Hot-Tub Truth Machine

[draughtsman]

Who: Lucius Spriggs And You.
What: Lucius is hanging out hot-tubbing and trying to make drinks for a contest.
When: A Vague Handwave At July.
Where: The Hot-tubs and various bars around the ship.
Warnings: Truth/Lies apply to all the hot-tub prompts and threads, so those can get spicy, and the drink ones will probably have him cursing in frustration.


Nothing Like An Early Morning Dip.
(Mention if you want Truth/Lies in the header, pls or I shall choose what is funniest.)

Lucius has to say, of all the advancements, of all the magical future technology, of all the amenities and sundries this haunted ship provides? The Hot-tub is rapidly becoming his favorite. This is saying quite a lot considering he's already sold his soul to have some of those laundry machines when he gets back home. But, as much as he loathes work, sinking into a bubbling tub of hot water and getting to enjoy the sounds of the sea and pre-dawn? Oh that's just fantastic. So fantastic, in fact, that he's decided to start his daily routine off with an extremely early morning dip whenever possible.

This morning (if you can call it that given just how dark it still is out), he's got a covered fancy coffee drink, some breakfast breads he's liberated from the buffet, and is clad in his finest in hideous Tommy Bahama swim-trunks.



Who Cares If It's Raining, You're Already Wet?
(Mention if you want Truth/Lies in the header, pls or I shall choose what is funniest.)

It's mid afternoon and Lucius is entirely done with his tasks for the day. He thinks. There's not all that many tasks lately, honestly, and he's starting to wonder if he's being put off because the Captain feels bad about the lack of vacations. He can ponder that later because, right now, he intends to go for a swim in the pool. It is raining out but, honestly, what's the difference?

Lucius, carrying a decorative paper umbrella he acquired from the sundries/gift shop, one that will surely be destroyed by the end of his foray, meanders out into the rain and heads first for the pool. The little umbrella covers his towel well enough and once he's sure it's securely in place, he turns his attention to the pool. He steels himself a moment and then, with the sort of leap that cannot be walked back, dives in.

He is a terrible swimmer but, absent waves, he manages not to drown. This is meant to be good exercise and, boy, with his flailing, he is sure getting some of that in.



Pina Coladas And Getting Lost In The Rain
(Mention if you want Truth/Lies in the header, pls or I shall choose what is funniest. If you want a normal thread he can be inside for this at the bar of your choosing.)

He is going to fucking lose it.

Lucius lets out a sharp noise of frustrated pique as he sips at the fifth fancy drink in his lineup and promptly spits it back into the tiki glass. It's awful. Dreadful. Abysmal. He's not sure how, but somehow, each attempt is worse than the one preceding it. Ergo, each drink he tries is somehow the worst drink he's ever had. This is ridiculous.

He's been here for over an hour and, honestly, looks ready to snap. He has a bet to win, sure, but he isn't so bothered by the idea of losing his wager. (Yeah, yeah, bruised pride, whatever.) No, now it's the fact that he can't make a good drink that has him carrying on. Somehow the inability to pull it off is so much worse than the idea that he might phone it in and lose.

Why the fuck had he put real effort in in the first place?

"How is it that I have drank every day since I was twelve and I cannot mix a single beverage?" Lucius asks the invisible ghosts behind the bar. Unsurprisingly, they have no comment and the cowards don't even appear to give him a shrug or meander away uncomfortably. Rude.

Before him, he has an array of bottles of liquor that he's ordered, a handful of the mixers he's had in drinks, and the assorted failures. He has all the tools but, somehow, he cannot seem to mix a damn thing that doesn't taste like shoe-polish. He orders another glass of water, if only to wash the taste out of his mouth, and then dumps the remainder of that glass into one of the others before he starts on a new drink. Maybe this one, this one concoction, will be good enough to win. Or at least good enough to drink.



Let Me Show You A Thing - Izzy, Closed

Lucius is drunk as a skunk and it's just crawling into morning. This is alright because, trailing along with him, is Izzy Hands who is equally pished. He doesn't try to take Izzy on the elevator, which is a risky choice because stairs and drunks rarely get along. Still, with a lot of amused mean digs about balance, the two of them finally arrive on the deck with the pool. Lucius throws the doors open with a tah-dah, as though Izzy has not seen this deck already, and then makes a hard turn toward one side where the hot-tub is.

