Waking the Dead 2.0 || May 18, 2063 || The Mandatory Hot Springs Episode

[kawaakari]

[The skies are clear, the air is cool, and overall? Conditions are perfect for spending the entire afternoon and maybe even the entire night at the hot springs within Seigi. It's open to Zangyaku operatives and their families, along with any of their guests.

Oh, they're also communal. Surely no one minds? It's just skin, after all.

You're allowed to smoke, drink and eat while you're chilling out in the pools. You can also play cards, have a round (or several) of ping pong, flop around... anything goes, as long as you don't kill anybody!]



OOC Notes:
+ Make your own threads, plot out your own shenanigans and whatever else. Just remember: War Hounds and the rest were probably invited there after lunch, and are more than welcome to spend the rest of the day there. Y'all might want to specify the time. :3
+ NPCs are available on call beyond the threads I set up in here (if I end up setting some up, anyway)! Lemme know if you have questions.

Comments

Re: lol

[ktotheatothez]

She insisted...

[He trails off, thinking about how the match had gone down, how Aria didn't seem to want to do anything, and how Tohru Fukuzawa had made Malia Saab back down.

She insisted.

His sigh is heavy and it all confuses him still, especially knowing that Aria and Hikaru may have been a thing, and then the Other Thing(tm) between his former master and his friend. The next few words out of his mouth were barely a whisper, his hand scrubbing his face.]

She should've backed down.

[ktotheatothez]

[Oh...Kay. Bakanico what did you tell her?! is all he thinks because goddamn it she even says it like Hikaru does, and that's mildly frightening.]

Ahaha, haha... ha. Um. But thank you, for keeping him company awhile.

mostly observing and no talk? cos of the mention in the rethe thread

[larue]

[ Josh is wandering around when the sound of a familiar tune catches on his ears. He recognizes the progresion of notes but is unable to place why it sounds so different. Eventually though, he peeks around the corner to find Selene Vega, and his brows lift at the sight of her playing the koto.

He's keeping out of sight, not wanting to disturb her. ]

[bladeweaver]

[Taning ruminates upon this for a long moment.]

I suppose the easiest part is being available. Well, harder now, now that we've been separated, but it shouldn't be all that harder.

Waiting for them, now that's the hard part. Patience has never been my strong suit. I suppose that now it would have to be.

[He looks down into the water for a bit, then gets an apologetic look on his face as he looks back at An'yu.]

I'm sorry, I must be talking too much.

[bladeweaver]

I'm sure you're right!

[He lets a half-goofy grin form on his face.

Shisho, I've always meant to ask: what do you do for fun? Well, aside from blowing errant mages up from a few kilometers away, I know that gives you a warm glow.

[Taning your self-preservation instincts WHAR???]

PoPP? I approve XD

[bladeweaver]

[As if to disprove Brig's point, he very nearly muffs an easy slice, which luckily clips the very edge of the table, forcing Brig to follow the erratic bounce.]

I meant to do that! [Then, muttering under his breath, no you didn't no you didn't.

Of course Brig catches up to it. This rally has now been going for five minutes, and it's not like either of them are holding back. It's a classic "unstoppable force meets immovable object" match.

The twist in that statement is that it's actually Brig that's the unstoppable force. Taning, trying to find his offense, was forced into several near-misses. When he settled on a defensive game, however, he found that as fast and strong Brig was, he can manage to keep up with him, spending less energy than the big guy, who just doesn't seem to run out.

Damn, this is fun.

Hey Brig, how about let's let this rally decide the match?

[A very lopsided grin appears on his face, because he has just realized Read Matrices is still on.]

[bostova]

[ She tilts her head at the question. She's never... really thought about that. It's been asked once before, and no one had a straight answer (at the time, she and Brigade were the only Sixth Circle hunters, and he had pointed to her). ]

We do not have one, yet. Father Clayce put me in charge of this blade when it was smaller in number, but we have not discussed who would lead it.

Dibaaaaa? Popp(y)! Opium for you, Taning. haha

[atlas_shrugged]

[ Brigade notes that this is one of those moments where Taning can be very sly. The moment Brigade answers, Taning will already throw out whatever game-winning move he has in mind. And after the "Tsubame Gaeshi" which was thrown out earlier, Brig already expects a similarly dangerous topspin or backspin maneuver.

