[Open] It's getting hot in here

[showsnopiety]

Who: Caren and anyone visiting the hot springs!
When: Post dungeon, could be right after fail/success, could be days after
Where: Hot Springs of course
What: There's a hot springs, so now there's a hot springs episode.
Rating: Could be a p-13 and beyond because some people are only wearing towels in this place.





[Win or fail, everyone needed a reason and a way to relax. With the fall of the towers, there was all sorts of good things to come from it. Some would say it was the birds; and others would say it was the hot springs.

The large, large pools of heated water. Sure, they could be used as a way to get all steamed up (or even steam punk) but after all that hard work, everyone deserves a break!

Bring your swimsuits, your towels, your drinks and snacks-who knows, you should be able to find them in the bazaars, or even on Airy. It's time to soak in the heat!]

Comments

allelujah | ota

[praises]

[ While Allelujah has come to the hot springs of his own volition, it doesn't look as though he's very concerned with a post-dungeon relaxation binge. Rather, as he makes his way through the steam-wreathed forest, going from pool to pool, he seems intent on... looking for something? Not wanting to disturb the other tourists and Heroes, he tends to give the occupied pools a wide margin of space. Especially if he catches wind of The Great Debate.

All (fully-clothed) work and no play.

And because there was outcry for a gunshow. ]

/does the terrible thing

[showsnopiety]

[Well, it was certainly wonderful to see Allelujah again. But while she would have enjoyed a candid conversation, seeing so many people having such a great time made her feel a little mean.

She'd make it up to him, somehow.

Without a word, she sneaked up behind him, and with a hard shove of her foot, made to boot Allelujah, fully clothed and all, right into the hot springs.

Have a good dunk.]

i can always count on you

[praises]

[ He will have a good dunk. Mostly because he's just too distracted by... whatever it is he's chosen to set his sights on searching for, missing the point of the hot springs all together, apparently — which results in a foot being firmly planted in his ass and shoving him right over the edge of the pool. With a surprised noise, he manages to twist a little as he topples in, saving himself a little dignity by not bellyflopping. It's also enough to catch a twinge of silver on his peripheral. Enough to figure out the culprit, maybe?

Granted, once he goes in with a glorious splash, nothing comes for a few moments but gentle burbling. Does muscle sink or float? ]

i'm here to serve

[showsnopiety]

[It might have been that he was looking for someone. Heck, he could have seen a sparkle, and wanted to check it out. Or he was all about giving everyone a tease of a show, when everyone else was in various states of undress.

Either way, she enjoyed the look on his face as he splashed in-what little of it that she saw. It was enough to elict a small hissing sigh of pleasure as she squatted, peering down at the gently floating bubbles.]

Oh dear. I may have killed him.

[It's said as if it was no pressing concern. It wasn't; she had checked before shoving him in if the pool would be deep enough. Couldn't have him bashing his brains in and tainting the water red. Even if it was a very pleasant idea.

Quietly, she waited, her hands on her knees to check and see if he was, in fact, in danger of drowning.]

[hackles]

Sorry, woman. But you're not that lucky. Still...

[ Allelujah emerges from the water. Well, sort of. There's something a little wrong about the electricity of his body language, the rasp in his voice. Though his dark hair is plastered everywhere like some kind of awful bog monster, a toothy grin curves across his face.

There's about a half second of a lull before he's up the side of the embankment. ]

— that wasn't very nice!!

[ Neither is trying to get a good grapple around her waist, but eh. Care to take a fall with him?

Or a suplex straight into the water. He's not going to split hairs. ]

[showsnopiety]

[....Oh.

That's not Allelujah.

Caren's eyes widen in shock, before she finds herself struggling against the taller man and...]

Wai-!

[Yeah. It's a suplex. Back first, straight into the water. They're both going to look like a couple of bog monsters after this.]

[hackles]

[ And boy, what a plunge it is. Hallelujah has the muscle mass, and he's not exactly kind when he all but smashes them both into the pool. There should be some water up the nostrils from the huge splash it generates, at the very least.

That doesn't stop him from barking a triumphant laugh when he resurfaces, flicking his hair up. Still unfortunate, but totally worth. ]

My turn. You alive back there?

[showsnopiety]

[She was going to have bruises from this, she knew it. He shoved them in pretty hard, and she's uncertain if she still has her towel.

She's coughing, (who wouldn't, after getting a noseful of water?) and wiping her hair out of her face when she resurfaces.

When she does manage to get her breath back, she dips her mouth, takes in a mouthful of water, and squirts it in his direction.]

Does that answer your question?

[oneirism]

[In Lapis' opinion, her roommate should very much be relaxing right now. And she's not gonna give him a choice in the matter, either.

