do you believe in magic in a shared bath's heart?

[dadsandals]

The bath at the mansion really is extensive -- probably more extensive than a lot of them have seen, considering there are literally multiple pools of varying temperatures, probably statues and indoor plants or something for atmosphere, steam rooms, complimentary bath things (everything in the manor is kind of complimentary but shshhh) and whatnot.

On this particularly fine and nondescript day, though -- there's a bit of a commotion whenever you wander in butt-naked for your soak or whatever you like to do in here (you can hang from the ceiling like a bat or something we ain't the judge of you); there's two enterprising wizards flitting about poking at things.

The thing with 🪄 Cid Kagenou 🪄 is that he is Very Into Baths, and Very Into Magic, and thus the Bath Magic is one of the few areas where even his li'l old self can shine. Or not shine, given that they've all been here for 2.5 days (extremely rough estimate) and the miracle is nobody has blown up the mansion trying magic yet. But there is definitely magic happening! Since there's already steam and everything.

And then there's 👓 Yamato 👓. Yamato is Here and enabling himself by watching Cid experiment with various things in the area. Initially he probably would've tried to stop him, but seeing what Cid's been doing has made him want to try some magic experimentation of his own. Pairing a teenager who kind of knows what he's doing with a man who has no idea what's going on makes it even more of a miracle that the mansion has not been blown up yet.

But if you look even closer, you'll spot various small differences:

🛁 all of the water has bubbles in it; the hot bath in fact looks like it has small duck-shaped bubbles just sort of trundling along, occasionally a duck pops and releases a puff of scented air (scents may vary at your discretion)

🛁 the cold water bath keeps turning different colors, maybe they should stop experimenting with it before somebody ends up blue for the week

🛁 some of the statues and potted plants have been slightly altered; nothing too outrageous, but at least one or two statues have been turned into roomba replicas and there's a potted plant with leaves that look like people in the manor's faces in miniature

🛁 the steam room is letting out an intermittent screaming noise that sounds very human, but there's no one in it

🛁 some of the bath soaps are extremely bright and keep on changing colors, as if they were colored like a disco ball (rave! in the bathhouse!)

............. Enjoy your bath!

(OOC: This is backdated to before the South mission so South Wizards get in on the fun too!)

Comments

[shadowkin]

[If you want to accost Cid or possibly join him in his absolute shenanigans in the bath (it is not bath etiquette at all but he is only an ignorant™ foreigner™ to this bath house who has never heard of conventional bath house etiquette #trust), he can be found either scuttling around in a towel or relaxing in the baths themselves. I guess you can also notice that he is way too muscular for somebody who plays at being a ~*mere student*~ but I'm not describing whatever the anime did with his abs.

For the hot water bath, he's usually just lounging and playing around with the duckies, popping them and making ridiculous scent combinations. Lilac and chocolate, cypress and blueberry, I don't know, maybe there's paprika in there somewhere. Baby wizards are prone to Flavor Accidents but at the very least there's no wizard sugar floating in here. Probably.]

Haha... This is probably the one that turned out the best? Though, I was hoping to make a fountain or something. I've heard that water can be a good massage.

[The struggle of thinking about jacuzzis or just running water at onsens but you're pretending you don't know what some of those are!!!!! Anyway.

You can also find him dancing on his tippytoes at the edge of the cold water bath, squinting as it suddenly shifts to a bizarre shade of mauve. He sticks a toe in and immediately snatches it back out.]

Uhhhhh. Maybe this should have been a mud bath. At least those are warm. I think they're supposed to be good for pores or something too.

[Alternatively he can be found standing outside the steam room with a sheepish look on his face, like:]

I still have no idea what happened here. Maybe the steam and spirits don't mix and that's why they don't have steam tech.

Steam room

[themanwhoerasedhisname]

So all those screams are your fault?

[Are you the reason why Kiryu has burst into that steam room like three times today, Cid?]

steam room

[annihilator]

[You'll never guess who just came out of the steam room in a real hurry after that last scream!!]

So you're sayin' it's not haunted?

