"

Lucia looks curious as well.

"The only unarmed combat they teach here is wrestling," Aaron whispers to Anisa in Standard.

Anisa cocks her head to the side. "You mean you've never heard of boxing?" The doe swivels an ear to Aaron, then blinks. "Well, it's hand to hand … you know. More punching and kicking, using your own body as a weapon."

The old buck furrows his brow as he considers this. "It does not seem practical for combat. Is that how sky warriors fight?" he asks.

Aaron whispers to Anisa, "He understands dueling. Maybe boxing would count as a form of dueling?"

"It's more to defend yourself in a fight than for combat, really." The small doe is surprised at how suddenly the conversation has started. She nods to Aaron, and tries to think of a way to explain it. "It's like a duel," she says, "just two people, and no weapons – fists and feet only. I guess it's more a sport than a combat, although it helps."

"Perhaps you could give a demonstration of this boxing then?" Epimetheus asks, noticing Lucia's look of interest. "My students may find it entertaining."

Anisa's ears shoot up in surprise, not expecting to be some form of exhibition on her trip. "Uh, sure… right now?"

Aaron swallows nervously, since he's Anisa's only likely sparring partner.

"The children are doing their exercises now. Perhaps tomorrow?" the old trainer suggests. "Are there special preparations you need?"

Anisa looks to Aaron, then back to the old buck. "We usually spar with pads when practicing." She notices the spotted rabbit's nervous expression, and a mischievous grin washes over her face. "But I think Aaron's ready for a real match now. He's gotten quite good. All we need is a ring or a circle of some sort."

"You can use one of the wrestling pits outside," the trainer says, gesturing to one of the sand-rings outside of the building.

The small doe looks to the indicated pit, and nods. "That'll work, and by the way… " The doe tries to imitate the formal bow she saw Lucia do earlier. "… we weren't really introduced properly. My name's Anysia Snowshoe. A pleasure to meet you. They told me I'd find you interesting." She grins.

"Do you?" asks old Epimetheus. "I have fathered many a warrior's child in my time."

"Um, well, I didn't exactly come to you for that." Anisa grins nervously. "Just that you being the trainer and all. I'm really interested in fighting, you see. I want to start my own gym some day."

"I did not realize the sky lands knew of them," Epimetheus says, looking genuinely surprised, although the idea of a doe starting one doesn't seem to phase him at all. "I thought they were all too decadent to train properly. And too small."

"Size isn't everything," Aaron notes, but does so with his ears raised up to make him seem taller anyway.

Anisa smirks, crossing her arms again. "And I never thought that Lapis would make good warriors, but I seem to be wrong." She nods to Aaron. "Not all of us are spoiled lazies."

"You have lazy Lapis in the sky?" the trainer asks, looking shocked. Even Lucia looks taken aback by the thought.

"Er, decadent I mean." The Rephidimite changes her words. "Like you said. We have a little bit of everything up there." She looks to Aaron with a bit of nervousness.

Aaron shrugs to Anisa, and tells the Amazonians, "It's not as bad as in some places. There isn't as much room on a sky island for Lapis to really… uh… exercise."

"Truly, they must be strange and terrible places," Epimetheus says with a shake of his head. Lucia just scratches hers in mild confusion though.

Anisa shrugs. "It's not so bad, just… different." The doe eyes the sparring equipment on the ground, studying it.

A furry blur runs past, then slows to a stop and comes back towards the group at a saner pace. Simply walking just doesn't seem to come naturally to Coeus. The coney waves to Lucia and the others, and bows to Epimetheus… who returns the bow.

Anisa smiles at the little buck. "Hello there, Coeus! Have a little bit too much sugar?"

Most of the equipment is combat oriented: padded weapons and shields, ranging from swords to spears and something that looks like a cross between the two.

"Oh no, Anysia!" Coeus assures the doe, then pauses and asks, "What's sugar?"

The doe laughs, and shakes her head. "Nothing, nothing. What brings you out here?"

