09-05-2017, 05:15 PM
Shoots of bamboo stretched overhead, reaching for the starry night sky and the moon above as Belle stepped outside, exiting through the hotel's rear doors. The back was enclosed by tall bamboo-work, many trunks lashed together to form a fence ten feet high. Ahead, in the far right corner, was a small, squat hut. To the left, twin sets of drapes cordoned off doorways to separate enclosures.
Warm air wafted across her body, carrying with it the rich scent of moist soil and fallen leaves, mixing with the steam rising from the hotel's hot spring as Belle pushed through one of the drapes. The women's enclosure was roughly square, with the spring that the hotel made use of slashed in half by a dividing partition. Dim illumination came in the form of incandescent lamps that had been scattered along the bamboo walls. To one side a set of cubbies to store garments.
No one seemed to be about. Cocking her head, Belle listened to the soft lap of water as the pool's heat stirred the surface, creating miniature currents. Crickets – or something like them – chirped.
Belle undressed – the work of a handful of seconds, even with her injured arm – and placed her bikini in the cubby. Looking down at the wrap pulled around her elbow, she flexed her fingers. Squeezed. A mild pang of pain, but not as bad as it had first seemed. Perhaps it had never been broken in the first place?
The edge of the pool itself had been smoothed – whether by water or through labor was unclear – and Belle momentarily perched on the ledge, putting her feet into the heated water before slowly sliding the rest of her inside. It was like slipping into a Jacuzzi – almost uncomfortable amount of heat pressing against her skin before slowly subsiding.
Belle leaned back against the edge of the pool, tilting her head back to stare upward. The shadow of the ninja village blended with the mountain in the distance, just visible through a cut of tall bamboo shoots. The sounds of the night rustled from beyond the fence, every so often a hoot breaking the soft background of crickets and flowing water. Peace – true peace – was elusive in the Omniverse, but for the moment, Tyoko had managed the trick.
She held her breath, sliding lower, briefly submerging herself in the spring before coming back up. Now that she was out, she found herself half-dreading the return to Coruscant. If Yuki wasn't there... If Lily wasn't there... If she didn't have something to do...
Temptation to leave it all behind swelled like poison in her chest, whispered that it wouldn't really be so bad … “Shut up,” she mumbled to herself, digging the heel of her hand against her brow and grinding.
Another rustle, closer this time. Belle stiffened. “Who are you talking to?” a husky voice asked, it's tone playful, before arms were abruptly wrapping around her, quick hands grabbing at her chest!
“Ack!” Belle was snapped out of her brooding in an instant, sending her good elbow back against her assailant, adrenaline spiking through her veins, surge of energy mixing with it as she habitually reached within for her power, drawing it out. Her elbow connected with something soft and rubbery, and a familiar squeak sounded from her attacker, the grip on Belle immediately loosening. She spun around“... Heidi!?”
The other girl winced, one eye closed, as she sat back, holding her side where Belle had struck her. “What was that for?” she demanded.
“That's my line,” Belle shot back, her cheeks flaring pink. “What do you think this is – an anime? Who the frick just goes around groping people?!”
Heidi huffed, her cheeks puffing out and shoulders hunching. Her pigtails rose like hackles on the back of the neck. “You looked unhappy,” she groused, lowering the hand on her side. Given how … bouncy the girl was, she wondered how much of Heidi's pain was real, or an act. “So I thought I'd take your mind off of it!”
Belle opened her mouth, closed it. Her eyes closed and she pinched the bridge of her nose. It was like dealing with a child, this Prime. “Next time, how about you just say 'hello'?”
Heidi blinked. “But that's sooo impersonal! We're best friends, aren't we?”
Belle opened her eyes, giving Heidi another in a long line of flat looks. “Best friends aren't supposed to be that grabby,” she said, enunciating slowly so that the other could understand.
“Maybe not your friends,” Heidi grumped, then held up her hands as Belle opened her mouth to speak again. “Fine, fine! Sheesh. Must be boooring where you come from.” She crossed her arms over her chest, eyes closing. “No wonder you're so broody...”
“I am not broody,” Belle protested, brows knitting as she reddened. Maybe she had been brooding, but she wasn't brood-y... Right?
An inward frown, her eyes momentarily unfocused. No – she was normal. It was just that Heidi herself was too hyper. Of course Heidi could be so carefree about everything – the girl didn't even have to worry about dying anymore. But all the rest of them stuck in this hellish purgatory? It could be forgiven if they were a little-
“You're doing it again!” Heidi squeaked, interrupting. Reaching out with her hands, Heidi pressed on Belle's cheeks, smooshing them together and forcing Belle's lips to into a figure-eight. A giggle as Belle stared at her, nonplussed. “That settles it: I'm going to make you smile!”
