Aya rose from the warm water of the bath with a long sigh. It had been just the thing she needed—as it so often was. She took in the soothing fragrance of bathing oils, sweet-scented candles, and moisturizing skin treatments. As the water began to drain she slowly unwrapped the towel from around her hair, letting the long, slightly wetted, blonde locks fall free behind he shoulders.  She let the water drip from her body—the warm air of her room suddenly felt of a slight chill.
There was another deep breath; another sigh of relief as the scent of chamomile joined the chorus. She soaked her hair in the tea, helping further lighten the blonde in those long months spent without the full bleaching brilliance of summer sunlight. The room's southern exposure meant it bore the full brunt of the sun's morning heat, the exterior stonework would become hot enough to bake upon by mid-day. It even penetrated the fogged, clouded-glass of the small bathing room, banishing the drying-chill upon the half of her body exposed to the window. She smiled as she turned around, feeling the sun's warmth upon the other side as her fingers began to comb through her hair, working out little tangles along their way.
A few moments later she stepped out of the drained bath, wrapping a rich, velvet towel around her body. It was one of those simple luxuries she had been able to afford. An indulgence of just the variety she once longed for in the Towered City of her adolescence - a little slice of teenage dream come true. The smile upon her lips grew more satisfied.  She stepped out into the main area of the Hourglass room that had been her home for a year, brush in hand. She took a seat upon her window sill, glancing outside through the glare of the sun as she straightened the strands of her hair with one hand, drawing the brush along with the other, until the long strands recoiled ever-so-slightly with their natural waviness.
She thought about her makeup for the day: carmined lips, an Ul'dahn mascara that added such a fullness to her long lashes. A touch of a light, slightly peach dusting for eye shadow, to accent her fair hair and skin. She thought of what she should wear: a trip to the market, to the tea houses, and about town for the afternoon. A shift later that evening, just the second in a week, Madame was convinced the mob was becoming quieter.
She let out a happy, relieved sigh. The stress of that day in the Sagoli had finally been washed away. It had taken days of comfortable baths, quiet nights, and the easy succoring bliss of pleasantness. The tension of those days leading up to the hectic expedition, and the whirlwind of violence that culminated in the rescue of hear dear friend, Verad, had melted away in the face of simple creature comfort. She could, at last, relax.
Happily, she listened to the sound of the outside world going by. In that moment, wonderfully apart from it all, as if the troubles of the world were an abandoned relic of yesterday. She smiled again, closed her eyes, and brushed her hair.Â
She wanted nothing more than a little peace, and the chance of a good time. She had no idea what trouble was then awaiting the city. The change, upheaval, and near-chaos already afoot. She had no idea the ill-wind blowing it the distant north, and the uncertainty it would carry for the Jewel's smiling, Ishgardian barmaid.
There was another deep breath; another sigh of relief as the scent of chamomile joined the chorus. She soaked her hair in the tea, helping further lighten the blonde in those long months spent without the full bleaching brilliance of summer sunlight. The room's southern exposure meant it bore the full brunt of the sun's morning heat, the exterior stonework would become hot enough to bake upon by mid-day. It even penetrated the fogged, clouded-glass of the small bathing room, banishing the drying-chill upon the half of her body exposed to the window. She smiled as she turned around, feeling the sun's warmth upon the other side as her fingers began to comb through her hair, working out little tangles along their way.
A few moments later she stepped out of the drained bath, wrapping a rich, velvet towel around her body. It was one of those simple luxuries she had been able to afford. An indulgence of just the variety she once longed for in the Towered City of her adolescence - a little slice of teenage dream come true. The smile upon her lips grew more satisfied.  She stepped out into the main area of the Hourglass room that had been her home for a year, brush in hand. She took a seat upon her window sill, glancing outside through the glare of the sun as she straightened the strands of her hair with one hand, drawing the brush along with the other, until the long strands recoiled ever-so-slightly with their natural waviness.
She thought about her makeup for the day: carmined lips, an Ul'dahn mascara that added such a fullness to her long lashes. A touch of a light, slightly peach dusting for eye shadow, to accent her fair hair and skin. She thought of what she should wear: a trip to the market, to the tea houses, and about town for the afternoon. A shift later that evening, just the second in a week, Madame was convinced the mob was becoming quieter.
She let out a happy, relieved sigh. The stress of that day in the Sagoli had finally been washed away. It had taken days of comfortable baths, quiet nights, and the easy succoring bliss of pleasantness. The tension of those days leading up to the hectic expedition, and the whirlwind of violence that culminated in the rescue of hear dear friend, Verad, had melted away in the face of simple creature comfort. She could, at last, relax.
Happily, she listened to the sound of the outside world going by. In that moment, wonderfully apart from it all, as if the troubles of the world were an abandoned relic of yesterday. She smiled again, closed her eyes, and brushed her hair.Â
She wanted nothing more than a little peace, and the chance of a good time. She had no idea what trouble was then awaiting the city. The change, upheaval, and near-chaos already afoot. She had no idea the ill-wind blowing it the distant north, and the uncertainty it would carry for the Jewel's smiling, Ishgardian barmaid.
![[Image: 21282370099_a814a08664_o.png]](https://farm1.staticflickr.com/590/21282370099_a814a08664_o.png)
