[ 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

[calhar]

[ The sentiment's met by a sense of relief. It still feels a bit uncomfortable — exposed, though that's probably half down to being too used to the scarf. Mat rubs a hand over the back of his neck absently, then pointedly stops himself from doing that, too. ]

That's assuming they have the courtesy to ask. [ He's gotten shockingly used to the mental links for certain things. It's good for stealth, good for efficient conversation when you're too lazy to put something into words. Working out the hard boundaries remains a bit of a mess. He can keep his thoughts quiet with some effort, but keeping people out completely doesn't come naturally. ]

It's nothing important. [ More dismissive than defensive. He genuinely doesn't think it's worth sharing, though there's still an undercurrent of embarrassment. ] Besides, there's no point dwelling on old problems when you've got your choice of new ones.

[ Murder, the bizarre creatures nesting in their skulls, take your pick. ]

[sizeofyourbaggage]

[ There's a soft huff at that, somewhere between amused and exasperated.

That was true enough even before here, honestly, but Sam assumes he's talking about the mental link. He lifts a hand out of the water to tap the side of his temple. ]

Good for a lot of things, bad for when you want people to mind their own business. [ Sam himself is pretty damn good at keeping his mind behind the layer of clouds he uses to visualize his shields - most of the time. He'd gotten lax about it when so much of this mission was communicating in secret, but Lavallen's death had pushed him back into the habit of keeping them up.

His mind is calm now, though, and there's a note of agreement at Mat's comment. ]

Normally I'd say your old problems have a way of coming back up to bite you in the ass, but right now, yeah, we got enough shit muddling around. More than enough to need a break.

[calhar]

They'd have to go a very long way to get that bite. [ He knows what they've all been told about their worlds. That doesn't mean he's got to like it or accept it, and there's no real finality in his observation. He'd even take a problem at this point so long as it was from home.

Mat tosses the scarf over his shoulder, back towards his clothes. The pool's ten times more relaxing without the distraction, and he feels like an idiot for keeping it on as long as he did — for a second, anyway. Now he's too comfortable to really care. ]

Do you reckon it was them? The enemy, or whoever it is we're meant to unearth.

[ Mental link or no, it's probably easy to guess that he's talking about the murders. ]

[sizeofyourbaggage]

[ Sam tips his head in acknowledgement, but there's still a soft chuckle. ] You'd be surprised. One of the biggest pains in my ass back home followed me here.

[ He sounds fond, though - and in any case, he hadn't meant physically. More of a metaphorical biting in the ass, when it comes to issues that you haven't dealt with because of them.

But he's not gonna go around telling people that they've got issues, especially when they're just here to relax. He lets his head tip back against the rocks for a moment, considering Mat's question. ]

No way to know for sure right now, but... no, I don't. Or not completely. There's a war going on here that's go nothing to do with us, and they've all got their own agenda. Those two had something going on; I think they got found out.

[calhar]

[ He wouldn't have minded a few of his problems following him here, frankly. At least they'd be familiar ones. Mat notes the fondness in Sam's voice with some curiosity. A hint of envy, maybe, though that passes quickly.

"A war that's got nothing to do with us". That sounds like home, at least. ]

Then it's bloody inconsiderate of them doing it while we're trying the subtle approach. If nobody found our supposed customs suspect before, they will before long.

[ That might just be pessimism talking. Lakshmi managed to negotiate their privacy for the baths, after all, though it occurs to him that it'd be a great setup for anyone who did want to pry. Not that he's worried enough to get out and get back into the robes. He'd rather die relaxing in a bath than sweating in a disguise. ]

[sizeofyourbaggage]

I think we get a bit of a pass just because we’re weird and reclusive, and they’re more focused on who’s winning than on us being strange. But you’re right - the longer this goes on, the closer the calls are gonna be. I’ve been trying since we got here to keep people from blowing our cover, but -

[ But the Nest’s got a hell of a lot of people who are all interested in doing their own thing, and some… very strong personalities.

Of course, none of that is enough to stop him from relaxing here, either, and he gives a one shouldered shrug. ]

But I’m taking a break from all of this shit.

[calhar]

[ Fair enough. Mat's pessimistic, not paranoid, and it's easy to drop whatever concern he's got and follow Sam's lead. ]

A break. [ The comment's still a little dubious, even if it's meant as agreement. He knows how to drink and sleep in and all that, but it's been a while since he's had a legitimate break. You don't really do off duty when the pattern's messing with you. ]

What did you do before all this? A "medic", right? Does that mean you know how to make foul tasting teas?

[ His experience with healers isn't super modern, go figure. ]