Lucia squats down to give Coeus a hug, which makes the boy squirm a bit and mutter, "Not in front of the trainer, Lucia!" Once he's free of her arms, he straightens up and says, "The baths are open again."

Anisa's ears perk up, and she looks to Lucia and Aaron. "Well, looks like it's our turn. Gonna give me the tour?"

"Certainly," Lucia says, standing up again and bowing her head to the trainer. "If we have your leave, Epimetheus?"

Epimetheus nods his head and chuckles. "Yes, by all means go and wash the road from your fur. I have nothing against Vykarins, but one should not smell like them."

Anisa grins, and bows again to Epimetheus. "It was nice meeting you, I hope I can become less 'outsiderish' to you."

Aaron leads the way down the steps. "This brings back memories. I've never been anywhere else that had convenient hot springs."

Coeus bounds past the older rabbits, and hurries into the building before they even reach the bottom of the grotto.

Anisa follows the buck downwards, canting her ears forward in curiosity. "So everyone just bathes together? Strange, it reminds me of something… a dream, I think."

"It's not uncommon in older cultures," Aaron comments, and leads the way into the building.

The antechamber to the baths is dim, lit by only a few oil lamps, although some sunlight sneaks through the gaps in the peaked wooden roof. What light there is reveals twelve alcoves with statuettes depicting the Amazonian versions of the Olympian pantheon, each with a tiny altar for leaving offerings. An open passage opposite the entrance leads to longer room beyond, which is also only dimly lit.

"It seems both familiar and odd to me," Lucia admits. "I'm used to sweathouses and ice-dips with my bath."

Coeus hops in place at the entry to the next chamber.

"I don't think you're gonna get much ice here," Anisa says, wiping some of the humidity from her fur, "but the ice thing sounds kinda neat."

"Just a moment, Coeus, I need to get something for me and Anysia," Aaron tells the impatient coney.

Stepping over to the toga-clad figure of the god Morpheus, Aaron kneels down and removes a cork-stopped jug and a clay bowl from beneath the altar. Resting the bowl on the altar, he unstops the jug and pours out some clear liquid into the bowl.

Anisa blinks at Aaron, and swivels her ears at the buck. "What is that for?"

Aaron offers the bowl first to Lucia, who waves it off, and then he holds it out to Anisa. "The Tears of Morpheus. It will help you stay calm so that you won't feel too embarrassed about bathing with others."

The small doe takes the bowl cautiously, and sniffs the contents. "So you drink it?"

"What does she have to be embarrassed about?" Lucia wonders, looking at Anisa.

Aaron nods to the doe. "Just a swallow or two should be enough for you."

Anisa eyes the liquid, then shrugs with a grin. "I was gonna do it anyways, but if it helps, I guess it helps." The doe slowly puts the bowl to her lips, then quickly takes two gulps.

There is a minty aftertaste to the potion, and it warms Anisa's belly like an alcoholic drink might. After a brief moment of dizziness, the doe feels fine again, as if nothing could bother her.

Aaron takes the bowl back and drinks from it as well, then replaces it and the jug to their place under the altar. "Okay, I think we're ready now," he says to Lucia, who takes them into the next room.

The smaller rabbit shakes her head at the dizziness, mental images of a few overenthusiastic party nights coming back to her brain. "Yeah, I guess I am too." She grins. "Lead the way."

The dimly lit changing room is little more than a bench along one wall and some wooden shelves along the opposite one for placing ones clothing. A coney of about ten or twelve years (it's hard to tell by size, given the variety of Amazonian builds) stands at the far end of the room, which opens into the baths proper.

Coeus goes to talk to the attendant, since he doesn't wear any clothes to take off anyway. Lucia sheds her tunic and shorts quickly, and places them on one of the shelves.

Aaron takes a bit longer, since he still has his vest on under the tunic and his Rephidim-style button-up pants to get out of.

Anisa watches Lucia undress from the corner of her eye, and hesitates only slightly herself. She knows this should feel weird, but for some reason it doesn't. Shrugging, she starts to remove her own clothing, starting with the borrowed tunic, and followed by her own vest and blouse.