Since after watching him pace around, she decides that he should take a dip into the hot springs too. So she waits until he's a biiiiit closer to the edge of the pool, waiting for the right moment to sneak up annnd...

Shove him in. And judging by how she crouches next to the waters edge, she has no intentions of even trying to act like she didn't just send him toppling into the water.]

[praises]

[ Relaxation is for smart people with less emotional investment in the day preceding this lovely, Heroic gift. Not for squares.

People who are squares: Allelujah.

Who's been given a shove right out of square territory and, well, right into the calm surface of the empty pool he'd been skirting around. All the steam parts in huge swirls as he breaks the water with a resounding splash — he's lean, but heavy, causing a huge wave to break the edge. Better watch out, Lapis, or you'll get caught in the crossfire. ]

[oneirism]

[And theeeeeere he goes!

Lapis stays crouches and shimmies out of the way of the wave, watching as the water splashes against stone, before turning her attention back to the now rippling water. Luckily it's a deep area - she's not that mean, and she likes her roommate too much to actually hurt him.

But she does lean over the edge a bit, just to make sure he hasn't drowned or anything.]

... Enjoying the water, Allelujah?

[praises]

[ Some rolling surface tension, a pop up out of the water, and a cough later, Allelujah is staring incredulously at the perpetrator of this crime. His roommate, of all people. What a traitor. A flat look presses into his expression — his cheeks are flush, but it's not immediately clear if it's from being caught off guard or from the heat of the pool. ]

Hello to you, too.

[ That was mean! ]

[oneirism]

[As he rises from the depths with a cough, Lapis simply stays put and watches. The flushed cheeks catch her notice, but she guesses it's probably from the heat of the water - it still doesn't stop her from smiling softly.]

... You looked like you needed to relax, so I thought I would help.

[And clearly the best way to help was to shove him in like the good roommate she is.]

[praises]

[ Reaching his arms up out of the water, he uses both hands to smooth his bangs back from where they're plastered all over his face. Unsurprisingly, the effect of having both his eyes unobscured by his hair is... stark. ]

If I didn't know any better, I'd say that's more a prank than an invitation to relax.

[ POINTS TO EYES POINTS TO YOU, MISS

(IN SPIRIT BECAUSE HE'S TOO POLITE TO ACTUALLY DO THAT.) ]

[oneirism]

... But at least I got you into the hot spring either way.

[SHE REGRETS NOTHING.

Though the playful look fades from her expression for a moment, noticing how... contrasting his eyes are, now that she can see both clearly.

Cue a moment where she just stares, and then says in the calmest tone possible:]

Your eyes are really pretty.

[sediments]

I'm sorry—

[ Bolin has accidentally touched a boob. Well, that is, if "slipping on some errant water and elbowing the boob in an effort to regain his balance" qualifies as touching. The thing is that it isn't just any boob that he's elbowed: it's a harpy boob. Which means that the shrill cry that emits from Bolin's pursuer is that much more horrifying, and certainly motivates him to sprint faster despite the exhaustion still creaking in his bones from the previous day.

He really is tired though, and he just can't keep running anymore. So he doesn't.

Instead, he falls to the ground in a cleverly timed duck, leaving the harpy to barrel into an innocent Allelujah, who, for comedic purposes, we'll say just happened to be standing too close to the edge of a spring. ]

Oh—Sorry!!

[ But is he though. ]

[praises]

[ >

One minute, he's about to move on from this quaint, empty pool, leaving it undisturbed for some other person to enjoy. The next, he's being clotheslined right into the water by a really angry harpy. Both Hero and monster go tumbling in, Allelujah not even getting to finish his half-formed "What on —" before getting dragged under. What ensues is a really unfortunate mess of squawking, soggy feathers, and sputtering protests as Allelujah tries to avoid getting slapped in the face. And also touching the boob.

Mostly touching the boob, though.

Only when the apology registers over the noise does Allelujah chance a look over the edge of the pool, finding another Hero on the ground. It doesn't take much to put two and two together, even as he ducks a punch. ]

Wh-What on earth did you do?!

[sediments]

[ The massacre just won't stop, and Bolin barely gets out a mournful ] it was an accident! [ before the harpy struggles away from Allelujah, though doesn't bother to offer him any apologies for the punches (and kicks) that she'd mistakenly aimed at him.

She rounds on Bolin, and it's only the earthbenders concern for his fellow Hero that keeps him from continuing his escape.

