[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

[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.

[burnmydread]

...

[ Wait, what did she say? Dying? That definitely gets more than a few red flags to go off. If she died she couldn't be sitting h--

--...by that logic, neither should he. ]

...You died?

[couldntpullthetrigger]

Yeah, like I said, there's no way to survive a fall off a tower like that, especially since I know I landed on my head. I guess they can't just let us have our peace, though, not when they still need Heroes, so here I am.

[burnmydread]

On your head?

[ Geez. That...she probably broke her neck, or cracked her head open, or-- ]

...Here you are.

[ He exhales through his nose. ]

I'm glad you're here.

[couldntpullthetrigger]

[Well, now she KNOWS something is wrong, because him saying that should've brought out some kind of reaction - a flutter, or, again, that empty ache in her chest... even a knee-jerk tsun reaction. It's not there though, and neither are any of her emotions toward him.

There is still a minor, grating irritation somewhere in the back of her mind, though, and she's pretty sure it has half to do with the headache.

Instead of tsunning, she tilts her head.] I guess. Are you ever really glad of anything, though?

[burnmydread]

[ He raises his brows at that, but...considers. Is she saying that just because of her current state, or is that something she's always wondered? ]

...Why do you ask?

[couldntpullthetrigger]

Because I think I finally understand how you feel all the time: Not much of anything at all.

[B-both? Still, she shrugs.]

Now I finally get why it's so easy to make fun of a bunch of people on the network, though.

[AND SHE'S NOT OVER THAT, EITHER. Finally, the killing blow:]

... You don't care about anyone, right?

[burnmydread]

...

[ So. Yeah. That's definitely a thing. It's probably telling that he doesn't outright refute anything from the get-go, but he's never really been that sort of person. Always quiet, always withdrawn. Reckless in battle, but in most other aspects of life, he's happy to stay back.

There's a long, long pause. Is it worth being honest when she's like this? Or maybe it's a little easier because he can relate to it. ]

I didn't used to.

[ He exhales through his nose. ]

...It didn't seem worth it to care what people were doing or what they thought. People live and die, that's just how it goes.

[ But... ]

But then I met you. And the rest of SEES.

[ And, like any protagonist, that was a catalyst for character development. ]

I used to think that not caring was an easier way to live...But you helped me realize that I wasn't really living at all.

[ He shakes his head. ]

This isn't you.

[couldntpullthetrigger]

[She tilts her head.] So, then, it's exactly like I thought. You don't. You're just doing it to help yourself.

[She heaves a sigh.] You're right about one thing, though, this isn't really like me, but yanno what? [She suddenly raises herself out of the pool, clambering closer to him.

No, closer than that.

Closer than that.

Hell, if anything, it looks like she is legitimately going to kiss him, but she stops just barely short, locking eyes like a long-lost lover with him.]

I don't care.

[And suddenly, she stands up - drops her towel on his head - and starts walking away.

Butt. Ass. Naked.]

You and Aigis make a great pair. Both of you only have a bad imitation of real emotions.

[A dismissive hand wave.] Ja ne.