[OP-F24] Valentines Tournament Arc - Slumber Party

[Jomei 0]

Jomei could not help but let out a small laugh at Yona's mention of 'supervision' going to bed. "You say that as if we aren't all adults here of some capacity." His laugh ended with a sigh as he turned his gaze directly upward towards the starry night sky - even if it was generated specifically for this floor. "Besides, I'm sure Baldur could easily be convinced to join us.. but I'm sure he's going to want to turn in early after today. Must take a lot to run an event of this capacity almost on your own."

The ginger began to slowly let himself slide down deeper into the water, soaking his chest, arms, and finally submerging his shoulders so only the head atop his neck remained above water. He closed his with a content, relaxed smile, "But that's a conversation for later.. I'm in no rush to get out and play party games.. just yet. I don't get to do this often enough." Opening his eyes, he turned them towards Lessa with a gentle smirk. "I'm glad to see you relaxing and having fun.. I know you seemed fine at Koga's party but.. its nice to see it wasn't a one time thing." He spoke softly, keeping the conversation just to the two of them.

After holding their brief conversation, Jomei turned his head in the direction of two newcomers, Astreya and , he believed it was , Astralin. "Hey, glad to see you made it. Come on in, the waters great."
 

@Astreya @Astralin @Yona @Lessa 

[Hirru 0]

The whole of the island had been turned to it's 'night sky' setting, as the lanterns signaled the end of the day.  The lanterns were also a sign to the hunter that he had a couple more hours before he had to turn in.  This was usually the time he would take to do some night fishing, if he wasn't already venturing out into the wilderness again.  There was quite a few promises made for the hunter to live here, although Baldur was clear that he could stay freely.  Hirru wasn't one to make an action so freely, even if his unconscious efforts to save NPC's was becoming a heavy part of himself.  He would fish for the dojo and the guild in general, to keep the pantries filled, and to fulfill his usefulness.

A few of the lanterns hovered slightly in the air before him, on strings that were barely visible from their feint light.  He always loved this time of night, as the flames that filled the lanterns from the inside would flicker softly.  Their being would almost make the lanterns look like they want to float up and become one with the stars, or what should be stars.  The ceiling of the floor was just above them, so.. maybe those are just all the little lanterns.  Flickering in the night, to guide us all to the next day.

Hirru tapped one that was close by and would go back to the ledge he was leaning his elbows against.  Supposedly, this whole scene was something that was seen in Japanese festivals, or what ever Baldur had told Hirru.  The customs and culture of the outside world were odd things, but Hirru liked them.  There were so many things that were supposedly related to the outside world that Hirru liked.  Did..

^{Did the one sleeping on the other side like them too?}

The sound of footsteps behind the hunter would bring him out of his thought process.  He would look back and see the familiar robes of his friend and mentor, the samurai, Baldur.

"Good evening, Hirru.  You seemed to have much on your mind."

Hirru nodded before looking back out on the lantern filled night.

"Far too much, but I've reasoned out a fair deal of it recently.  I've begun thinking more about myself lately.  What I can do?  What will I do?"

He would lean more into the railing until he was basically laying on it.

"I've been burdening myself with keeping face and trying to be me, as I have made myself.  However, I'm stating to wonder if that is really 'me', or if I'm trying too hard to be something else."

He lifted his head to his friend.

"Sometimes, I wonder what the me that's on the other side is like.  Did he experience things like this before, and find them just as enjoying?  Did he love care about the changes that he caused?  Did he worry?"

With a quizzical look, he asked his final question.

"I honestly don't know anything about him.  What do you thing the other me was like?"

This sent a rather strange look to be brought upon his old friends face.  It was first a look of slight worry, before it turned into a stern look, which then turned into his most iconic look: solemn wisdom.