He is however, not a sly dog like his fellow blademate, so he won't take advantage of the offer.

He lets Taning return the ball before he answers with a simple -- ] G.

[ And with great control and power, lashes out at the pingpong ball at full force straight at Taning. ]

[ Eidetic Memory + Prince of Tennis + Youtube + Autonomic Control + Uncanny Dexterity + a point of Willpower ]

[[ Hadoukyū (波動球) ]]

[ He knows Taning can return this, which is only fair, but the force and speed will likely take him off-balance, and, along with the fact that the ball is going directly at Taning, keep him from getting into proper position to make a good enough swing to generate great enough topspin or backspin to execute a finisher ]

[bladeweaver]

[Your funeral.

The moment he saw Brig move into position, he knew it was going to be a power hit. He lowered his paddle as if he was headed off-balance, but the hilt is actually where the hilt of his sword would be. He sees the ball approach him head-on. Excellent.

Swift like the wind. Fu.

The ball is suddenly on the other side of the table. Only Brig's prodigious reflexes allowed him to get it, sending it back with a reflexive smack that was almost as powerful as his previous hit.

Silent like the forest. Rin.

Taning hits a drop shot totally devoid of spin. It floats over the net slowly, deceptively close. When Brig gets to it, it hits the edge of his paddle, sending it high.

Invade like fire. Ka.

Taning hits the strongest shot he's hit tonight, mirroring Brig's Hadoukyuu. Of course Brig is able to return it, and a wild rally ensues. He notes Brig trying to probe his style, trying to determine his next move.

Formless like the shadows. In.

Taning sends off several conflicting signals. Is a drop coming? A slice? A topspin-heavy cross? Taning's arm blurs, making it almost impossible to determine. Brig's response is to step up his attack, hitting faster and heavier shots with each swing.

Immovable like the mountain. Zan.

Taning's defense is perfect. He knows he cannot take Brig on force-on-force, so he gives him spin-heavy shots that make him check his own power lest the ball go awry. The pace becomes deceptively easy. Good.

Strike like lightning. Rai.

Taning takes the momentary ease of pace to flip the paddle into a penhold, the only grip that would suit this sort of shot. He takes a slow ball and runs it along the entire length of the paddle, giving it an additional flick at the apex of the roll. It hits the center of the table... and jumps sharply to the right.

Catch it, Brig! I don't want this rally to end!]

[mordechai]

There you have it. Still...

[He falls quiet again, taking yet another drag from his cigarette. His gaze, Kaz will note, is following Hikaru's progress from a distance.]

It's hard, sometimes, being in love with someone who might as well be a god.

[ferricwill]

Not at all. It helps to talk, in my experience.

[Leaning back, enjoying the warmth emanating from Sadaharu's scales just as much as he's enjoying the water.]

"Your blade is your family". That is what you have been told, right? Sometimes, families need to talk. Other times, before the talking happens, people in the family need people who can be good soundboards.

this works o3o

[ferricwill]

Of course.

[Sadaharu looks about as pleased at this prospect as An'yu does: the dragon is shifting his head now, eyes attentive, focused on Brig and on Gintoki the Shield.]

How are you finding the onsen?

[kawaakari]

Perhaps that is something that the lot of you will have to do. You will, at least, need a leader on paper, even if your blade can function very well without someone taking point over everything else.

[sadame]

[Hee. Tails swishing again, in a fashion remarkably similar to how a cat that has spotted its meal would.]

You're welcome. The two of you look good together.

that works!

[justselene]

[And focused as she is, Selene doesn't notice that she has an audience at close proximity again. She's smiling a little to herself, sometimes closing her eyes as if sight actually does her sense of rhythm and sound a disservice, and ends up getting in the way of feeling everything through.

The koto may not be her primary instrument, but that wouldn't be obvious to people who did not know her. She seems to play it so naturally.]

[fidelias]

[And he's just laughing that off, because it's Taning. (And it's also kind of true - he does enjoy it.)]

This, in itself, is the way that I have fun. With or without the hashish.

[And other substances that really shouldn't be perfectly legal.]

I enjoy a good game of chess, as well, or reading, or smithing.

[bostova]

I will be sure to relay this to my Blade when we gather next.

