A scene start with the traditional wooden like bong/slam from the Zen Garden Bamboo Water Fountain that can be found in many Japanese gardens with a pond. [Shishi-odoshi - Its a simple construct from bamboo where water pouring into a bamboo jar from faucet or water pump. When there is enough of water the weight force it to roll/ turn over on its bounded axis. When the water pour out onto the pond/ or similar, the sudden loos of weight will make it to swing fast back and hit another bamboo or rock, thus making that bong knock sound.]
The girls were able to locate the spacious spa looking bathroom on one of the subterranean levels under the inn. Now after a quick shower, they stand around a piece of stone garden pond ornament something that had this bamboo fountain in it. This alien object on that spacious bathroom with a pool size bathtub activated itself the moment they turn on the lights.
(To skip ahead, lets said that a milk level dense steams of clouds from still filling bathtub; were lazily floating around and arrogantly obstructing view on many important details.)
But still, the very existence of that fountain in that bathroom, play angry notes on the Mori nerves. So the rapper with expression of someone who will soon looking for a murder; must asked the question. "I still don't get it! Why is this thing here?"
From all, only Ninomae answered the call. "On one side of coin: Its called a 'Shishi-odoshi' a deer chaser, because the hit noise allegedly scare the deer away. On the other side of coin: It has to do with the principles of zen; a state of calm attentiveness in which one's actions are guided by intuition rather than by conscious effort." But rapper was not satisfied with the textbook explanation as she ask again: (But why~y? Why is it here?) So the priestess give off and uncertain answer. "Its a mystery of life."
Then Takanashi thought that she actually having an answer to that riddle. "Oh I get it. It means to help the bathing person to relax, and prevent it to fall in sleep during the bath. Something that you will need quite often, Calli." As a contra argument she received a death threat when the pink one said that she will drown the hen [Takanashi] and that make her relax.
Of course Gawr was already on food side of thinking. "Today menu: A chicken soup."
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As a reply from Takanashi, she was asked to take all the soup ingredients into a consideration, and call it at last a hotpot. [Anything you find around and put it into a pot. Even just bunch of different meat. (them)]
Adding on that topic, Ninomae mentioned that they will need a vegetables if they want to call it a 'Shabu-shabu' or 'Sukiyaki'. [Hotpot dishes of thinly sliced meat boiled in water (shallow iron pot) at the table, alongside vegetables and other ingredients. (Wiki)]
Whit sweating face Watson asked if she shall be worried.
But Shark swap blonde's worries on side, by waving her hand in a persuasive gesture. "Nah! Humans not that tasty, anyway."
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Because the blonde point her dubious stare on the care-free shorty, it was just a moment when purple one mentioned that the bath is ready, filled by water and they move in.
To make a better visual of the scene in front of us; lets say, that in front there was a path walk (where the missing fourth wall that we don't see, contained a line of showers, small chairs for soaping the skin and rags whit variate of supplies). The light lamps were hung from the ceiling. Then behind the path walk was a front bathtub wall made by those two step stairs leading onto long or wide bathtub where you can sit freely and stretch you legs. Then across the water surface, there was this other wall. But because they were underground, the entire wall was one big picture as if it was high view from a window onto a peaceful forest scenery with a lonely snow caped mountain in far distant. Actually the bathtub was so spacious that in good condition you will fit there a whole bunch of girls.
So as our girls sits down, then from left to right, we can see heads of Gawr, Watson, Ninomae, Takanashi and Mori. Of course the rapper was the only one who was big enough to hang her hands onto the edge of the bathtub, nonchalantly bending her torso a little bit back, and quite chilling like a troublemaker. (Of course we dint suggest that there will be no camera focus or that they are siting boringly in a line and are not spread onto that place.)
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During this time Gawr's shark tail attracted a focused stare from Watson, so the short girl grab her tail and rise it above water surface to show it to the blonde. Shark had a grin on her face but still starts with an education tone. "We been through this, those are shark scales, not a dragon scales. Just touch it. Also those gills are real. Don't touch them."