All in all, the hot-tub is not a terribly impressive sight. It is a small pool with a sitting ledge, a single light, and it smells terribly of a chemical that Lucius does not know (bromine). The only appealing feature of it, at the moment, is that the water is very visibly steaming in the early morning light. Behind the hot-tub, along the wall, is a very cute little tiki-bar, rather like the one that flanks the entrance by the pool. This one doesn't seem to have quite as many decorative bottles on the shelves, but Lucius has never had a problem ordering everything from it.

"This--my good first mate--is the single best feature on this ship," Lucius declares with all drunken seriousness. Without prompt, he walks up to the edge of the tub. He holds up his index finger to ask for silence, for dramatic effect, and then reaches below the lip of the tub to crank the little timer dial. In a moment, the jets will start and then the bubbles. He shakes off his hand and stands, looking like the cat who ate the canary.

Comments

Pina Coladas And Getting Lost In The Rain (any option)

[broshaw]

Sharky is ready for pool day, as usual, blissfully ignorant to what the fuck water's been up to this month. He's been drinking water all day and hasn't even noticed how much truth he's been dropping on people.

He's got his tote, got his water, got his big ass hat -- and there's Lucius, with all of the alcohol? Like, awesome idea, sure, but Sharky's pretty sure they can actually die from alcohol poisoning (having gotten precariously close himself!!!), sooo... maybe not do that?

He's just gonna flip-flop his ass over to the bar and just, sorta... lean. He's clearly looking at the undrunk drinks like he's trying to decide if he should ask for dibs.

"Uhhhh, hey, Lucius... whatcha doin'?"

[draughtsman]

Lucius, who is staring miserably at the concoction in front of him--tequila, gin, lime juice, and something blue named after Curaçao--peers up from his work as Sharky drops in beside him. At once he perks up and is just so tempted to ask for help...but that was like, the one rule?

"Trying to make a decent drink," Lucius admits with a sigh. He swirls the glass in front of him, takes a sip, and grimaces. He swallows this bit which he regrets as his eyes start to water. With a huff he pushes it away.

"For a bet," he adds. "Don't drink those, by the way."

[broshaw]

Oh he was definitely about to drink one of those. ...He still kinda wants to...

He means to give a general vibe of "cool, man," but instead he says, "Uhhh, no offense dude, but after the Sharky, are you sure that was a good idea? I mean, I love it and order it all the time but I literally have shitty taste in alcohol."

Still, he props his chin on his hand and watches Lucius trying to make something out of... oh, man. "Uhhh... so, like, what are the rules? 'Cos, y'know... Drinkin' is sorta my only real coping mechanism, so I'm real good at it."

[draughtsman]

"I'm not supposed to ask for help," Lucius declares miserably as he snatches up an empty from behind the bar and starts again. He slumps back onto his barstool and just peers at the assorted liquor bottles and then looks sidelong at Sharky.

Sharky has just admitted to having shit taste in alcohol. Is it cheating to get help from a man who likes the taste of The Sharky? Or would that be a handicap, technically?

"This is all a bit...unfamiliar. Got any tips?"

[broshaw]

"Aaaah, fuckin' sucks, man." Because he gets that, really he does. ...He also has no regard for rules whatsoever. So when Lucius asks for help, obviously he's going to offer some up. (He figures he would obviously do the same for the other party, so it's totally fair, right?)

"Three things," he says, ticking each off with a finger as he lists them, "Liquor first, mixer second, garnish third. Mary May always forgot the orange wedge, when that's what makes a fuckin' Blue Moon, okay!" Even if that isn't actually a mixed drink. Whatever! The point still stands. "Who'd you bet against, and what's the prize?"

Tub thumping

[touchofcashmere]

Somehow in the almost three months he's been here, this is Stede's first time noticing the hot tubs. He's coming to them in the evening, well after dinner, in the counselor's uniform since he'd spent another somewhat pointless excursion doing meaningless exercise that probably won't benefit anyone and didn't make him feel great as it was fairly lonely- and was looking forward to perhaps seeing what it's all about.

He pauses as he sees Lucius, relaxing nearby and is somewhat surprised to see him. Or perhaps it's more he's surprised to see him so--underdressed. It feels almost like he's intruding on a private moment. Maybe he should leave before he's spotted but the lure of an actual bath draws him in- not a shower but a long soak in hot water up to his eyeballs.