Once they are finished undressing, the attendant collects their clothing from the shelves and leads them to the next chamber.

The changing room attendant carries the group's clothing across to a passage along the left side of the bath and disappears after slipping into a pair of wooden sandals. Two other adolescents stand at the ends of the benches, and bow to Lucia and her companions. There is a table nearby topped with various jugs and bowls, and the scent of liniment and soaps reaches Anisa's nose.

Lucia steps up and sits down at one of the benches, then gestures for Anisa to sit next to her. Aaron sits on the other bench, facing away from the does, while Coeus just hops about impatiently.

Not used to the… open breeze of sorts, Anisa's fur stands up on end from the unaccustomed chill. Awkwardly, she bows to the attendants, then makes her way to the bowls. She takes a seat by the larger doe. "So, what do we do now? Lather up or something?" She looks about, and spies Aaron, and can't help but stifle a giggle with a paw.

In answer, the two attendants dip their paws into one of the bowls, then come up behind the does and begin to rub liniment into their backs and shoulders.

Anisa's ears shoot up in alarm at the sudden contact, but soon begins to relax at the massaging. She doesn't know if it's the Morpheus Tears or the magic fingers of the attendants, but she visibly starts to relax.

"This is very helpful after a day spent in the saddle," Lucia says. The masseuses work their way down to the small of the back, and work to unknot the tension that tends to collect there. Meanwhile, the coney from the changing room returns and starts to work on Aaron's back after shedding the sandals.

"I can believe it!" The smaller doe closes her eyes at the sensation, feeling her back muscles loosen up as the stress is kneaded away. "When I open my gym, I definitely need to get someone to do this. I'll make a fortune."

Leaning over slightly, Lucia whispers to Anisa, "Are all of those scars on Xavier's back from boxing?" Remembering her conversation with the Rhian physical therapist, the doe can make out the scar on Aaron's right rump where the skedat stabbed him.

While the attendants do their work, Coeus begins placing the soap-bowls down at the edge of the bath, probably just to keep busy while he waits.

Anisa opens one eye, and takes a look at Aaron's back, frowning slightly. "No, he doesn't have any scars from out sparring, I don't think. Despite what Linnea and the others think, he's had his fair share of adventures." The doe sneaks a quick peek at Aaron's tail, and giggles. "I think the scars build character."

"The guardians like to display theirs, certainly," Lucia comments. The brief but relaxing massage ends, and the attendants return to the table to wash their hands in another bowl. "We can bathe now," Lucia notes, and stands up.

"Drat, done already? I could use one of those all day!" Anisa stands, and stretches, smiling at the smell of the liniment. "Maybe I should just open a bath house instead. So, do we just jump in?"

Coeus whoops and leaps into the air. Curling up, he cannon-balls into the water, earning exasperated looks from the attendants.

Anisa is startled by the sudden dive, her feet getting splashed in the process.

"We usually just walk in," Lucia says, and follows after Aaron down the steps and into the water.

Anisa shakes her head with a grin, and follows Lucia into the water, testing it with a toe as she slips in. "I oughta introduce Coeus to my brother Benjamin."

The water is about waist-deep on Lucia and Aaron, and therefore a little higher on Anisa. Coeus is literally swimming – at least until he reaches the submerged platform at the far side of the bath, underneath the waterfall.

Aaron climbs onto the platform next, and stands under the stream as if it was just a shower, and Lucia heads toward the platform with the same intent.

The small doe walks on her tiptoes, in an attempt not to go under if the water gets deeper. She follows Lucia to the platform, and laughs at Aaron, despite herself. "Looking good up there, flop-ear!" She quickly dunks her head under playfully to avoid any retort, not sure if it's her that's speaking, or the drink she took earlier.

Aaron just rolls his eyes, and steps out of the stream once he's thoroughly soaked. Coeus has by now retrieved one of the soap bowls he set out earlier, and offers it up to the buck.

Lucia stays under the stream longer, to give it time to penetrate her thicker fur. "What an odd statement to make, Anysia," she comments.