Blonde was hesitant to touch the tail, but as she take it onto her hands, she noticed that half of upper part of the fin was in past cut of and roughly sewn back. While the lover part of the fish fin was decorated by a pair of triangle bites. So curious Watson asked about them.
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Because they were already on the topic, the Shark don't mind to talk. "The cut? I don't remembered it correctly, but I think it was from the time when it was stuck under the rock. Strange... Why I cant remember any of the details?"
As Watson carefully observed the tail in front of her a sharp eye of detective noticed a slight body twitch on the rapper.
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"Ten the bite mark is…" The white haired girl was going to say something related to it, but then stopped for a moment to think about it. She truly wanted to say one thing, but after short consideration if she shall, she had change on her mind. No it was more like she dropped any pleasantries connected to soft speech of a lady. "Okay, I blaming for this one; Calli."
Without a hesitation as if she was expecting it, the pinky barked back. "No you not! I am (Not!) responsible, for the bite mark!"
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But that strong denial was nearly amusing for Shark as she half giggle, but stop herself from bursting into laughing at that statement. "Okay. I see whats going here. Somebody here, is on denial."
"No! Shut the maw! Its not my fault! Don't dare to pin it on me!"
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Gawr had a half grin as she ignored such a threat, determinate to win this argue. "So~o, what you saying is… that I need to bring up some evidence, because otherwise: You will continue to blabbing that you: (Don't remember!)"
As expected Mori was quickly losing her patience. "I warning you, Gura!"
On this display of anger even Watson reached out and place her hand on Gawr shoulder. "Wait! Aren't you pushing this to far? Remember at what you said to me yesterday outside the Inn; You don't wanna to fly away."
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Even if the blonde minds well, the white haired girl look amused. "Interesting, of how you are on right track, beside not knowing anything about what I am talking about. The fly away is the main part of the story. Also I told you that I will not hesitate to sink my teeth onto anybody. I am shark. So, lets hears a little story of me, of how I got those bite marks and how Calli is responsible for this mess."
A gloving red eyes angrily glared across the bathtub on its target. "Gura! I warning you for the last time! I will not allow any (BS) here. You know what will happen otherwise."
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Putting that threat on side of the road, Gawr offended tone of voice sounded fake. "How dare you?! I will only describe the events, how they happens from my perspective. Also are you okay? I given you a lot of hints about what I am talking. Also you already mentioned it yourself. So, how do you still dare to say that you don't remember? Are you sure, that you just don't mistaking it for something else? Just how many girl with a shark tail you know?" Then she raised her voice as if she was offended for real. "Or it is because you don't want me to talk about you kinks?! That I learn about that specific one, the hard way?! It is that?! No! Its is me, who will not allow any messing around in this trial."
Ninomae warned Gawr to not bite off more that she can handle.
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But the Shark skillfully grab the opportunity and link on it. "Actually, the story starts with a bite. But not just a small bite onto apple. No! This one was shark bite. Open shark maw with more teeth that you can count, sinking its triangles armament onto a soft flesh of a fat whale. The one bite that will crush bones and rip the whole limb from the fragile body." As she open her mouth wide for everyone to see, she point onto her teeth. "And make one guess of who was the recipient of this smooch kiss of death… That's right!; you only and truly, Mori Calliope."
The rapper was going to slap the Shark even at such a distance, but she suddenly stop all her movement. She was thinking as if the pieces of evidence start to fall into a place and the imagine gears in her head start to spin, mining dusted memories from far corners of mind. In short, she was taken aback by the feeling that she is starting to remember at something important. Her toughs were clearly displayed on her face. (Wait a second! Maybe she is onto something.) She shake her head. (No! She definitely onto something!) Then she frown. (Quickly! I must change the subject!)
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Mori look onto Takanashi for quick idea for a distraction… but, she froze stop… the orange girl hold a scrapbook for notes and she was quickly making notes with a pencil. Just a single glance was enough to realize that everything written there is a personal information's about the rapper and by all means it represents a big threat for someone privacy and mental stability.
