01. ACTION

[sparrowfeather]

[ it's dark, and cramped, and rose can't see a damn thing. as far as she knows, she had been hunting down the remaining iris gems with the party, but there was a wide crack she overlooked in those annoying ruins, and said ruins weren't very stable. she didn't expect the resulting crash to land her in a place like this, though. rose is getting sort of tired of surprises.

there's something rattling around in here with her, too, and she's well aware that for all she knows, it could be dangerous. rose squirms a little and then, with a grunt, gives the inner wall of the capsule the hardest kick she can manage. hard enough to break it and send her and some type of trinket tumbling to the ground. that's a start. ]

Owww... Man, what the hell was that all about? And you guys wonder why I can't stand places like this! Hey, Sorey, can you hear me up there?

[ no answer. not even an echo. more importantly, rose can't feel the presence of the seraphim anymore, either. it's just her.

when rose glances up to take a look, it takes her a good second to realize that this is not where she thought she was. she's positive that those ruins had been all dried up, but down here? rose has no idea, but it doesn't look like anything's in decay, and that sure is a lot of water she's seeing outside the clear windows. that part is pretty hard to miss. water is sort of mikleo's thing, not hers, and she does not see mikleo.

so... she's lost. great! what are these things, anyway? ]

Uh. Guys? Anyone? A little help, maybe? It smells like fish in here.

[ only then does she notice the little object by her feet. maybe it's an iris gem and she'll luck out, escape, save everyone some trouble, get a pat on the back. rose crouches down and tilts her head before picking up a rose in a bottle. nice. it's totally useless. ]

Ha, ha. Real clever. Giving a cute girl named Rose a rose? Nobody's ever tried that one before. Seriously, way to win me over. I'm swooning. Now, if someone could just--

[ aaaand then the shower goes off before she can ask for help again. seconds later, with an ear-piercing shriek of surprise, rose is drenched from head to toe. she's so loud that anyone anywhere near the shower room will be able to hear her. ]

Comments

[imsorey]

[There are normally a lot of loud noises around the base, so hearing the occasional yell or shriek isn't too uncommon. Even shouts from the showers aren't unheard of with the rowdy bunch they have on base. But Sorey isn't one to ignore a distressed cry, so when he hears the shout he automatically makes for the showers to see if someone needs help!

But he stops himself from actually going into the shower room, because someone could actually be naked and showering in there. There was a cry for help, but that doesn't mean he's going to walk in on one of the girls showering??? What does a protag do.

He just awkwardly stands in front of the door and knocks, calling out in the hopes that she hears him.]

Uh--hey, are you okay in there?

[sparrowfeather]

[ is that-- no way. her ears are probably just playing tricks on her.

she can't help but get her hopes up, anyway. please don't make her have to deal with this on her own. ]

Sorey? Sorey!

[ rose wrings out her dripping wet hair and her clothes before stepping outside and cracking the door open, careful not to slip (again) over the water spilled everywhere. when she peers out and meets sorey's eyes, there's a flash of obvious relief before her expressions twists into a piercing glare. ]

So, care to tell me what happened back there? I mean, what is this, another water trial? Suffering through just one was more than enough!

[ she could go on rambling, but she raises an eyebrow when she still doesn't sense the seraphim. ]

... Where is everyone? Where are we?

[ rose shivers. ugh, she needs to get out of these wet clothes. ]

[imsorey]

R-Rose?

[If Alisha was a surprise, Rose is even more of one. He knows enough to not think he's hallucinating, but that doesn't stop him from gapping at her.]

What are you--no, hang on, let me get you a towel.

[Scrambling back to get her a towel so she can dry off.]

he is such a Good Boy

[sparrowfeather]

[ rose can't help it when her lips curve into a fond smile. same old sorey, all right. he always turns her into such a big softie. ]

Ugh, thanks. That's a start.

[ rose unties her hair and starts toweling it off, too careless to worry about combing it out nice and neat. she looks terrible, but she couldn't care less at the moment, especially around sorey of all people. ]

Right. Sooo... Any idea what the heck's going on here? I thought I was the only one who slipped back in those ruins, and when I fell through the cracks, I ended up here. Not the same ruins! I mean, I don't think so, anyway.

[ a pause, and then her voice softens. ]

... Seriously, I'm a little freaked out. You're the expert, not me. You've gotta know where we are, right? I've never seen anything like this.