Anisa emerges from the water, head fur now soaking wet and soggy. She wipes some of the water from the face, then tilts her head to get any lingering dew from her ears. "Sorry, I couldn't help myself." Anisa grins at the larger doe. "I may never get the chance to do that again. This is still new to me." She swims up to the side of the platform, and rests on it while waiting for Lucia to finish. "Life's a lot more fun when teasing is involved, especially with Xavier because it's so easy."

Taking the bowl, Aaron sits down on the platform and lets Coeus sit in his lap. "I could probably tease you right back you know," he tells Anisa while he soaps up the coney's head and back.

Lucia finally feels wet enough, and sits next to Aaron so she can reach the soap. "Teasing is for children!" Lucia says with a grin, and pulls up her right leg to begin washing it.

"Yeah, but you probably won't," the smaller doe says to Aaron with a grin. "Besides, I'd just get you back again." Pulling herself up on the platform – with a little bit of effort since its higher for her compared to the others – she steps underneath the stream, squinting her eyes shut and setting her ears back as the water rains down on her. "We're all children at heart! Besides, people around here seem to mistake me for a kid anyways."

"Not if they saw you in here," Aaron says, and sets Coeus onto his own feet so he can start washing himself. The little coney lathers up the rest of his fur to a ridiculous degree, beginning to look like a ball of bubbles.

Anisa lets herself get soaked, then goes over to sit by her larger twin. She smirks at Aaron. "They'd just think I was mature for my age." She looks to the small coney, and laughs, taking some of the soap for herself.

Lucia turns slightly, and starts to lather up Anisa's back for her. Taking the hint, Aaron also starts working on the larger doe's back.

Taken a bit by surprise, Anisa tenses a bit, but then remembers where she is. The smaller doe turns to give Lucia a better position. "So what do you think, Aaron? A bath like this in the gym, open to all?" She grins, and starts to lather her arms.

Foregoing the shower, Coeus rinses off by diving back into the water again.

The buck appears to actually consider it for a moment while he washes Lucia's back. "I think you'd get shut down within a day on Rephidim. Maybe it would work with separate baths for males and females though."

"Maybe, but that wouldn't be as fun." The doe grins, and soaps up her foot. "You'll have to come visit us sometime on Rephidim when we go back, Lucia. I could introduce you as my cousin and scare off any bad customers."

"Where do you bathe up there then?" Lucia asks.

Anisa swivels an ear back to Lucia. "Oh, up there we have baths too, but not like this. They're just one person tubs, in your house. Either that or a shower. Bathing with people like this would be shocking to people up there, especially to the Gallees."

Aaron finishes soaping Lucia's back and starts to work on his own legs and feet. "I'm not so sure about the Gallees. No telling what they'd get up to."

Finishing up Anisa's back, Lucia turns and starts working on Aaron's. "Gallees? Those are the dog people from the other side of Bosch, aren't they?"

"Yes," Aaron says. "They tend to have a lot of power and wealth in Rephidim."

The smaller doe lathers up the rest of herself, sheepishly glad to have Lucia between herself and Aaron in the process. "Yeah, the poofy ones. Their fur looks like they have our tails all over their bodies." Finishing up, Anisa turns and watches Lucia work on the buck's back. "They run a lot, yeah."

"What a strange land you come from," Lucia says, and finishes soaping up the rest of her fur. "And you both have such short fur. No wonder you seem so concerned about wearing clothing."

"The seasons are much milder up there," Aaron explains, and stands up. Stepping carefully around the does, he returns to the waterfall to rinse the soap out of his fur.

"Well, it's more of a social thing too," replies Anisa. "Going without on Rephidim really isn't an option. You'd get arrested fast." Standing, she follows Aaron to the waterfall, putting some last minute lathering on her ears. "Wish I had my brush."

"There'll be brushes in the drying room," Aaron promises, and steps off the platform into the deeper water.

Anisa steps onto the platform, letting the water rinse her snow colored fur of the suds. "Yeah, but they won't be my brush. I'm partial to it." The doe leans back and lets the water pour onto her face, then with a grin, suddenly leaps off the platform, and cannonballs into the water. "Boomer!"