When Phoenix noticed that she is watched by her target of interest, she glance back make this innocent happy smile of some passionate artist. Or she was acting like a shy girl facing her secret love-interest.
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In contrast a blood vein of anger grow on Mori forehead, because the guilty girl dint even bother to hide anything as she made an expression of someone who want to show his passion project to a friend. So the rapper growled. "Are you serious?!" She quickly grab Takanashi head and smash her forward onto the pool and hold her under the water surface.
Drowning Takanashi, was chaotically throwing her hands in all directions, while losing air by making a lots of bubbled noises.
Mori noticed that Phoenix not anymore holding the booklet, so she look around for it. Until she discover that bookworm Ninomae was already passionately reading in it. As if the purple girl feels that the pinks glare falls on her, she spoke up her mind still looking onto the notes. "Humu, humu. She got most of the things right. This is a testament of true passion. Oh?… This one is incorrect. Let me fix it." She pick up the pencil and without a second though she rewrite some part.
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Of course the Rapper, unbelievably glared at the priestess. "Are you F* serious?!"
As Detective tried to state an objection on harsh approach of the rapper, Shark reached for the blonde to redirect her face and attention to herself. "And like that, Calli take my bite personally. Plus I was not going for some bite to taste the batch. No!, I was going for the neck. To bite off the head." And she make this small biting off gesture by her mouth.
Behind Watson field of vision there was water splashing of struggle, that ended by a strong (slap?), followed by a heavy splash of some body into a bath. Then seconds after that, Takanashi gasped for a breath of air. While a snarl was coming from under water.
As phoenix was coughing out the water from her lungs, priestess evaluated the situation. "Calli, put yourself together already. You still have yours priorities stretched to wildly to hold them all. Look! Gura already continue with her story about certain cringe past."
Of course there was this muted (No~o!) with lots of bubbles of the person under the water. [Rapper]
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Blonde with her head hold hostage by the short girl was uneasy. "Is this the case of the brawl? The one you mentioned?"
Calliope after standing up tried to march over to the talking duo. But it was not meant to happen as she was assaulted by Kiara from behind, who throw herself on her in a wrestling like move and pull, splash that pink girl down onto the water.
The white haired girl shall be completely okay, but mentioning that brawl caused her to mentally backed up by a whole step. "No… that's a completely different story. What I am trying to tell is a tale that happened a long time before I enroll on Harp Academy." She release the blonde face and seemed for a moment a little bit of sad. "Listen! I don't really remember the details of the destined bloody fight between me and Calli. Or why we fought. But I know certain that I was greatly angry. But… I don't know, if you had any experience with leaches on your skin or some other nuisance that bide onto you arm and don't wanna to let go." She sighed tiredly. "At the end stage of the combat; it was not even a fight. But the boy had enough of me in a moment when she stuck her scythe onto something on ground, to let it rest there for a moment. She grab me with a free arm and pull. She pull hardly enough to ripped me from her skin like a blood sucking leech or a snake. Then she spin around, still holding onto me… and… She throw me far, far away."
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Meanwhile the wrestling couple got above the water. Actually the brute was able to stand up while both handed holding the phoenix above her head like a weightlifter dumbbell or a trophy of wild beast that she hunted down by bare hands. Somehow she manage to keep with the story as she bark at Gawr. "Oh common! Clearly you are exaggerating!"
But Shark barked back in complaining tone. "It was one of the trows where you need a passport for traveling onto another country." Mori suddenly stooped moving like if the story finally start to ringing a bell on her memories. That's why the short girl shouted. "The flight was so long, that I had a time for a mid-flight snaking." Then as if it was a gossip intel she added. "That migrating flock of ducks newer expected a shark, that high up on the sky."
As if it was a call across dimension, a boyish girl [tomboy] with a short black hair in a sport track uniform and duck like motive, from sidewalk, barked at the white-haired girl 'Oi!' [Hey!] in a (It was You!) objection move on the court trial, or like a police woman investigating some case.
