[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

[acknowledges]

[Nothing will make him forget his dwindling dignity like the need to help someone else. Naruto is impulsive by nature and easily moved by the plights of others- but this is especially true now because he feels responsible for everything that's happened. At least he's finally thinking about something other than inadvertently flashing girls he doesn't know- like how not to drown.

Her elbow ends up in his face at least once and Naruto reaches out on reflex, getting an arm around her middle just long enough to tug her up once they reach the surface. His hair is plastered to his head and he's red with equal parts embarrassment, hot water, and a near death experience, but all of his attention is on her.]

Are you okay? [It comes out in a rush so he can suck in a breath afterwards.] I thought you were gonna fall- but then we just fell down anyway... [Yes Naruto, she was there for that part.]

[passtave]

[ She's not in a much better state than he is right now: red in the face, her hair plastered all over her head, still trying to catch her breath when she realizes that—

They're still awfully close to each other. ]

A-Ah...

[ She quickly backs away, paying a little more attention to the rocks under her feet this time so that she doesn't... have a repeat performance... of that disaster. Even with some space between them, she still looks pretty close to a meltdown, her gaze landing on everything but his face... and him. Anywhere but him. ]

U-Uh... I-I'm so sorry! I-I'm fine, b-but... are you all right? I'm sorry!

[acknowledges]

[At least they're deep enough into the water that they're afforded some kind of privacy- limited though it might be. He doesn't feel completely exposed even if he technically is. The illusion of dignity is a wonderful thing. Once she's on her feet, and a little steadily at that, Naruto takes a few steps backward- hands coming closer to his chest. The flush isn't quite tomato colored, but it's certainly up to his ears.]

Ah- yeah. Yeah, I'm okay.

I wasn't expecting- Ano- when I got here I didn't realize it was gonna be a mixed bath. And then I didn't know anyone was over here either. Somehow, I thought you were a scary eel or something.

[passtave]

[ She's still struggling with eye contact, her blush matching his. Now that the dust is starting to settle, her relief that he's okay is short-lived, quickly replaced with self-consciousness... she's not naked (like he is), but close enough! She sinks a little lower into the water, pushing the hair out of her face before wrapping her arms around her middle... ah... thank goodness the water is pretty opaque. For both their sakes...

After that comes the guilt, even though he doesn't look mad—but it's still her fault that all of this happened! If only she hadn't hid beneath the water like a scaredy cat... she can't even blame him for thinking she was a scary eel and freaking out. ]

I'm s-so sorry... I heard someone coming and I got scared! So I h-hid under the water... [ When she says it out loud it sounds so much sillier. Please let her expire now. ]

[acknowledges]

[When she sinks down he follows suit- though this is less a conscious decision than it is something that just happens. Naruto is used to taking cues from others, and now that the outright panic is fading out into something a little more manageable (if still mortifying)- she isn't the only one that's self-conscious. He sinks just as deeply into the water, until it's pooling around his collar, and Naruto tucks his legs up. The very tops of his bruised knees visible in the pool.]

It's okay it's okay. [The shakey quality of his voice is starting to become a little more confident. The worst has happened, and there's nothing he can do about it now except find a way to deal with it. Naruto's head shakes, almost hiding the helpless smile.] I probably would've done the same thing. But I'm always doing embarrassing stuff. I'm really not cool at all.

What's your name?

[passtave]

[ It's not the assurances that make her feel (a little) better... it's his easy smile. Still, the assurances aren't unhelpful—she feels slightly less silly when he admits he would've done the same thing. But she refuses to believe he isn't cool! Not that she has much evidence, but she's the type to give everyone the benefit of the doubt.

Regardless, she's wound a little too tight to completely let go of her guilt, and she ends up fidgeting away underneath the water, a shy smile pulling at her mouth. ]

I-I'm Sakura. [ Maybe she's been looking at him for too long... because the sudden unwanted image of—no, don't think about it! Ah... she should... she looks away and stammers out: ] Wh-What about you?

[acknowledges]

Sakura? Really?

[There's a noticeable warmth to the way he says her name, and that's because he's been saying it almost all his life. He knows the syllables like he knows his own, and Naruto looks visibly caught off guard just long enough to repeat it- because immediately afterwards there's a laugh bubbling in his stomach.] One'a my best friends is named Sakura-chan. And she's got hair like flowers too! [As far as he's concerned, this is one of the coolest things that could happen to a person. Man what if they meet up here? What if they get to know each other and become friends? Aw he's never known anybody with his name they're so lucky.]

I'm Naruto. Uzumaki Naruto.

[passtave]

Hi, Naruto...

[ That warmth is what draws her gaze back towards him in spite of her shyness, and her smile widens just a little, even though she stays curled in on herself. Another Sakura with hair like flowers? What are the odds that she's already met her...? But... no offense or anything, the Sakura she met was much older than the boy she's sitting in front of right now. It couldn't be... ]

Um... I-Is she here right now? I met Miss Sakura a little while ago...

