2018-04-27: Relaxing Times With CaraKin

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  • Log: Relaxing Times With CaraKin
  • Cast: Catenna, Jacqueline Barber, Lydia Seren
  • Where: Althena's Spring
  • Date: April 27, 2018
  • Summary: CaraKin take some time to bask in the rewards of their trip through the Forbidden Canyon.


<Pose Tracker> Catenna has posed.

The legend of Althena's Springs lives on in the imaginations of daring adventurers everywhere. It is said that they are vanishingly rare, but to discover them is to find places blessed with the power to relax the mind and body like nothing else, to wash away stress and sorrow and leave the spirit clean, at least for a time.

Too bad the CaraKin Four had to fight their way through a terrifying array of monsters to find it.

At least, if nothing else, there was a stash of silver coins hiding in one corner of the outbuildings. It has been added to the Caravan Kinship's general fund and left to sit on one side of the crumbling old building, along with a pile of torn and dust-covered fabric that looks like it used to be a dancer's outfit and a pair of feather fans.

"Oh, goodness," Catenna sighs with utter relief as she slips into the water up to her shoulders and keeps on going. Soon enough, she's vanished entirely beneath the surface of the water. After a few seconds, she breaks the surface a few feet away, the dust and dirt washed away as she rakes her hair back with both hands.

"Somehow," she says with a big, dreamy smile, "it all feels worth it now."

The spring itself is separated from the men's by a wall of natural stone, piled fairly high, and surrounded by rich green ferns and a few shading trees, with a stone crescent and a set of stairs allowing one to step in. A little fountain surmounted by three votive pillars seems to be the source of the water, pouring it into the spring.

<Pose Tracker> Jacqueline Barber has posed.

Getting here had been...difficult, to say the last. Honestly, Jacqueline wasn't even sure they would have made it. This isn't exactly what she had been expecting to find...but maybe it was what they needed to find. A nice, long soak in a hot spring sounded good after fighting through monsters and having basically the whole canyon almost fall on top of them.

Well, that was a bit of an exaggeration. If it wanted to it probably could have, with how much trouble it had given them.

Still, she could put those thoughts behind her. Now it was time to just...enjoy this.

She sinks into the water not long after Catenna does, shutting her eyes and just taking a moment to...soak it all in.

"Yeah...it's wonderful..." She says, a bit lazily. Her glasses have been set aside, because they would've just gotten all fogged up, anyway. "I wonder how long it's been since anyone's been here...? It goes to show how strong nature is, continuing to thrive on its own without anyone around..."

She opens her eyes. She finds herself thinking that Shalune and Lunata would probably love this place...though with the latter's current condition, getting her there would be difficult.

She sighs and allows herself to sink fully under the water for a moment, but she doesn't stay there for long.

<Pose Tracker> Lydia Seren has posed.

Lydia Seren is lying in her cat and drifting in the springs and just enjoying herself. She can finally move by this point, but she is choosing not to since that would mean getting up and she's just...not feeling that. Even if it means her clothes are getting drenched. It's okay! She has a secondary outfit now. Kind of. It's really more an absurd costume but that's normal for Lunar. She is not concerned about Cyre going out and peeping because she figures he has, like, a girlfriend now? And also that's kind of cliche and Cyre's better than that! Probably. Maybe.

But she does say after a moment, "...What's it like, like... on your skin directly? Is that good? I'm not really, uh..."

She trails off, red in the face.

<Pose Tracker> Catenna has posed.

Part of Catenna wants to go see how Cyre's doing over on the other side of the wall. Poor kitty. Poor, lonely kitty.

"It must have been centuries," Catenna muses as she leans back in the water, letting her hair fan out across the surface. In a rare move for her, she let out the single braid she usually wears with bangles and drapes over her shoulder. The lock stubbornly drapes there anyway, even though it's hanging loose now. "The buildings around it seem truly ancient. I wonder why it is that it was forgotten. Perhaps they were simply unable to challenge the monsters."

Some more dire ideas pop to her mind, but they vanish swiftly, her mind simply refusing to dwell on negativity in a place and at a time when relaxation is paramount.

"It is refreshing," Catenna admits with a quiet smile for Lydia. "Like feeling so many of one's worries washing away."