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But when all girls in the bathtub look at that direction, there was no one standing there.
The first one to break the silence was Watson. "Whats now? Are you going to tell me, that this house is hunted?"
It was not clear if Ninomae is happy or devastated, but she make a short commentary. "What an irony."
Still holding phoenix above her head Mori with expression of movie critic, redirected her priorities. "Give me a sec I will fix that."
But the girl in a role of weightlifter dumbbell protested. "Calli, that can wait! No working in onsen!" [Natural (sometime open)hot springs are numerous and highly popular across Japan. Every region of the country has its share of hot springs and resort towns, which come with them.] She instantly got bad glare by the tall girl. Then Mori made statement that she can see what Takanashi trying to suggest and there will be no trip to hot spring. But because the pink girl glanced at the pictured wall as if she thinking about another throw, and on quick note from priestess "(That's not a window.)" answered (I know.): The orange haired girl urgently changed the topic. "Gura!, are you going to tell me; that flying ducks bite to you tail when you join them on a migration journey?"
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Gawr don't believed what nonsense she heard and complain. "No~o!… I will got to the point of landing, so stop interrupting me!" After saying (Dang it!) in half voice she return to her story. "So, after that international flight; I was going to splash onto an ocean on north. I told to myself: (Okay, wast deep water surface.)" She take a deep breath before dealing with nonsense she must spoke up. "But then guess (Who?), right on the crash landing spot, decided to pour out its head from the water surface, to look up on (Whats going on?)" She tuned her voice to sound annoyingly cute, carefree, happy and curious, but birdbrained. "Oh, what that? Its a falling bird? A free-fall food?" In instant her carefree and happy tone changed onto regretful realization of pinch situation. "Oh shit!..." Then this shark (strongly?) smashed her hand onto the bath water to simulate splash or explosion. When she was asked it the hit was hard she slowly turned her head toward them as if she was on shock. "Do you heard the noise that made a rock thrown onto a canyon? Or the rock thrown on smooth boulder? A sound of one skull hitting another skull and none are smashed onto pieces? The noise of one bone head directly hitting another bone head, head to head? Heck no?... The impact was so spectacular; that the sound-pressure shock wave it created, vent across the north part of the ocean. Freaking anybody around on instant knew, that the alien like interspecies contact was occurred." In this questioning she decided to add another trivia or gossip. "Be the way; there was a lot of complaining, so I managed to convince them to redirected the noise complain ticked toward Calliope Mori."
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Weightlifter Mori (actually working out by weightlifting the Phoenix) was at first confused, or just overload with all of those information. "What noise complain?" Then she finally remembered and feel the urge to angrily scream. "Are you F* serious?! It was you?! To this day I though that someone tried to prank me! I actually showed up to complain and they quickly withdraw the ticket." Then she got more tick off. "Wait! Are you trying to suggest: That I in my anger, I tracked you down and still angry, I sink my teeth onto you fin?! Are you F* serious!?"
But for the first time during the bath the Shark shown sign of loosing a patience. "No~o! It was Chloe! I crash landed on Chloe, the Orca! Head to head. When I awake, she was still half-knock-out, but her instinct kick-in and she chomp on my tail in her sleep talking."
Takanashi still in role of dumbbell looked comfy while up there. "An Orca you say? Gura, how did you survive?"
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We finally got onto the awkward part of short girl story, so the speaker got restless. "Well, with loot of panic, blabbing nonsense and random screwing around... I managed to convenience Chloe that what she done to me in her sleep was a marriage proposal. Then i make a lot of argument pressure pointing on our statuses and difference in species. (The tribes will not accept this!) (What will we say to our families?) (How kind of monstrosity our children will become and what will be their look?) (This can lead onto international incident! Maybe a tribe wars.) and such. Then…" She sight. "Then someone actually pressed up on the nonsense I made and try to push the marriage. They were like: (Its okay. Just take her with you as a compensation from our side. Just take her a leave!) I got the feeling that they actually tried to get rid of her and she ding get it." She make a desperate giggle, after which she continue. "Actually when I mentioned that this was all due Calliope Mori intervention, I finally managed to talk myself out of the weeding and they drop the engagement." She grabbed that tail onto her hands and while looking at the fin she cried-shout. "If not for Calli, the bite marks will not be there."
