exhibitionistsbox | Hot Springs and Ryokan

Guess what, y'all. It's time for a field trip. We're heading to a Hot Springs and an Inn for the weekend, and everyone is invited. This place is huge, and has multiple springs both indoor and out. There's separate bathing, mixed, and even a spot for foreigners and prudes who like to keep their swimsuits on. Table tennis? Got it. Room service? You bet. Massages? Possibly. Ghosts? Maybe.

1. Hot springs: after you rinse off come take a relaxing bath. There are multiple options as to what kind of bathing environment you can have, so please choose wisely. Also, please read the signs. None of the springs will kill you, but if you choose the wrong one you might end up with some... adverse effects. Cursed springs might just be a Thing.

2. The Inn: you'll be here for a few nights so find your rooming buddy and get friendly. Whether bonding over food, games, or even just exploring the place there's certainly something you can find to occupy yourself. Just don't be too curious after curfew. The staff are pretty insistent, but they aren't cops so responsibility for your actions are your own.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

From:

shieldher

[OH NO.

Maybe he can't hear her because he's underwater, or maybe he can't hear her because he's dying! Mash, while used to operating in crisis mode at this point, isn't above fretful thoughts like that. She definitely can't just leave this alone. After a moment (please don't let it be too long!!) of dithering about exactly how to approach this, she can think of only one method: dropping her towel and slipping quickly into the water herself so she can grab him and haul him up to breathe.

If this is a misunderstanding, she thinks, he'll probably forgive her. And if it's not, the consequences of not acting could be dire. Her hands grope down into the water to find his arms so she can attempt to pull him up to safety. Please let him be all right!

However well this attempt goes or doesn't go, it is at least a demonstration that she's a lot stronger than she looks.]

From:

hackerlad

[With the element of surprise thoroughly on her side, Mash should have no problem successfully grabbing him!! Being stronger than she looks is to her benefit about now as well; 9S himself is heavier than he looks, after all, being over double the weight of a human at the same size thanks to the wonders of metal internal parts. ...Of course, this is doubtless still small beans compared to how heavy her shield probably is normally, so--you know--anyway, the point is...!

That on 9S's end of things, a nice moment of especially thorough soaking has very suddenly turned into somebody grabbing at him from above (?!) and lifting him (?!?!?)--which would be quite a shock for just about anybody, really! Being no exception to this fact himself, 9S appropriately breaks the water's surface with a great deal of flailing and spluttering.]

--Gah, wh--wha--?!

[Look, it's hard to be eloquent when you've accidentally inhaled some water out of sheer surprise and end up having to cough some of it out about now...! This probably does not help the just-drowning impression at all. (Is that also some kind of weird static noise faintly popping between coughs too?? MAYBE but that's not important--)

Hold on, his bangs are still plastered over his eyes and he can't see anything.......9S ends up sort of grappling from the arm hoisting him out of the water to one of her shoulders, casting out blindly for some form of support so he doesn't just topple right back into the bath; with his free hand he attempts to mop his hair out of his eyes and--wait a minute--]

M-Mash?! [It is????? No--it definitely is, though recognition takes just a second longer than normal, since--well, the last time they met was a lot less wet and...shirtless.....uh--]

From:

shieldher

Ahhhh . . .

[The moment feels endless. She can see it from the outside. There she is, standing there naked, holding up a coughing naked boy who is way, way heavier than she anticipated, making her footing precarious . . . for now, she holds it, but she does slide across the bottom of the bath a little, skittering. At least she manages to stop before they both fall in. On the other hand, maybe if they did, that would save them both some embarrassment?! Besides, what other action is there to take at a time like this? This is the end of her life, surely. There is nothing left for her after this moment in time. She can't see a single path into the future through the thick fog of dawning embarrassment.

Okay, no, that's pretty dramatic. The moment passes and she shakes herself out of it, doing the obvious thing: she sets him back down again and folds her arms over her own body, flushed bright pink with . . . everything. Everything about this situation!]

I . . . I thought you were drowning! I'm sorry! I didn't . . .