"My friend.  There are many people that seem to think upon those very lines, but they are more about their past selves that they remember faintly.  Usually, this is to try to find where they went wrong, from their old selves.  Though, this is only an excuse, to look upon their experiences leading up to the now and see them as wrong.  We are the products of our experiences; various cultures, and by small part of genetics.  Everything that happens makes us, who we are.  Both the good and the bad, and should not be shunned for it.  That is growth."

Baldur would begin to explain to the hunter about what makes the current him, the only one he has to think about.  Some of what he was talking about were things too out there for the hunter to understand, but they seemed familiar enough to figure out.

"Your being is still who it has been from when you first donned that NerveGear.  You may have lost your memories that made up the Hirru out there, but that does not mean they were gone forever.  Amnesia patients do not forget everything.  They can still walk, talk, and perform to nearly the same ability as before their incident.  The 'who' you were has not changed, but you have gained an equivalent to a 'fresh start'.  You have become unburdened from the chains that bind; the experiences, social constructs, and responsibilities that would normally weigh on your actions.  Starting over, and reinventing themselves into something new.  To live on in a true form that was created, using the template that was themselves.  For nothing can change, who you were."

He would place a hand on Hirru's shoulder, which made the hunter get up from the railing.

"You haven't changed, so take what may have been, and look at what will be.  As they are all what will make up the 'Hirru' of now."

Hirru chewed on that for a moment.  He never really thought about it like that.  That regardless of what happened before, and who the one sleeping on the other side was; the experiences that both had created and saw have formed the him of now...

..and that was okay.  For this is the real him.

"Thanks, Baldur..  That helps."

He would smile before patting the hunter's back.

"A soak in the onsen, with some lively chatting will also help.  Why don't you go join everyone?"

"Sure.."

Hirru stats (keeping stats from the previous two threads, even if my stats are higher now)

Spoiler

Hirru | HP: 900/900 | EN: 102/102 | DMG: 1 | MIT: 122 | BH: 46 | HLY BLS: 36 | MENDING: 2 | REC: 8 | THRNS: 36 | 5(+1) LD

Hirru Lvl 32 (PL 51)

900 HP (+200 PL)
102 Energy (+20 PL)
1 Base Damage
5% Battle Healing
8 Recovery
122 Mitigation
32 Thorns
4% Holy Blessing
20% Life Mend
5 Loot Die (+1 Paragon / +3 Favor(w/equip) / +3 Dungeon)

Equipment

Paladin's Oath ..................... // +4% Holy Blessing / +20% Life Mending
Light's Embrace .................... // +8 Recovery / 32 Thorns
Bulwark ............................ // +72 Mitigation
Blades Cloak ....................... // Vanity 
Dimensional Backpack ............... // +1 B.R.I Slot

Battle Ready Inventory

<Teleportation Crystal> x5 ......... // Teleport to a town / out of a dungeon [Uses 2 posts: 1 for use, next to teleport]
<Favor of the Golden Dragon> ....... // +3 Loot Die
<Betrayal of the Fallen Knight> .... // +12 Damage
<Mass HP Recovery Crystal> x5 ...... // +10% AOE Heal
<Empty>
<Empty>

Skills

Heavy Armor ........................ // Rank 5: +35 MIT
Battle Healing ..................... // Rank 5: +5% HP each turn
Search ............................. // Rank 5: +5 Loot Die / +5 Stealth Detection

Extra Skills (Max 4)

First Aid .......................... // Rank 5: +20% ST-H / -15 EN
Leadership ......................... // Rank 5: Command the Front w/ Buffs

Skill Mods / Addons (Max 5 Mods)

Iron Skin (Add on) ................. // +15 Mit / +60 HP
Field Medic (Add on) ............... // +25% AOE-H / -15 EN / 3 turn Cooldown
Hyperactive (Add on) ............... // +3 EN Regen for 3 turns / -5 EN / 3 turn Cooldown
Reveal (Add on)..................... // +2 to Dungeon, Labyrinth searches / Post 10 searches / 3 turn Labyrinth Cooldown

