[You get to the springs. There's a room that's not quite a shower room, not quite a bath room but something in between before the springs.] * Rei heads to the women's section, 'cause she was a girl (last she checked) and didn't get cursed any time recently, so! * Maria follows Rei, because she seems to know where she's going. * Rei reaches the changing area, lets go of Maria, and goes about stripping. Uh, not for show, okay? She stashes her clothes away, and her tail twitches. Yeah, she *definitely* has a tail. ( There's a Sir Mix-a-lot reference waiting to be made here. ) (Sure is!) * Maria does likewise, taking off her jacket, pants, shirt, and then her bodysuit, which seems to serve as both underwear and socks, and also looks highly conspicuous. But she makes sure to do this while nobody's looking, so it should be alright. Rei, you might wanna hide your tail. Maybe? Why- * Rei looks back. "Oh." * Lazar is nowhere near this. He's no peeping golem. Though there are most likely peeping constructs of some sort in Transylvania. * Rei pouts. "But I don't really wanna... I mean, how'd I explain that I bathe with a clip on tail, then?" * Asanjya walks in, smiling slightly. She's already in a towel. * Rei goes to peek out and see if anyone else is in the spring. ( Guy/girl areas separated, I assume? ) (Yes.) * Lazar quickly notices the separate guy/girl areas, and heads for the guy areas. Since he can't, y'know, read Japanese, he does this by going to the area Asanjya's not going to. [There's nobody in the spring right now.] There, see! Nobody there! I'll just... uh, sit on it if anyone else comes! Though that could kinda hurt. Oh well. I'm getting wet no matter what. That works. * Rei runs out. In the nude! "Freedom! Cowabunga!" Splash. * Asanjya walks out to the water genteely. * Rei has dunked herself completely in, and when she surfaces, her face is bright red. "Hot! Hot! Hothothothothothothot!" * Maria peeks out, making sure there's a great big wall between her and the boys. Once she's sure of that, she saunters out naked, touches the water with a toe, and sloooooowly eases into it. "Yeah, it is hot." * Lazar eases into the water, as jumping in would likely cause a rather large and unpleasant splash. After a moment of standing in the belly deep water, feeling a bit silly, he shrugs and sits down, cross-legged, underwater. ( Maria doesn't get that some would wear a towel into a body of water. It prolly seems strange to her. ) ( Belly-deep on Laz? Prolly not that deep. I don't think, anyway. ) ( Laz is 6'2. Belly-deep would be about 3-3 1/2 feet ) * Rei spits out some water and wades to where the other girls are. She's still bright red, but she's doing better. And laughing. You okay, Rei? * Asanjya doesn't actually wear the towel into the water, just till she's got her feet in, at which point she slinks into the water. Her hair rustles, and Xaphan peeks out the top. She sits down, leans back... and Xaphan produces a book! Which she takes, while looking at Rei and smiling. Yeah! This is great, even with the first shock of oh my god my skin's on fire I'm gonna die!" She sprinkles some water towards Maria. * Lazar is just kinda hanging out underwater. If anyone came nearby, they'd hear some soft chanting in Hebrew, oddly not muffled by the water. * Maria blinks at the water. "Is this some custom, Rei?" Not really, but I guess we could make it one. No. She's just hyperactive. * Rei sinks back into the water, then pops up indignantly. "Hey!" Oh. Well, that's just normal. I am not *just* hyperactive. I'm many things besides hyperactive. And normal! I'm things besides normal, too! Yes. * Asanjya flips open the book, not seeming to care that it's getting wet. * Rei folds her arms and huffs, then looks to the sky. "The world's against me," she laments. No doubt Lazar can hear this entire thing. It is not, Rei. * Lazar hears all. He sees all. He feels... not a whole heckuva lot. ( He'd better not be seeing all. c.c ) * Rei wails. "Yes it is!" She falls backwards and ends up... lying on top of the water, laughing. * Maria blinks. "Hey, cool. How'd you do that?" * Rei blinks. "Huh?" She sits up, on top of the water. And looks down. "Whoa. Uh, I just didn't want to go under, I guess." Neat. * Asanjya is sitting there, smiling. * Rei yelps and jumps up to her feet. On the water's surface. One hand on her butt. "Who did that?!" Violet eyes dart, looking for the culprit. * Asanjya doesn't move a muscle. But there's a high pitched giggling