“Ai dunn kneed id!” Belle said, muffled as she grew increasingly flustered. “Ai c'n shmile!”
Heidi released her cheeks, and Belle rubbed them with a hand. “Oh yeah? When was the last time?” Heidi asked.
Belle had to think back, frowning some more. “I'm sure I did today.”
“Nope.”
“Uhhh, uhm...” Belle screwed up her face. “... Back in Vasty Deep! Yeah. I definitely smiled then!”
“Oh?” Heidi tilted her head. “What were you smiling about?”
“... Escaping monsters trying to eat me.”
Heidi made a sound like a gameshow buzzer, holding up her arms in an X in front of her. “Eeeh! Wrong! Relief at survival doesn't count! Try again.”
Belle bristled. “Why not?! … And why am I having to justify myself to you?! I smile plenty, and that's that! I'll do it right now!” Belle forced a grin.
Heidi blanched. “Ew. Are you smiling, or sitting in a dentist chair? This is worse than I thought.” The blonde tapped her lips with a finger, thinking some more. “How about a joke? Here we go: What did the buffalo say when his son went to college?”
“Please stop.”
“Bison!”
“Please.”
“My friend's bakery burned down last night. Now his business is toast!”
“Uuuugh...”
“Hmm... No good, huh...? That usually always gets a laugh.” Heidi rubbed her chin, then snapped her fingers, something hitting her. “I know! Revenge! Broody moodies always get a kick out of revenge.”
“I'm listening.”
“Now we're getting somewhere! So, given everything, I think the best chance you have is if you grab me back.” Taking a breath, the blonde puffed her chest out. “Go crazy! It's for a good cause! … Bestie? Bestie, strangling yourself isn't going to help anything...”
~+~+~+~
The day dawned beyond the village, orange glow lighting up the sky, thin sliver of sunlight visible through the cutting bamboo shoots casting golden wires across the shadowed ground, streaming through the window of the hotel room. Belle groaned, turning over as a fiery band fell across an eye, and she waved her good hand at it as if swatting a fly.
Today, first thing, she'd get something new to wear from the market nearby. After that, it was a short hike from their destination. Or, well, her destination, anyway...
Warm air wafted across her body, carrying with it the rich scent of moist soil and fallen leaves, mixing with the steam rising from the hotel's hot spring as Belle pushed through one of the drapes. The women's enclosure was roughly square, with the spring that the hotel made use of slashed in half by a dividing partition. Dim illumination came in the form of incandescent lamps that had been scattered along the bamboo walls. To one side a set of cubbies to store garments.
No one seemed to be about. Cocking her head, Belle listened to the soft lap of water as the pool's heat stirred the surface, creating miniature currents. Crickets – or something like them – chirped.
Belle undressed – the work of a handful of seconds, even with her injured arm – and placed her bikini in the cubby. Looking down at the wrap pulled around her elbow, she flexed her fingers. Squeezed. A mild pang of pain, but not as bad as it had first seemed. Perhaps it had never been broken in the first place?
The edge of the pool itself had been smoothed – whether by water or through labor was unclear – and Belle momentarily perched on the ledge, putting her feet into the heated water before slowly sliding the rest of her inside. It was like slipping into a Jacuzzi – almost uncomfortable amount of heat pressing against her skin before slowly subsiding.
Belle leaned back against the edge of the pool, tilting her head back to stare upward. The shadow of the ninja village blended with the mountain in the distance, just visible through a cut of tall bamboo shoots. The sounds of the night rustled from beyond the fence, every so often a hoot breaking the soft background of crickets and flowing water. Peace – true peace – was elusive in the Omniverse, but for the moment, Tyoko had managed the trick.
She held her breath, sliding lower, briefly submerging herself in the spring before coming back up. Now that she was out, she found herself half-dreading the return to Coruscant. If Yuki wasn't there... If Lily wasn't there... If she didn't have something to do...
Temptation to leave it all behind swelled like poison in her chest, whispered that it wouldn't really be so bad … “Shut up,” she mumbled to herself, digging the heel of her hand against her brow and grinding.
Another rustle, closer this time. Belle stiffened. “Who are you talking to?” a husky voice asked, it's tone playful, before arms were abruptly wrapping around her, quick hands grabbing at her chest!