And it feels rude to just come on in without saying anything so he trots up and clear his throat.

"Well, good evening, Lucius. This looks like fun." He almost wants to ask if he could join him, but so far it's been two for two people saying they'd rather not. "Is er...has this always been here?"

[draughtsman]

"It is so much fun," Lucius says earnestly sounding just disgustingly comfortable. He has both arms draped over the lip of the tub and is sunk down to his chin. His awful swim trunks glow almost neon orange in the underwater light of the tub. He literally cannot care.

"I think so? But I have no idea, honestly. They could have appeared just out of the blue recently? Either way, they're here now and they are wonderful," Lucius babbles and looks up at the Captain, tipping his head back. Stede is wearing his camping gear and it is...dreadful, but so is most modern clothing. Lucius pulls a face but says nothing.

"Are you joining me, Captain? There's plenty of room."

[touchofcashmere]

"Oh well, sure! Thanks for inviting me." He is pleased. More than pleased. Trying not to show how pleased he is. He does notice the orange shorts, you'd have to be blind and deaf to miss them, but he has none of his own save for the ones he's wearing which he's willing to sacrifice for a dip in that.

"I wish we could have something like this in our cabins. Of course I don't think I'd be persuaded to leave." He shucks his shirt and lets it fall where it will, kicking off his shoes to do the same.

A moment later he is in the water, sinking against the seat and feeling a lovely hot jet of water against his lower back.

"Oh god, this is nice." He slips lower to get all of himself in the heat, even so far as to get his head underwater for a moment just to get the sweat off his face before rising again to the shoulder with a soft gasp.

"Yeah. Staying in here forever."

[draughtsman]

"It's great right?" Lucius asks with obvious enthusiasm, delighted that he's gotten another person in. "You get used to the weird...washtub smell after a while--and there's drinks."

He points to the bar beside them, a smaller version of the big tiki monstrosity around the one side of the pool. He stops to glower at that a moment, though. He'd left a serious number of drinks on the ledge but, in his hot-tub distraction, they'd been cleared away. How had he missed that?

Shake it off, doesn't matter. Boat's haunted.

"So what have you been up to, Captain?"

[touchofcashmere]

"Oh, I'd love one. I'd ask for you to get me one but I'm trying to be very good about that so I am just going to sit and stare at it for a moment until I decide to move to fetch one myself and perhaps offer you one-- but it's going to be a while."

The hot water really did wonders honestly. He hadn't even noticed the washtub smell until Lucius had brought it up but that didn't bother him.

"I've been practicing for the next horrific encounter we'll get into and thinking about maybe going up to run the captain through since I'm not sure physical affection is going to do much for him. Not that I'm sure I'll even be able to when I get there and will...probably die very messily in the attempt which I am not looking forward to so I probably won't, pathetic coward I am.

Oh and I have been kissing Ed a lot. Like a lot a lot. No one ever told me it could be so great." He wonders if Ed has found these hot tubs yet. It might be nice to sink in this heat with him, but on the other hand that seems like a bad idea.

"Yourself?"

Who Cares If It's Raining, You're Already Wet? (any option, whatever's funniest)

[millay]

Maeve was going for a walk more so than anything else. She's been wearing something to keep the wet off the stitches in her arm for most days. It was easier than worrying all the time about the water. She's restless, a sort of anxiousness that she has been trying to figure out. But she's not going to let herself think too hard on it. It's likely just waiting for something else to happen. Something bad.

She pauses, watching as someone flails around in the pool. She hopes they didn't fall in. "Are you all right, darling?" She's prepared to jump in if he's not.

[draughtsman]

"I might actively be drowning," Lucius says by way of greeting, completely unaware that he's said that much. Given his poor ability with swimming, it's impossible to say whether he's telling the truth or lying, but his voice does have a natural sarcastic lilt.

He isn't very far from the edge, though, so a good lunge might do it if she's ready to rescue him.

[millay]

Maeve looks at him for a moment before agreeing with his assessment. "The way you're splashing around, I'd say you might be." She doesn't mean to say it like that, but she hasn't lied. At least he can still talk, though, so that seems to be a positive point.

She sighs, climbing carefully into the water and making her way over to him before grabbing hold of his arm. "I think you might need lessons on swimming. You're not very good at it." Again, she only meant to say the first part, but things have been weird so far.