from under the water. * Rei narrows her eyes, and she *drops*, splashing into the water, before sticking her head under and looking. * Maria tries it with her hand, and fails to have the water support her hand. Then she hears the giggling and looks for it's source. * Lazar removes his slinky from the pouch at his hip, and begins playing with the slinky underwater. In slooooooooooow moooooootion. (Ooooooooooo.) (Woooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooow.) * Rei spots something, apparently, 'cause she reaches down and in a flurry of panicked splashing eventually comes up for air. "Got you!" ( It's Asanjya's pet midget tentacle demon! ) [Oh! I nearly forgot. Now that you're getting used to the water, you begin to notice a bunch of slinkies moving around the bath's edges with the power of perpetual motion.] * Rei looks in her hands, which are firmly clutching Xaphan. She eyes him. (Okay, that'd be freaky if this weren't MC2.) * Asanjya finally smiles all the way. "You cannot escape the power of Xaphan." He smiles, sweetly. Oh yeah? Shouldn't you be in the guy's section? With the rest of the stone people? ...hey, yeah! He's not really a he. He's neuter. He pinched my butt! * Rei pouts. Well, I told him to. * Lazar calls through the dividing wall. "Granite, if being technical." Oh. ... That still doesn't- granite! Okay, thanks. Anyway, he's neuter, which means he should go with the *neuter* people, and Lazar's technically neuter. Oh, all right. If you insist. * Lazar lets the slinky drop from his hands, and he clenches his fist a bit, scowling. Yeah. Go poke Lazar instead. * Asanjya looks up and motions, and Xaphan flutters over the divider. He won't be bothered by it. * Lazar brings both hands to his head for a moment, then pounds the ground with his right fist once, in frustration. * Rei grins and quiets her voice - something that doesn't happen very often. "Yeah, and if you order him to do it, it's *almost* like hitting on him." She dips back underwater and blows a long string of bubbles. * Asanjya lets loose a long, slow smile. "Perhaps." * Maria blinks. "Wait, what?" * Lazar looks down, and notes that he just smashed his slinky. "... perfect." (Xaphan can give you another?) (He bent his wookie--er, slinky.) * Rei pops back up, next to Maria, and whispers into the shorter girl's ear, "Asanjya's got a crush on Lazar! You couldn't tell?" It is nothing so immature as a crush. Yeah, sure. He's a rock guy who gets kicks out of hurting- * Rei stops herself. "I should forgive him for that someday." Pause. "Maybe." * Maria blinks. "Oh! Well, that's understandable, I guess." * Lazar wouldn't hear even if the girls weren't whispering, since he's currently a bit busy simmering. ( No pun intended. Couldn't think of a better word. ) * Rei wades off into the water a bit, her tail being... well, wet fur. He meets with my aesthetic principles, both visually and in background. It's hard to find a boyfriend who is not squicked out by wing of bat and eye of newt. Yeah, well. Nobody else is chasinghim, so that's good for you. On the other hand, he seems uninterested. * Maria nodnods. Lazar's not like most guys, that way. * Asanjya smiles again. "It merely means breaking him to it will be more enjoyable." * Lazar tightens his fist around the remains of his metal slinky, crushing it into a little ball, then lets it drop to the floor of the bath and resumes his Hebrew chanting. It's notibly less relaxed-sounding, now. * Maria frowns. "But wouldn't breaking him be mean?" * Rei stays where she is, dunking her face occasionally. She's not participating in this conversation! Yay! It's a figure of speech, Maria. *flip* I don't see you much engaging in the Other Ancient Arts, though, Maria. * Rei peers at the other girls, face half-submerged in the water. Her hair? Somehow even messier when wet. Other Ancient Arts? Seduction, Maria. Oh. Nope. Asanjya... Lazar doesn't think like most people. He doesn't think he's people, even. I know that. But then, I don't think like most people. *flip* It balances, to a degree. * Rei pops her head out of the water and speaks up, plainly. "I don't think it'll work." * Maria shakes her head. "No. I mean, Lazar thinks he's dead. It's hard to be friends with people when you're dead." Perhaps not. But either it works, or it torments him, and either way might be construed as enjoyable. * Maria blinks. "You... *want* to torment him?" * Rei stares at Asanjya for a second. "Maybe you guys deserve each