[ORP] Obligatory Spa Scene and Obvious Fanservice

[BlackFireKitsune]

The topic of birthdays was quickly ignored in favor of the new topic of Nate, and her expression went from neutral to surprised to amused and possibly a little sly. "The best flirt. Sounds like you met him too. Dragon Dance?"

Her expression changed again, this time to a very sour, irritated look as she turned to give Yuri a very frosty gaze. "I was listing off people I invited - so no, I'm not missing anybody." That said, she slid into the water with a huff before moving off to the other end, where Luke, Akira, and that other kid were.

"Hi Akira," she said with a brief raise of one hand in a wave before she sat on the edge next to Luke but not Emil, because why would she sit next to a scrawny, timid looking guy. "Hey Luke. I wasn't sure if you'd come out here or not."  

[BlackPidgeot]

Yuri's smirk didn't change for a moment at Sera's grousing, and just watched as the girl left his and Dove's presence. Mission Accomplished. With that, he say down next to Dove, resting one arm on a propped up knee.

"Hey, you're looking pretty good. Feeling better?"

Cause yeah, she was pretty not okay the last time they had talked.

"Oh," Emil said quietly. He did remember Sera actually, but Dove was definitely new. When the former girl came over though, although she seemed to be avoiding him. The blonde still smiled in greeting. "Hi, Sera."  

[Suudonym]

Luke noted, fairly impassively, that Yuri was now about as well, but that didn't really mean anything for him at the moment except that the man wouldn't be able to give him a hard time about not being there. That was all he could really ask for.

He looked to Seraphine with a nod in acknowledgment of her presence as she spoke, though her words drew a subtle frown. "Wasn't really given much of a choice," he replied. Man but he felt like the biggest downer on the face of the earth. Why did they want him there at all? He didn't even want himself there.  

[Tori Honoo]

Though Dove had been fully prepared to launch a discussion over their mutual acquaintance, she blinked as the girl moved away, her response to Yuri's presence a shock. She watched the girl swim away, scanned the small group of boys she was headed toward, then turned her attention to Yuri as he took a seat beside her.

"I... Yes, I'm much better," she told him, not making eye contact. Though it still pained her to think about the circumstances behind her previous odd moods, the embarrassment behind the way she had treated the man was slowly starting to shine through. It would be a while before she was over it... For the time being, however, thoughts of her ex, and her lost relationship would be stowed away at the back of her mind, only to return as a dark shadow when she just couldn't handle it anymore.

Preferably when she was alone.
Free to breakdown entirely.

"I, um... just needed some time."  

[BlackFireKitsune]

Sera offered Emil a passing "hi" but other than that, she focused on Luke. Dove and Yuri were completely ignored at this point. "That's good," she said brightly. "Being in a hot spring is good for you, health-wise. Plus it just feels really nice," the brunette added. "That is," she started, giving him a look, "if you actually get in it."  

[Akira Midoriyama]

Akira, for whom it was not, in fact, typical to spend more time with his own gender than the opposite, said nothing more to Emil and Luke. Sure, it was a little awkward, but he had to remind himself that it was no longer his obligation to meet with and make an aquaintance of every person in sight. He wasn't even sure if these people knew Sera or not.

When his name was mentioned, he glanced over and raised a brow with a crooked smile, curious as to why he had been addressed. It seemed Sera was quite the networker herself, even if it was more for social fun and popularity than business aspects.

Priding himself on his hearing above any of his other senses, Akira stared modestly at the water and listened attentively before glancing back up at the two other males. So...that must be Luke if he's with the blond boy... It was also worth noting that Sera's best friend seemed to be a girl named Rosie who also knew Luke. And some guy name Nate. At least, it sounded like a guy. He struggled to keep the facts all straight in his head just in case he needed to call upon them soon.

Another voice. The brunet wordlessly raised his gaze to regard yet another young man - this one with hair about as long as Akira's used to be. Just as feminine, too. He smiled absently, as was polite, and continued to keep to himself as the talkative group conversed.

The brown-haired girl next to Sera had a birthday in October. Her voice was familiar somehow, but he hadn't yet gotten a good look at her face nor heard a name with which to identify her. Perhaps she just had one of those voices that was very general-sounding. This young woman also seemed to know this Nate, who had 'white-blond hair' and 'really cool eyes'. He also seemed to be a 'wicked flirt'. Akira instantly didn't like the sound of him, nor the fact that Sera seemed to find him fascinating.

So, the newcomer's name seemed to be Yuri. Both girls seemed to recognize him, though with different levels of enthusiasm. Akira laughed lightly to himself at Sera's retort to the fellow. Before he realized what was happening, though, the green-eyed girl was headed to their end of the spring.

"M-miss Seraphine," he responded quickly, wondering if she saw him laugh. He almost bowed before realizing that such a gesture in their current surroundings with the present company might not have been entirely appropriate. "It's such a pleasure to see you again." Her greeting seemed more casual than his own and he couldn't help feeling a little out-of-place with all the other people Sera obviously knew better. At least the identity of Luke was confirmed. And the blond boy spoke up; maybe his name would be revealed.