From:

hackerlad

[He's very grateful for the effort she puts into not dropping him right back into the bath, at least...! Things do feel distinctly wobbly for a moment, anyway, in that mortifying handful of seconds in which Mash is holding up his very naked self with her own very naked self...before her footing steadies, and one more crisis is averted. --Ah, not that this couldn't qualify as a bit of a crisis in itself anyway...honestly, even with only about half of his bearings gathered at the moment, 9S is already feeling a sudden surge of embarrassment himself. Since they're really pretty--close, and it's--well. Well!!!

Suffice to say, the heat of the bath probably isn't the only reason he's flushed about now himself. At least they're equivalent shades of pink at this point...embarrassment solidarity.....

But anyway, it's fortunate that Mash at least gathers herself enough to set him back down in a pretty prompt fashion, since it means that 9S isn't given an opportunity to do something else even more flailing and embarrassing--like putting a hand where he shouldn't, or something!--in favor of getting back his own balance on his feet instead.]

Drown-- [Oof. His voice is still a bit rough, notable in the way it briefly skips up a couple of octaves and crackles a little; 9S coughs once more, clearing his throat. Man, talk about embarrassing for sure...! When was the last time he got water in his vocalizer? What a disaster.] Drowning? ...Oh. Oh, that's...

[He's...sinking back down into the water until he's almost at chin-level again anyway, though it's a controlled thing. As he also drifts back a bit, to like...give her some room? At least...ah....but either way, the chagrin's clear on his face.]

Is that what it looked like? --Hold on, were you trying to save me just now? I--geez, I should be the one apologizing, honestly...

From:

shieldher

[Mash stands there for a moment, struck dumb, but her body's got this. It's on top of things more than her mind is right now, and realizes that hey, she could be shielding herself with the water right now instead of just standing here naked and looming over him. When he sinks down and back, she gradually follows, until she's properly concealed. This whole thing is so embarrassing that she has a sudden, intimate understanding of why exactly someone might want to just . . . sink under the surface for a good long while.

She resists the urge, but she gets it.

She ends up about on his level, meeting his eyes across the surface of the water. This really is a nice hot spring, she thinks, in a fleeting way that she doesn't have the luxury of enjoying just yet.]

No, no, I'm the one who jumped to conclusions! I saw you go under and didn't see you come back up . . . and I got worried. That isn't because of anything you did wrong. I-I could have tapped you on the shoulder or something!

[Solutions that feel obvious in hindsight, without the needless adrenaline coursing through her system . . .

She slips just low enough into the water that her lips go under, and a few bubbles ripple up. Blub.]

From:

hackerlad

[Yeah, the looming was kind of--you know--9S did his valiant best to avert his eyes, at least!! Until Mash ends up sinking down herself. This is kind of a mutual relief, since...in this fashion, it's definitely a lot easier to actually. Talk, and also look at each other? Without trying to rival a tomato in complexion?? Yeah....]

W-Well, that's--okay, yeah, that would have been a bit less awkward. But you probably, must have been pretty worried, to pull me back up like that anyway...? Look, let's--we can both pretend this totally never happened! And both be sorry about it?! I mean, I'm still pretty sorry too...

[Ah, does this even make sense...the chances are good that he's half just kind of, babbling the first things to come to mind at this point, and 9S finds himself at that embarrassing sort of stage where he's aware of it but still can't actually make himself stop. --Until he bobs down a bit to submerge his mouth too, a sort of subconscious inspiration taken from Mash's own bout of mortified bubbling. Blub...it's a mood....

--Though actually, it ends up reminding him of something, and--9S rises back up just enough to speak again, after an awkward moment's pause.]

...Actually--hold on. Humans can't breathe underwater, right? ...Can they not hold in air for very long either? [Because that...would actually explain a lot, whoops.....]

From:

shieldher

[The edge begins to ease off of her. 9S's obvious anxiety over the whole thing makes Mash feel guilty, but also less alone, and that's something. At least they're both in this mortifying situation together, blubbing away! She takes a deep breath through her nose, soothing herself; the warm water really does help with that, too. It's beginning to become clear why people pay to soak in these things despite the public nudity aspect.

By the time she surfaces to answer the question properly, she's feeling better, if still very, very red.]

