The Onsen, Monday Afternoon

[spin_kick_snap]

It had been a day or so and Kathy's shoulder still hurt from her tussle on Saturday to make her bail on patrolling. She really didn't want to have to miss a night of patrolling because she was hurt, so she figured that a bit of a soak in the onsen's hottest pools might help forcibly relax bruised muscles and give her a little more freedom of movement. Also, there was nothing wrong with a little bit of pampering at the start of the semester, right?

Hopefully right, because lying back in the heat and steam felt heavenly right about then.

The only problem she had with the onsen was that she couldn't read while she soaked. But she'd handwavily texted a bunch of people inviting them to come relax with her, so with any luck, there would be friends arriving soon enough.

[Open and if you think you got a text from Kathy, you did!]

Comments

[tigerundercover]

"This is amazing," Raven decided. "How did I not know this was here?"

[spin_kick_snap]

"Because you haven't ever gotten up with me on Saturdays to go running around the island," Kathy accused with a grin.

Because who didn't want to wake up at 8 am on a Saturday and run? Especially during the summer?

[tigerundercover]

"That's why you got up so early?" They'd only been roommates a few days, and Raven had already developed a habit of shoving her head as far under her pillow as possible when Kathy's alarm went off. "You're a little insane, aren't you."

[spin_kick_snap]

"Hey, I slept in yesterday!" Kathy protested.

Because she hadn't come to bed until almost dawn, between fighting in Baltimore and then barging in on Dante in the bathroom. Though once she had gotten up, it had been to go for a run, yes. And it had still been before noon.

"I used to have to get up at six so I could do yoga before school, back in LA," she added with a shrug. "Getting up at eight feels almost decadent."

[tigerundercover]

"You know, sleeping in until the last possible moment -- and often beyond -- is a fine American teenager tradition."

[spin_kick_snap]

"But then you'll be late." Don't sound so horrified, like Raven had suggested murdering babies, Kathy, jeeze.

[tigerundercover]

"Believe it or not, that's not the end of the world. So long as you're not always late, no one really cares."

[spin_kick_snap]

"I was always taught that being late is a sign of disrespect," Kathy argued. "It says that you believe you're so important that people will just be willing to wait for you to show up."

[tigerundercover]

"To be late is to be human," Raven said with great exaggerated solemnity. "To be perpetually late is to be an asshole. You're allowed to put yourself first sometimes."

[soniaroadsqueen]

"I don't know," Ringo teased, arriving just in time to hear the question. "After all, the island is supposed to be mostly civilized, so of course there has to be an bathhouse." Right? That was how civilization worked!

[tigerundercover]

"America doesn't usually do a lot of bath houses," Raven said. "At least not in the 50s."

[soniaroadsqueen]

Ringo snickered. "And they say America is civilized."

She shook her head. "Though, honestly, it's hard for me to imagine not having not being able to go to a proper bath. I mean, it's relaxing, and fun." At least if you did it properly: with a group.

[tigerundercover]

"Yeah, we mostly take baths at home. In private."

[soniaroadsqueen]

"Well, for a daily sort of thing, that makes sense," Ringo admitted. "And I actually haven't taken time to come here since I got to the island, but having an onsen is still important!"

Or at least really nice.

[tigerundercover]

"I'm beginning to agree with you," Raven admitted. "This is glorious."

[soniaroadsqueen]

Ringo giggled, adjusting her towel a bit and settling into the water. "It is, isn't it?" she sighed happily.

[soniaroadsqueen]

Ringo let her eyes slide closed and just stood at the edge of the big bath to take a deep, no a huge, breath. She let the steam fill her lungs and grinned. "You know, I haven't had a proper bath since I came to the island."

So this was looooong overdue.

[spin_kick_snap]

"Are you another person I have left dreadfully ignorant of the onsen?" Kathy asked. "I'm sorry, I'm the worst friend ever."

[soniaroadsqueen]

"I feel like I should totally make you feel guilty," Ringo grinned, "but I totally knew it was here. But back home I never really went alone, and I haven't really had an occasion to come since I got here." She shrugged, then her hand snapped up to clasp her towel before it could loosen.

Ringo was weirdly glad that she was short enough that she didn't feel like the towel couldn't cover her legs, but she was busty enough that she was really worried about losing the whole thing.

[spin_kick_snap]

Kathy was wholeheartedly jealous of Ringo's bust. She had not been so similarly gifted; just lithe muscles and height. Great for gymnastics. Disappointing for those for whom gymnastics were no longer an option.

"I was just arguing with Raven about what happens when I come here by myself," Kathy said. "She doesn't understand that I tend to get bored and end up leaving early to go do homework."

[soniaroadsqueen]

"Only you would relieve your boredom by doing homework," Ringo accused with a giggle. "But, yeah. It's not the same if you're alone. It's still nice, but, well," she shrugged helplessly, then reached up to push a strand of hair, still wet from her pre-soak shower, behind her ear. "Not the same."

"And on that note," Ringo took another deep breath of steam, and stepped into the water with a long sigh.

[spin_kick_snap]

"It's not so much alleviating boredom as it is making use of it," Kathy said, smiling at the sigh. She'd done much the same when she'd gotten in. "I needed this like you don't even know." Raising a hand, she briefly touched her eye and winced. The ice had prevented it from darkening and the makeup she wore hid the swelling, but it was still quite sensitive. "So, how was your picnic, Ringo?"

[soniaroadsqueen]

"Hmm?" Ringo hummed distractedly, then her brain caught up with the question. "Oh, pretty good! I met some new people, which was fun." She grinned sheepishly. "I don't think my new little sibling needs much help from me, though. And she's bigger than me, anyway."

She reached down to adjust her towel slightly. Under the water it clung to her skin, so not much chance of losing it, but she still wanted to make sure it covered her properly.

"What about yours?" Ringo leaned forward, frowning just a bit. "And did something happen to your eye?"

[spin_kick_snap]

"Who's your little sib?" Kathy asked, floating slightly closer. "And--yeah. Kinda. A fist. I wasn't fast enough to dodge. I mean, I normally am, but I was kind of busy trying to dodge several other guys."

[soniaroadsqueen]

As Kathy got closer, Ringo ducked a bit deeper in the water. She was generally pretty comfortable around Kathy, at least physically, but it was somehow totally different in the bath. But if she moved away, Kathy might notice, so getting a bit deeper under the water might help cover her awkwardness.

"Her name is Isabela. She seems nice, but also like she has it pretty much together. I mean, I'll totally check in on her and stuff, but I bet she'll be fine."

"And you got in a fight?" Someone hadn't picked up on quite how regular an concurrence that was.