[ 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

[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. ]

[wrackful]

Right.

[He can agree with that reasoning, wholeheartedly. Even with the privacy of their tents and now their shared cabin, every second they could get outside of the stifling cover of fabric felt too good to miss. Still:]

So now you need to decide if that's worth compromising for.

[redheadcarrier]

I guess.

[ Asuka mutters her reply. She doesn't like it, especially not when it's laid out that logically. ]

I shouldn't have to, though.

[ Which is a hollow, somewhat childish complaint. Although there are reasons behind it. ]

[wrackful]

[There's that word again. Shouldn't. Murphy's mouth tugs in the corner, a dry, thin smile.]

Yeah, well, if you want to start listing off all the things we shouldn't have to do but we're already doing, you're going to have to find someone else to hear it. I'm not hanging around that long.

[He has more than enough of his own bitterness about the lack of fairness in the universe, what should or should not have occurred in various points along his life. A mixed gender sauna barely ranks, but he can still understand some of the sentiment behind it, at least. It sucks, but the situation wasn't going to change just for her. Best option was to try and make it suck less.]

I can hold up a towel or something, while you get changed. [A loose gesture at the towels in question, flop of his arm almost a shrug as it falls.] If you want.

[redheadcarrier]

I-

[ None of this is really what she wants to hear, but at least he's not yelling at her or basically being mean about things. A part of her actually feels a bit embarrassed for herself at this point. She glances away with a scowl and flushed cheeks. All of her planned complaints and gripes have gone out the window at this point. ]

No. That's fine. I'll be fine.

[wrackful]

[He isn't buying it. Not totally. But he recognises bits of her reaction, thinks if he pushes any harder he's only going to be making it worse for her.]

Okay.

[A nod. Then he gets to his feet.]

You want to... [He makes a twirling motion with one hand, easy communication for turn around.] Give me a minute here?

[redheadcarrier]

Do I want to-?

[ For a moment she just looks confused and then her face slowly goes beet red as she realizes what he's asking and she hastily turns on her heel to find a wall to stare at. ]

Alright! Alright, fine! I'm not some kind of pervert...!

[wrackful]

[It doesn't matter that she can't see it. Murphy still rolls his eyes.]

No, you're pretty much the opposite. That's why I figured you'd want to turn around.

[As he strips off his pants, grabs a towel and wraps it around his waist.]

Okay, safe for your eyes now.

[redheadcarrier]

[ Safe. Right. She takes a breath to try and settle herself. She turns around and gives him a glance, hands clutching at her arms. This just got awkward. ]

You don't have to be condescending about it.

[ Says Asuka Langley Soryu, Queen of the Condescending Comment. ]

[wrackful]

[For a second he just looks at her. Very flat. Some mix of incredulous and bemused that he can't even emote, until he's giving a short huff of a laugh.]

There's seriously no winning with you, is there? [He holds his hands up, a mock gesture of surrender.] Fine. Uncle.

[As he takes a step back, starting to move away.]

[redheadcarrier]

Wait - what's that supposed to mean?

[ Hey, he can't judge her like that! That's her job. She's still a bit red-faced and she's still holding her towel wrapped around herself, but she's chasing him for answers. ]

Come on...!

[wrackful]

It means I give up.

[Voice raised enough to carry behind him without turning. He’s still walking.]