Coeus is already out of the water, and shaking like a Jupani to shed the excess water from his fur. Aaron isn't quite out of range of Anisa's splash though, and brings his arms up automatically. Back under the waterfall, Lucia laughs at the antics.

The smaller doe stays underwater, and swims behind the buck. Quickly popping up, she splashes the spotted rabbit. "Think fast!"

Aaron jumps forward with a startled cry of "Ack!" Swimming towards the far end of the bath, he makes a point of slapping the water with his feet to splash Anisa back.

"Ack!" Anisa takes the water straight in the face, and falls backwards into the water. "Trickery!"

"The Apex of Dagh is at hand, so trickery should not come as a surprise," Lucia says with a wide grin as she wades past Anisa.

Dripping profusely, Aaron waits next to Coeus after escaping the bath. "Remind me to only let Anisa take one swallow of the Tears next time," he comments to the coney.

"So I guess retaliation shouldn't come as a surprise either?" Grinning, the smaller doe splashes the larger, then quickly swims after Aaron. Once near, she reverses direction, and uses her feet to kick-splash the buck, or at least attempt to now that he's retreated from the water. "The Tears? Pshaw!" She laughs.

Holding his arms up, Aaron tries to ward off most of the splash, which also sends the attendants scurrying further away. Coeus thinks it's all just grand though, and grabs his feet to rock with laughter.

With a grin, Lucia catches Anisa on her return and lifts the doe completely out of the water. Holding Anisa over her head, she asks, "Are you familiar with wrestling?" Before Anisa has a chance to reply, Lucia throws her back down into the water with a huge splash.

Anisa is caught completely by surprise, her attention more on retreating back from Aaron than on the other doe. The smaller doe smacks into the water, hitting the bottom, then quickly shooting back to the top and sputtering for breath. "Argh!" She gives a couple of coughs and a gasp, but keeps grinning. "Ooooh, you asked for it, sister!" Spinning around in a circle, she smacks her arms hard into the bath, attempting to send a large wave of wet at the Valkyrian.

Lucia tilts her chin up to avoid getting splashed in the face, and laughs out loud. "I cannot see how you manage such play in a tub!" she says, and tries to get past Anisa to reach the steps.

Aaron glances nervously towards the open roof, half expecting to see his mother looking down at the antics. This time, however, there isn't anyone up there.

Anisa gives the larger doe one more good splash as she swims by, then follows after. "Well, you can't really." She shrugs. "It's more about getting clean than socializing or playing."

"We'd better hurry," Aaron urges. "With all that activity, I expect Anysia's dose of Tears to wear off soon."

Lucia climbs the steps and shakes out her fur like Coeus did.

The buck sticks to simply wringing out his ears.

Stepping out of the water, the smaller of the white Lapis at first elects to just shake her arms to dry. Upon seeing Lucia and Coeus however, the doe shrugs, and shakes herself off in a like manner – or at least attempts to.

Perhaps it works better with thicker fur, as the doe only gets dizzy without feeling any drier. There's a clatter of wooden sandals, as the three attendants wait at the entry to the next chamber, each of them holding a towel.

Running ahead of the others, Coeus puts on a pair of sandals that look three sizes too big for him, and begins setting out pairs for the adults.

Without prompting, Anisa makes her way over to the attendants, and takes a towel. "Thank you," she says as she towels herself off. Looking down at the coney, she blinks at the shoes. "So we wear these outside, huh?"

"No, we wear them to keep our feet from burning," Lucia says as she slips on her own pair and walks into the next room. A towel bearing attendant follows her, while the one Anisa took the towel from looks a bit lost.

Anisa blinks, and sheepishly hands the towel back to the attendant. "Uh… sorry. My fault." Slipping her feet into the sandals, she quickly follows after Lucia, motioning for Aaron to hurry.

Aaron and Coeus follow the does into the drying room. Like the changing room, there is a bench along one wall and shelves along the other. Where the other room was simply dim, however, this one is well lit, and need for sandals becomes quickly apparent as drops of water sizzle on the stone floor.