Ah . . . yes, you're right. The average human can hold their breath for under two minutes, though there are training techniques to improve that. But without training, it gets concerning after a minute.

[At times like this, she can sound like she's reading from an online search or something, which isn't that far from the truth.]

From:

hackerlad

[MUTUAL BLUBS...combined with very pleasantly warm water--it is a little harder to stay tense when these things are at play, isn't it? Man, this would definitely be a lot worse if it were happening anywhere else...though then again, would an incident like this actually happen anywhere else either?

Well--never mind that--really, even if most of it was babbling, 9S would be pretty happy to just proceed as if the last five minutes hadn't actually happened. As impossible as it is to actually willfully forget about it, though, the slight shift in topic helps too...and 9S is already perking up with visible interest.

Like, sure, that was a surprisingly thorough response, but--it's honestly kind of refreshing in its detail! Most people don't bother to answer things nearly that helpfully, you know? In his experience, anyway... ~~9S may also be biased about this since he pulls from the database for more trivial things half the time himself, which is basically the same thing as reading from an online search anyhow--~~]

Under two minutes, huh? Wow, that isn't for very long at all... [A hand emerges from the water on his end, if only so he can wave it around a little in a vague but intrigued sort of gesture.] Geez, it's no wonder you were starting to get worried, in that case! Us androids can retain air intake for about five minutes or so, I'd say? That's the average with the tests I've run on myself, anyway! And that probably varies depending on body size too, but it seems to be a pretty decent baseline. I--aha... [Ah, a second hand emerges--and now he can raise both of them in a thoroughly apologetic sort of gesture, with a sheepish smile to accompany it.] I wasn't running any tests this time around, though! I was just...er, since these baths are--really, really nice? I've never been able to soak as much as I want before! Sooo...

[Mmmmaybe he was trying to take advantage of his five minutes being underwater in this particular instance, yeah........]

From:

shieldher

[Aha, everything makes sense now! And, on top of that, is very interesting to listen to; Mash sits up a little herself at last so she looks a little less pathetic for the conversation. New knowledge is always worth sitting up for!]

I really should have realized. I guess I was caught up in the moment and acted without thinking. I really am sorry! But . . . now that I'm in here myself, I can completely understand!

[She swishes a hand through the water, thoughtfully. Even just feeling the warmth through her fingers is soothing. Is this the power of the natural world or what? Maybe she's just been more stressed than she realized?! Well, that one's very likely. It's probably a combo of both.]

There's something about it that makes me want to push my body to the limits of relaxation! . . . That sounds a little strange when I put it that way. Maybe it's an oxymoron, but that is how I feel . . . so, I think I know where you're coming from. I don't think I could last for five minutes, though.

[Though it would be more of a close match than if she were an ordinary human. Not that she's thinking of a competition or anything. Of course not . . . ]

Is this your first time, then? It's mine too.

From:

hackerlad

[New knowledge is always, definitely, worth sitting up for!! How relieving, that they've managed to find the key to moving past mutual embarrassment like this....(by mutually nerding out over hot springs, apparently, but look. If it works, it just works!)]

Hah, I don't know about strange...but it does sound kind of intense when you put it like that! ["Pushing the limits of relaxation" sounds like a self-contrast if he's ever heard of one, for sure, but the idea's earning a good-natured laugh.] I think I sort of get what you mean, too? Like, being able to see just how much you can relax...or something like that. May as well go full out while we can be here, right?

[A competition would probably even fall under that category too, to be fair....a breath-holding tournament would sure be a way to pass time in hot springs. Are hot springs games even a thing normally? Maybe they should be!! But anyway--]

First time...oh, being to one of these resort things, you mean? Yeah, definitely! I bet it's been kind of obvious... [As the earlier awkwardness is gradually eroded by the much less mortifying topics at hand now, 9S starts to wade his way over to Mash properly, until he's settling more beside her as opposed to hovering an embarrassed yard away. So they're at a more conversational distance, finally!] It seems like a lot of people here have done this before, or at least know what to do? You'd never have any luxuries like this back home, though... [He shrugs, water swirling around his shoulders, and then beams at her.] It's actually kind of nice to know I'm not the only one that's new to this after all! Do you think you've gotten the hang of it yet?

