[ OPEN ] Hot Springs Episode!

[shri]

CHARACTERS: EVERYONE
WHERE: The Second Flight
WHEN: DAY :022
SUMMARY: The Sauna!
WARNINGS: Nekkid times.

[ A few hours after the murder, she hasn't blown the ship up, and here they are. Another knock knock on everyone's brain: ]

( For those of you that are interested - I have secured us a place at the Sauna. Free for us to be use without interruption from outsiders.

You are to be clean before you come in. )

[ Maybe you're here because she bullied you, maybe you want to soak - maybe you're the poor bastard that is standing guard at the door. Either way, welcome to the Suana, have fun. Or don't. ]

Comments

[redheadcarrier]

On the Way In

[ Just the idea of being able to take a long, hot soak after the dust and filth of the pilgrimage so far is a relief. They've been able to wash, but it's usually been with damp clothes. This seems much more relaxing to Asuka. The idea that she can just try to forget about the grief that's still a sharp ache in her chest and let herself float. To be free for a short while before she has to get back into the stifling robes and veils and return to this elaborate game of pretend. In fact, it's a relatively fond memory of the time she visited a hot spring in Japan. It hadn't been nearly as crowded though nor with so many people.

Besides, she doesn't want to dwell on Misato or Ikari at the moment. (Un)fortunately for her there's definitely something that jogs her attention as she arrives behind the privacy screens to start undressing. It's not just the women of the Nest, is it? She freezes up for a moment, her head-dress in hand, staring at the hustle and bustle of those members of the Nest who have come down here. There's a slow flush creeping into her cheeks and she rounds on the nearest person with an indignant yell that's almost more of a squawk. ]

Why are the boys here?

[ Poor Asuka. ]


Steam and Heat

[ Despite herself, Asuka has settled low into the water, her good eye glaring balefully at any member of the male gender who happens to come into her line of sight. Her hair is spread out in the water around her as she tries to keep herself relatively modest. She's definitely not getting out anytime soon. At least not while there are people who might stare at her. She's a touch resentful at this point - she can't even soak properly! She has to keep an eye out for nefarious sneaks. She's folded in on herself, clearly trying to force herself into some sort of binary relaxation-hyper aware state. Bah.

She squints, eye narrowing in a glare as she catches someone's eye. ]

What are you looking at?

Wildcard

[ You know the drill! ]

[sistershoggoth]

Eh? Who cares if the guys are around?

[ She's somewhat less drunk than she was. Someone was kind enough to let her slosh a bit of her inebriated self-pity into their cup, and she's at a better equilibrium, turning her head to talk lucidly with Asuka. ]

[redheadcarrier]

I care!

[ Asuka petulantly sends a small splash of water in Annie's direction, lips turned into a frown. ]

What if they perv on us?

[sistershoggoth]

[ She raises an eyebrow, head tilting. She tries to imagine a world where this would have bothered her. Being looked at, being sexualized. Her body had never been her own. She had grown up in the Academy, no chance to think of it as something that was hers and hers alone. ]

The chicks can perv on you too.

[ Just... saying... ]

[redheadcarrier]

[ Look, Asuka wasn't thinking about that. She's always (mainly) been concerned about men. She can be forgiven for forgetting about women for a little bit. Her face slowly starts to flush red and she sinks a little lower in the water. ]

They wouldn't.

[ Annie, please. Don't do this to her. ]

[sistershoggoth]

[ She can't help but laugh, gruff. ]

No, none of us are gonna perv on you. But I'm sure as shit gonna perv on some of the older ladies.

[ She's... already slept with a few of them... So...]

[redheadcarrier]

[ Asuka stares at Annie from her position low in the water and if anything, her face is turning redder. She hadn't quite realized a few things and they're finally starting to click into place. ]

Y-you - I didn't realize you were - into... that.

[ She's fourteen. And awkward. ]

[sistershoggoth]

My academy was an all girl's school.

[ Annie does her the favor of not starting at her, instead just slinging her arms back on the edge of the pool, relaxed. ]

Guys are fine too, I don't care.

[redheadcarrier]

[ There's a flicker of something - a memory of a kiss in a small apartment. Brief and quick. Lips pressed against one another, one side stiff and unyeilding, a sense of rejection- ]

Ugh. I think I'm done with all of that crap.

[ She drifts over to the wall and leans against it, arms and chin resting on the lip of the pool as she scowls noncommittally at the wall. ]

[wrackful]

[Murphy's only half undressed, in the process of pulling his shirt off when he's suddenly and unexpectedly being yelled at. For a split second he thinks he's missed something, that he isn't supposed to be here, but then his thoughts catch up that Lakshmi had given no specifics on gender, and there were plenty of other guys around.