Water ripples around Catenna as she looks up towards the open sky. The Blue Star seems to take up half of the heavens, maybe even more. A far cry from how the Silver Star appears from Lunar, the Blue one appears so much larger.

"I wonder why it appears blue," Catenna murmurs, gaze on that huge world. "Filgaia is so dry and lifeless compared to Lunar, and yet...."

<Pose Tracker> Jacqueline Barber has posed.

Jacqueline isn't too concerned, either - she trusts Cyre! She does feel bad that he has to be on his own, though...but that's just how things worked out. They never could have imagined that the incredibly enticing treasure waiting at the end of the canyon would be...a hot spring.

"Maybe so...it's also possible that the spring dried up at some point, and only recently began to flow once more. But I don't know..." Jacqueline replies. Like Catenna, it's hard for her to dwell on negative things in a place like this.

"Yeah...weariness, tension, soreness...they all just kind of drift away..." Jacqueline agrees with a nod. She almost sounds like she's about to drift away, too.

It was more than just the difficulty of the canyon that was being washed away by the waters of the hot springs. The last several days had been difficult for her, but this certainly helped.

She does look up toward Lydia quietly for a moment, though, considering.

"...Hey, whenever you want some time to yourself, just let us know, alright? You deserve a turn, too." She offers, then glances toward Catenna.

"The Silver Star, Lunar... it is Duras Drum's influence that makes it appear lifeless from Filgaia. But as for Filgaia itself...I don't know. Maybe it's because the planet is still fighting...?" She murmurs, then chuckles slightly. ...It was a silly thought, really. It was a lot easier to voice the random ideas that popped into her head when in waters like this...

<Pose Tracker> Lydia Seren has posed.

Lydia looks away for a moment. "I...it's not that I... I mean." She stumbles over words. "...I mean you know, Jay, with my meds I wasn't... I don't want to weird you out or anything." She looks over to Catenna for a long moment and she exhales. The cart starts drifting towards the edge of the hot spring.

"...Maybe I can just...." She looks back over to Jay. "Lunar is pretty great but I guess I still like Filgaia more. I don't know. Maybe it's because of the memories I made there. I'm making some here but...I don't know."

She places a hand on the edge of the spring to prevent herself from drifting more.

"...Okay I think I have an idea. It'll work. Probably. Maybe. Uh."

<Pose Tracker> Catenna has posed.

"Yes... if you would prefer to be alone, Jacqueline and I can give you some privacy, Lydia," Catenna agrees with a quiet smile, lifting a delicate hand to touch her cheek.

The Moon Shaman gives Jacqueline a thoughtful look, eyebrows coming up ever so slightly. "So it is. I had... wondered if there was some reason that I could divine - that perhaps my closeness to Celesdue's ways would give me some insight into why Lunar is the way it is, and why Filgaia appears so. But though my spells have not weakened here... it feels curious. Uncertain."

When Lydia speaks, Catenna sighs softly. "...I miss it too," she confesses, her voice quiet. "As much as it is a thrill to be here, upon the Moon itself... I must return home. We all must. Every day we remain here is a day Siegfried and the other Metal Demons have to find more of the Statues...."

The Moon Shaman trails off. Finally, pushing aside sad thoughts, Catenna rights herself in the water, pushing her hair back with curled fingers.

"If it helps," she offers Lydia, "I am not weirded out by you...." Her eyebrows come up. "...What idea is this?"

<Pose Tracker> Jacqueline Barber has posed.

"It's okay, Lydia, don't worry..." She says, offering her a smile.

The conversation turns to Filgaia. Jacqueline thinks it over, but...well, there isn't really a contest there.

"...I understand. Lunar is...wonderful. It's so fresh, and verdant, and the plants are so much more...alive here than on Filgaia. But...it isn't home. Filgaia isn't perfect...but it is close to my heart even so." Jacqueline agrees. "...And, um...admittedly, I can't help but feel a little...vulnerable...here. Everything happened so quickly, I did not have any say in what Crests I brought with me..."

There were no Crest Meisters on Lunar, after all. ...At least, not any that would be able to do anything with Filgaian Crest Graphs. Lunar might have its own variety of Crests, but they were entirely different.

Still, even those thoughts are washed away by the warm, comforting water around her...

She sighs contentedly and sinks into the water a little bit more, though she looks up when Lydia mentions having an idea.

"Oh?"

