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I miss video games

Who: Errybody
What: HOT SPRINGS: HOT SPRINGS EDITION
Where: Hot springs. Different hot springs. Not the hot springs that turned everyone into six year olds.
When: March 25th - March 29th
Warnings: Cursed springs. Sex swapping.

Right outside the resort is the main attraction, a collection of natural hot springs, separated by gender with a co-ed spring in the middle. Despite it being late March, there's still a dusting of snow on the ground, making the warm springs all the more inviting.

If the main resort area is too crowded for you, there are whispers of a secluded, private spring down a secret path. It's supposed to be very nice--if you can find it.

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She was grateful for a place to bathe that didn't involve sharing the space with others. Back home, it was a quick reminder of what was and was not appropriate behaviour befitting a woman of regal bearing. So many things were already pushing against that line, but she had handled them as gracefully as she could. Sharing a hot spring, however, was the boundary at which she would not willingly cross.

Hot springs were meant to be private as far as she was concerned, and she would take her privacy by the horns and into her own control. Which meant investigating the pleasant rumour of the quiet springs away from the undoubtedly noisy and rowdy shared pools.

It'd give her time to think. That was what she'd thought as she'd managed to claim the spring to herself. At least for the time being. For the gods knew how long that would last and ultimately, it wouldn't be the fair princess at all, but rather a prince in her stead.

After a while, the princess was joined by another blue haired man, who was pretty much... yeah, he was pretty much naked. No harm done, right? All boys here. He tugged on either side of the towel around his neck, announcing his arrival with a clearing of his throat.

"So sorry to ask... Did you want to be alone?"

Edited 2013-03-27 00:48 (UTC)

That was disconcerting at best. And disconcerting was Eirika understating the situation. From the moment she'd... taken on a form more like her brother's, she'd wanted to close up and hide. She hadn't even spoken, because she was concerned about giving herself away. But someone was bound to put two and two together when they realised that beneath the towel, a boy was wearing a one-piece feminine swimsuit. That was stretching all too much across broad shoulders and a frame she wasn't akin to having.

Seeing... Kyogre lacking in his own apparel, Eirika couldn't fight the way she averted her gaze. His gaze. She didn't even know anymore.

"U-uh," was the surprisingly boyish tone. "Uh, no. It is not as though the spring is beneath my jurisdiction." Oh, by the gods. What would Ephraim say? That was the real test, wasn't it? "Please, enjoy yourself," came the invitation as Eirika waved him in with her free hand - the one not trying to keep her polite.

The man made a movement to join the teal haired royal, but stopped short, his eyes narrowed slightly in attempted recognition.

"Hmmm... I'm not sure if I've seen you around, before."

No. You probably haven't, Eirika thought to herself. But then you likely haven't seen me as... a normal girl either. Normal. I'm as far from 'normal' as a girl can possibly get.

"I have only recently arrived."

It wasn't really a lie. Not that Eirika was keen on being untruthful. She just had no idea how to carry on. Bashfully she wanted to cover up, but that would mean touching herself. Himself. Whatever the case was. All in all, the idea was immensely uncomfortable.

"Excuse me if that seems obvious," she continued. "I'm still adjusting."

Kyogre flashed a smile at the woman turned man, still making no move to get in the spring. Instead, he held out an innocent hand.

"Ah, I should have known. I'm the Ancient Literature teacher, Kyogre. And you are... ?"

It took all of her willpower not to just blush to the roots of that teal hair and instead, she simply stared at his hand. What exactly what he waiting for? Physical contact wasn't exactly something that was really discussed at great lengths in any of her etiquette classes. Touching people or being touched... Children aside, it seemed that considering her position, it would have been too convenient to bring harm to the princess.

So instead, she gave a low nod, respectful at the very least, while she tried to think up an answer. "...Ei... rik." That sounded like it would be acceptable. It was close to her name, which meant she wasn't necessarily lying, but she also wasn't having to completely channel Ephraim. Thankfully.

"A privilege," she said a little more firmly, laced with diplomatic undertones.

Not the handshake type, eh? Well whoever he was, or more accurately, whoever she used to be, there was definitely a strong thread of dignity lurking just under the surface. What an interesting person. He did everyone a favor and took the towel from around his neck to tie around his waist, sitting down on the edge of the spring.

