Hot Springs Inn <Earth Kingdom>

[takashi]

[ continuation of this thread ]

Steam floated up from the little pond like balloons as Takashi's eyes were fixed on the bubbling water. He assumed that one of the two girls, God knows what their names were, would help his poor, weak body into the spring. After his minute-long stare at the water, he finally looked at the girls. He assumed they would assume that he was ready to go in. The awkward stare lasted another long minute. He was getting irritated. His grouchy facial expressions just yelled out, "HELP ME IN THERE!"

He suddenly got a chill as he looked at one of the two girls. Takashi stared into her rich blue eyes. Her round, slightly dark face caught his attention. He only had to look a little up since she was pretty short. He finally snapped out of it. What was that feeling? He never felt that way before... but what seemed like hours lasted only seconds. Coming back to Earth, he ordered, "Please help me into the spring."

This was one of the first times he said "please" to a stranger.

[katuko]

Siihma smirked inwardly as the handicapped kid wheeled his chair to the edge of the spring. He stared blankly into the water as if he was asking the bubbles 'how do I get in?'

The boy then turned around and snapped angrily at her. 'Help me in there!' Unflinchingly, she stared back. She crossed her arms and shifted on the rock and ignored his demand. The boy stared at her, almost pleadingly, and then slowly.. 'please..'

Siihma slid off the rock and hitched up her hanfu as she stepped carefully on the wet stepping stones to the spring. His cocky demeanor tugged at her self control. She wanted to push him and his stupid chair right into the water. But she couldn't do that.. after all, he was a guest.

The girl slipped the boy from the chair, grasped onto his hand and settled him uneasily at the brim of the spring. She then wheeled the chair to a safe distance away and proceeded to exit the room. She certainly wasn't going to sit in there while he...no.

At the exit, she threw a towel at his head and slammed the screen door shut. Now, she'd have to wait for him. She prayed his attention span wasn't long. Siihma sighed in defeat and plopped herself into a bench beside the entrance of the springs and leaned her head against the partition.

[hikari]

Hikari deeply breathed in the humid, misty smell of the hot springs. Her memory never recalled to actually coming to one. With all the work she had to do in a week she never really had time to enjoy the places she traveled to.

The young boy impatiently looked and Siihma and Hikari, particularly at Siihma. She was willing to help the boy to the springs, but Siihma once again done so. Afterwards, she darted up through the exit and leaned up against a bench with evident irritation in her eyes at the boy she just helped.

Hikari sighed and let out a small smile. She casually walked through the doors up to Siihma and sat beside her on the bench. She placed her hands on her knees and looked at Siihma with understanding.

"Some people you meet will be mean, rude, and all sorts of things," she said with a small laugh. "You just have to accept it and try to cooperate the best you can. Believe me, I know from experience," she continued looking upward to the ceiling.

She then got up and shifted her bag back on to her shoulders. "How silly of me, I'm still carrying these towels. I'll be right back," she said with a chuckle and opened the decorative screen doors, back into the mist of the springs.