Onsen Omake (Semi-Open OOC Welcome)

[Unnamed Mercenary]

He briefly looked around the area, not seeing either of the miqo'te. 

 

"How long does it take them to change?!"

 

Maybe he was just fast. Naturally, Kage might have some ...issues... with a tail in the way. Walking over to the springs, he found a nice area and sat in the pools, his back against a rock. His head just barely above the water, he splashed some onto his face. 

 

Even though the sun had really just come up, everything leading to this moment had be tiring. Finally able to just relax, he closed his eyes for a moment. He never realized he fell asleep in the water. 

 

In his dream, he was visited by the woman he'd seen once previously. Her soft smile, strong features, everything about her was perfect. She was younger in this one. The little girl absent. If he really was reliving parts of his past in dreams, when was this? One thing was certain. He heard her name this time. "Lydia". It had a certain ring to it.

[111]

Natalie slips into the spring wearing a large towel wrapped around her, placing a small floating tray next to her. The tray is covered in liquor, and with a satisfied sigh she drinks some from a tiny cup. "What are you thinking about Porkchop?" She stretches out and leans against the warm rock, "Something good you ate? What you're going to to do Kage when the lights are out and I'm not looking?"

 

She takes another sip, "Or something else?"

[Kage]

"But but but there are -women- there ma'am, I can't just go in there too!"

 

A hushed soft voice can be heard.

 

"Sir, this is a hot springs resort. That's almost the point."

 

The flushed Miqo'te walked into view holding a large mug of ale with a towel wrapped around his waist. His ears lay flat against his head as he took it off to reveal shorts covering himself as he slipped into the space next to Natalie, blushing as he did so.

 

"...sorry."

 

Kage dipped low into the water before sending a large amount of water as a wave straight at the giant man's stupid bald head.

[Elyscia]

The stupid amounts of water that tidal waved into the face of the tiny, defenseless miqo'te girl was enough to push her back and forcefully submerge her momentarily.

 

Clambering back up to the surface for air, she inadvertently flicked her long red hair upwards like merfolk from myths - minus seashell bra (well, she still had a bikini on) and with Warren being her talking rastafarian (oh, that's right, they're braids, not dreadlocks) lobster bubbling crab friend.

 

Squealing out and laughing, Elyscia whines, "Tha's no bloody fair!"

[Unnamed Mercenary]

Natalie slips into the spring wearing a large towel wrapped around her, placing a small floating tray next to her. The tray is covered in liquor, and with a satisfied sigh she drinks some from a tiny cup. "What are you thinking about Porkchop?" She stretches out and leans against the warm rock, "Something good you ate? What you're going to to do Kage when the lights are out and I'm not looking?"

 

She takes another sip, "Or something else?"

 

Perhaps for the best, he never heard any of the things here. Too busy sleeping as his face almost sunk into the water.

 

Kage dipped low into the water before sending a large amount of water as a wave straight at the giant man's stupid bald head.

 

At once, his dream ended. As he choked on the water from the nearby attack, the sleep giant awoke. "WHO? Who. did. that?" As the six and a half fulm or so man stood up, coughing up some of the water he'd breathed in, he first assumed Natalie had done so. ...but she was innocently drinking something from a floating board.

 

The man who had survived countless battles, defeated by a splash. The Kage he knew couldn't keep a secret well, and Merc stared him down, waiting to get a reaction. There wasn't a hint of playfulness in his words. "Was it you?"

[111]

Natalie sighs and lifts her board up before the sloshing can overturn it. "I know men have difficulty dealing with feelings of attraction sometimes. But try to play nice you two."

[Unnamed Mercenary]

In a completely deadpan voice, he turned to Natalie. "I'm already taken. Didn't I tell you?" "Just before a certain splash...", his voice get quieter with each word as thinks back on the dream. He sat back down in the water, relaxing. ...he definitely couldn't have another nice nap now. He wondered if she, Lydia, knew what had become of him. 

And why was Natalie pushing so hard for this "relationship"? He sunk his mouth under the water, blowing some bubbles to let his concerns out. After a sufficiently long time, he came back up. 

 

"So, what's that?" He pointed to whatever Natalie was holding.

