"Just take a damn shower already!"

When the flurry of movement and the shock of being pushed through a door and having it slammed in his face ebbed away and the calming feel of being alone settled in, the part of his mind that was too dazed with events to think about relevant things pondered that he was lucky to be dirty. He wasn't entirely sure she wouldn't have dragged him under the shower herself, undressing included.

Maybe she was right after all. As much as he wanted to, he was in no state to discuss important things right now.

It would do better for his mind than his cleanliness anyway. His clothes were still filthy-they'd need to be washed.

He slipped out of them anyway, sighing when the damp hair touched him-he was still dizzy and the emotions of the day, no matter how dulled by determination, left him high-strung and hyperaware. He folded them, after giving Boney a pet to stop him from going into the hot spring straight away. He couldn't dirty the water like that, his body was still covered in dust and his hair sticky with slime. It would be impolite-and his internal spring-lover recoiled at the idea anyway.

He made himself endure thirty seconds of the much too aggressive shower before deciding that he was sufficiently clean-thanks to much scrubbing-and slid into the hot, comforting water with a sigh of pleasure, only smiling with his eyes closed when Boney jumped in with a splash.

When the heat seeped through him and unwound his sore muscles, all the stress and exhaustion of the day started flowing away.

It felt like home, in a way. He spent a lot of time in the forest, and knew several hot springs there; they were his best relaxing and comforting spot when home and his too big bed were too lonely. Sometimes a frog would join him there, and when he was in a good mood he'd play with them. But mostly he went there to be alone, and for the pure physical, cleansing sensation of the water. Even here, with the walls echoing the laps of the water and the cooped up steam pressing on his lungs, it brought with it a warm, content feeling of familiarity.

Remembering that his last experience with a hot spring had been altogether more disturbing barely made him sink a bit deeper.

He stayed there, his mind and body drifting in the water's warm hold, until he nearly fell asleep, mind at once clear and empty. It was only when Kumatora's just as loud "Hey, don't drown in there!" startled him back to consciousness that he sheepishly stretched his now-lax limbs and prepared to get out and face the world-starting with news of an old friend.

His mind was clear once more, and there were things he had to learn.