Barrier ............................ // -15% Dmg shield AOE / -15 EN / 2 turn Cooldown
Energize ........................... // +8 EN ST / -10 EN
Steadfast .......................... // +1 ACC AOE, -1 ACC self / -6 EN / 3 turn Cooldown
Press The Attack ................... // +(Target Tier) Dmg, -(Cumulative)Dmg / -10 En / 5 turn Cooldown
Detect ............................. // +1 to Labyrinth searches | +2 Stealth Detect

Housing Buffs

Rested ............................. // -1 EN for 2 uses
Relaxed ............................ // OOC HP regen 5*tier Rec EN after 2 turns
Filling ............................ // Increase food by +1 T1 slot
Multipurpose ....................... // +1 LD, Stealth, Dection, or Prosperity to 1 post
Practiced Angler ................... // +2 EXP & +1 LD & CD to attempts

 

[Lessa 1]

Like Jomei, Lessa found herself slipping further beneath the hot water. Unlike him, she did not stop at her shoulders, fully submerging herself before breaking the surface again with a soft gasp. One hand shoved her sopping hair back from her flushed face, then wiped at her eyes to clear them. It didn’t do much good, as her hand was equally soaked, but she managed to blink away the water as her red-headed companion spoke.

”Yeah,” she replied slowly, offering him a small smile through the steam that hung between them. “I’m working on it. I can’t mope around forever, right?” But something in her tone suggested that, some days, she might be willing to try. Her thoughts briefly flicked back to Alkor. Their fight, and the following conversation, had been desperately needed. They’d danced around each other for years, and despite a willingness to work together, neither had quite known the steps. They certainly weren’t waltzing now, but at least they were no longer stomping on each other’s toes.

“People are complicated,” she suddenly stated, tilting her head back to gaze up at the blanket of twinkling stars.

[Jomei 0]

“People are complicated”

Those words echoed within Jomei's mind, the voice of Lessa's fading into his own inner voice as he shared the same thoughts. One of the reasons he was keeping to himself and not going out of his way to meet up with friends or find another potential lover. Maybe, deep down, he preferred the loneliness. As much as it hurt, he didn't have to figure out others, wouldn't have to deal with losing friends, or heartbreak. Could be easier. In reality though, he couldn't do it. He truly thrived on social activity, and he knew himself too well that he would just shrivel up into a ball if he was left all on his own for too long. 

His expression slightly sunk as the ginger physically did as well. "Tell me about it." he said through a sigh as water encompassed his chin, mouth, and nostrils. Sitting there for a moment, with just the bridge of his nose and everything above it still sitting atop the water. There he went, letting his mind wander again. Letting his mind dwell on negativity and overthinking would end up being the death of him.

[Morningstar 0]

The hot springs group had grown to a fair size in the time since Morningstar had arrived. To Yona's comment about "moving too quickly," he replied with a not-so-serious smirk and wink. He zoned out for some time, listening to the split conversations that were happening around him. He welcomed Astreya and Astralin with a lazy peace sign, warm water dripping from his weary hand, and then returned to a semi-conscious state nearly beneath the water. His brain, tired from the day and fried from the heat, was not sure how long they had been in the pool. It fell somewhere between twelve minutes and two and a half hours, he thought.

"How do you all know our host?" Morningstar asked, mostly to stop himself from shutting down and drowning in his sleep.

He was genuinely curious, though. Some of them seemed to know each other well and others, including him, were meeting for the first time. That was the fun of parties, he supposed; meeting people you would never normally encounter. Star lifted himself from the depths of the onsen, fixing his posture.

@Yona @Astralin @Astreya @Jomei @Lessa @anyoneelseimightbemissing

[Lessa 1]

At the newcomer’s question, Lessa perked up a bit. “Baldur?” she asked, sitting up a little straighter. Hot water streaked down her skin as she shifted, and steam rose where her damp hair met the cool night air. She grinned impishly at Morningstar, her blue eyes alight with humor. “He and I go way back. We met when he jumped me in a field. Naturally, I had to defend myself. He’s lucky I was feeling merciful that day, and let the poor newbie live.” Barely able to contain bubbling laughter, she nodded sagely. “That’s exactly how it happened, too. I’m definitely not exaggerating or anything.”