Thin vents crisscross the floor, with gusts of hot air flowing up from them, along with a weak red-orange light.

Still damp, since she never gets fully dry with a towel regardless, Anisa looks down at the vents with a small amount of alarm, making sure she keeps her balance in the oversized shoes. "So we just sit and relax until we're toasty dry?"

The other bathers stand with their legs and arms spread to catch the hot air, while the attendants towel and fluff their fur. "The towels help," Aaron says while an attendant dries his legs.

Anisa's attendant waits patiently for the doe to assume the proper drying stance.

The smaller doe blinks at this rather … immodest approach to drying. Convincing herself that the Tears are still working, she looks to the attendant, gives a small silent sigh of resignation, and takes up the position.

The experience is certainly novel, since Anisa hasn't been toweled dry by anyone since she was a little girl. Perhaps it's the dry heat, or the oddness of the situation, but self-consciousness begins to creep back into the doe's mind.

After the drying, the attendants set the towels aside and remove brushes and combs from the shelves to apply to their charges – an essential activity for the longer-furred Amazonians. Coeus, resembling a puffball now, simply sits on the bench and watches. Coneys don't mind being extra-fluffy, apparently.

Anisa thinks over her situation, and fights to keep from laughing out loud – both at it, and at ticklish spots. She suppresses the sobriety as best she can, so she'll be able to get through it all. "When in Amazonia," she whispers in Standard to herself under her breath, "do as the Amazonians do."

Lucia needs the most attention from the brushers, so Aaron takes a seat on the bench and leans forward to brush his ears out on his own. Anisa's attendant also offers the doe a brush.

And just as I was starting to get used to it, too. With a sigh of relief, Anisa takes the brush with a smile of thanks, and sits on the bench next to Aaron. "Well, that was certainly different," the doe says as she starts in on her ears rather meticulously, "although I'd be lying if I said it wasn't kinda… soothing."

Aaron sets his brush aside and crosses his legs, looking relaxed himself. "That's the purpose of being groomed. Although you also look cuter when you're all fluffy like this," he teases.

Anisa's ears blush, and she smiles in embarrassment. "All the more reason to open a bath with the gym, I guess. Puts everything in perspective, that's for sure." She looks to the buck, and grins mischievously. "You know that from now on, it'll be hard to keep a straight face around each other." She continues in on her ears, winking at the buck.

"Not for me it won't," Aaron says, and reaches over to muss up Anisa's already-brushed head fur. "Springer and I survived this already, after all."

The larger doe is finally brushed out, and taps her sandal on the heated floor. "You are an odd one, Anysia. Our clothes are in the next room," she says, noting Anisa's blush.

"Hey! Stop that!" The doe laughs, putting on a mock look of sternness. "Now I have to start all over!" She does just that – but she would have anyway. "It's all new to me still. I haven't seen anyone like this since my brothers were little … and that was kinda different." She looks to Lucia and shrugs with a smile, swinging her legs off the side of the bench, since she's too short to touch the ground.

Picking up a brush, Lucia advances on Anisa, and asks, "Do you need some help?" The attendants seem to find this very amusing.

Blinking at the offer, Anisa's expression turns into a smile. "Sure, it's hard to see the back of my head without a mirror."

Standing up, Aaron stretches and says, "I'll meet you in the next room. I don't want to get caught here when my own dose of Tears wears off." He picks up Coeus, and steps into the dressing room, whispering to the coney about knowing when to leave does to themselves.

Sitting down, Lucia actually picks up Anisa and sets her down in her lap before applying the brush. "Someday, I'll be doing this with my own daughters."

Anisa smirks as the two bucks leave, and tenses as she's suddenly picked up and placed in the larger doe's lap. Eyes wide at the weirdness of the situation, the smaller doe tries to relax, which is made easier by the brush on her fur. "Maybe one of these days I will too, if that day ever comes." She swivels an ear back to Lucia. "I don't mean to sound forward, but … how did your babies … pass away?"

