the onsen - thursday afternoon - 6/25

[cutsthestrings.livejournal.com]

Fiona was reasonably sure, after the craziness with the fashion show and the talk with Loki this morning, that the onsen was the best place she could be. That she was there with Griff made it even better, if that was possible, and she was smiling as she led him through the door.

"Smells good," she noted.

[here for the boy, but the onsen is open like an open thing; and LJ needs to cut this crap out, man]

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[youcantfollow.livejournal.com]

"Hot too," he replied, looking around and considering where the scent was coming from.

[cutsthestrings.livejournal.com]

"That's why we go in with our bathing suits," she said with a mild smile.

She considered what they'd be going in with in a more traditional sense and turned a bit pink. If he asked, it was the heat, obviously.

"Did you bring yours or is it under your clothes?"

[youcantfollow.livejournal.com]

He was lucky not to know anything she hadn't mentioned about the Onsen. "I wore it under my clothes," Griff answered. "Wasn't so certain there'd be a spot to change."

[cutsthestrings.livejournal.com]

"Same here, though I think there's a spot over there that might be good when we have to get out."

She pointed towards the little set of changing rooms before tipping her head towards the glass doors.

"I think we head out there, though."

[youcantfollow.livejournal.com]

"After you," he said, prepared to follow her into the unknown.

[cutsthestrings.livejournal.com]

She smiled and led him through the doors to the pools of hot water. They'd been provided a couple of buckets with towels and sponges and she picked up hers as she headed for a little spot they could share.

"Okay. Think this is good?"

[youcantfollow.livejournal.com]

He nodded his agreement. "So, what's this stuff for?" Griff wondered.

[cutsthestrings.livejournal.com]

"The sponges are for your shoulders and back," she said, "the towels are obvious, and the buckets are for pouring the water and holding the stuff. You can sometimes bring your own stuff, but I figured this was to relax more than anything."

[youcantfollow.livejournal.com]

"So not like a swimming pool, then, but a relaxation pool," Griff said, setting his bucket down and feeling very tense.

[cutsthestrings.livejournal.com]

"Both, kinda."

She glanced over at him.

"Is that a problem?"

[youcantfollow.livejournal.com]

"No." He was determined not to let anything slip here. "So you've read up on these?"

[cutsthestrings.livejournal.com]

"I've read about them. They weren't really a major research project."

She put down the bucket and pulled off her blouse. Her mother had sent her the last of her things, so she was using the bikini she'd had on her trip again. It fit nicer, and she liked the color better: lots of blues and greens with just bits of pink.

[youcantfollow.livejournal.com]

He stared for a moment because normally girls didn't just pull off their tops in front of him. Well, other than Lois. Then he turned and tugged off his own t-shirt. After so many months away from his usual routine he felt blindingly pale.

[cutsthestrings.livejournal.com]

She didn't comment; instead, she undid and then slipped out of her trousers, revealing nothing more scandalous than the second half of the bikini. And, well, leg but that wasn't really of any kind of concern to Fiona. She was eyeing the slowly-steaming pool.

"Mmm, looks good."

[youcantfollow.livejournal.com]

He got out of his shorts easily, revealing very normal swimwear. Nothing overtly European there. "Is the water very hot?"

[cutsthestrings.livejournal.com]

She grinned over at him before dipping her toe in.

"Not too hot. Feels good to me."

[youcantfollow.livejournal.com]

He smiled in return and moved to step down into the pool, trusting her estimation of the water. "That's perfect."

[cutsthestrings.livejournal.com]

She laughed before stepping in further, settling on a convenient seat just out of the way of the steps in.

"See? I have good ideas."

[youcantfollow.livejournal.com]

"You've yet to steer me wrong," Griff answered, settling down in the water. "So how did you enjoy class today?"

[cutsthestrings.livejournal.com]

She gave him a very mild, somewhat playful look.

"Take a wild guess, Griff. What do you think?"

She couldn't keep a laugh off the tail end of what she said.

[youcantfollow.livejournal.com]

"You loved every second of it?" Griff laughed.

[cutsthestrings.livejournal.com]

Perhaps on opposite planet.

"That's a way to put it. An entirely wrong way to put it."

[youcantfollow.livejournal.com]

"Then you put on a brave face," he grinned.

[cutsthestrings.livejournal.com]

"You can call it that," she said with a soft laugh.

"Maybe I was just showing off for the audience."

[youcantfollow.livejournal.com]

"There were some teachers who showed up for it," he said thoughtfully. "And those weird too-thin people."