[Kage]

Kage sunk down into the water, covering his lips and just reach his nose. He looked at Natalie before getting up and getting the mug of ale and taking a long chug. He kissed her on the cheek softly before whispering, "M'not interested in him or anyone else but being right here with you."

 

He turned to Franz, raised his mug a bit and said, "A nice mug of ale probably beat it. Besides you needed to wake up. Thought you might drown."

[Unnamed Mercenary]

He smirked at Kage. "I thought you wouldn't care too much if that happened."

 

Briefly exiting the spring to get a mug of ale himself. A cold, dark, strong brew sounded quite nice to enjoy in the warm water. 

 

He returned with a small keg, which he carried on his shoulder. "...these miqo'te sure expect a lot outta me", laughing. He filled the mug and returned to the springs. If it got a little warm, he was sure Kage might still be able to muster a small chilling spell. Probably. He snickered at the thought.

[Kage]

"Well, seeing you die on our vacation wouldn't make it a vacation would it?"

 

Kage raised one of his eyebrows, a smirk upon his lips as he took a swig of the ale. It dropped a little as he eyed the large keg. He blinked as he looked at it as he realized that it was even bigger than the large drink Aya had given him after the Mergrey incident.

 

"You do realize that is gonna become warm in this place right?"

[Unnamed Mercenary]

"I'd be amazed if  it didn't, but the inn girl insisted, saying we 'might as well enjoy everything' ", as he filled his mug for a second round already. If one thing could be said, the man could handle his drink. Sure, he could "play" a drunk, but he'd never actually staggered out of the Quicksand from drinking too much. Ever.

 

"Besides, I'm sure you could still use enough thaumaturgy for a basic ice spell, unless you really expect me to do it." Neither of the men could probably cast a well-controlled enough blizzard spell to achieve such a feat, but where would the fun be in that?

[Warren Castille]

Warren laughed and ceased splashing. "Wasn't my idea to start a splash fight with someone five times my size!" He cupped his hands and splashed his face then took a seat on the edge of the hot spring.

 

"I tell you, these things feel nice but they get too damn hot too damn fast. Can never stand it for long."

[Elyscia]

"Ah fancy th'heat.. but ah'm told s'cause ah'm a Seeker.. 'n' Seekers like heat - or somethin'. Dinnae ken - ah don' feel like a miqo'lass sometimes." She shrugs.

 

"Tells ya what, Mister Warden; fer an old man y'act like a prop'r wain wae all th'bubbles, 'n' splashin'.."

 

Floating back down to the other side of the pool so she could collect a towel lying on the dry land, she'd turn to Warren then cough, "..H'erm.. c-could.. could ya uhmn... can y'close yer eyes?"

[Warren Castille]

"Hey! I'm not that old! I might've seen more winters than most of the people I know but that doesn't make me old! It makes me seasoned! Experienced!" He simmered down after his outburst, looking away and pushing his pointer fingers together.

 

"Didn't have a lot of time for splashing around growing up. I'm making up for it now."

 

Once she floated to the towel and stammered her request, he caught on almost immediately. He stood and turned his back to her, looking for anyone who might be peeking at the poor girl.

[111]

Natalie rolls her eyes at the two and sips her drink happily, "Before you two love birds start getting carried away, let's play a game."

 

"We'll go in turns, and ask someone else a question about themselves. They can respond truthfully or with a lie. And you have to guess which." She grins, "If you catch someone in a lie, they then have to give you the truth. If you guess wrongly though, you'll have to do a penalty."

 

She leans back against the rocks and regards the two of them, "Sound fun?"

[Unnamed Mercenary]

He shrugged, downing another mug of the ale. Snickering a little "This could be fun."

[111]

Natalie grins, "I'll start with you then." She refills her glass thoughtfully, "Which land do you prefer, Eorzea, or Garlemald?"

[Unnamed Mercenary]

Natalie grins, "I'll start with you then." She refills her glass thoughtfully, "Which land do you prefer, Eorzea, or Garlemald?"

 

Was that /even/ a question? "Garlemald, of course. Even if I can't remember much about it, it's still my home. I was willing to die for it many times."

 

He thought back to the dream from earlier. "...especially for family. I know nothing about them, but I'm sure I'd still come running if they needed it." There was a very solemn look on his face, as if he'd gained a piece of the man he once was, as opposed to the "weapon" he "became".

