[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

Yukari Takeba | OTA

[couldntpullthetrigger]

[Well, this is Weird. No, not that Yukari is at a hot spring - she likes hot springs.

Not that she's only wearing a towel into said hot springs, that's what they're there for.

Not even that she's purposefully sitting by herself as far away from the nearest person as possible.

What's weird is that she isn't talking to anyone, isn't smiling, isn't trying to make any friends. If anything, she's just sitting there, occasionally rubbing at her head as though it'll quell the headache. She doesn't seem to care if anyone - no matter their gender or otherwise - sits anywhere near her, but she does seem to care about staring at the sky.

Again, though, that is Strange for Yukari. She usually talks to people, not just kind of looks at them, and goes back to whatever she's doing. She doesn't even care when guys sit next to her.

Investigate, y/n/y?]

[liberal_arts]

-It was probably good she didn't mind, given Kasen's traditional lack of any attire once in the water, but at least the hot water was enough so that he remained unexposed once beneath it, leaning against the side of the springs nearest Yukari and taking note of her reverie.-

Ah, what's that saying... Penny for your thoughts?

[couldntpullthetrigger]

[Yeah, normally, she probably would've freaked out, said something scathing about putting a towel on at least, and then moved away, but as it is... well, she doesn't.

She doesn't even move, staring further at the sky.

There's such a long moment before she answers, it's almost like she's ignored the question entirely, before her head moves a little.]

Things haven't felt right since I died.

[And with that, she goes back to silence.]

[liberal_arts]

-He hadn't even known she died. And their was a white flash of anger that shot through his veins at the revelation, but just as quickly passed. He couldn't go back and change what had happened, obviously, and there was no sense in being angry over it if she was here before him, in the flesh.-

I can't imagine they will. That's not the sort of experience one easily recovers from.

[couldntpullthetrigger]

No, it's worse than that, I think.

'Cuz I don't even care.

[She shrugs. Apparently, she's aware that not caring is weird, but she doesn't... precisely know what to do about it. Or... care to fix it.]

Whatever, though. Guess there's worse reactions I could have. I could freak out like I probably should at waking up after falling however many hundreds of meters and landing on my head.

[liberal_arts]

Hmm... Peculiar.

Perhaps your soul did not return with your body and mind.

[couldntpullthetrigger]

... I guess that's a thought. [She tilts her head. She hadn't thought of it like that, before, but...]

I guess there might be a ghost version of me wandering around, then. [That's. That's also something she doesn't sound like she particularly cares about. Even if normally the thought of ghosts would freak her out. Fancy, that.]

Either way... it's almost nice. Quiet. [Uh oh, she's getting used to it.]

[liberal_arts]

Try not to grow too accustomed to the quiet... it is in that silence that the true dread of death lies. Even in Hell, one is never alone.

[couldntpullthetrigger]

Yeah? But it's always so... busy in my mind.

I like this idea I don't have to care anymore. 'Bout myself or anyone else. [That's the real problem.] So... even if I'm not like, physically alone, it doesn't matter. Cuz I'll make myself alone.

[seventhgen]

[Aigis is not wearing a towel. She's not wearing anything, actually. She's still a robot.

She settles down near Yukari, but not right next to her, careful to give the other girl space.] Hello, Yukari-san!

Are you enjoying the spring?

[couldntpullthetrigger]

[That's fine. She's sort of used to Aigis being... naked.

Or naked as something with a built-in tie can get.

She fights a groan at the happy greeting, though. God, would people just leave her alone.]

Yeah. Sure. Why not. We'll call it that.

[A pity she isn't feeling very talkative, and, it seems, particularly toward Aigis. Happy Opposite Day!]

[seventhgen]

[...even Aigis can tell that there's something wrong with Yukari's demeanor here. She frowns.] Yukari-san... are you all right?

[It's possible someone has just said something to set her off. But that usually results in angry snapping Yukari, not dully sullen Yukari.]

[couldntpullthetrigger]

Probably not.

[That's so... Matter-of-fact. Especially for her. And she's admitting to it, too, which might be odd in its own right.]

But... yanno. Whatever. I guess that's what I get for falling and hitting my head. That and this headache that hasn't gone away since then.

[seventhgen]

[Uh, yes. This is very much more forthright than Aigis has come to expect of Yukari.] Oh no! I didn't realize you'd hurt yourself! Is there anything I can get? Perhaps a doctor, or a healer?

[couldntpullthetrigger]

... Yeah, look, Aigis, I shouldn't even be alive right now, let alone hanging out in a hot spring, so. No, I don't think anything'll help, really.