"And where are you from, Eirik?"

Everyone a favour indeed. It meant Eirika was saved from more staring than what she was going to do originally. She'd still gawk, she was sure, but... not as much. After all, she had all the time to gawk about her own body, which she was actually trying to avoid doing. Any solace she got from self-embraces in the past were... not going to happen in the present.

She watched him carefully, observant and attentive. His question next was a much easier one for her to reply to. "I hail from Renais, a kingdom and country in a land called Magvel. I have only been here briefly, so I know little... of the customs and its people. Excuse me if I seem hesitant or tentative. I'm still acquiring my bearings." And she thought that sounded mighty regal on her part, even considering the circumstance.

Oh, good. Perfect. A fish out of water, pardon the expression, was a wonderful thing. He chuckled from deep in his chest.

"I'm from a far away kingdom too, it's called Hoenn. Very exclusive, beach side kingdom in the south of the continent. And you don't seem too hesitant to me..."

He patted him on the shoulder with a smile. Don't worry, he still has gloves on.

Aaaa, why are you touching the him that was a her? Aaaa. The concept itself was still a strange one, but somehow Eirika managed to retain some form of composure. Guys probably acted like that all the time, after all. She couldn't put it past Ephraim and Innes to have exchanged friendly blows from time to time.

"Hoenn..." She'd certainly never heard of it. "You live by a lot of water then." More an observation if she knew anything at all about beaches. Which, she really didn't. Except for sand and water. But maybe that was all there was to know. "Something like this must be habit for you, then?"

Kyogre brightened at the mention of water. Yes, he sure did. And it was all beautiful and sparkling, thank you very much.

"Aha. Yes. In fact, I spend much of my time in water. I'm a..."

He paused for a moment in deep thought.

"... You would probably call me a whale. Yes, that's what I am. Not exactly, but close enough."

"A whale."

Did she even know what that was? No. Not really. She knew what fish were, and she supposed if fish lived in water, and whales evidently lived much of their time in water... It would have made sense for a whale to be a type of fish. So she nodded as if she understood perfectly well what he was saying.

"Well, close enough to a whale, I suppose." Eirika suddenly smiled as she continued. "I assure you I'm nothing of the sort. Just a simple gi-- boy. Man. Young man." Because that was totally smooth of her. Him. Whatever.

Eirika's slip up earned a raised eyebrow.

"A simple young man... ?"

Was that what he had just said. Oh, how adorable.

"Yes. And a handsome one, if you don't mind me saying. I'm not coming on to you, but you seemed kinda unsure about that last statement."

Well, she couldn't exactly deny it. Ephraim was handsome, but that was awkward to agree with when she looked like him because then it'd make him sound vain. Ephraim was confident, but not necessarily arrogant. At least, she didn't consider him to be.

She cleared her throat and tried to sit a little more straight. "Ah. Well..." And there was just no way to get past that, was there? She could keep up a charade for only so long, after all. "These hot springs... seem to have a way of showing things in a way they don't necessarily appear."

I'm not really a boy at all. And I have no idea how to be one.

Kyogre gave Eirika a bright smile.

"Oh, you mean how they swap your sex? So, that makes you a princess, doesn't it?"

She simply stared at him. He knew the entire time? How humiliating. That was the only way she could think of it as. A hand lifted to shield her face from him, so he wouldn't see just how red she turned.

"...It would have been nice if you'd told me from the beginning that you knew about that. Wouldn't that make you a girl, as well?"

The sea god brought a finger up to his chin.

"I'm sorry. Although, we haven't really been talking much about gender, have we? I know i've never met you, even in your regular body, so I figured it would be a good chance to introduce myself.

And I have been cursed by the spring, but I can change my physical form at will, so I went back to the way I was used to. I don't technically have a gender, actually. It's pretty groovy."

Genderless? Eirika couldn't even begin to imagine what that was like. She still preferred being a girl, if she was going to be honest about the whole thing.

"No... I suppose not." Foiled by her own desire to be a little irritated by the spring. "My name is Eirika. I am the princess of Renais. Or was. I... think temporarily this makes me the prince. I hope it's temporary, anyway."

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I miss video games

Secret Spring - March 27 - Afternoon

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Re: Secret Spring - March 27 - Afternoon

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