other." She splashes, getting out of the spring and heading back into the changing/shower area. * Rei doesn't waste time, wrapping herself in a towel, grabbing her clothes, and heading back to the rooms while dripping water everywhere! They've got to be used to it. * Asanjya shrugs and flips the page. "Not in so many words, but it's fun to see him squirm." She stands up. "We should follow Rei's example. Too much heat is bad for you." * Lazar is still working on calming himself. Angry golem = property damage. * Asanjya wraps herself in a towel, and her hair wrings itself out. She looks over her shoulder. "Coming?" Er... you go ahead. I wanna soak some more. I like this. * Asanjya 's hair flips over her shoulder. "Don't boil yourself alive." She heads back to the rooms. * Maria waits for Asanjya to get halfway back to the inn, then goes over to the wall. "Laz!" * Lazar manages to calm down a bit, and starts chanting in Hebr- "Hmm?" Did you hear was Asanjya said? No. Was... meditating. She said she was gonna be all more-than-friendly with you, and that it'd either work or torment you, and that either way she was fine with it. You should prolly stay away from her, Laz. ... well, that explain many things from past month or two. * Lazar rubs his head. "Should have noticed. But just no think about that... no point, you know?" Yeah, I know. I figured it out a while back. Just don't let it bother you, okay? I try to no. It hard sometimes... I mean, I know I dead, I probably no getting body back, so there no point even thinking about. But... still frustrating. * Lazar shakes his head. "Want hear something funny?" Sure. (Lazar's got a crush on Maria!) ( Not quite. ) Early on after club form, I think about maybe ask you out. Knew was golem... but was lonely. Is lonely. *pauses* But realized that no fair to you. You smart girl, very pretty. Deserve better than golem. (I KNEW IT. I win.) (*hands Rei a pineapple upside down cake* Good job.) (:9) (Mmm.) ( Not quite a crush, but yeah. Like I said. =P ) ...thanks. ...I think. Is better for everyone if no let people get too attached to golem. Is good chance that, when kill Dracula, I stop working or crumble to dust. I no want people to be too sad over. Is fate of golem. Is what golem supposed to do. * Lazar smiles sadly. "No worry though, little one. I try be around long enough to help find you good guy... or at least to beat bup scuzzy guys who hit on you." * Maria frowns. Then says, "I understand, I think. And thanks. ...And I should really get back there, now." I just wanted to ward you, y'know? See ya later. Appreciate. Tell others I be in soon. * Maria walks back to the changing area, dries off, puts on clothing, and heads back to the Inn. * Lazar looks down at his crushed Slinky, and shakes his head. "I been to hell, which no supposed to be... really hope there heaven what no supposed to be." *sinks back underwater; resumes chanting* (If Lazar is paying attention he can hear a tiny splash, then nothing.) (Okay. ^^ Walk by Chomei and Chie's room in main channel, enter this one, and we can go here, Maria!) * Maria walks into the room she and Rei are staying in. * Rei is there! And dressed... not exactly for public, but she's wearing some horribly clashing striped sweatpants with a bright pink undershirt. And she's curled on her mat, back and tail towards Maria. Rei? You alright? * Rei twitches her tail in recognition, and after a bit, she says, "No, I don't think so." * Maria is just wearing her t-shirt and jeans, right now. She walks over to Rei. "Why not?" * Rei sighs. One hand's half-curled. "He's not coming back, is he?" * Maria looks confused for a second, and then her face lights up in realisation, and then she looks sad. "...prolly not. I don't know how we could find him, either. If he were a normal person, it'd be easy, but..." * Rei sniffs. And still doesn't look up. "I- I knew he might not be comin' back, but I-" She stops and tries again. "I didn't wanna think- He just-" * Maria puts a hand on Rei's shoulder. "Look, he's still out there somewhere. He's good at hiding and blending in. There's no way they've gotten him." * Rei shivers when Maria touches her. "But what if he." She shoots up, looking at Maria. "What if I was right!" she practically wails. "Sometimes- what if he really was using me and us the entire time!" * Maria tries to keep smiling. "Well, then when we find him, we'll find out for certain." * Rei stares at Maria. Her mouth works, and she finally manages to