[gnasher]

[Rin, having just entered the bathroom moments prior, is currently brushing his teeth, of course wearing some chunky red earphones blasting trashy electronic music. too busy jamming out while he makes his bear-trap jaws extra shiny and clean, he doesn't hear the complaining monologue, nor realise there's anyone else in the room]

[until he goes to spit and the shriek pierces its way through his music; he shoves the headphones back, calling out]

-- Who's in here? Are you alright?

[toothpaste flies everywhere.]

[sparrowfeather]

[ rose was so absorbed in her own personal crisis, she didn't even notice him. there's palpable relief in her tone when she calls out to answer. ]

Do I sound alright? I'm soaking wet and I have no idea where I am!

[ with a frustrated sigh, she steps outside the shower, not having it in her to care that water is dripping everywhere. the first thing she notices is his teeth-- and she'd thought dezel's were bad-- and then the toothpaste dripping down his chin. gross. ]

... Might want to rinse your mouth out before worrying about anything else, buddy. I'll wait.

[inyourlight]

It's just a shower. What are you screaming about? Did a fish come out of a nozzle??

[Someone sure is concerned. Oh, totally. That scream didn't sound like someone who was dying, at least. And really all he can hear is the shower running, and he can't sense anything dangerous.

Killua doesn't think before he walks into the shower room, though. While it didn't sound like a scream in danger a scream is a scream, and it doesn't occur to him to think oh, someone in there might be naked. So Rose will have a boy in his early teens marching into the shower room with a confused frown on his face.]

Well?

[sparrowfeather]

[ wow, who does this brat think he's talking to with that attitude? rose peers out at him and glares as hard as she can, which is rather pathetic considering how ridiculous she looks.

it's a good thing she isn't naked, though. things could be worse. glass half full, not glass half empty. stay positive, rose. ]

Well, I didn't expect it to go crazy on me! I'm still trying to figure things out, like, you know, where the nearest exit is. Gotta be around here somewhere.

[ she pointedly looks toward the water behind the glass. it's surreal. how deep is it down here? is she supposed to just swim her way back? do they even know she's missing? ]

But it looks like I'll have to hunt down dry clothes before managing much else.

[ rose sighs, massaging her temples before looking down at him with a small frown. she's annoyed, but she's annoyed in general. it's not his fault. she hopes not, anyway. she'd really rather not get into it with a kid. ]

[inyourlight]

You should have a wetsuit. Pretty sure you've got one. Don't ask me about much else though, I just got here the other day too.

[If he seems completely undisturbed by her snapping at him, well -- he isn't. He folds his arms back behind his head, eyes wide and eyebrows raised at her frown.]

It's just a shower.

[sparrowfeather]

A wetsuit? Why would I carry around a--

[ wait. is that a backpack? where did that come from? ]

Geez, I know what a shower is. I was just startled. Honestly, can you blame me?

[sniptuck]

[ almost as soon as rose screams, hajime immediately starts running towards the shower room. luckily she was nearby, so it doesn't take that long for hajime to burst into the room and

ok so the person who screamed is, apparently, not dying, which is always a plus. but also why is she so wet. ]

I'm sorry for intruding on your shower!

[sparrowfeather]

[ oh no, why does such a cute girl have to see her looking like this. rip. ]

No, no! I wasn't taking a shower, it just... went off by accident when I was trying to find my way out! Who showers with their clothes on, anyway?

[sniptuck]

Ah, you'd be surprised at how many people I've found in the baths here with their clothes on!

[ more than what should be considered normal. ]

I'm going to get you a towel, okay?

[oneandmikleonly]

[Mikleo comes skidding down the corridor close on Sorey's heels, as he usually is, because even for this base full of shenanigans that sounded PRETTY DISTRESSED! also he's afraid something might have smashed that part of the base and caused a flood again.

there's no flood, which is a relief, but...yeah, he's not crashing in there, either. he uses telepathy instead of yelling through the door, though. sorry for the head voice, Rose. at least it's a familiar one?]

Are you hurt? Is everything all right in there?

[sparrowfeather]

[ rose's eyes widen when she hears his voice. has mikleo been in there this whole time? she's pretty positive she wouldn't overlook something like that. ]

What? Mikleo, is that you?! C'mon, you know I still don't like it when you get all up inside my head like that.

[ rose breathes out an audible sigh of relief. it's definitely him, all right. she should be used to the seraphim communicating like this by now, and she is, for the most part, but something about this feels a little different. she can't pinpoint what's off about it, exactly, but there are more pressing things to think about right now.

with sorey and mikleo here, that means that lailah, edna and zaveid can't be far behind. it'll be easier to sort this out when they're able to put their heads together and come up with a game plan. besides, she's sure they've dealt with even weirder situations. rose included. ]

Don't worry. I'm not hurt. Just... er, wet. I mean, soaking wet. I miiight have had a little mishap with the shower.