From:

shieldher

[She expects to feel a little more embarrassed at a naked boy moving closer to her in the baths—and she's not zero percent embarrassed, but she is only maybe ten percent embarrassed instead of the anticipated fifty. Not bad! She's getting this down!]

I think I'm starting to. I learned how to play table tennis! That's a lot of fun. But before this, I had only read about this kind of place. It's so different from anything I've ever experienced.

[Mash tips her head back to look up at the open-air rafters over in the rinsing area, and then beyond that, to the areas of the ryokan that she knows are a little more populated right now. Between their own conversation here, she can hear the sounds of the others having antics filtering in and across the water. It's strangely soothing even when it's concerning . . . which it often is, considering the crew here. More than once it's the sound of someone fighting. But, you know, in the way that at least sounds like it's fun?]

And reading about it can't really prepare you for what it's like with other people, either! It does feel like everyone's right at home here. But, for what it's worth, I couldn't tell you didn't know what you were doing either! Maybe I've been a little caught up in myself . . .

From:

hackerlad

[Honestly, it's not as if 9S wouldn't normally have at least a few reservations about moving closer to a naked girl in turn himself--but the water's got a pale quality to it here (something about the mineral composition in it?), making it harder to see through and easier to forget about the little things, like awkward nudity or what have you. Not to mention the soothing heat of it all, and the genuine interest of the conversation at hand...with everything combined, he ends up closing the distance without actually thinking too hard about it, eventually settling beside Mash with his back against the edge of the bath. This makes it easier to follow her line of sight from the rafters to the distantly audible strains of Shenanigans off in the distance...ah.....

(Really, 9S is starting to fall under the unfortunate impression that petty slapfights are just, always a thing in places like this...but yeah, it sure is a crowd here, isn't it?)]

Hah, I'd never even read anything about something like this before...never found any records about this sort of thing, anyway. I'd always heard about humans constructing whole facilities to spend free time at--like amusement parks, and things? But a resort dedicated to a bunch of giant hot baths... [He laughs, shaking his head.] I mean, it even sounds kind of weird out loud! To me, anyway? Not that it's a bad thing, either, but I sure don't know how people actually think up things like this!

[His glance shifts back to Mash eventually, though, as his attention does the same; 9S smiles ruefully.]

I mean, I dunno, you did manage to notice me ducking under water for way too long.... [Never mind how that fell a lot more under "looks like drowning" than "looks like he has no clue what he's doing"--] Still, that's fair. I didn't know you were here too! I'd like to think I'm usually pretty good at tracking my surroundings, but there's, uh. A lot of distractions here... [He shrugs, the movement eliciting a bit of a splash, before tilting his head a little.] --Oh, speaking of which, though. What's "table tennis"?

From:

shieldher

Oh! I'll show you later, if you want! It's a game where two or four people hit a ball back and forth across a table with paddles.

[Once again, she's kind of hype to describe it; it's fun, after all! She worked up a sweat with Kaname! And anything that's fun is worth her enthusiasm, no matter how mundane it might be for other people. For her, it's a new experience to drink in.]

You hit the ball to one another until someone gets it past their opponent. The rules are a little more complicated than that, but that's the main goal. It's a lot more active than it sounds, once you get used to the rhythm and learn strategy.

[Maybe he'll want to play with her! The thought is exciting. Of course she hadn't won against Kaname, and was a beginner herself, but teaching someone else is just a different kind of fulfilling, and they'll be on more even ground . . .

It's funny: thinking about a silly game where you hit a ball back and forth on a table isn't that different from thinking about the existence of a resort dedicated to hot water in holes in the ground. Mash laughs a little, staring down at the vague shape of her body under the water, marveling at how little she can see of it despite how clean and pristine the spring feels.]

Games like this are another thing people came up with to entertain themselves . . . it's interesting. You're right. I guess we come up with anything we can to stimulate ourselves and make bonds with one another. If we didn't find ways to make the world into an experience, we wouldn't really be the same.