[His first thought was absolutely ghosts.]

Warn a guy next time, will ya?

[divineth]

[Cid what are these scent combos. Urianger's poor nose... Well, at least they aren't unpleasant scents.]

I take it thou wert attempting to conjure up transformation magicks?

[Wizards of the Western Country do seem to have an affinity for it...]

cold water bath

[chronosynthesis]

[Unfortunately for Syrlya, the cold bath is his preferred one. He has been standing at the edge, dressed down to just the modesty foliage around his hips, watching it change colors for a minute with a frown on his face.]

A mud bath sounds terribly ineffective for cleaning. [He points at the water.] Do you know what happened to this one?

Hot water bath

[mirristry]

Ah... was this your doing?

[Unlike Cid, Phil is far too shy to just get into the water when other people are there, so he's standing around by the side in a bathrobe. He leans to pop a duck bubble with one finger as it floats by and then almost sneezes as he gets a faceful of cinnamon scent, though to his credit he actually manages NOT to lose his balance and topple into the water in the process. Be very proud of him.]

... that's... certainly a creative touch...

[dadsandals]

[ Yamato can be caught looking fascinated at his own work over by the soaps. There's a bar in particular that he's holding that seems to change colors every 3-5 seconds. Yes, he did that one. Yes, he's impressed with himself, thank you very much. In fact, he'll toss a bar of it to the nearest person with a grin on his face. ]

Here you go.

[ Have fun!

Yamato can also be found examining the statues and plants for rather obvious reasons. Roomba statues. Nice. But also... ]

Huh. This plant...this is you, isn't it?

[ It sure is a likeliness of whoever he's talking to! ]

[dyingtohealyou]

-!

[He's startled by the toss - but he does manage to catch it before it makes contact with his head.]

...Thanks.

Just what have you been up to in here?

plants

[themanwhoerasedhisname]

[Kiryu leans to take a good look at the plant Yamato is showing him]

Why did you two make plants with my face?

[Is this something he should be flattered about? Is it a sign of camaraderie, perhaps? It's unusual!]

[shadowkin]

Huhh... I think this soap is doing a little better than the bath, actually. What exactly did you do to it, anyway?

[Cid examines the disco soap with great curiosity, even breaking bits off of it, rubbing it on his hands, and going ahead and trying to dunk it in the nearest bath. It's probably better for it to be the hot water bath given what they've done to the cold water one.......

He holds up the soap again........

... takes a bite out of it. Spits it out after a moment.]

Whoops. Always wanted to do that, but I think the colors really give it that extra oomph.

[We have no idea what his thought process is here.]

[dyingtohealyou]

[Walking in and immediately hearing the screaming steam room? Hello????

He's also not wearing his shades for once, so enjoy the rare view of shiny shiny cyan eyes, the right of which is marked with the crest.]

...Why is there screaming?

[Does he need to be concerned.

Anyway after poking around checking out the magical effects he'll eventually relax into the hot water bath looking honestly relieved. Hard to believe he misses when healing magic came a little too naturally to him, but here we are. That said...]

It smells like someone dumped a bunch of different perfumes in here.

[His nose does not appreciate.]

Steam Room

[themanwhoerasedhisname]

[Kiryu comes outside of the steam room right in that moment, looking pretty baffled! He came running expecting danger, and it was...nothing. What's going on.

Hey, better ask the nearest person here:]

Did you hear something scream?

[He didn't imagine it, right?]

[divineth]

[Urianger has just come walking out of there, relatively calm but still a bit perturbed by the screaming.]

A very good question. [He glances back toward the entrance.] 'Twas not present until today, nor could I find a source for it inside.

[lighthaus]

[ after walking in and observing the state of the bath, disco lights and all, khun smiles, amused. his hair is up, towel around his waist, earrings still doing some degree of a fashion statement even sans clothes. obligatory he is also part of the !surprise muscular club and seems completely at ease with the various states of undress in the bath. ]

If there was going to be a party, there should have been invitations. [ he doesn't sound actually offended, just poking fun because he can.

once he's setttled, you can catch khun playing with some of the bubbles in the hot water bath while he's soaking, though you might notice there's some alligator bubbles thrown into the mix that seem to be preying on the duck bubbles. one of them is even bipedal and has a spear (wow). ]

State of the bath

[themanwhoerasedhisname]

I guess they were too busy modeling plants with our faces to think of making invitations.