The sharp edges of humor dulled, and her expression softened into one of genuine admiration. “After that, we worked together to teach some of the kids who really needed the stability of school. I used to be a teacher, and, well, he’s actually good at math, which is pretty much the only requirement to be my co-teacher.” Lessa turned, gazing down the path from which she’d come, as if she could see Baldur right where she’d left him. “We’ve been through a lot over the years. Bad days, bad relationships - he’s always been there for me. They don’t come any better than Baldur.”

[Jomei 0]

Like an alligator poking its eyes out of the water, Jomei turned his attention towards Morningstar.. who rejoined the conversation after seeming to just take in the vibes for a bit and relax without many words. He asked a pretty simple question that never really was asked, for a bunch of players who were either friendly with or familiar with their host, Baldur. 

Lessa was the first to speak up, mixing in some humor with a rather heartfelt story of how the two grew close over the years. Jomei slowly rose back out of the water, setting himself up with his shoulders pressing against the stone border of the onsen once more. He wore a soft smile as he listened to Lessa tell the short version of her friendship with Baldur. "She's right.. he's the type of guy to always be there when you need him." 

"To be honest, I don't actually remember the first time Baldur and I first crossed paths.. though I can only assume it was from the few boss raids we fought in together. He was always trustworthy and capable, but the meetings before a raid usually weren't the proper place to make small chat and catch up." His eyes rose to the dark sky above them, looking through the thin veil of steam that rose from the hot water, and past the canopy of leaves to the stars above. "But there was one boss meeting where.. it didn't go so well. Difference in opinions, a lot of butting heads. It wasn't going well. Before excusing himself, Baldur told the group that I should be the one running the meeting and doing the planning, saying I was the least biased and more level headed of the large group.." a small chuckle broke up his retelling, "Even though we had never officially introduced ourselves. But after that point, I felt that.. since he seemed to trust me, that I could trust him. And we started to get closer." 

[Hirru 0]

Following his talk with Baldur, he figured that it would be good to follow his advice.  The hunter walked his way down the hall, down a few steps, and followed a bridge over to the bathhouse where the onsen was staged.  The place had a separate space for men and women, a formality for privacy.  Hirru entered the men's area to find a room with a few low benches and small cupboards, with baskets to store ones clothes.  This was rather redundant, as one could easily unequip their equipment and put them safely in their inventory.  It was probably more for the ascetic than anything else. 

He could hear the chatting from the other side, where the onsen proper was at.  It seemed that a few more people were here already.  He couldn't hear what they were talking about, but it seemed nice enough.  Slipping the robes off of his form, he switched to something he never thought he would ever use; a set of trunks that were emblazoned red with gold trim.  He got them from Mack, back when he was invited to a beach bash during the heydays of the Knights of Blood Oaths growth.  Hirru didn't attend, but was happy to receive such odd wear.  A few sets of towels were set aside for people to use.  The hunter would take one as he wrapped it around his waist.

 As he reached the opening to the onsen, he could hear the conversation clearly.  It sounded like someone had asked about Baldur, and two familiar voices would sound out.  The feminine voice recounted a daring encounter which seemed to cement their relationship.  The hunter could only chuckle at that while he opened the door slowly.  He did not want to disturb the talk.