“Ack!” Belle was snapped out of her brooding in an instant, sending her good elbow back against her assailant, adrenaline spiking through her veins, surge of energy mixing with it as she habitually reached within for her power, drawing it out. Her elbow connected with something soft and rubbery, and a familiar squeak sounded from her attacker, the grip on Belle immediately loosening. She spun around“... Heidi!?”
The other girl winced, one eye closed, as she sat back, holding her side where Belle had struck her. “What was that for?” she demanded.
“That's my line,” Belle shot back, her cheeks flaring pink. “What do you think this is – an anime? Who the frick just goes around groping people?!”
Heidi huffed, her cheeks puffing out and shoulders hunching. Her pigtails rose like hackles on the back of the neck. “You looked unhappy,” she groused, lowering the hand on her side. Given how … bouncy the girl was, she wondered how much of Heidi's pain was real, or an act. “So I thought I'd take your mind off of it!”
Belle opened her mouth, closed it. Her eyes closed and she pinched the bridge of her nose. It was like dealing with a child, this Prime. “Next time, how about you just say 'hello'?”
Heidi blinked. “But that's sooo impersonal! We're best friends, aren't we?”
Belle opened her eyes, giving Heidi another in a long line of flat looks. “Best friends aren't supposed to be that grabby,” she said, enunciating slowly so that the other could understand.
“Maybe not your friends,” Heidi grumped, then held up her hands as Belle opened her mouth to speak again. “Fine, fine! Sheesh. Must be boooring where you come from.” She crossed her arms over her chest, eyes closing. “No wonder you're so broody...”
“I am not broody,” Belle protested, brows knitting as she reddened. Maybe she had been brooding, but she wasn't brood-y... Right?
An inward frown, her eyes momentarily unfocused. No – she was normal. It was just that Heidi herself was too hyper. Of course Heidi could be so carefree about everything – the girl didn't even have to worry about dying anymore. But all the rest of them stuck in this hellish purgatory? It could be forgiven if they were a little-
“You're doing it again!” Heidi squeaked, interrupting. Reaching out with her hands, Heidi pressed on Belle's cheeks, smooshing them together and forcing Belle's lips to into a figure-eight. A giggle as Belle stared at her, nonplussed. “That settles it: I'm going to make you smile!”
“Ai dunn kneed id!” Belle said, muffled as she grew increasingly flustered. “Ai c'n shmile!”
Heidi released her cheeks, and Belle rubbed them with a hand. “Oh yeah? When was the last time?” Heidi asked.
Belle had to think back, frowning some more. “I'm sure I did today.”
“Nope.”
“Uhhh, uhm...” Belle screwed up her face. “... Back in Vasty Deep! Yeah. I definitely smiled then!”
“Oh?” Heidi tilted her head. “What were you smiling about?”
“... Escaping monsters trying to eat me.”
Heidi made a sound like a gameshow buzzer, holding up her arms in an X in front of her. “Eeeh! Wrong! Relief at survival doesn't count! Try again.”
Belle bristled. “Why not?! … And why am I having to justify myself to you?! I smile plenty, and that's that! I'll do it right now!” Belle forced a grin.
Heidi blanched. “Ew. Are you smiling, or sitting in a dentist chair? This is worse than I thought.” The blonde tapped her lips with a finger, thinking some more. “How about a joke? Here we go: What did the buffalo say when his son went to college?”
“Please stop.”
“Bison!”
“Please.”
“My friend's bakery burned down last night. Now his business is toast!”
“Uuuugh...”
“Hmm... No good, huh...? That usually always gets a laugh.” Heidi rubbed her chin, then snapped her fingers, something hitting her. “I know! Revenge! Broody moodies always get a kick out of revenge.”
“I'm listening.”
“Now we're getting somewhere! So, given everything, I think the best chance you have is if you grab me back.” Taking a breath, the blonde puffed her chest out. “Go crazy! It's for a good cause! … Bestie? Bestie, strangling yourself isn't going to help anything...”
~+~+~+~
The day dawned beyond the village, orange glow lighting up the sky, thin sliver of sunlight visible through the cutting bamboo shoots casting golden wires across the shadowed ground, streaming through the window of the hotel room. Belle groaned, turning over as a fiery band fell across an eye, and she waved her good hand at it as if swatting a fly.
Today, first thing, she'd get something new to wear from the market nearby. After that, it was a short hike from their destination. Or, well, her destination, anyway...
Uh oh. Those boys got me all tingly...
![[Image: ezgif-1-a370e630e1.gif]](https://s7.postimg.cc/elmiaogd7/ezgif-1-a370e630e1.gif)
I must calm it.
I must calm it.