[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

[arcanepower]

[It's honestly easy to miss him. Of course Belthazar finds the most secluded pool and stays there. He's short and very shy, so the only thing above water is his head. And since he's back by the edge... he doesn't notice Adra come in.

He's never had the opportunity to be in a hot spring before, having lacked the adventures his adoptive father has, and it appears he's cuddled up against a rock and fallen asleep. One might mistake him for awake until they get closer.

Totally, completely conked out.]

[hymnals]

[ Adra doesn't notice him right away. He's too busy looking everywhere else, paranoid that someone significantly more awake will come along and see him in this state of undress. But when all is quiet for a while, Adra eventually swims around a bit, exploring the perimeter of the spring. And then he spots it--the thick, black hair, floating gently in the water. The face, familiar not because he's seen it many times before, but because it is of his people. The boy who would be his son.

Adra moves carefully, unsure of what to do. ]

Belthazar ...?

[arcanepower]

[Not realizing he was still in the bath, he windmills his arms in a panic, sending water everywhere, as well as smacking himself in the face.

Well, now he's awake, since he's soaked head to toe and also his nose hurts.]

Huh? What? [Still not entirely awake.] A-An'da! Where are we? What's--

[Wait. They're in a bath... hot springs... he's in Caissa. Right. His nervous joy settles and sours along with his expression.]

F-forgive me, I forgot...

[hymnals]

[ The water douses Adra, temporarily blinding him; he lifts an arm to protect his face, but to no avail. Spitting water, very calmly, he swims up beside Bel and speaks in soothing tones. ]

It's all right--it's fine. Try to relax. Are you hurt?

[arcanepower]

[He shakes his head. He feels bad for splashing Adra in the face, but there's nothing to be done about it now.]

N-- no. I am fine. [His ears are so low they almost touch the water.] I must have fallen asleep; I've never been in a hot spring before.

[hymnals]

[ He smiles, and it's already fond. How could it not be? Even if Belthazar hadn't shown up claiming to be his son, he was still one of Adra's people. The only other blood elf in Enprise--and a child, at that. Adra would already give anything to protect him. ]

You're living dangerously, kiddo.

[ He glances 'round them, lips thin. ]

And not just because of the hot water.

[ PREDATORS ABOUND ]

[arcanepower]

[Belthazar hunches his shoulders a bit as if to make himself smaller. He's worried, though still innocent enough and sheltered that he doesn't think of people like Gilgamesh immediately. Besides, they'd rescued a cow together, he wasn't that bad. An unapologetic pervert, but not worthy of being set on fire.

Also he had a griffon with him at the time.]

I thought the other Heroes chased out all the monsters.

[hymnals]

[ Adra sinks into the water, glowering irritably at nothing and no one in particular. ]

Monsters are always around us. Some of them happen to be quite good-looking, even. By human standards.

[arcanepower]

[Belth peers at the older elf, eyebrows raised.]

I wouldn't trust human standards for much.

[hymnals]

[ He sighs deeply. ]

Unfortunately, they really aren't so different from our standards.

[ Or his. His personally. ]

[arcanepower]

I honestly haven't given my standards of attraction much thought. Books are infinitely more interesting to me, and less improper.

[... most of the time.]

Are you enjoying the baths, besides? I was worried that there would be casualties, but everyone seems to be in high spirits. Or deep in their spirits.

[hymnals]

[ He's pulled out of whatever agitation he'd been sinking into with Bel's comments, and he laughs. ]

Hmm, that's a relief for me.

[ Not that he would mind if Bel found a nice someone, even here in Enprise. The visiting population is rife with teenagers ... ]

I don't know that 'enjoyment' is the right word. I bought a house specifically so I wouldn't have to take off my clothes in front of other people.

[arcanepower]

You will find I am not a troublemaker... most of the time.

[There was that one time. BUT THAT WAS ONE TIME.]

I cannot say I relish the thought of stripping in public either, but it looked so warm! I was curious.

[And then he fell asleep.]

[hymnals]

You can make as much trouble as you want.

[ That's what kids do, isn't it? ]

You did look very comfortable.

[arcanepower]

Oh, don't say that. I think you will regret it at some point.

[He really does try to behave. Adra's life is hard enough.]

So long as no one can actually see how naked I am. [He's definitely blushing.] Thankfully, I don't attract as much attention as I would were I covered in tattoos. [He doesn't have to gesture to Adra for him to know exactly what he means.] I just have the ones on my back.

[hymnals]

[ He doubts he will, but he lets it go--for now. ]

I'm afraid your ears alone will mark you as something exotic to these people.

[ The tattoos, though. ]

The markings on your back ... I recognize my own House, of course, but what about the rest?

[arcanepower]

[The mere mention of his ears makes them flatten.]

Unfortunately.

[Everyone keeps calling them cute. He doesn't want to be cute! He wants to be badass!]

Ah, right. The other one is my bloodline. When mages come into their powers, they are given the tattoo. It's... a rite of passage meant to enhance our abilities, or so the story goes. All it really does is glow a little when I call a spell, but it marks me as a Spellscry nonetheless.

[He turns a little so Adra can see it properly. There's a planet between his shoulderblades, the sun, the Pale Lady, and the Blue Child.

And of course the sun and shield of Anor'thalion.]

Even though it was over ten years ago, I still remember how much it hurt. That is why the other one has no runes or magical ink involved.