It wasn't until the next voice came up that Hirru froze.  A familiar masculine voice, and one that he knew in passing.  He recounted a harsh time during a boss meeting that seemed to be falling apart, which seemed to only push the wisest man in the room to leave, and leave it all to the man in question.  A flicker of red hair through the misty air was all the hunter needed to know whom that voice belonged to proper, and what he was talking about.  That was Jomei, talking about the horrible talks that happened in the 24th floor boss meeting.  The hunter wasn't there for that meeting, and that was for a heavy reason:  he was the reason why everything fell apart.  The only reason he knew, was because Hestia and Baldur told their parts to him already.  He already felt horrible for everything that happened, that he spilt his heart out to the both of them.  Told them about his amnesia, and his views at that time.  It was not his intention to split the frontlines as it were!  He only wanted to protect someone that was afraid and scared.  He didn't know it was a program, a non-living being made by the game to keep us at bay.

Hirru slowly pushed the door back closed, before sitting down on a bench.  He couldn't face them.  There were so many people that he knew well enough that saw his actions that day.  He did not want bring it all back up again.  He didn't want to be made into a traitor again.  The thoughts ran rampant, until...

Spoiler

A hand places itself upon the young hunter's shoulder: an armored hand that led up to a well armored man.  Gruff looking, the older man had dark brown hair that seemed to be slightly buzzed off.  He looked like a regular soldier, or something along those lines.  Lines in his facial structure would denote a stage of aging, or too much scowling.  His grip on the hunter's shoulder would seem to be firm, but it felt like nothing was there.

"Are you still thinking like this, even though you just had a talk about who you are?"

The man would speak without moving his mouth, but his scowl would be ever present.  This has been happening a few more times lately, but only when Hirru was having serious thoughts of his issues, to the point that it would get dangerous.  Ever since the end of the twenty sixth floor boss, and the respective talks that happened there.  Ever since he saw the three there, they would come to comfort him whenever his thoughts started to become harmful.

"Believe in those that trust in you, as Baldur trusted in you, and in that Jomei boy.  Remember, you were once trusted to lead the front too, even though some thought it wrong."

Hirru nodded.  It was all he could do, but it helped a bit to think about it that way.  The trust of everyone.  They trusted in him, and it did not get everyone hurt.  They even did something that the hunter did not think would happen: they all worked together to save a boss.

"Remember what you talked about just now."

"We are all the sum of all our parts"
 

"We are all the sum of all our parts"

As he spoke that, he found that he wasn't sitting anymore.  He was back at the door, where he was looking into the onsen.  This was not the time to be thinking about the past as something to regret.  Hirru was what he was because of the things he did in the past.  He sighed before opening the door all the way.

"I hope I'm not interrupting anything.."

The green haired hunter chuckled before finding a decent spot to join the party.  Slowly slipping his way into the heat of the water, he would sigh in relief before relaxing a bit.

It was time to live for the future.

@Lessa @Jomei @Astralin @Astreya @Yona @Morningstar

Edited February 10, 2023 by Hirru

[Astralin 0]

   Yona's response to Astralin's question was undeniably sus. The nervous chuckling gave away that something was up and on the brunette girl's mind. The question, however, was what. "There's enough of us for one such game right here, I don't see a reason to wonder about group size, we could easily start once we get to the room we're staying in."  Astralin reassured. "However, your laughter kinda felt...forced. Is something wrong?" She asked.

       The other blonde in the onsen remarked that people were complicated. "Oh yeah, you're definitely right about that one, myself included." Astralin responded. "I might like people more than others, but if only it wasn't so hard to get along with them..." She added, remembering all those people in her past who she'd tried to befriend, despite that in the end, she was just too different for them...back then, most of her friends were just...that unofficial group she was part of, those eleven individuals whose names followed a naming convention like her own, for reasons that the generation before her had yet to actually tell her...

    And now she was here, in a situation equally difficult, but now in more ways than one. 

 Morningstar asked how everyone knew the host. "Um..." Astralin's eyes widened. Had she stumbled upon some group that all had one thing in common or something? "Nope, sorry, don't know the guy..." Astralin answered. She would proceed to listen to the answers given by the others that did know the host. The blonde remembered how their first meeting wasn't exactly peaceful, and that he was lucky that she was feeling merciful. "Oh, gosh." She added as she chuckled at the sheer awkwardness that the recalled moment must have been. The blonde then recalled how the two began teaching some younger children, who might have been players, even. The ginger(Oh, no, a ginger. That brought back painful memories...) would recall a few moments where he'd crossed paths with the host, mainly in raids and meetings, before finding reason to trust each other and deepen that trust. After this reminiscence from the two, Astralin had a half-baked impression of the host. "He sounds like a reliable friend, with the wisdom of a mentor figure." Astralin remarked.