[ The older woman helped comfort her and dry her tears. There's no way Sakura would forget kindness like that. ]

[acknowledges]

[There are a few reasons that he clues in just then- because not only has Naruto spoken with her a few times himself, but he's also met another person that knew her and- told him she was too old for him... actually. Naruto's laugh is a little sheepish. It isn't a stretch to imagine what she must be thinking, and he called Sakura-chan a friend so easily. People probably think it's weird.]

She an' Sasuke are my teammates'ttebayo. Although they're a lot older than I remember them from back home. Where I'm from we're all still the same age, and we're fighting in a war together.

[It's surprisingly easy to mention it, despite their dire situation. All he can do is believe that they'll work hard enough to overcome their obstacles- and if it's team seven together, then he has no reason to believe they'll fail. The timid edge leaves his smile only to be replaced, inch by inch, by genuine tenderness.]

She's somethin' else, huh?

[passtave]

[ Sasuke...? Is it... the same Sasuke that she shares a room with? Because he definitely looks around the same age as Miss Sakura. What are the odds that three such close people would all arrive together? Sakura almost wishes... well, there's no use dwelling on her missing retainers. But still, she's a little bit envious...

The mention of war doesn't surprise her—after all, she's fighting in one too, back home. He must be around her age too, and if the two of them are too young to be soldiers in an army, then that's why she wants to follow Corrin and find lasting peace. So people her age don't have to know war... so nobody has to know war. Maybe he's fighting for the same thing...? ]

She was very kind to me... she comforted me when I was sad. [ Her tone is almost hushed, as if she's conscious of the reverence his voice holds for this person. Relaxing a little, she pulls her knees up to her chest under the water, her smile rounding out in reaction to the tenderness in his gaze. ]

U-Um... is Sasuke here too? My roommate is Mister Sasuke...

[acknowledges]

[There's something about the way this girl speaks that quiets him. This is an unusual experience for Naruto because he is, almost by definition, a boy that can't stop moving. There's a boundless energy thrumming through his veins at all times, trying to escape, trying to find the air maybe. But every once in awhile Naruto has found himself keeping company with someone who holds him still- even if it's just for a little while.

He hasn't seen Sakura-chan all that much since he got her, they seem to have been busy right away. But that sounds like her. Comforting a stranger. Beneath her impossible strength, she has been and always will be that girl who ran between her teammates- ready to cast herself between them if she had to.

His mouth opens, reply at the ready, but she continues and there's... there's suddenly something so cold.] Your roommate... [Is Sasuke...]

Sakura-chan... do your best. I believe in you.

[passtave]

[ Ah... maybe Naruto and Sasuke have a... complicated relationship... because the way he says that makes it sound like Sakura should be pitied for her roommate. But to her, Sasuke doesn't seem that bad—sure, he's pretty hard to read and (to her) very, very intimidating, but she's noticed that he's quiet and tends to just keep to himself. Half the time she can't even tell that he's there, to be honest... if he's even there half the time.

But... ah, she supposes there is one thing... ]

H-He's not a bad roommate... [ Always generous, this one. ] I-I'm just not used to living with a m-man.

[ Her siblings would probably be offended on her behalf, actually. Sakura herself isn't that prudish, even though she definitely changes in the bathroom instead of risking anything else, but it's still a... bit of an adjustment. For one thing, she was so accustomed to having a lot of space to herself where she could relax without anybody watching. ]

[acknowledges]

[Maybe there isn't a better description for it than complicated. Naruto knows that he couldn't possibly hope to explain the things between them with something as simple as words. Even now when Naruto looks at him, he can't just see the person he is here- he sees everything they've ever been. He remembers the boy at the edge of the dock. He remembers the teammate that nearly died to protect him from senbon needles. He remembers the desperation of his peers trying to stop a kidnapping and he remembers the curse mark when it spread. He remembers chidori punching through his chest and the first time they saw one another after three long years. Sasuke is the person he promised to die with if it came to that- a boy as alone as he'd been and one bearing an impossibly heavy burden.

And also- his friend.

Just as it had with the mention of Sakura, there's a fondness that moves over his features, a little bit resigned and a little bit helpless.]

Don't worry, he's not the kind of guy to peek. Lots of girls in the village always liked him, but he was always interested in training instead. I don't think he'd do anything weird just because he's old now, but he's definitely a jerk.

Ano ano- Sakura-chan, if he says anything mean to you you lemme know and I'll go beat him up, okay?

[passtave]

[ Definitely complicated, if he can call Sasuke a jerk with such a tender look on his face. Boys are so strange... ]

H-Huh? [ She blinks at the question, caught a little off guard. She hadn't expected Sasuke to do anything mean—she hasn't known him for very long, of course, but he really doesn't strike her as that type of person... he's intense and a little gruff, but so is Big Brother Ryoma to people that don't know him. Not to mention the fact that he saved her from that dragon! He can't be that bad.

Maybe this is just another boy thing... ]

O-Okay. I will. [ Naruto seems pretty intent on the idea of beating Sasuke up, so she'll humor him on this one. ] Thank you.

[ The gratitude might seem a little out of the blue, but her smile is earnest. She's glad that he's so willing to look out for her, even if it's probably just because he wants to fight his teammate. For someone as shy as she is, it's always been hard for her to make friends... but he's already acting like they are, and she's grateful. ]