<Pose Tracker> Lydia Seren has posed.

Lydia says, "I'm worrying! I don't want you to get out just for me, nuts to that!" She does smile faintly though which suggests that Catenna and Jacqueline made the right social link choice. In fact, Lydia even hums a few notes to make it official!!

She runs out of the springs for a moment. There's some ruffling off screen, as well as some swearing, but eventually returns and--

--it seems like she has created an impromptu bathing suit using the cape Carina gave her as a skirt and wrapping her Baskar leathers around her chest. She runs back in and says, "This should do it!" Pause. "Don't look up or anything."

She then aims to slide into the pool and she exhales. "Anyway, can't do much about the Statues otherwise I'd blab about 'em all the time. Least he doesn't magically know where they are or nothin', and honestly after what happened to Berserk I doubt they're eager to smash 'em with that weird-ass device again."

"Anyway, uh, sorry about all that." She adds.

<Pose Tracker> Catenna has posed.

Catenna smiles gently back at Jacqueline, shaking her head slowly. "If nothing else, you have people around you who will gladly protect you, as you have done your best to do for us in the course of our travels. It cannot replace your Crests, perhaps. But I hope we can help."

The priestess bows her head and smiles faintly. "...Were all on Filgaia well, I would wish to remain here and understand the Moon better. But we cannot. There is so much to be done... and we are needed."

And she mustn't flinch from those duties, after all. Celesdue would expect no less than for her to do what she must.

But even that anxiety gradually seeps away. There is warm water, and steam, and relaxation - and friends. And probably a lonely catman on the other side of the wall, sadly.

And Lydia smiling and dashing off. Catenna raises her eyebrows and glances at Jacqueline.

"I hope she is alright," she says with a patient smile.

Lydia returns soon enough! Catenna clasps her hands togethers and nods approvingly, once. "It works, I think! And it is quite alright, Lydia." The Moon Shaman answers her taller and more awkward Star buddy with a gentle smile.

"Besides... the answers will come to us in time, I think. And we will exhaust ourselves if we do not relax. So long as we are here, why not...?" She holds her arms out, gesturing around the spring.

<Pose Tracker> Jacqueline Barber has posed.

"I do appreciate it, really. Honestly, if I didn't have you all with me, I don't know if I'd even be able to function here on Lunar..." Jacqueline admits, offering Catenna a smile of her own. "I don't want to just be protected, though...I'd like to do my part, too."

It was true, though - they still had a lot left to do...but that didn't mean they couldn't take time to relax. It was as she'd said before - it did no one any good for them to work themselves to exhaustion.

Lydia dashes off for a moment and, as requested, looks away until she's safely in the water.

"It should, yes! And, it's alright, Lydia...if you're comfortable, that's the important thing." Jacqueline says with a smile. "I can hardly see anything without my glasses, anyway..."

They were currently on the side of the springs, all steamed up and basically useless for actually seeing anything at the moment.

"From my understanding, Siegfried suffered heavy injuries, as well... they're probably going to be moving carefully for a while." Jacqueline says...then smiles and nods toward Catenna.

"Right...it wouldn't do, not to take full advantage of this." She agrees.

<Pose Tracker> Lydia Seren has posed.

Lydia seems to be doing pretty good actually! She's not exacty the sort to be ashamed of skin, but there's some aspects of her body she is either embarrassed by or nervous about. It's not directly stated but implied enough as it is and she still isn't exactly ready to parade it out, but this is still a method of enjoying the springs without pushing too far past her comfort zone.

Lydia closes her eyes and smiles. A nice hot springs adventure isn't enough to banish one's fears and tension away forever, but it can do it for a day. It's okay, Cyre, you have Schrodinger. Maybe. Schrodinger may be on this side of the wall. It's impossible to tell until it's observed and right now it's not observed.

"Some of them got sent here too. I dunno who though. Haven't seen 'em since. I mean. I think they were. I dunno."

Jay says she can't see without her glasses. Lydia can see without her nonexistant glasses. She reddens again, more vibrantly than before. She sinks under the water.

<Pose Tracker> Catenna has posed.

"I am not sure I would be able to function here without all of you, either," Catenna admits, meeting Jay's smile with a grateful one that comes with a blush. "I would have been terribly lost and confused, and would likely have talked about the Guardians in front of the faithful here. And while I will still not deny my faith... at least there are others with me who understand it. And share it," she adds with an appreciative smile sent Lydia's way.