  Then came a familiar face, a green haired player who was at Koga's party. "It's alright, you're not interrupting anything at all!" She claimed.

@Yona @Lessa @Morningstar @Jomei @Hirru

[Yona 0]

 Astralin was onto Yona, but she didn't seem to have figured out what Yona was doing, and asked if anything was wrong. "Oh no I'm fine, I'm definitely fine." Yona claimed, hoping to push away any potential suspicion that Yona had accidentally been looking somewhere some might claim she shouldn't have been.

   Jomei made a remark on how Yona phrased her words in regards to supervision. "I know we're adults..." Yona shot back, looking somewhat irritated as she slowly began to cross her arms. "...Life's just not all roses for all of us." She muttered. Jomei claimed that although the host could be convinced to join, he was likely to turn in early due to having to run the event. "Oh no, definitely let him turn in early." Yona blurted out. "The best of the crazy stuff happens when there's nobody to tell us no." She claimed. So far, this topic has proven to be a good enough distraction from what Yona was almost caught doing...well, it would likely remain that way unless someone began to question her again.

  Morningstar asked how everyone knew the host. Astralin denied knowledge of the host and Yona would follow suit. "The world may be small, but it's definitely not that small. I have no clue who the guy is, I just know he exists, that he set up this event, and that he owns this property." Yona stated. She returned to a more relaxed position as she began to listen to the answers of the players that did know the host. Yona snickered as Lessa explained how she first met the host. "Wait, seriously?"

    Yona didn't exactly have anything to remark on the other things Lessa mentioned...not without bringing up her past, that is, and this was hardly the time to just announce her real world identity. Jomei's recollection of moments he had with the host all had some kind of baggage, if it wasn't just the two being present in the middle of a raid. Other than that, there was trust built between the two. Not much Yona could go off of. Then Astralin gave her opinion from what she'd heard. "Mentor figure, you say? You know, there are people who say that with age comes wisdom, are you claiming he's proof of that?" Yona asked.

Then Hirru showed up, hoping he wasn't interrupting anything important. "Of course not, come on in! The water's as fine as the people in it." Yona remarked with a smirk.

@Astralin @Jomei @Morningstar @Lessa @Hirru @Astreya

Edited February 10, 2023 by Yona

[Jomei 0]

Jomei peeked over his shoulder as he heard the sound of the sliding screen door once again. The familiar, green haired visage of Hirru appeared through the clouds of steam that rose from the hot springs. "Hey Hirru." the ginger greeted him warmly with a stationary wave of his dripping, wet hand. "Not at all, Moningstar here was just asking the lot of us how we knew Baldur. Any fun stories to share?" The ginger listened to anything else that the others had to say about the topic at hand, including anything Hirru wanted to reveal to the group about any past interactions that introduced himself to their host for the evening. 

Once conversations had died down, Jomei moved himself towards the edge of the onsen, placing the heels of his hands on the rocky surface the lift himself up and out of the water. Warm water trickled from his shoulders, chest, and swim trunks.. some making its way back to the springs, while others soaked the rocks at his feet. "On that note, I think I'm going to dry off and take a bit of a walk.. see if I can't scout out a large enough, empty room for all of us." Realizing Hirru had joined them after speaking about what they had planned for the night, he brought it up to him. "We plan on giving into the slumber party spirit and play a few rounds of truth or dare. You're more than welcome to join us if you'd like." 

