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

[themanwhoerasedhisname]

Heh. What does it tell you about the caster's heart? Go on, read it like a book.

[Hey, interpreting it like that is far more charitable than just thinking it was someone screwing up. Kiryu is willing to give the benefit of the doubt, now that there's an excuse]

[positivize]

Well...

[Now that he's asked though, the pressure's on(?) so she'll take another moment to examine the statue before responding. Okay wait, she's got it...]

It means that they must really like roombas!

[Look, she never said it had to be a deep reason!!!]

[themanwhoerasedhisname]

...strangest passion I have heard of in a while.

[Heart full of roomba.....]

[positivize]

[sometimes you just got the dokis for a roomba and that's okay!!]

Hahaha! It's just a guess, so it might mean something else... but it isn't that strange to get attached to an object, is it?

[themanwhoerasedhisname]

People get attached to a lot of things. I heard about some that got attached to mold because they had to take care of it.

[Pretty sure I passed articles about that around, yup]

It's the pack mentality.

[positivize]

Huh? Mold!? That's a new one...

[Slime mold tamagotchis are too advanced for her, rip.]

Pack mentality... You mean because people tend to want to get along with others?

[themanwhoerasedhisname]

Exactly. Feeding and talking to it like it was a pet.

[Says Kiryu as if he was above such things. Like two decades and half ago this man gained a chicken and instead of having it for food he took it as a pet and assigned it as a manager in his real estate company]

Exactly. They want to get along with each other, and they want to get along with what's around them. Animals included.

[........]

...and...roombas...

[Okay, no, he's thinking to himself perhaps his pack mentality comment is falling apart because not many want to get along with roombas just because]

[positivize]

[Pet mold... Yeah, that's beyond her. The most she would know about mold is the mildew caught in her AC. (also that chicken manager better have left him a nice nest egg!!!)

Anyways, there's just a small laugh from Maya at the way he trails off with the roomba thing.]

I think people also tend to see themselves reflected in others, even if it's an object. That's why it can look like a dog smiles, or that a cat is frowning... and that makes it easier for us to connect with them.

[themanwhoerasedhisname]

[Kiryu gestures towards one of the plants, that undoubtedly will have Maya's face on some of the leaves!]

Connect with these plants.

[It's a bit literal to see yourself reflected on plants, of all things, but yeah, Kiryu understands Maya's point]

1/2

[positivize]

Huh!?

[This sure is putting her on the spot!? She's also not sure how to feel about seeing her own face on these plants and trying to connect with that, considering she just encountered her own shadow a little while ago, but...]

2/3 i lied

[positivize]

Hey there, got something on your mind? I'm here to listen, so feel free to tell me anything... maybe we can get to the root of the matter!

[......................]

3/3

[positivize]

...That definitely works better when they can actually talk back.

[themanwhoerasedhisname]

...I was sure you'd actually do it.

[Somehow Kiryu had thought Maya would be that kind of person but he was wrong, it seems! Well, nobody has ever said Kazuma Kiryu is a marvelous judge of character. If anything, he's horrendous at it]

[positivize]

R-Really? I think these things usually take some time, though... It's like bonding with another person. You learn more about each other by spending time together.

[...Well okay, she actually kind of got attached to Musashi pretty quickly, but it helped that Yamato treated it like a pet too!!]

[themanwhoerasedhisname]

[Can't disagree with Maya, that's for sure]

That's why I'm here. I doubt I'm getting in a bath but I thought it'd be fine to hang out.

[Like bonding with a cat, really. Kiryu is the cat in this equation, being standoff-ish while others mill around. It's not even that he's introverted, because he's not at all, he just is quiet]

[positivize]

[Oh... that's actually really cute. Why is Kiryu so cute Nick]

Hahaha... Well, it is getting pretty crowded at this point! I have to admit, I wasn't expecting to see so many people here. But it does feel more like a public bathhouse this way.

[themanwhoerasedhisname]

[He can violently kick anyone's ass yet there's something endearing and awkward about him, hah]

This world knew how to pick 'em.

[To aim for so many people and somehow find a bunch who aren't fighting each other? That was either careful planning, or a whole lot of luck]

[positivize]

[It is very funny to go back to this thread after Khun's attempted murder but bath shenanigans must go on!!]

Yeah, I think we have a pretty good bunch here. We're all still getting to know each other, but everyone I've spoken to so far seems pretty easy to get along with.

[themanwhoerasedhisname]

[Khun is going to be a before and after, haha]

Any stand out to you? I have heard most being described as 'interesting'.

[Which he's sure is partly a kinder word for 'some are very odd', hah]

[positivize]

[Honestly, all of them stand out in some way or another to her just because all of her interactions have just felt quite different. Most likely, she would have something to say about just about anyone she's spoken with directly, really. But you know...]

Well, if you're asking... then I'd say you, Kiryu-san! I have yet to meet anyone else who's told me to make friends with a plant, after all.

[themanwhoerasedhisname]

...I sound like a quirky oddball, when you put it like that.

[Which he considers himself anything but! He's a normal person without huge quirks.

Normal is relative, Kiryu]

[positivize]

Ahaha! I guess that's one way to take it, but that wasn't my intent. It means you've got a unique perspective on things, that's all. I think it's pretty endearing!

[It's a compliment, see!!!]

[themanwhoerasedhisname]

...that's...hm.

[There's a lot Kiryu can take in stride, but 'endearing' isn't one of those. It's not like he gets called that often! So he seems a little bit awkward, unsure how to reply to that -- but hey, at least he doesn't seem offended! Just at a loss for words]

[positivize]

[This isn't the first time she's left someone speechless because of a compliment she's given, even if the example that comes to mind is a teenager blushing in embarrassment rather than the awkwardness radiating off Kiryu.]

Guess that's not something you usually call a guy you've just met, huh? [And just to throw him a bone:] But anyway, you asked me about my impressions, so let me toss that question back at you. Is there anyone you've met that seems particularly interesting?

[themanwhoerasedhisname]

[Oh yes, people do come to mind:]

Did you know there are vampires here?

[To someone who had never met a vampire, that's immediately eye-catching!]