Pretty sure no one can fix my problems.

[Okay, so... some part of her stubborn pride still exists in there, behind whatever apathetic veneer's been painted over it.]

So, I'll just deal.

[seventhgen]

You-- [Aigis' eyes go wide.] --Yukari-san! What happened? Are you all right? [Aigis, you already asked that.] I... [Now she really doesn't know what to say. Had another member of SEES died on her watch?]

[couldntpullthetrigger]

Something between the stupid bird-human-things on those towers, the wind betraying me, and I guess things like to try to attack Kings randomly, but I'm pretty sure you don't survive falling whatever many hundred meters that was to the ground and landing on your head.

At least, I should probably be in the hospital with a totally busted skull and spine, but no. I'm sitting here, after I just kinda woke up outside the door.

... and all I got was this stupid headache.

[But rather than sounding angry, she almost sounds like a bored professor giving an unamusing lecture in a hall.]

[burnmydread]

[ Because now is the perfect time to try and approach Yukari, right? In the hot springs? HAHA. No, this is a disaster to begin with. Minato knows he should keep his distance even if she hadn't reversed the social link, but something is just...

...off. He can tell by watching her, since watching is something he does quite often. The fact that she's even taking part in a co-ed bath situation is enough of a red flag. So, he figures that it's best to check in on her and risk her being upset at him than just leaving it.

Minato approaches slowly, making sure his footsteps are louder than usual as not to surprise her. ]

Hey.

[couldntpullthetrigger]

[She honestly feels like she should feel... something when she hears his voice. A blip of irritation, or that quiet, hollow ache in her chest. Something. Anything.

There's nothing there, though, except this knowledge that she should probably keep not really talking to him.]

Nn. [That's her response; a grunt, a brief glance over at him...

... And staring back at the sky.]

[burnmydread]

[ Ah. Is she still upset? That would make the most sense. Except, the look she gives him doesn't have any of the vitriol or disapproval from before. Not even...brief annoyance. It's just...bland.

And totally unlike Yukari. ]

...Are you okay?

[couldntpullthetrigger]

[It must really be obvious something is off. There's nothing she can do about it, though. There's no motivation to change it, to figure out what's wrong, either; it's like someone gutted her entire personality and turned it inside out and she can't even care enough to want to figure out exactly what the cause is. Instead, she shrugs.] Probably not. [Does she say it like she mentioned it to the people that asked before? Eh. Might as well.] I don't think I came back from that dungeon in one piece.

[burnmydread]

[ That's not...

Good.

Minato pauses, considering how she should handle this. It's not at all like her to be so nonchalant. Yukari has ideas on how most interactions are supposed to go, and she shows a very real concern for their expeditions and everyone coming out of them alright.

After a moment, he decides to risk it and takes a seat a few feet away on the edge of the pool. He's wearing a towel, at least. ]

What happened?

[ ...What piece did she leave behind? ]

[couldntpullthetrigger]

[With luck, she won't yell at him-!

Nope. Doesn't yell. Fancy that.

In fact she seems awfully more nonchalant about sitting there and raising an eyebrow at the sky, like it has some kind of answer.]

Pretty sure I wasn't supposed to survive that fall off that... spire? Tower? Thing. Not like this, at least.

It's been real quiet since then. Like I can't care about anything. [In her own mind, she means. Like all the thoughts dulled and went out at once, and took the emotions with them. Blissful, peaceful... apathy.]

... It's nice.

[burnmydread]

[ Ah.

Something he understands all too well. He's...surprised, yes, but not unaware of the appeal of total nothingness. It's easier, definitely, simple and uncomplicated by the fussiness of relationships and responsibilities. To exist as is, in each moment, uncaring of what the next might bring.

Yeah. He knows exactly what that's like. He lived most of his life that way. It wasn't until meeting Yukari and the others that it started to shift.

So he doesn't judge, not in the least. It's just unlike her. Yukari came back, physically, but what really makes her Yukari...that seems to be what got left behind. ]

Yeah. It is.

[ It...makes him a little sad, heh. Does that mean he's a hypocrite? ]

But it's not you.

[couldntpullthetrigger]

I wouldn't mind if it stayed this way. Actually, pretty sure I wouldn't mind anything, at the moment. Feels like I can't care, even if I wanted to...? Maybe I should be afraid, but I guess this is what I get for being an idiot and dying.

[She sighs, and sinks further into the hot spring, until the water's nearly at mouth-level]

I wonder if it's permanent? ... I wonder how many times I gotta die before it becomes permanent?

... Hmm, doesn't matter, I guess.