Retrieving his towel from a nearby rock, he would wrap it around his waist and excuse himself back into the changing rooms they had come from. Rather than switching back into the dueling attire that they were presented with upon joining the event, Jomei would instead equip a more casual outfit consisting of a loose, long sleeved green shirt and a pair of comfortable black pants. The island was much more quiet and peaceful at night when no one was around. Aside from the voices he could hear from the other side of the changing rooms, only the soft trickle of small waterfalls and rustling leaves filled the air. 

Not to far across from where the onsen was stationed, Jomei noticed one of the extra buildings designated for any players staying the night at Baldur's estate. The sliding door was open, with lights on, as if to let them know that this room was open and available. A large living room space with pillows on the floor and a table, low to the ground, took up the main space. Three, smaller doors on the opposite side of the wall, he could only assume were the actual sleeping quarters. Small, sliding cabinets to the side held additional pillows and bedrolls, while sitting atop were multiple lines of ceramic tea cups accompanied by a steaming hot kettle of tea. Jomei chuckled to himself as he stepped inside, leaving his slippers outside, "Man, Baldur really went all out huh.."

[Hirru 0]

"Thanks.."

As the green haired hunter had settled down, a feeling of anxiety about the feelings of the people towards him would fall away.  Only to be replaced by the pressures of story telling, it would seem.  Jomei had thrust the prompted question towards him about how he had known about Baldur.  There were many interesting stories to tell, but Hirru guessed that he would start at the first encounter.

"That was some time ago.  Before I joined the front lines, about around the 16th or 17th floor had been unlocked.  I used to have an old side business where I would post my 'Hunter for Hire' posters out on bulletin boards for people that need help.  I would get materials and items for people for col.  Anyway, context aside, I had posted up on the tenth floor to find that a player was looking for help.  It was around that same time that Baldur was there looking at the same post.  We would help out the player, named Itzal, to clear the Banshee quest.  It more or less was unexciting, as I remember my first Banshee quest had more going on than that.  Probably because Bal and I were higher leveled players at that point and took down the quest quickly."

Hirru remembered that nearly the entire guild had been pulled in to tackle the Banshee quest, and they even found a sub-dungeon that merged with the quest to make a worse quest boss.  It was interesting to say the least, and everyone was there.  Xion, Mack, Macradon, Lawfer, Grave and Opal.  Quite a few of those names were distant memories now that he would give a slight smile to.  Itzal was also a high ranking player that he had not seen in some time, and kind of missed the guy.  What was he up to again?  Hirru didn't know.  Things went dark after the 23rd to the point where all info was old news.

"Although, that didn't really cement anything between us until the ant hills of the 11th floor."

As he said that, Jomei seemingly got out and said that he was going to head over to find a place for a "slumber party game".  Hirru didn't know what Truth or Dare was, but it sounded intriguing.

"Alright, I'll settle in for a bit before joining you guys then."

@Lessa @Yona @Astralin @Morningstar @Jomei

[Morningstar 0]

It had been a while since Jomei had wandered off. He wondered if he had found a place suitable for their truth-or-dare adventure. After a soak and some stories, Morningstar decided it was time to follow in his footsteps.

"Going to look around for Jomei if anyone wants to join me," he smiled, stepping out of the onsen and drying off.

The changing room was empty when he walked inside. He sat for a moment, alone with his thoughts, and relaxed. He was a bit envious of Baldur's estate. He wanted something like it someday, a place where he could bring friends and host events. He wanted it on a beach, though. He switched into a comfy sweatsuit that consisted of matching light greys; it was about time he got extra comfortable. Then, he began his search.

Nighttime at the estate was something else. The lamplights shone brilliantly amongst the stars, casting orange glows over the walkways. The moon was big and bright, as well. Baldur had chosen a good night to throw a party. For a while, he had forgotten that he had left the onsen with a purpose. He walked aimlessly, enjoying the cold night air and the silence.

Then, completely on accident, he found @Jomei alone in a room.

"Oh, hey," Morningstar peeked into the room, "is this where we're playing?"