 

He looked to Natalie and Kage. "What of the two of you? Would you be willing to do /anything/ for family?"

[Kage]

Kage laughs, spilling some of his drink before he calls it.

 

"That's a truth from him if I've ever heard one!"

 

Kage continues immediately, "Anything. Anything and everything for my family."

[Elyscia]

Elyscia watched Warren carefully as he stood tall and turned his back to act as her bodyguard, and it amused her to the point that she uttered out, "Bloody everyone's try'na take care'ah me.."

Quickly wrapping the lengthy towel (which had an image of a cactuar woven on it, because why not) around her incredibly tiny and petite frame like a shawl, the girl was about to walk around the outskirts of the hot springs until she was stopped by an excited worker:

 

"S'cuse me, miss! Do ya want any drinks? We've alcohol from all over Eorzea! Mayhaps you'n yer hunky manfriend o'er there wanna share this'n-" the worker points towards a tall glass on her tray, "-s'infused with the finest pineapples t'make it taste all sweet an' fruity!" Ending with a wink and shuffling of their brow.

 

Elyscia stepped back and away from the worker, stammering and blushing, "Uh-uh, h-he's no' me...uhn!" looking around at Warren for help.

[Warren Castille]

Warren grinned to himself at her audible complaint of him trying to look after her, briefly amused he was doing so by specifically not looking at her at all. There was the telltale splash of someone exiting a body of water and Warren counted off.

 

She's shy, she barely came above the surface at all, there's people around.

 

He turned around before finishing the thought and was pleased to have guessed correctly; She was already wrapped in her towel and shuffling away when an excitable man with shuffly eyebrows approached her. He was clearly trying to offer her a drink and Warren grumbled.

 

"Oh, you're gonna scare her you twit." He waded across the pool with a broad, performing smile and stood up next to the diminutive miqo'te.

 

"What've you got there, drinks? Oh, yeah. I'll take 'em." He laughed garishly, taking the tray from the smiling-but-startled man. He was only a hyur, and a short one. Warren wondered if his armor weighed more than he did.

 

"Oh, but we're not 'sposed to g-give out-"

 

"Hm, these look great. Thanks!" Warren didn't wait for the protest to finish, lifting the tray and making a show of tensing his arms while doing so.

 

"Uh-uh-uh-thank y-you?" the man weakly proclaimed. Warren led himself and Ely away from the scatterbrained fellow, shaking his head.

 

"Never been thanked for taking drinks before." He debated one, then refrained. He caught a woman by the elbow as she went by, asking in his most cordial tone "Oh, would you be a dear and pass these out for me? Drinks for everyone."

 

The blonde in the ponytail smiled and took the tray, getting only a few fulms away before catching herself.

 

"HEY! I'M NOT AT WORK, I'M SUPPOSED TO BE ON VACATIOOOON!"

[111]

Natalie sighs and takes a sip, "Sadly I must assume that is truth, though perhaps your answer will change with time."

 

She grins, "As for your own question, No."

[Unnamed Mercenary]

Kage was easy to read, especially if he was already getting drunk enough to spill his drink. Merc didn't doubt for a moment that what he said was true.

On the other hand, he wasn't completely sure about Natalie's answer. Her reaction started solemn, something he'd never seen her do. The grin during her own answer? Forced. Judging off of what he knew of her, she was probably worse than Kage. It was she who had forced the two of them to reconcile as it were. 

 

"Let me rephrase that. Would you be willing to do anything for /what/ you consider your family is?" There should be a more clear distinction. He wasn't limited the question to bloodline.

[111]

She laughs and shakes her head, "Still no." Sipping her drink, "Now is that truth or a lie?"

 

"Also, to be fair, you and Kage need to say if you spoke truly or not." She grins, "I need to know if I should start preparing for a punishment."

[Unnamed Mercenary]

He gave a refined smile, or, it would have looked like a smile had it not come from him.

 

"I told the truth, but that is still up to you to decide whether it was truth or lie. As for your answer, lie. I don't believe you, Natalie." He looked at her to see if her body language would give any hints as to whether his claims were accurate. He'd heard that a miqo'te's ears couldn't deceive, even if that objectively meant nothing to him.