"The first pair were stillborn, probably because of a fever I suffered when I was caught overnight outdoors," Lucia relates in an even voice while she brushes. "I chose a different father for the next pair, but they were born undersized and early, and did not survive for more than a Sphere. After losing two litters, the others wouldn't even let me be a wet nurse, for fear I carried something that would weaken their children."

Anisa's face turns into a mask of concern. "That's terrible… " The doe continues to face forward so Lucia can keep in on her work. "So that's why you've come to Amazonia?" She grins, attempting to lighten the situation. "Found any eligible bucks yet? Any that you have your eye on, that is?"

"Until I am accepted as a warrior, I'm not eligible," Lucia says. "Without that security, nobody will be interested. Although I wouldn't mind if Roland was; he has a record of fathering healthy children." After a few more brushes, she asks Anisa, "You aren't here looking for a mate, are you?"

"Uh, not really, no," replies the smaller doe. "Aaron just invited me along for the New Year, and I'm not one to pass up a trip to an exciting place." She grins. "Picking out someone where we come from is a lot different than the way it's done here. It's not so, er, cut and dry. I'm not sure I'm ready yet anyway." The doe quickly scratches an itch on her tail, since none of the males are present. "Roland seems like a nice guy. I think he likes you, too."

"Roland likes everyone," Lucia says with a giggle. "He is very charming that way. I have heard from Linnea about some of the odd ways of outsiders, like romance and courting, but I find them hard to believe. But she did marry an outsider, so I suppose there must be some merit in those methods."

Anisa flicks an ear, despite trying to keep them still for the brushing. "They're hard to come by anymore, but romance is still around, and it's great when it happens." The doe smiles, her eyes getting a somewhat faraway look. "I need to lend you one of my books. They're full of adventure and romance. If I ever get a guy, he'd better be romantic, or I'll slug him!"

Setting her brush aside, Lucia proclaims, "Your fur is as presentable as it is likely to get for tonight's Feast of Dagh." She gives Anisa's shoulders a squeeze, and a slight push to encourage her to get up. "What is a book?"

The smaller of the does slides out of the larger's lap, and stands from the bench, jumping down a small height in the process. "Wow, I feel great! You did a good job! A book? You don't know what a book is?" Anisa cocks her head sideways in confusion. "Well, a book is… um… it's a thing that holds stories or information, and you read them. You don't have them here?"

"You mean like the reliefs on buildings?" Lucia asks as she gets up and heads into the dressing room.

"Kinda like those," Anisa states, following behind into the dressing room. "Except you can carry them around with you, and you read words instead of pictures."

The dressing room is familiar enough. The does' clothes are folded and waiting on the wooden shelf, and there is a bench along the wall. Coeus is practicing hand-stands on the bench at the moment, and Aaron – who was leaning in the opposite doorway – suddenly jumps to his feet and pretends to be fascinated by something outside, turning his back on the does. He's already dressed himself.

"You hear words," Lucia points out to Anisa as she puts her shorts on.

Anisa smirks at Aaron. "Oh, come off it already! We're used to it by now." Picking up her pants, the doe slips into them, buttons them, then slips into her blouse. "Yeah, but words can also be written, with letters and stuff. Each letter stands for a sound, and the letters together make words. Words make sentences, and so on."

Lucia takes a moment to digest the concept, then finishes putting on her tunic. Noticing Aaron, she comments, "Perhaps his Tears have worn off."

"Yes, they have," the buck comments without turning around.

Slipping into her vest, the doe grins. "He's been here more times than I have. It shouldn't bother him. Next time, maybe I'll skip the Tears." She waggles her ears comically at Aaron, then looks to Lucia. "I'll show you one of my books when we get back."

"I'm curious to see one now," Lucia says, and picks up Coeus by his feet (since they're in the air anyway), and slings the coney over her shoulder, causing him to giggle. "You can show me before we go to dinner."

Outside, Aaron begins planning an excuse to bathe alone next time…

Anisa laughs at the duo's antics, and nods. "We'll stop by the room before we go. Now I think we'd better hurry before Xavier explodes. His ears are looking pretty red."