[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]

...

[ Yeah, she...she got it. And this will be the first time he's ever really talked about dying. He and Aigis had touched on it, briefly, more in concept than the literal reality of it. He's going to have to do this at some point, though...right?

But how does he put this? ]

I agreed to it.

[long_live_the_queen]

[Kaede doesn't laugh again; thought about it, yes, but she was also thinking of other things. More relevant things.]

Is that so.

[She inclined her head just so slightly the other way. How...curious. She was almost jealous. Or...no, not exactly. She hadn't intended to die then, but it happened, didn't it? Death didn't care if she had things to do, one more person to kill, others to meet—it caught up to her as surely as her disintegrating form did.]

Not all of us can choose when to die.

[burnmydread]

[ If he thinks about it...really thinks about it, the alternative wan't much better, was it? Welcoming death for everyone, bringing on the end. He doesn't really want to get into all the nuances of martyrdom, though, because that's certainly not how he sees it. ]

...Yeah.

[ He's not good at talking about this. But should anyone be? ]

...And some people do, then regret it.

[long_live_the_queen]

Hm.

[Her voice continued sounding less and less dismissive. Not like she was talking to an equal, not quite yet. More a solid feeling that he really understood, instead of just making guesses and conjectures.]

Awfully understanding for a human, aren't you.

[It wasn't a question; more a statement, even a compliment.]

[burnmydread]

[ It's a curious statement. Minato looks up. He'd assumed that she was human, you know, by appearances at least. Humans can have some amazing powers, but...is that not the case? ]

You think so?

[long_live_the_queen]

Did I stutter?

[Some of Kaede's spite returned, smoldering in the edges of her words. She spat them, her anger directed elsewhere.]

Most humans are cruel and wretched. Monsters that claim they aren't. I don't have any regrets killing them.

[The building rage cooled as quickly as it appeared, though the occasional mana spark still flickered from her shoulders.]

...but not all of them.

[burnmydread]

[ So...she's died, destroyed by her own power. Fought humans, killed many and holds a general disdain for them, but can still see the merit in a few...

> You feel that you're beginning to understand Kaede a little better...

With the somber mood, it seems fitting to get this, after he's learned so much. ]

Thou shalt have our blessing when thou choosest to create a Persona of the Hangedman Arcana...

[ Hmm...interesting.

He spaces out for a moment, staring sort of blankly ahead as the visuals and voices do what they will. Then, when the scene slowly returns to normal, he seems to wake back up. ]

...I think most people are afraid. And don't know what they really want.

[ Should he ask what happened? Or is that pushing his luck? ]

[long_live_the_queen]

[Initially, Kaede assumed Minato's silence was simply due to thought.

Just when she was about to wiggle her fingers to see if his blank expression was due to how far he was in his own mind or just zoning out, Minato started to speak again.

That...wiggled through her armor to hit something underneath. Kaede twitched, as if stung by something.]

...maybe so.

[>You need a higher Social Link to unlock her tragic backstory.]

[burnmydread]

[ It does seem like a big reveal, and it certainly is to him, so Minato figures their Social Link will need some time before it levels up again. Keeping that in mind, he decides to back off on some of the finer details. She may prefer that as well. ]

Have you talked to anyone else?

[long_live_the_queen]

[Her discomfort disappeared, and her usual neutral posture settled back into place.]

Caren. It hasn't really come up otherwise.

[burnmydread]

[ Caren...something about that doesn't entirely surprise him. She has a certain aura around her that makes him think the notion of talking to the dead wouldn't be all that strange to her. ]

...I guess it's not really a cocktail party conversation.