Watson once again proved her detective features when she spoke up her theory. "If asking me: I though that you bite yourself in a sleep. When you been curved on your pile, you put yours tail too close to you mouth and while dreaming about eating something yummy: You make a chomp."
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The shark jerked herself as if she got a direct hit, that exposed her claptrap. [1:Absurd or nonsensical talk or ideas. 2:Silly talk that means nothing and should not be believed. (wiki)]
But suspiciously even the rapper body jerked (again), but she quickly covered that detail. "Okay, enough! That will be so silly that I suddenly willing to accept the story that the bite mark is my responsible." After averting her glance she made rumbling a complains. (Another one onto the screw list.)
Orange haired dumbbell was to smug up there. "Did something similar happened to you, Calli?" Little Takanashi expected, but Mori glanced up onto her face, and in next moment the tall girl let that Phoenix to free fall onto the bath. And a splash occurred.
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Then priestess add another (proof?) onto the pool. "If you want to solidify this story as a valid character backstory, then I can give my testimony: She throw even me."
Mori obviously not liked that the priest joining that topic. "Okay, stop! It was different!"
It was not Shark but Detective who asked the ice breaking question without thinking: "What happened?"
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If it was not for Watson, Ninomae will maybe not say anything more onto the topic, but she got encouraged by the blonde. "A different you say? Okay Calli, then I giving you an opportunity to explain it itself."
The tall girl instantly regret to even touching that topic. "Oh no… Well, listen… It was like this: I got angry. And I throw her away. Far, far away."
Gawr with expression (This can be a whole story. Right?) wanted to know more. "Where did you send her?"
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Pink one really dint want to, but she must say something. "Not important! But, a major (BS) happened a few days latter."
Purple on other hand was jelly with relaxed expression of someone in a sauna. "For the record you (trie~ed), to throw me onto the sun."
We don't need to mention this but eyes on white one got wide open. "Holly shit!…"
Finishing the circle the fire haired girl was already siting with them like if it was a girl night out, talk show. She shown a high interest in the topic. "Talk about an overkill. And? What happened next?"
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At this point Mori face was sweating as if she was on the sauna. But the sweat was not from the warm water. She really was uneasy from Ninomae happy expression of expecting a good story. That's why this tall girl was set to make it short as possible. "She overflow the planet."
Priestess was just adding some extra notes between the lines of the main story. "The serenity up there, near to orbit, was so~o relaxing."
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Rapper wanted the story telling to have it already behind herself but she still find it hard to talk. "And even if I walked away, and was doing my shit… Days later… I forgot… But still I feel that something is odd. Then... At first, I heard that something is falling from quite high."
"It was the wind drag." [Air resistance, also known as drag, is a force that is caused by air, the force acts in the opposite direction to an object moving through the air. It is where air particles hit the front of the object slowing it down. The more surface area, the more air particles hit it and the greater the resistance. (Wiki)]
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"I don't know what that was, until it was to late to react. In a blink of the eye... She crashed directly onto me. Like a meteor."
To make the finishing move, the purple girl make a system narration message. "Delivery of package failed: Returned to sender."
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Gawr was back in her smirk mood. "Yeah. That why nobody messing whit Ina. She will get on you. Sooner or later."
Watson on other hand spoke up a technical term. "Tell about advanced guidance system."
We cant be sure if Takanashi knew what her fellow transfer student is talking about, or she just make an assumption, but she react to her statement. "Magic has nothing to do with it. You can always deal with magic in some way. But this clearly belongs to the gut feelings. You don't think, you feel it, you believe in it."
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Pink haired finally sit back onto the bathtub. "Maybe you are right… But here you have it, the cringe past is out. Are you all happy now? Dang it! Who shall knew that she will return like a boomerang?! The crater was a clear abstraction."