[He's still unsure what to think about seeing plants with his face. He's not upset about it, just...very puzzled!]

Not bad, though. This seems fun.

[Says Kiryu, who shows no sign of wanting to get into a bath. He has a bathrobe, yup]

hot water bath

[1145pm]

[ Khun may not realize this, but his bathmate is extremely invested in the drama going on between the alligators and the ducks. He watches intently, chin pinched between his thumb and forefinger. ]

Hmm. [ He watches one alligator devour a duck. RIP. ] What if we add in a third party? One that's a threat to the alligators but also prey to the ducks?

what if we had TWO threads about baths

[shadowkin]

Ah. This is the first time I've seen somebody wear earrings into the bath.

[Usually, don't they tell you to take all jewelry off?? Well, it's Khun's loss if his earrings go down the drain, considering the increasing chaos going on here; Cid's not too fussed about it, but he does notice that right off.

They sure have some idiosyncratic bathers here. He's spent so long with prim and proper bathers back home that it's almost kind of refreshing; that and Everything Else Happening. He shrugs and comes over to inspect the hot water bath too.]

This was just experimentation, anyway. There's no point inviting people when you're just messing around. [they were totally messing around; he blinks at the sudden reptilian invasion] ... Why are there dinosaurs?

State of the bath

[mirristry]

[WHY IS EVERYONE HERE SO MUSCULAR Phil is dying for multiple reasons...

Meanwhile, he is very much bathrobe-clad and not looking like he's about to take it off, though he will sit down on the hot water side and let his legs dangle in once he's sure that the water isn't going to dissolve his legs or something else equally horrible.]

If there had been invitations, I would have known to come later...

[He wasn't exactly expecting a crowd while trying to just take a nice, relaxing bath!]

[shortleash]

( ...?

This was Mika's only reaction upon entering, but, you know what? Weird, but harmless. He was one of the few people in the bath at the time, and, towel at his waist until he slips into the hot baths, he's willing to put up with the weird disco lights, duck bubbles, roomba statues, and occasional, deceptive sounds of shrieking. If anything, it helps him keep his mind off his hunger, which has begun to distract and gnaw.

However, as more people begin to filter in, he grows agitated. He doesn't really want to be around people when he's hungry (does anyone want to be around a buffet when they can't eat?). He debates getting his grooming done with quickly and just getting out fast. If showers existed in this manor, he probably would've been gone already. Alas...

Anyway, while he stews, the stewing becomes quite literal - though it begins slowly, gradually the hot bath begins to boil and bubble, like a jacuzzi, and seems keen to grow only hotter. Also, he hasn't noticed. He's just been sitting here, unhappier than usual, growing red like a lobster.

Maybe passing out will solve his hunger problem. The bath might be suddenly way too hot for you, though. )

[dyingtohealyou]

[Why is it suddenly so hot.

Clambering out and squinting at the water. Contrary to icons, he doesn't have his shades on, so his weirdly bright cyan eyes are fully visible along with the crest on the right one in particular.]

Is someone boiling the bath?!

[themanwhoerasedhisname]

[Kiryu doesn't get in the baths. In fact, he stays with a bathrobe on, not showing any consideration about getting in the bath. He's wallflowering, wow. Why is this guy like this.

In addition to that, the steam room keeps getting his attention! He hears that screaming noise every once in a while, and he rushes to open the door and look inside...only to find nothing!]

I heard something...

[Was it a trick of his head, somehow?

That it may be magic-related doesn't cross his mind. He's not used to ignoring that kind of noises, you know!]

wallflowering

[1145pm]

[ Well, this won't do!

