A cleansing bath

Leneor was now standing there with his towel, putting his belongings into a basket in the men's dressingroom. He had told Zidan to get him a new set of clothes anyway, and get some equipment. The boy seemed fond of being able to help out his older brother's employer.

Leneor gulped down a plant befor entering the door into he hot springs. his vision was blurred due to the amount of steam rising out of the water. there was a natural vent (some call it a hole) further away above, allowing the smoke to get out, and some light to get in. But both amounts were rather slim, so most of the steam stayed inside, the light was still dim aswell.

He walked down the stairs into the spring, searching a place to sit down. After all, it seemed entirely empty by the looks of it.



[used up one -regaras bloom- stock now: 1]
[ +5 Health Regaras bloom + 20 Health from the hot springs]

Leneor seated himself close to a stone pillar and sank down into the water,only the top of his head was barely above the surface. the whole complex was left mostly natural, it looked like the hot springs were here since forever, a small hidden bath within the mountain.


"huah! this is the first time in a hot spring, they usualy cost quite a lot, and its quite crowded at the places they have those springs. I never dared to enter because i lacked money and was on the run, i should have."
he leaned further backwards, his head sinking entirely into the water, before geting up again. "so relaxing~"

(+55 Health from regeneration and the hot bath/relaxation)

Leneors head was halfway burried in the water, only toe face itself stayed above the surface, his ears and hear was resting in the water. he enjoyed the silence within the water, which got slightly disturbed by origin of the water, being pressed through the tiny gaps along with hot air.

he didn't even recognize a few fine splashes in the water, the water wasnt entirely calm anyway to semse a change in it.
He slowly liftet his head out of the water, closing his eyes.

"these secluded mountain baths realy are a blessing!" words of cheerfulness echoed through the secluded bath.

...

that voice I just heard... that wasnt mine. It was female.wait.

Leneor almost jumped up from surprise, wasnt this a men's bath?!? the water splashed through the otherwise empty walls.

"Eeeh? someone else here? hey, where are you!"
"Like i'm gonna tell!" leneor turned red.
"Well i can't see through the fog, then i'll dive and search for a pair of legs."
"I dare you!"
"Aw, you're cute when you're blushing!"
"how would you know! you can't see me!"
"true, but i have the feeling you do."
"stop mocking me!"
"..."
"huh? where are yo-"
"Hey there!"

Leneor jumped back into the water, slowly coming up with his head. The person opposing him was barely visible due to the steam, despite backing up a little he still could see her. mid-long hair being tied up at the back, it had a dark purplish color, she was probably kneeling judging from her size, thus apparently her cleavage was slightly above the surface, she must have been a C to D.
Argh, what am i thinking about.

"what are you doing here?!"
"taking a bath of course."
"no, thats not what i mean!"
"then why you ask?"
"..."
"so its my turn now? ok, I'm sheena Fubukashi, whats your name?"

the woman was quite frank, her blunt attitude overwhelmed him so he just answered.

"Leneor." he quickly turned away.
"nice to meet you!" the woman answered.

"you know that we're both half naked with nothing but a towel, in a hot bath alone?" Leneor said. he had some courage after getting out of direct eye contact with Sheena.A short pause. Shena shot back into the water, only her head looking out, just like leneor.
"Argh, this is embarresing! don't look at me!"
"thats why I didn't want you to come! And I already turned around."
"Eh? you realy have manners you know? at my village you cant go to the hot springs, there are gapers everywhere, just wanting to get a peek at me."
"huh, your village has hotsprings?"
"of course, every traditional Nin-village has one. I believe it once was supposed for cleaning the body and mind after banishing evil spirits. But I never go there, the guys in our village are perverts and useless morons. No wonder they can't get through with their training of spirit banishing."

Leneor moved sideways, and situated himself behind a small rock, leaning against it. it was slightly colder than the water, having a nice soothing touch.

"I see, you're a demon hunter."
"yeah, I finished the test a year ago, and since i turned 22 last month i am officialy a demon hunter now!" she declared cheerfully. Leneor heard the moving of water, sheena sat down at the other side of the rock.

(+ 75 Hp - resting)

"oh, and by the way, my second name is areos." he started again.
"huh?"
"well, you gave me your full name, i should be polite and give mine aswell."
"eeeeh? ... you're not trying to hit on my do you?" she asked in a daring voice.
"no, not realy, i don't think I realy am the kind of person for such relationships." Leneor sligthly laughed, as if making a joke.

sheena wasnt happy with that kind of answer, she actually wanted to tease him again, because he acted shy before, but the answer he had given rather disturbed her.

"Whats with that answer, it sounds like you cannot allow yourself love, and i have the feeling that also counts for several other related things." she worded her concern.
"Its the same outcome for me, but its that I cant concentrate on it, it has something to do with my past and my future."
"You're drowning the mood you know?" she sais sullen.
"you asked. then again, i guess i'm a downer, I cant even persuade people that if i fight a duel to death, that it would hurt my pride to let them just interrupt."

there was a short silence.

"Maybe you mistook that pride and endangered your own life, just as they mistook your intentions."
...
"I bet you fight alone because you hate fighting with others, right?"
"you're good at guessing."
"So you want to do stuff yourself to not have others kill themselves."
"... that might be true."
"then why can't you consider that idea not being only your own."

Leneor was struck by a lightening. He allways looked at things in a neutral matter, and find the best solution, but it seems that the person sitting at the other side of the stone just found something he had never taken into view.

"you're a good person at heart, but you lack believe. you gotta believe in other people's reasoning and decisions once in a while."
"Thank you."
"See, you're not a downer!"
"who knows. but one thing, i'm not a good person, believe me."

he looked upwards, he was trailing off.

... sorry Äeon, i never realy asked why you did this.
[It was my fault, how could you trust me after i have let you down.]
no, you decided what would be best for me. I have no right denying you.
[... just try not to die in vain. I'd like to see you smile a little more.]

*poke,poke*
the side of his face was being poked roughly.Leneor looked sideways, and spotted sheena, sticking her finger into his cheek.

"you awake again, i almost thought the heat got to your head. huh? I cant see much, but is your face getting redder? are you feeling well?" Sheena looked worried, she had come to the other side since leneor didn't answer to her questions.

"C-could you distance yourself a little." Leneor asked, not moving an inch. Sheena was quite close to him.
Sheena took the hint and became red herself.

"S-Sorry, I got lost in thoughts, did you ask something?" Leneor tried to break through the awkwardness.
"I just said that i don't believe you if you say you're not a good guy." she said, turning away. "otherwise i probably wouldn't get along with you, would I? aside from that, your smile just know isn't that of an evil guy." she looked over her shoulder and smiled.
____________________________________________________________________________________________

the rest of the talking was going out of hand, many useless discussions about the latest weather, how apple pie isn't tasty unless its warm, and how some of the greyrobes run around like having a broomstick shoved up their ass. Leneor managed to loosen up.


"Oh well, it's kinda late. so i think I have to get back to the village, they'll start making up stories why i'm so late."
Leneor saw Sheena stand up, he looked away as he noticed that she rearanged her towell.
"Maybe we'll meet again around here sometime, or you visit me at the village sometime, its quite close. I enjoy talking with you, its a change to the dorks at home."
"I'll see what i can do, so it's farewell now?"
"Let's call it goodbye, that sounds better"
"Ok, goodbye then."
"See ya!" she waved at him while disappering into the mist.

(+75 HP - resting)

[moving over to dormitories>Boys' dorms : well deserved sleep]