As if it was a good time for another note, the purple added: "To clarify, we were politely asked to discuss our dispute over dinner.
White on other hand just said something to not stay silent. "That must be awkward."
Then it was again the fire-haired girl who push the discussion further by stating to this point an unseen fact. "Actually, Ame can be the only one of us who stricken a clear victory against Calli."
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Even if Mori uttered in sarcastic tone; "How terrifying." she look onto the blonde and soon every other girl do the same.
Watson feeling they stare on her skin quickly steer away the discussion onto another topic. "Wait. Gura, you keep saying that you are a shark. Plus you said that the Chloe is Orca. But aren't Orca a dolphin? So, are you on hundred percent sure, that you are a Shark?" And she turn her glance onto the short girl.
This was a little bit to much for Gawr to chew at once as she make a deep sigh. "You only luck is that you are so green, that you really need a crash course to make through this alive. From all things you can come up; you called me a dolphin. (Dang it!) So, let me correct you ignorance with a contra question. Do I look to you as a hip hopper?" Of course an instant answer from the blonde was (A what?)
Once again it was the chilled out Ninomae who add a note. "In general, its quite easy to mistook one for other. Especially if you never saw dolphin or shark."
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But Shark between them was offended by the lack of distinguish sign as she raised her voice. "Is it the case?! Its all they do: (Hip-hip, hop-hop.) The entire music genre was named after them. You humans things how cool they are. But you fail to notice that half of time they just are rude, making a fun of you. Don't believe in they joly, happy faces. I can do the same and I am the Shark. (Dang it!)"
To calm the shortest of the team Phoenix decide to spoke up. "Well If we are talking about how we meet Calli; then I suppose that is my turn to reveal that fateful meeting. I can thank to this destiny for everything I have. Or to be more accurate; I thank Calli for who I am now."
An eye of observer can notice that the rapper in question had an unhealthy tic in her eye. She needed to shout. "For the love… (Aghrr!) Shut up! I get it! There really it's not that much to explain here. Its a worst example of karma. No mater how much we clashed, you always ended on the defeated side. A total defeat every time, but you still hanging around." The flame girl mentioned that she is about to win the entire campaign to claim a certain heart. But the pink one, know better to not let the orange one to spill any more embarrassing memories and both handed grabbed Takanashi by her shoulders and shout to her face. "Shut up!" As if she was pushing her onto the bed, she just pushed her torso under the water, so Takanashi back was pressed onto the bottom of the bathtub. Like a murder, Mori watched how air was leaving the lungs of her victim in a stream containing bunch of bubbles like a foam.
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Maybe because it was looking like a final moment for the Phoenix, Ninomae finally stand up and move close to Mori. With a bucked of cold water in her hands and she poured it onto the bend over rapper. Instantly that pink girl stand up and backed a step, fully confused of what is going around as if she was not herself a mere seconds ago. This give the purple one an opportunity to help the orange girl to get above the water and cough out. But priestess was calm as if all of this was a (normal) for her. "Now, everyone of us had an awkward backstory of how they meet Calli. But because the hot steam is really getting into our heads, I shall suggest to cut the bath time short. Additionally because this will be an errand shopping, we shall make a shopping list. I too have a few things that I need to get for myself. I kinda too arrived with light package."
This was like a throwing a bait in front of Gawr. "Do Kronii force you to get shipped in that coffin? So like Ame here, you don't have anything? Wait, don't tell me that Kronii force her way with you to the point that after the initial exchange of words, there actually was nothing left to grab, expect the limbless body."
And of course Watson reacted on that. "Aren't that just terror raid kidnapping?"
Because they wanted the answer they stared at the priestess. But both of the girls were forced to silence by Ninomae stone stature like smile, that look happy, innocent and soft. But something… something about that (blind stare?) and smile was broken and dark to the point that the duo take back all they questions.
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Anyway, Mori had enough of (bonding in mutual bath) so she hurried them to change. "Pack it up ladies, we rolling out!"