He scowls, irritated more by his own reaction than her. Though still pretty irritated by the yelling.]

Where the hell else are we going to be?

[redheadcarrier]

Waiting outside?

[ Asuka harumphs, as if the answer ought to be obvious. She seems incredibly sure of herself (even if she's not). At least on this subject, she seems prepared to take a stand, and she settles a hand on her hip as she eyes Murphy with a bit of a narrow-eyed glare.

Of course, he's also half-dressed, so that contributes to a bit of a flush rising in her cheeks. ]

We shouldn't be mixing like this!

[wrackful]

[Murphy looks at her dry, unimpressed and unaffected by her glaring.]

Why, because you're squeamish?

[The root of her objection was easy enough to understand, and if this was a matter of some guys stumbling into a sequestered female bathing space, he'd agree. But it isn't, and he's too used to limited resources and space playing their part in that not always being an option.]

There's room for all of us. If we waited, it'd be a waste of time.

[redheadcarrier]

[ Asuka is used to people not being all that impressed with her glaring. She still doesn't like it and she gives him a haughty sniff that's trying to express just how little she cares about his opinion. ]

It's not squeamish! It's just how things are supposed to be!

[ Which is not, admittedly, a convincing argument for much of anything. ]

Just because I don't want people staring at me...

[wrackful]

[For a second he's tempted to ask her how long she's been here, that she thinks she can still apply her ideas on how things are supposed to be to anything they encounter or have to do. He remembers the briefing, having to tell her she'd need to adapt then, too. But it seemed like she wasn't the type to learn the lesson easy. He sighs.]

People are only going to be staring at you if you keep yelling. [Which seemed likely. He turns to sit, start yanking his weird alien boots off.] We're all stripping down. Trust me, no one cares.

[redheadcarrier]

[ Asuka is, at least, not yelling. But she's still pouting and looking unhappy with everything. ]

I care.

[ Which is important, clearly. Although definitely not important enough to outweigh the opinions of everyone else, even if she seems to think that it should. ]

[wrackful]

Yeah, and if anyone else does care like you do, they're going to be more worried about being stared at than doing any staring.

[Much like her reaction when he'd only gone so far as to take off his shirt. Still, he's stuck now, stays sat on the bench even though his boots have been successfully removed. Stripping off the rest of the way with her discomfort so obvious seems like more of an asshole move than even he's willing to take. Stalemate.]

Look, if you seriously can't get over it, no one's forcing you to be here.

[redheadcarrier]

[ Her face is still flushed and faced with his apparent... well, not exactly acquiescence, but understanding she's left at a bit of a standstill. She'd expected more arguing. Or something. She shuffles her feet and reaches up to shove her hair out of her eye with a muted little glance to the side. ]

...it's a chance to get out of these robes, though.

[ She sounds... not sheepish, but more surly. She knows it's a stupid reversal, but she doesn't want to admit to it. ]

[earthborn]

Because the baths are hard enough to reserve, doing it without being co-ed is out of the question.

[Shepard is a practical woman with practical concerns.]

Also, so we can comment on their dicks. [Is this a joke? Yes. Is she also checking people out? Also yes.] But don't make it weird, kid. Just enjoy the steam.

[redheadcarrier]

I- I don't want to comment on that!

[ Asuka's voice is, if anything, even higher pitched than the last time. Not to mention she's beet red. ]

That's disgusting!

[earthborn]

Oh well, if you wanna look at tits instead, you got options.

[She's teasing. Mostly. Well, at least partly teasing. Shepard can multitask.]

Breathe, Asuka. Seriously, it's not a big deal.

[redheadcarrier]

[ Asuka's poor face has gone beet red. ]

I'm - I'm not interested in that either! Shepard!

[ Poor Asuka is gonna explode. ]

[earthborn]

[Shepard can't help but laugh. Oh man, Asuka, never change.]

Alright, alright, I'm just messing with you, kid. I'll lay off, sorry.

[redheadcarrier]

That's not funny!

[ Her indignant attitude has managed to pitch her voice an octave higher. ]

Some of us like our privacy...!

[earthborn]

I'm not gonna tell you that you don't have a right to the reasonable expectation of privacy.

[Shepard spreads her hands, helpless, laughter still in her tone.]

But maybe you should have thought about privacy before stripping down for a communal bath.

[redheadcarrier]

[ Asuka pouts for a moment, thrown off of her game by Shepard's rebuke. She glances away with a little hmmph and her shoulders tense up. ]

I didn't think there'd be boys. That's all.