Instead, he only lets out a wail as she clamps down on his leg, and drags him into the water. Unfortunately for Allelujah, she shows no concern for the fact that he's also still in the water, and is an innocent bystander in all of this. Callously, she pushes Bolin bodily into him, sinking them both further, as she apparently tries to drown(?!) them both. ]

I accidentally elbowed her boob! [ Bolin says this while flailing a little and shoving his elbow this time into Allelujah's gut. But it should be fine, Allelujah has plenty of abs to protect him. ]

[praises]

[ Having a wealth of abs can get you through a lot in life, it's true, but drowning probably isn't one them?! At least that's what he's thinking when they both get shoved under in plumes of angry bubbles. Dodging a kick of her talons, he pops back up behind Bolin, grimacing. ]

If she won't forgive you — [ INSERT MORE ANGRY SQUABBLING are they getting cussed out by a birdlady ] ...we need to do something else!

[ One palm shoves into Bolin's back, pushing him forward so his muscles don't feel left out. It's only so he can cast!

Hoping that vacuum will pry her off long enough to give her the slip, Allelujah slings the gravity spell, watching it catch the harpy and cause her to tumble off backwards. Except he's still sort of getting used to this whole bending the laws of physics thing, and the spell malfunctions, causing her to spin, slow down, and then suddenly come careening back towards them like a magnet.

...oops. Allelujah suddenly yanks him back. Sorry, kiddo. ]

Duck!

[ Above them, he thinks he hears an indignant noise. She is not a duck, thank you very much. ]

[sediments]

[ There's not a thought in Bolin's head that isn't DUCK when the harpy comes flying back at them, though Allelujah's warning is still a rather kind touch. The water crashes against Bolin's ears as he dunks under it, doing his best to avoid the wrathful talons of the harpy. Thankfully she doesn't follow them into the water, instead careening on forward, and Bolin doesn't wait too long before popping his head back up, lest she regain herself and come at them again. (It's "them" now, Allelujah has allied himself with the earthbender, ]

What are we going to do? [ He further cements their truce by turning to the older man for advice; surely Allelujah wouldn't abandon them in their time of need.

Before the other man can even answer however, there's a loud splash that reverberates through the springs, mixed with the yell of a man that likely just had a harpy crash into the spring that he'd been enjoying.

Sorry, man. ]

[praises]

[ Also before he can answer, he's fairly sure the lucky contestant who got an angry gravity-ball of harpy cast his own magic in response, and there's a lot of scuffling and cursing and wind magic before something takes flight through the trees. Speaking of ducks, he doesn't want to be a sitting one, and turns to Bolin in the water. ]

Hope that whoever that was is fine, get out of this pool, and avoid more harpies. For now, anyway. [ VOILA ] Are you all right?

the only person not pushing him into a hot spring.....

[passtave]

[ Even though she came prepared with a swimsuit this time (she wasn't about to have a repeat performance of her first trip to the hot springs here...), Sakura still isn't quite ready for the embarrassment of mixed baths. She just... she just wouldn't be able to relax in front of strange men at all!

Unfortunately, every hot spring she's come across so far has been occupied, and she's started to despair of ever finding one where she can be alone. She's just backing away from another crowded hot spring, her towel wrapped tightly around her body, when she runs smack into... someone. Speaking of strange men... ]

E-Eep! [ She nearly jumps out of her skin in surprise, then immediately flushes with embarrassment. ] I-I'm sorry!

the lone saint in this den of sinners...

[praises]

[ Similarly, Allelujah is out to avoid the more popular pools. All he'd been looking for is some kind of confirmation about all the rumors circulating the Airy and Gisela's newfound bazaars. About the vows, the dragon and the phoenix... well, it seems like he's just been chasing ghosts, and he thinks maybe he ought to give up for now. Turning around to leave just happens to net him someone walking face-first into his sternum?

Allelujah is about to reach out to steady the person, but on hearing her reaction, he stops himself. Hoverhands it is! ]

— ah, no. I wasn't looking where I was going. [ This girl is bright red. Has she been here too long? ] Are you all right, miss?

[passtave]

[ Hoverhands that she still flinches away from anyway... sorry, bud, she's just awkwardly uncomfortable around strangers, especially when she's only half-dressed. And she just ran right into him like this! This is so embarrassing... would it be rude to just... run away...? ]

I-I'm fine. I was j-just... [ Too scared to get into the hot springs with strangers... no, she can't say that! He would definitely think she's childish... mixed baths are apparently the custom here, and she's just not mature enough to... be comfortable showing her body... ]

U-Um... I was looking for an empty one...

[praises]

So that's it. [ Allelujah's arms return to his sides and he steps back to give her a little breathing room. ] I'm sorry, I thought you might not have felt well.

[ At least a towel and swimwear is slightly more appropriate for the setting than a complete uniform, albeit with the jacket tied around his waist. He puffs a sigh — the humidity explains a few things. Steam wreathes the forest at every turn. ]

In that case though, I don't blame you. It got noisy quickly.