say, "You don't really believe that." * Maria turns red. "Well... maybe? It might happen if we try." * Rei whimpers and looks about ready to burst into tears. But she doesn't, for whatever reason, and she looks away instead. "I guess so. I don't think a whole lot of people liked him, anyway. I-" She stops; takes a breath. "I dunno." It's not like I lov- It's not like I loved him. He was using me. We both knew it. * Maria frowns. "You don't really think that?" * Rei rubs at one eye with the palm of her hand and just repeats, "I dunno." * Maria embraces Rei. She doesn't say anything. * Rei whimpers again and freezes... before she bursts into tears and lets Maria hold her up. * Maria hold the weeping Rei. If one sees her face, she looks a little lost, right now. * Rei cries, and cries, and tries to talk while crying. "I just didn't wanna- I don't- He jus'-" She sobs and gives up. * Maria searches through her memory, and decides that making little 'shush'ing noises while Rei tries to talk is the proper thing to do in this situation. * Rei sniffles, and after a while she moves to wrap her arms around Maria and give a little squeezy hug back. * Maria still doesn't know what to say. * Rei is silent for a long while longer, and she finally speaks up. Quietly and not particularly Rei-ish. "Thanks. I... um, I guess I needed that." It's okay. I'm glad I could help? Yeah. * Rei lets go and rubs at her eyes. "We'll find him, right? Or we'll try?" We'll try. I can find some guys good at finding people. At least in Japan. If we go looking elsewhere, I'll need your help. I'll still know the general sorts of places to look, but I won't speak the language. But if we try, we'll eventually find him. I'm sure of it. * Rei sighs. "Okay. I just... I just gotta know." * Maria nods. "Then we'll find out." * Rei smiles shakily. "Thanks." You're a good friend. Not that I've had a whole lot of friends to compare you to, but I think you're a good one. * Maria blinks, then grins. "Thanks!" ( But not your best friend, right? Right? Down, girl.) (... Yeah, you and Kat really do share that.) * Rei smiles. "So, um..." It's dinner time, right? * Rei gets to her feet and looks around. ...yeah, it is. Then we've gotta get food! * Maria hops to her feet. "Sounds good to me!" So... where do we get food? I noticed a restaurant or two on the way in. * Rei powerposes! And slips on her sandals. She's a lot more cheerful now. "Well, I could try to get recommendations from the reception lady." Do you think we should order for everyone, or should we be mean and evil and horde all the food for ourselves? Order for everyone. We can go to their rooms and check to see if they want anything? Or would that disturb their privacy? * Maria says that as though she cares about people's privacy. ( No thanks. I on Atkins. ... ) (Hee.) ( *snerk* ) * Rei thinks. "Yeah, okay. What kinda places did you see while we came up? Maybe there's a phone book somewhere." * Rei dives into the drawers, looking for a phone book. Not literally, but! Well, there was some Japanese stuff, and a Chinese restaurant. Well, since we're at a traditional onsen, I guess we should go for traditional food! * Rei emerges with a phone book. She is triumphant! She starts flipping through for what looks like a good restaurant. I guess. So, let's see... * Rei heads over to the door and opens it, still looking at the phone book. She heads to Asanjya and Lazar's room and raps her knuckles by the door. * Lazar opens the door. "Want food?" * Rei blinks. Do you even eat? (No, I'm just looking for an excuse to escape from the woman who's trying to jump me.) No. But Asanjya does, she hungry, and was going to ask if other little ones wanted food. Oh, yeah. Maria and I were just talking about calling in for some food because I can't cook here and we should probably eat something so we don't become skin and bones and eventually die from starvation. * Asanjya looks out from behind Lazar. She shoots Rei a Look. * Maria nods, because this sounds like a plan. That bad, yes. * Rei beams at Asanjya. Okay. Time to stop the lovebirds in their make out session or playing tiddlywinks or *whatever* they do in their free time... One hopes it's tiddlywinks. What's tiddlywinks? * Rei heads over to C 'n' C's room and knocks by their door. "Yeah, I so don't want to think about what it'll look like if they're playing Connect Four." * Maria does, however, take from the word's usage the notion that it's likely not tasty. * Rei knocks again.