[ rose rakes a hand through her loose hair with a small, relieved laugh. ]

And here I thought you guys had just up and abandoned me down here when I slipped! Don't scare me like that!

Have you and Sorey found the others yet? We should hurry up and regroup. This place isn't anything like all the other ruins we've passed through. Explanation? Maybe?

[oneandmikleonly]

[GAPES AT THE CLOSED DOOR LIKE A STUNNED GOLDFISH]

N-no! I mean, yes, it's me, I wouldn't be in your head while you were in the shower -- Rose, is that really you? Why are you in the shower?

[it's been half a year. they've spent longer in Iniidae at this point than they have anywhere in Glenwood outside Elysia. they hadn't given up searching for a way home, but they hadn't been quite prepared for home to come to them. first Alisha, now Rose?

wow that's really worrying actually. the Shepherd AND both Squires are here. this seems like an escalating problem. he'd better sort out the immediate situation first, though.]

...look, um, come out here when you're ready. It feels really odd to explain through a bathroom door.

[aspearing]

[ Alisha's doing her best to memorize what she can of the base when Rose arrives. It's instinct that she stops upon hearing that scream, and Alisha immediately turns towards the source.

--Wait, she knows that voice, doesn't she? That's-- ]

Rose? Rose! Are you alright?!

[ If she doesn't hear a reply, she's going to go right in! Though, barging right into the shower room would be rather awkward... ]

[sparrowfeather]

[ it takes rose a good few seconds to put a name to that voice. it's been quite some time since they've spoken. ]

Alisha... ?!

[ oh, no. she'd really rather not have princess alisha seeing her looking like a drowned rat. ]

Um. I'm fine! Everything's fine. Just a little shower malfunction, that's all!

[ she almost forgets to be startled that the princess herself is here, too. how did that end up happening? she wasn't traveling with them. nothing about this makes even the slightest bit of sense. ]

... You can come in. The coast is clear. Just be careful! It's kinda slippery.

[ rip rose. this isn't exactly how she'd imagined meeting with alisha again. they'd hit it off so well, too. ]

[aspearing]

[ It's rather surprising that Rose has arrived here as well, especially when Alisha herself had only just done so. Though, her focus is making sure that she's safe, which... thankfully, it sounds like she is (not that Alisha doubts that Rose can take care of herself). ]

Please, excuse me then. [ And with that, she'll open the door, stepping in easily, but with some care all the same.

She relaxes a little when she sees Rose. Though, she does indeed look soaked... ] ... I'm glad to see you're alright, but you must be freezing. Here, let's get something to help dry you off.

[vigilantims]

Seems you swooned too hard and let off the shower.

[ he happened to have been nearby enough to hear her comment over the rose bottle. but it wasn't until after her shriek did he actually walk in. even though the showers aren't working properly yet hey, she might have been taking a shower.

but nah. she has clothes on. so he'll poke on in. ]

Or the one who thinks you're cute thought to shower you with some love.

[ yuri no ]

[sparrowfeather]

[ rose just gives him a Look, mouth agape. ]

Are you kidding me?

[ she very obviously rolls her eyes and brushes past him. she can tolerate lailah's puns, but at least lailah is cute. it's totally different. also, lailah probably wouldn't make shitty puns when rose is soaking wet. ]

Bet you're patting yourself on the back for that one, huh.

[vigilantims]

Dead serious.

[ not. Yuri simply gives a shrug after. ]

If we're talking shitty jokes I think the shower already beat me to it.

[ oh malfunctioning shower A+ for you ]

[lightbulbvampire]

[Kanaya peeks into the showers. She is holding a towel, as she was going to wash off.]

Is everything alright in there?

[sparrowfeather]

Does everything sound alright? I have no idea where I am and this shower just went haywire on me!

[ rose doesn't mean to snap at her, honestly. with a heavy sigh, she steps out to see kanaya, her wet clothes dripping all over the slippery floor. gray skin... well, that isn't something she sees every day, but hey, she doesn't end up in places like this every day, either. ]

[lightbulbvampire]

[Kanaya takes one look at Rose and promptly offers her the towel.]

Not really. You are in our group's base on Iniidae. As for the showers, Hinata just repaired them not too long ago, so I am not surprised if some of them are a bit off.

[We love ya and all Hinata, but you are no mechanic.]