[ She nods. And it's taken that long, but at least she's relaxed now. ]

greeeeat now Kaz really can't rag on him here.

[ktotheatothez]

[Kaz wouldn't know what it's like to love a god, but he supposed a Riskbreaker was as close as he could get. Probably demigod, though he's following Alistair's gaze.

The smile on his face is wistful, and he puts an arm around Alistair, trying to comfort him.]

[ktotheatothez]

W-we do? Uh, thanks. I'm pretty lucky to have him.

[He blushes at that. People say they make a cute couple, but it still manages to make him blush. Curiosity killed the Kaz, though, he does ask Setsuna something.]

Um, Setsuna-san? Are you... A Changing Breed? Sorry, I just... Tita Cisco's a fox too and I've never seen a Kitsune Changing Breed, just full-on Kitsune, unless that's what you are and I'm mixing things up.

[Nervous Kaz is nervous so he babbles.]

[atlas_shrugged]

[ That, in Brig's mind, was absolutely thrilling. He's on the brink of losing, and Taning has pushed him to the very edge of tactical defeat, but he's not about to give up at the last moment.

Brigade lunges toward the direction the ball took, using the table as further leverage for pushing off with both legs and his hand, reaching the ball just in time to perform an overhead smash from the slightly angled position. He's got one chance at this. It won't end in him folding. Taning would be disappointed in him if it did. ]

[ Eidetic Memory + Prince of Tennis + Youtube + Autonomic Control + Uncanny Dexterity + a point of Willpower (again. cause damn straight he really needs it at this moment) ]

[[ TWIST SMASH ]]

[ As the powerful smash meets the pingpong ball, the ball races at incredible speed onto the table, bounces off it... and flies in the direction away from the side of the table Taning is closest to. Taning will get that, he's sure to as long as he breaks into his top sprint, but it'll give Brigade just enough time to reach for the table and push himself with the force of his free hand onto the ground without a crash

[ Judo •• - Ukemi ], and perform a kip up with his shoulders back onto his feet, just in time to return the ball Taning has sent back, and once again continue their already awe-inspiring rally ]

You are crazy amazing, you know that? [ Brigade's laughing. This was way too much fun. Miscalculated. No more shots straight at him. Better to keep it away and capitalize on what I'm strong at.

Brigade proceeds to return the ball on the side line of the table with powerful returns, on the further side opposite of wherever Taning is. He can't out-finesse the Iaidoka, but he can do his best to tire him out, and use the same control strategy against him. He's pushing the ball just outside of Taning's reach where he can't perform anything too fancy. Forcing him to run back and forth just to return the ball in a semblance of the direction Brig wants.

With every return, Brigade applies less force and more calculated spins to the ball, overriding the spins Taning has applied, so as to prevent him, even just slightly, from gaining control.

Slowly, Brigade's sidesteps grow smaller and smaller, until he's relatively just standing in the same place, taking short sidesteps from side to side, and keeping Taning running from one end of the table to the other, chasing after returns landing as close to the side line as possible. ]

[[ Incomplete Tezuka Zone ]]

[ It's not about winning anymore. It's about pushing the other to get better. He can't get through Taning's defense. He really will have to tire him out until he makes a mistake. C'mon, Taning, break this make-shift control I have. I know you can. ]

XD

[mordechai]

[Huh.

Lifting an eyebrow at that, but surprisingly? Not moving away.]

I'm fine.

[He means it. This is something that he signed up for.]

[sadame]

No, I'm not. I used to be an Acanthus Mage before I died, and ended up ascending as a Great Spirit of this world.

[She's calm and matter-of-fact.]

[kawaakari]

You have no interest in taking the position yourself.

[It isn't a question. It's what she sees in the girl in front of her.]

[atlas_shrugged]

Like everything else in Seigi, sir. It's beautiful. [ Brigade puts Gintoki down into the water and allows himself to take a dip as well ] It's been refreshing, in a non-combat sort of way.

Things have been relatively exciting. As well as pleasant. [ Brig himself is surprised that he's been enjoying this vacation. It's something new to him, really. ]

[bostova]

No. But I would, if I have to.

[ Because really, aside from Josh, she didn't trust anyone in the War Hounds to lead. Brianna, probably, but she was too inexperienced. ]