"It's alright," she assures, nodding and simply accepting that this is the way Lydia feels about it.

As if to contrast with the anxiety that seems to be radiating from the more awkward Shaman, Catenna is a picture of serenity and outward comfort. For all that the talk about her sex life bothered her the other day, she doesn't seem the least bit embarrassed about all of this.

But then, Lydia's a little different - and Catenna rather vividly remembers a young girl screaming desperately for them all to not look at her.

The priestess cups her hands in the water, lifting some to let it drip across her face and into her hair. "Well. If we find them here, we can deal with them when it comes to that. For now... we are here, on the Moon. And everything feels alive. I find joy in that."

Brushing back a wet tendril of hair, Catenna blinks curiously towards Jacqueline. "Have you considered learning some of the ways that Lunarians fight? As I came to travel more with you, I had to learn to fight with a sword... perhaps you could consider learning a weapon in that fashion. I could see you wielding something like a bow and arrow with proficiency."

<Pose Tracker> Jacqueline Barber has posed.

The important thing was that Lydia was enjoying herself! Because of Jacqueline's aforementioned near-blindness, though, she can't see Lydia get even more red.

"I imagine they were...I am unsure if the Elw's transportation device was that...choosy. Perhaps seeing Lunar like it is will give some of them a change of heart..." Jacqueline considers. It was a possibility, anyway...as slim as it was.

"But...yes. I do enjoy it here. I just hope that someday Filgaia can be like this, too..." She murmurs. It was a slim hope, anyway, but one she held onto. She glances toward Catenna, then, as she asks a question of her.

"I've...considered it, but...um..." Jacqueline starts hesitantly. "I feel like I have a lot more control over my sorcery. I don't...really like fighting with my hands unless I absolutely have to. I carry a knife, but..."

But, she didn't like using it unless she had no other options available. It had happened before, however.

"My hands are really meant for more peaceful things..."

<Pose Tracker> Lydia Seren has posed.

Bubbles float up to the surface for a time before Lydia pokes her head back out. She looks at her metal arm while listening to Jay talk about her hands. She looks down again at herself. She knows what that hand was made for. It was not for peaceful things.

She looks up again and adds, "You're just a sweet lady I guess, Jay. It's a rough job but someone's gotta do it."

She smoiles back at Catenna and leans against the side wall, exhaling a happy little sigh.

"Plenty of folks who fight to defend the innocent and all that, and y'do it too, but someone's gotta pick up the rubble after all is said and done and that's what y'do. And you're good at it."

<Pose Tracker> Catenna has posed.

"Perhaps it can be," Catenna muses with a smile and a shrug, once more brushing damp hair away from her cheek. "Filgaia, that is. We have found seeds here; we have found rare plants here. It may be possible to return some of what grows here on Lunar and sow it on Filgaia. Perhaps we cannot plant a floating garden as the Elw once did, but we may seek to emulate their example by finding places to grow things, however small."

Drawing her hair over her shoulder, the moon priestess wets it with dip of her head, then rises most of the way out of the water as she begins to meticulously run her fingers through it, giving it as best a round of grooming as she can while still carrying on the conversation. Closing her eyes a moment, she smiles with contentment. "That is your way, Jay. You do very well for yourself, I think. And in some ways I understand. I prefer not to duel... or even to harm, if I can help it."

When she opens her eyes, it's to nod to Lydia, the more modest of the shamans present. "We all have our part to play. The Guardians would not have asked us to play it, otherwise."

<Pose Tracker> Jacqueline Barber has posed.

"I hope so...I'll try, at least. I don't know if they'll survive, but...I'll do everything I can to give them that opportunity." Jacqueline agrees with a nod. She was sure the others would help out, as well.

Catenna and Lydia both compliment her and try to reassure her, and she smiles sheepishly in response.

"I-I do my best, really...but there's only so much I can do, unfortunately. It's out of my hands, after a certain point..." She admits, leaning up against the side of the hotsprings, the nods toward Catenna. "Yeah...it's better that way, but...unfortunately..."

Unfortunately, sometimes there was no choice. Even she knew that, as much as she hated to admit it.

The Guardians...she wasn't entirely sure what to say about them. They were doing the best they could with what they were given, though.