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Ever since Aglaea had pestered him into joining the Chrysos Heirs, bringing up how he had helped her with the web they used to communicate and how it couldn’t possibly hurt, Anaxa was faced with the daunting realization that he simply didn’t know Okhema’s traditions. The Grove of Knowledge, despite its name, hadn’t had interesting books about the cultures of the city states even before its destruction. It had all been about the so called truths of the world, the prophecies and histories of Amphoreus itself. Cerces had wished for humans to discover the world’s truths before their death. Such a shame that the Council of Elders destroyed all the records, perhaps he could find a section on culture that a younger him simply hadn’t been interested in.
But, right. Okhema’s traditions. It had all became painfully clear when, instead of being sent to a meeting area, he had received an invite to the bathhouse. And promptly, in a manner unbefitting of a scholar, assumed it was one of the citizens who admired the Chrysos Heirs and, for some inexplicable reason, wished to see him without clothes. It was an odd sentiment, being liked just because he was a Chrysos Heir. Now, they’d hate him once the Council of Elders became public knowledge, but he was barely involved with it anymore. Being disliked was just more comforting, more natural. He’d grown up isolated in the grove, his theories on the titans branding him a pariah and heretic. Being liked enough to get an invitation to a bath house? It was weird. Of course, Aglaea handedly disproved that thought, as she herself told him it was just a meeting that Phainon had invited him to.
He had no idea what to feel about Phainon. The man was an enigma to him, a joyful man who was saddled with the heavy weight of saving a doomed nation. Plus, he hung out with Mydei too much for him not to get… incredibly embarrassed to be around either of them. The Grove was hardly prudish as an environment, but surely going around half naked at times was excessive! And sure, Phainon didn’t go shirtless from what he knew, but it was the principle of the matter! Surely those two symbols of Amphoreus could stand to be covered in public! For Cerces’ sake, it only made him want to run back to the grove and grab some shirts for the two to wear! (He pointedly ignored the thought that it wouldn’t fit the two. It was the principle of the matter.) And yes, run back to the grove, because it was inhabitable if one knew where to stay.
Anaxa took a breath, clearing his mind of his wandering observations. It was no good to get lost in his head right outside the bathhouse’s door, he just looked weird. Cleanse the mind of any unwanted thoughts, and… push the door open.
It was much larger than even the exterior would have led him to believe. Water gushing down from waterfalls, conversations stopping as he entered. The reclusive Chrysos Heir, showing up in Marmoreal Palace. It wasn’t a scandal from how he understood it, but certainly out of where he was expected to go. He barely had to get directions up to the Chrysos Heir floor, as he had become somewhat well known due to being one. Came with the territory, no matter how much some (read: Castorice and Cipher) hated the attention it garnered them. They were the heroes of Amphoreus, of course they were well known. Made it much easier to gain access without saying a word.
Of course, Anaxa had not contemplated what having a meeting in a bath house such as the Marmoreal Palace meant. It was a bath house meeting. Of course it would be in a bath. He felt… a range of emotions. Mainly embarrassment at being a scholar and yet not realizing what a bathhouse meeting would mean. The grove was much different than Okhema, and he had never been to a bath house before. In the grove, baths were private affairs in water blessed by Cerces, attempting to get closer with the titan of reason as you contemplated. Meanwhile, in Okhema, baths were… shared it seemed. A public affair, a bonding moment. He changed in the provided changing room, noting how only one person’s clothes were there. Did… Phainon just invite him? But why?
It was best to learn from the source, of course, but he found himself… oddly apprehensive about going out. That would make this real. Would make it all reality and not some crazy dream he found himself in when Cerces died. But, that was rude, and so he pushed intothe proper bathroom. It was a marvelous room, yes, but…
“Anaxa? You arrived!” The hero of Amphoreus was sat in the bath. This should have been expected, but it had slipped his mind . Water dripped down from the man’s hair to his body, and he had to fight not to look down at the man’s chest. Was this… jealousy? Surely it had to be, because the man was gifted witha body sculpted like a titan’s. The Creation titans clearly had favorites. Was this why Mydei always went shirtless? To keep people from focusing on Phainon’s musculature even when it was hidden under layers of cloth? “Don’t be worried about the temperature, it’s cooled down!” Right, movement. Because staring at a man was rude. He centered himself, sitting at exactly the opposite placement of Phainon.
This was going to be a long meeting.