lanzandpine
New Member
Mystical Hot Springs Retreat
Marius Roswell

Titles: Mundane Human, Isekai, Born for This
Languages: "Common"
Abilities Used:
Mentions:

No matter how much Marius expected the change in the scene, it still felt weird and sudden. Once again, he was transported to the stage. It was grand, luxurious, but even though he was surrounded by other participants, it felt uncharacteristically gloomy. His eyes immediately darted to his hand. It was, of course, empty, yet Marius couldn't help but feel some kind of lingering, subtle sensation of the flower he was holding. It felt delicately brittle in his fingers, as brittle as his previous partner, as brittle as these mirages.
He felt his gaze shift, and he looked for the Maid, his actions practically springing into motion by themselves. Yet he couldn't find her. He wondered, for but a moment, whether it was her stature or his surprise at fault. Marius' gaze shifted towards the mysterious host, and he didn't know if he should feel uncomfortable with how much they were reveling in these dates. A red patch creeped up his cheeks as he imagined being watched - not that he was going to do anything shady or too out of line - and felt a shiver.
He looked at the name of his next partner. Marius couldn't help but imagine who could greet him, where they could greet him. The uneasiness he felt before was, once again, replaced by a strange sensation of excitement. As curious and as weird this whole event was, it was, in the end, fairly exciting, albeit concerning. Maybe this "speed dating" was, in fact, a kind of thing that he liked? No, surely not. He would rather spend more than an hour with someone he is interested in, not being thrown around illusions. Yet even in this bit of a game, there was a joy and interest to be found.
Marius thought that he could possibly never ever get used to the feeling of suddenly changing sensations, the world warping before him strangely, yet not extremely disturbingly, the scene before him seemingly melting into itself. And at the end of it all, he would always find himself in a new mirage, a new experience.
The air here, a small corner of the world surrounded by the mountains, was damp, something that Marius didn't expect at first. A lazy mist covered the place, but light seemed to break through it, illuminating the environment. It was muted and subtle, yet the warm air and the gentle ambience made it only enchanting.
Marius took an uneasy step forward. He was greeted by pools of steaming water, lightly shimmering in the light of the surrounding crystals. He wiped the slowly forming beads of sweat off of his forehead as he felt the water almost calling to him. Perhaps it was his tired body falling to the charms of the spring, perhaps it was the enchanting nature of the light.
He felt his cheeks and ears redden, and he wasn't sure whether it was because of the warm air or not. What kind of mirage was this? Was he supposed to spend the hour here, in the spring, with a partner that he doesn't even know? Marius let out a perplexed sigh, rubbing his neck. The possible awkwardness aside, he really wouldn't mind having this place all to himself.
He thought that maybe the partner would be thinking the same, and wondered if sharing such a space would, instead, bring them closer. Yet he shook his head, throwing the thoughts away. He hasn't even greeted his partner yet. Assumptions would only serve to become obstacles before them, wouldn't they?
As much as Marius wanted to get into the alluring waters of the secluded spring, he decided to wait, sitting down on the ground. He felt small beads of sweat form on his face and neck. Marius felt himself lower his guard before the sight of the steaming water and the glimmering lights. A creeping feeling of relaxation caught him, and he let out an almost blissful, if tired sigh. The steam alone was enough to make him lose himself in the ambience and pleasingly warm air. Eventually, he forgot about the date at hand, and began to think about what to eat after this.