Tatara is here, because he cannot say no to an impromptu gathering. When he spots Kiryu hanging by the wall, he wanders over with a bright smile, a big wave, and a towel around his waist. ]

Not going for a soak?

Now in the right place

[impacter]

[Have you ever seen a man just enter a public bath still fully clothed? Well here comes Solomon, barefoot but otherwise still thoroughly covered from neck to wrist to ankle. There's a slightly concerned look around the room, brow furrowed, until another scream erupts from the open steam room.

Ah.

Instantly, any tension is gone.]

A charm of sorts? Well, I suppose it could be worse.

[Solomon will be mostly wallflowering, flitting about the various chaotic elements without ever entering the water. What a party pooper! The soaps and plants and weird roomba statues are all getting heavily inspected, though, like someone observing a middle school art project and trying to decide whether to be impressed or amused or both.]

[serenesinker]

[Here comes the boy old man! Just as he's about to disrobe and hop into the warm bath, Yodarha notices a fully clothed man out of the corner of his eye. He approaches, sandals flapping repeatedly against the tile as he practically sprints over.]

Planning and takin' a bath with us, or just 'admiring the scenery'?

[foresightis2020]

[ Well, taking a bath is a very nice way to relax, isn't it?

Jing Yuan is going to be found here, lying around in the bath, arms or elbows up against the floor that is raised before the actual water itself, leaning back just a bit. You know where the water is warm because he ain't about the cold water life.

He'll take the time to find a magic spell to temporarily quiet or muffle the screaming noise in the steam room because he wants to go in there. Like, now. Anyway, if people want to see a tall man with muscles for days only wearing a towel, they can check him out or join him in the steam room. Your call.

Lastly, he can be seen playing with one of the bath soaps that is changing colors, he might let it slip and skid across the water, causing a big splash...oops? ]

bath soaps

[themanwhoerasedhisname]

So let me get it straight, everything in these baths will have some sort of wacky effect.

[...he is curious...it gets his interest! But at the same time he has to wonder how much of this all was intentional. He wouldn't be surprised if a lot of things here were an accident!]

[positivize]

[Without any showers, the baths are more or less the only way to go here, so Maya does enter with a bathrobe and a towel bundled up in her arms ready for a nice soak, but uh. Wow, this is a lot more people than she was expecting to see, even if we put aside all the other weird additions that seem to have made their way to the baths.

As such, she's going to start this bath party out by wallflowering and watching the... interesting sights they've got set up. In particular, she's going to be busying herself by looking over the roomba statues because that's definitely different.]

Wow, whoever made these are pretty good! It'd probably fit in better if it had one of those fountains, though.

[Like the ones with the animals spraying water out of their mouths or whatever.

After puttering around some more, eventually she will relent and try to find a more secluded corner of the hot baths so she can slip into the water as surreptitiously as possible. She's quick about it and she'll keep a towel on for decency's sake, but anyone who catches her at the wrong moment might end up getting a glimpse of the scarring along her right arm and upper torso. Once she's settled in with the bubbles all the way up to her neck though, she'll do her best to relax, but uh--]

The bath itself is pretty nice, but I don't think the screaming is doing anyone any favors...

wallflowering

[revengier]

[ Hello, fellow fully clothed person. Kurapika has a shirt and shorts on himself, and he doesn't seem too keen on joining in on all the fun. ]

You think so? All it does is remind me of that annoying machine of Yamato's that keeps hitting my door.

[discomposer]

[ Leo, who cannot be normal for 5 seconds, is making bubble sculptures in the hot water bath. They're not great. Sometimes he's modeling them off of people. They look mostly like blobs...snowman blobs...

He also periodically leaves offerings (?) for the roomba replica statues. Someone make him stop leaving crumbs everywhere.

Also can be found trying to harmonize with the steam room screaming. Because see the first sentence of this toplevel. ]

[revengier]

[ Kurapika is also here! Fully clothed in a shirt and shorts, but he's here nevertheless.

And he is also here to see Leo leaving offerings at the roomba statues. ]

So you're the one leaving crumbs all over the fourth floor.