Open, Bathhouse, 2 years younger

[allnaturalseed.livejournal.com]

Cagalli in the bathhouse isn't an odd sight at all. It's pretty much her favorite place to relax alone, even if the 'alone' part ends up not working out for all that long, depending on the day.

If you don't really look closely, there's nothing out of the usual here, but beyond that... she's a bit smaller, her face just a little more youthful. She also looks like she's ready to slip into the water, just that little bit, and take a nice deep breath. Not that she's considering it, but she really wears her emotions out in the open.

"Father..."

Comments

[jesushasagundam]

Kira had spent well over a day working on simulations for the upcoming battle, but despite being a Coordinator even he was at his limits - so he'd decided to take a quick bath in the hopes that it might rejuvenate him and freshen up his focus.

He wasn't expecting his sister to be there. Nor was he expecting her to look... younger than he'd seen her in years - and in a very somber state, to boot."

"Cagalli...?"

[allnaturalseed.livejournal.com]

Slowly, almost languidly, she looked up at her brother. She hadn't known for very long... well, before coming here, though being here was time to get used to it.

"Kira."

[jesushasagundam]

The young pilot slid into the water himself, not looking directly at Cagalli but instead up at the ceiling. "...something's bothering you, isn't it."

[allnaturalseed.livejournal.com]

She joined Kira in looking at the ceiling, not feeling up to much else. "Something's always... bothering me lately..."

[jesushasagundam]

"It is?" Kira looked concerned as he glanced at his sister. "Why didn't you tell me?"

[allnaturalseed.livejournal.com]

"I can't just go running to you every time I have a problem." It wasn't fair to him, no matter how much he wanted to help her.

[jesushasagundam]

He looked momentarily perturbed... and then frowned, looking away. "I didn't say that," he corrected her quietly. "But if you're feeling upset, then..."

[king-of-koopas.livejournal.com]

OH MY GOODNESS A BATHHOUSE THIS IS KIND OF AWESOME WHY HADN'T HE HEARD OF THIS PLACE BEFORE.

"Gwahahahaha!" Bowser lumbered in. And of course, in accordance with the laws of narrative casualty, the Koopa King inexplicably felt the need to have a towel around his waist despite the fact that he never usually wears clothes anyway. "If this dump of a ship can afford a bathhouse or two, I guess it's not as bad as I'd originally thought!"

[allnaturalseed.livejournal.com]

While the towel didn't make any sense, Cagalli wasn't in any frame of mind to actually give a damn about it. Instead, she sort of just glanced at him as he made his way in, disinterestedly. It was a bit surprising that he could appreciate a good bathhouse, but here he was. "It's not like they're that difficult..."

[king-of-koopas.livejournal.com]

Being the big insensitive lump that he is, Bowser had yet to notice ANY difference in Cagalli, either in appearance or personality. "Difficult? Hah! I was just worried that the ship couldn't be bothered to GIVE us a luxury like this!"

Bowser dropped himself in a good distance from Cagalli, the resulting splash sending large waves through the water, and heaved an uncharacteristic sigh of contentment. "Now THIS is more like it!"

[allnaturalseed.livejournal.com]

She shot Bowser a dirty look at the waves, but wasn't up to actually chewing him out. With him here, she'd be leaving soon anyways. It was hard to think with a big boisterous idiot in the water. "It's up to us to make the luxuries ourselves."

[king-of-koopas.livejournal.com]

The dirty look goes over Bowser's head, but the comment didn't. "What's with you? You sound like a fortune cookie or something."

[allnaturalseed.livejournal.com]

"Just feeling extra crappy. It's... no big deal." She humphed and looked away, trying not to make a big deal of it.

[expendable-mind.livejournal.com]

"Don't see one, but I could always look for 'em if you'd like. My relaxation can always take a backseat if I can help a pretty girl." He smiled as he held a towel around his waist. He had made his way to the bathhouse in hopes of having a bit of time to think, but company was always pleasant.

[allnaturalseed.livejournal.com]

Cagalli frowned, not even looking at the man. For all that she didn't like being mistaken for a boy, she was also wary of empty compliments. "Then I guess you oughta move on."

[expendable-mind.livejournal.com]

"Oh ouch, is that a not-so subtle way of brushing me off?" He sighed and looks down with a smirk. "I take it you want alone time then? I'll just head to the non co-ed area." He shrugged.

[allnaturalseed.livejournal.com]

She almost nodded, before remembering that that would probably be bad manners. "Figured the co-ed baths would be less popular, for... obvious reasons..." Not something she'd thought through very far, admittedly.

[expendable-mind.livejournal.com]

"Some people jus' don' mind em really. Others are lookin' for eye candy. Me? Just thought the same as you truth be told. Had a hankerin' for some thinkin' time. Won' say the encountered company ain' pleasant tho." he smiled at her.

[allnaturalseed.livejournal.com]

Well, alright then. If he's telling the truth then he's a little more welcome. She turned, enough to glance at him. "Sorry for snapping a little."

[encourage]

Sakura paused where she stood, looking at the other woman. It was hard to pin one word on her apparent demeanor, if it was enough of a feeling that Sakura started walking forward again. "How's the water?" she asked conversationally.

[allnaturalseed.livejournal.com]

"Wet," she responded with a shrug. "And warm." It was hard to make herself worry too much about whether or not the water was how she liked it at the moment.

[encourage]

"Aah," Sakura said, nodding to herself. "How very like water." She went over to test out the waters, amused to note they qualified as being a great deal more than warm. As they really should, she thought, slowly sliding into the water herself.

"Warm and wet indeed!" She sighed, enjoying the temporary sensation that reminded her of home. "It's not quite like the hot springs back home, but it's pretty amazing of Billy and Celena to have made all of this functional and open to the rest of the crew."

[allnaturalseed.livejournal.com]

"I'm from a volcanic island chain. Imagine what I'm used to." She always went to the hotter springs here for a reason, even if they lacked the dissolved minerals of the natural springs in Orb. Nostalgia and relaxation were probably good for her health as well. "I oughta thank them some time, in person."

[encourage]

Sakura tilted her head to the side, regarding the other woman. "Higher mineral content," she said, grinning. "Maybe sulfur, depending."

She rolled her shoulders, sinking down a littler further into the water. Heat penetrating into her core was delicious, given it was her first attempt at relaxing in a while. "So should I. Things mean that much more when it's face to face." OmniComms were useful, incredibly so, but not a stand in for sharing gratitude face to face.

[allnaturalseed.livejournal.com]

"Among other things." Orb was fairly mineral rich as well. "I bet they'd appreciate it, it can't have been easy." She was about as relaxed as she was gonna get for now. At least, she was physically relaxed, even if her thoughts were still a whirlwind.