maskormenacelogs | (no subject)

WHO: Everyone!
WHERE: An hour outside De Chima
WHEN: January 10-12
WHAT: imPorts are treated to a Swear-In that’s nothing but a weekend of relaxation at a brand new resort and spa!
WARNINGS: Possible mild nudity

It’s been a long few months, hasn’t it imPorts? Between the invading monsters (yikes!), evading the apocalypse (double yikes!) and then some fear toxin on behalf of your good pal Joker (triple yikes!), imPorts are overdue for a vacation. And wouldn’t you know it? One is coming right up.

Oh, yeah. It’s a Hot Springs Episode.

Welcome to Elysium Resort and Spa! When you come in, you’ll get a brochure with all of their offerings. They’re a little confused, perhaps, espousing relaxation ideals of every culture, clearly having just thrown all of their relaxation spaghetti at the wall to see if it sticks, but they’ve got the spirit! The smell of eucalyptus fills the air as you toe off your shoes and change into the slippers and robes that they have available for you as they usher you into what must be, for some, absolute paradise.

You can find rooms for all persuasions here, all purporting various health benefits. They have your typical fare - salt rooms, saunas, steam rooms, buckets of water with ladles resting in them to pour over the heaters to allow them to sizzle - but be warned! Some of these rooms climb up to ridiculous temperatures, leaving the bottoms of your feet red and toasty as you jump in (they suggest sandals, but who reads instructions anyway?), and other rooms are filled with ice as you’re plunged into what may as well be a walk-in freezer. Sometimes the doors are a little fiddly, though. Don’t worry - you won’t get trapped in here long enough for any real harm to come to you. But you might get a little uncomfortable as you rattle at the door, one of the employees eventually hurrying to let you out and offering their sincerest apologies, and won’t you have a gift certificate?

If those rooms aren’t enough for you, you can check out the baths. Salt baths, chilled baths, and hot tubs galore are here for imPorts, but that’s not all. Ever wanted to bathe in tea? In wine? Would you like to sink into a bath filled entirely with clay? How about getting all your dead skin chomped off by fish? It’s all here for you! Just try not to drink the bathwater - or, heavens, eat the fish. Those aren’t for you!

As imPorts stroll outside, they’ll see a beautiful vista overlooking the mountains, attached to a spacious hot springs (it’s natural, they claim, but who’s checking?) where imPorts can simply relax and enjoy the scenery. After that, why not pop inside to where some of the technicians will absolutely insist that you get a massage. Or a mani-pedi - yes, even you, big guy. Or, really, anything that your heart desires.

Once you’ve been poked and prodded and primped to your heart’s content (or discontent, as it may be), the spa open until the wee hours of the morning, it’s time to go and dine on some of the local cuisine, prepared fresh by the resort’s resident chef with a distinct eye to fresh, clean flavors and a truly ridiculous amount of salad. They want to make sure that you’re healthy inside and out, after all!

Before arriving at the spa, everyone was able to choose who they wanted to room with. But it seems that their systems got a bit scrambled during their grand opening, so you may find yourself bunking with a stranger instead. They’re deeply apologetic, of course, but it really would be easier for them if you’d just be nice for an evening and give it a shot. It’s only one evening, right? It’s not like you’ll be roomed with a serial killer. Probably. Given the imPort population there’s, what, a five percent chance?

The hotel rooms themselves are beautiful and spacious, each with a window looking out over the lovely view of the scenery below. It’s the perfect way to end your night… until 3 AM when an alarm begins to blare and all of the guests are ushered outside in the chilly winter air while firefighters come to check the place out. It’s a false alarm (some brat must have pulled it, the manager says apologetically, ready with more gift certificates), but hey, maybe this is a good chance to get to know your neighbors!

The next day, guests are free to take advantage of the resort’s facilities once more, or they can go hiking in the mountainous trails available to them, complete with regular rest stops with firepits, with the staff more than happy to pack lunchboxes and fixings for s’mores.

After they come back and have a thankfully uneventful night’s rest, buses will be ready to take them back to civilization, along with goodie bags filled with luxury goods and an earnest invitation to come back anytime! But maybe next time, wait a couple of months so they can iron out the kinks in their system.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

"For myself. For a purpose. For romance, yes. For hope. For a life that is far better here than the one I left behind. For all of those reasons."

Harry eyed her as she spoke of staying for her niece, amused by her hypocrisy, but said nothing.

"That said, I do want to make sure everyone who wants to can get home."

To her, it's a huge difference. Family is everything, and she does love her family. She's just never known love that isn't family. She's never been in love, and certainly not in a way that would make her understand changing her life to compensate for it.

Her life is very status quo in many ways, and she wants it that way.

"What kind of world do you come from that makes you so desperate to escape?"

He shakes his head, trying to be clear

"I am not desperate to escape. I just prefer this one. My world is a world of war, and of constant craziness, and oddly enough, this one is far less crazy. And far less cruel, and I like it. I have things to do, and ways of helping people, that I did not have open to me back in the other world."

Harry smiles. "I find I am happy here."

"I find that... extremely confusing."

The concept of happiness, mostly. It isn't that Zelda is unhappy but... Happiness is just a pretty word for complacency, and one can always do better than what they have already.

Especially in a place like this.

"To each their own, then, I suppose." She falls quiet for a moment, as if she's about to let it go, but then she doesn't. "What was your world like, then? So full of war and cruelty."

"How so?" He is not sure he can explain, but if he can, he will. And he would disagree, and think she must never have been truly happy.

"Wizards forced into secrecy, but with a growing supernatural world, pressing in on the normal one. In other to preserve ourselves, many of us had to act as peacekeepers and lawmen between the two worlds, protecting both from each other, to make sure the normal people did not learn of the supernatural."

He sighs. "There were malevolent people on both sides. And it was made more caustic by the Fae realms growing more active as well and the Outsiders wanting in... it was not a peaceful time."

Well, that doesn't sound far off from what might happen in Zelda's world. They'd managed to keep a steady distance from mortals, more or less, although Sabrina continually threatened that. It wasn't her fault, really; the fault fell on Edward and his misguided determination to join the Path of Night with the world of mortals.

Zelda knew such a thing wouldn't end well. The mingling of those worlds never did.

"We've done our best to keep the worlds separate where I come from, for fear of the same outcome. Although it sounds as if you had additional challenges." They dealt with demons and angels and goblins and ghosts, but fae was a bit out of her realm. If they did exist, Zelda didn't know about them. "My world does not have a good history when it comes to mortals learning of our existence. It's a disruption we endeavor to avoid."

"Very true for us, too. Save a few who can handle it, many will panic, freak out, or immediately channel fear into anger and a desire to control us. It has hap[ened before in our history, so we mostly stay secret. Mind you, I do so by creating the truth so incredible, no one believes it."

he grinned at her.

"I'm in the yellow pages under wizard. Of course, no one believes it to be true, but it draws both disbelievers and those who have no other options left. And when those people who really do need me find me, I can pick them from the bad apples."

"You've made yourself available to mortals by offering your powers as a service?"

That is equally as bizarre to her, and it puts her off for a moment. But... well, she's certainly done the same. Perhaps not so overtly. But she has helped the mortals of Greendale, when she felt it was her responsibility to.

"Hiding in plain sight. It's not a terrible scheme."

"Yes. I make it so those who think I am real can find me to get the help they need against supernaturals, and I also hear about possible threats before I would otherwise."

He nods, grinning just a little.

"It works, sometimes. Other times, not so much. But overall, it has helped me balance the scales between my mistakes and how I would like to be."