Not given much of a choice...? "Pardon my curiosity, as it's probably not my business," he spoke up, looking to the red-head, "but what do you mean by that?" His percieved mood did not escape Akira's notice; indeed, it was how he himself often felt, if not expressed. The brunet wondered as to the cause.

Noticing that Sera had struck up a new conversation with Luke, Akira turned away so as not to overwhelm him and waded instead toward the practically-ignored Emil. "Hello," he greeted amicably, wearing a warm smile. "I'm sorry, I don't believe I caught your name. Mine's Akira, as you may have already heard."  

[Suudonym]

He deflated slightly from the given look, withholding a response to Seraphine's words. The only argument he had was baseless defiance, but knowing it was baseless didn't mean he was ready to yield to pressures. You can lead a horse to water but you can't make it drink, so to speak.

Being confronted about the matter by a stranger, however, was disarming, and Luke dropped his gaze in sudden mortification about the thankless feelings he exhibited in response to a kind gesture from well-meaning friends. "It's nothing," he redacted, "sorry."  

[BlackPidgeot]

Emil was a bit crestfallen as Sera practically snubbed him. But that was okay. He was use to it. That and getting bullied. So the boy just sat there in awkward silence until someone actually decided to speak to him. The guy that had waved at them just a moment ago.

"Oh, um... hi Akira. I'm Emil. It's... nice to meet you."

Clearly the boy wasn't all that self confident with the nervous stammering he made.

Yuri meanwhile gave Dove a bit of a sympathetic look. He could tell she was still struggling, but she did look a lot better.

"So, have you thought about it?"  

[Tori Honoo]

Though she noticed his nearly pitying look, Dove kept her eyes on the group across from her as she considered Yuri's question. "Yes, um... I've thought about it a lot, actually..." she told him almost hesitantly, but decided. "I think... It would be good for me. So..." A deep breath. "I'll go... If you still want me to." she answered, finally turning to give him a weak smile.

"For now, though," she continued, voice rising for a more chipper tone, "I think we should journey across this pool and meet some new people. I only know half of them, after all." Carefully so as to not catch her suit on the rocky edge, she gracefully slid back into the pool, taking a few steps before stopping to wait for Yuri, should he wish to join her.

Even if he didnt, she wanted to greet Luke properly, and meet his and Sera's friends.  

[TRHQ Yuri Lowell]

"Hey, I wouldn't have brought it up if I didn't want to you come," Yuri said back with his own small smile. However, when she suggested moving across the pool he simply reclined where he was.

"Naw, I think I'll just hang out here for n-" and suddenly Yuri was cut off as a blue and white blur streaked past him and leaped into the water. After the splash subsided, a blue and white Growlithe with a pair of swimming goggles and snorkel on his head appeared. Yuri could only stare. Where on earth had he gotten that?  

[Tori Honoo]

She nodded at Yuri's response, not minding in the slightest aside from the fact bit would leave him alone. She knew how to talk to people.

She turned to move across the pool again, this time stopped by a huge splash off to her side. Crying out in surprise, she shielded her face as the Pokemon hit the water, laughing as it bobbed back to the surface. A laugh escaped her when she realized which Pokemon it was. "Well, hello to you, too, Repede." she giggled, shaking her head fondly as she wagged her fingers at him in greeting. Once that was done, she made her way to the other young adults, brushing the water droplets from her arms, smile still spread across her face.

"Hey Luke, she said, stopping alongside Sera. "And...everyone.." she added, cheeks lightly pinked as she noted the rest of the group.  

[BlackFireKitsune]

She would have responded to Akira better, but he'd since moved over to talk to Emil - that was his name. Sera put the tidbit of information aside and instead focused on -- Wait Yuri should what? Oh good, he was staying over there.

Instead, she focused on Luke, giving him a curious look. Wow, he really seemed super dejected. But, that was why she'd wanted him to come. Now how to cheer him up... Nope, she had nothing. She really sucked at this. Instead, she reached a hand up to finger the edge of his tshirt's sleeve. "Why...?" She let the question hang, wondering why he was wearing a tshirt poolside. Something like Yuri's - though obviously in a much more tasteful color and pattern, of course - would be much more suited. It was much easier to take off than a tshirt, and Luke didn't seem at all inclined to do such a thing. A reason for this didn't immediately strike her, although it should have.  

[Suudonym]

Luke flinched briefly at the unexpected sound and spray of water that resulted from the fire-type's sudden introduction to the water. It did sort of seem like the kind of thing pokemon might enjoy, but Tenebrae had never been much for water, Rem was too small to swim without constant supervision, and the others were sized too largely for the pool. Oh well. He nodded to Dove with a murmur that could have been perceived as a greeting. Seraphine's curious investigation about his attire, however, was met with a slight inclination away from her and a nervous "just because."  

[BlackFireKitsune]

Sera studied Luke's reaction closely as she removed her hand from him, watching with a vague confused but mostly curious expression on her face. Who would want to wear a shirt while swimming? ..well he wasn't in the water yet. He should though.

Her hand, which had remained raised for that brief period of time, moved again, this time to circle gently around his arm. "Come into the water? You can leave that on," she added. He really didn't seem to want to take it off, though she wasn't quite sure why just yet.  

[Suudonym]

He resisted lightly, wearing an apology in his features, "I'm okay here."