[draughtsman]

"I've never had a lesson in my life and I don't intend to start now," Lucius says despite actually sounding quite perplexed. She drags him to the edge, though, and he sags against the side of the pool for a moment, catching his breath. Once he has, he peers at her with that thoughtful sort of expression that one wears when looking at someone they haven't seen in years.

"I know you, right?" Lucius supposes. "You look very familiar."

[millay]

Maeve rolls her eyes. "Men. You never want to do what's good for you." She's not sure why she's surprised. "But if you want to drown every time you enter a body of water, you're on your way." She doesn't exactly mean to be mean, it's just one of those things.

She looks at him quietly for a moment before shaking her head. "No, darling. I don't think we've met. It's possible you've seen me around on the ship, however. It's not like there's a lot of places to go."

Nothing Like An Early Morning Dip.

[decohere]

She's not dressed for the hot tub, so it's not like Ava can particularly complain that somebody else is already in what she likes to consider her spot. But as she comes closer, mostly with intention of invisibly knocking the drink over into the water out of spite (but mostly boredom) she recognizes that it's Lucius and holds off.

Instead she steals one of his breakfast breads, flickering into view to stare him down as she takes a bite. "You."

[draughtsman]

Lucius starts as a muffin lifts from the plate of its own accord but, overall, gathers himself before he freaks out. (Growth, that's what this is.) He watches it float until Ava materializes around it, peering down at him from her curtain of pretty brown hair. Lucius's immediate reaction is to beam up at her.

"Good morning!" He is extremely peppy, which is odd, because he is just about the laziest man in the world and it is very early. It doesn't make sense unless you know he's from a time that significantly predates electricity and thus: anything to stay up late doing apart from, well, the one thing he's not doing on this boat.

"Looking...a bit like a squid from this angle," Lucius says cheerfully and tilts his head to try and line it up with how hers is. He fails.

[decohere]

"Is that what this is?" Ava asks, a glance toward the sky that's slowly but surely enough beginning to brighten along the horizon. She sighs around another bite of muffin. Little crumbs drop into the water, don't mind her.

She tilts her head back, mimicking the strange angles. "You look a bit like a Nemo then. He's a fish. Got lost, this whole ordeal."

[draughtsman]

"I have been told that I have a fishy sort of face, before," Lucius acknowledges and leans forward to take a sip of his coffee. He twists in his seat, then, and looks up at Ava.

"You wanna join me or are you...sneaky prowling?"

[decohere]

"A cute fish," Ava insists, because it probably sounds like an insult when put that way.

She wipes at her mouth, considers. "I'm not really dressed for it." Being in sweats and all. "But guess if you don't mind my feet."

Come on then, show me a thing.

[ninetoes]

It's true, the 'hot tub' isn't much to look at, but Lucius performs some manner of modern magic in which the beast comes alive, and a very drunk Izzy's eyes go big as dinner plates. He braces both hands on the side and looks down with wonder before dipping his naked hand into the water to feel the powerful currents and bubbles.

Oh. Yes. This will do quite nicely. He doesn't even mind the smell so much. He's put up with more for far, far less.

A decision is made. He is. Getting in. The tub.

"Right, kit off, we're doing this."

[draughtsman]

Izzy's reaction is precisely the sort one hopes for when they show off something cool and new to a stoic...quasi-friend? His drunken awe and then immediate, determined stripping makes Lucius positively cackle as he strips his shirt off and toes off his yeezys.

Lucius is too drunk to debate whether to get his trousers wet or not, and it's very early out, so he just shucks them as he would normally. (Normally being in the 1700's on a pirate ship.) Fortunately, he's also far too drunk to be bothered by the idea that he's stripping with Izzy so they can climb into the hot tub.

He all but jumps in when he's done and, yup, it feels just as wonderful as it did last time. His comfortable sigh is sinful.

[ninetoes]

Honestly, when your day to day is a cramped ship with up to a hundred other men, nudity means absolutely fucking nothing. He shucks absolutely everything but his glove and tie, those two things far too precious to remove, but it's fine because Izzy settles in with a moan that should not be legal in any fucking form and rests his hands on the side.

"Oh my god."

[draughtsman]

"Right? It's just--" Lucius stretches as the bubbles and jets work magic on his lower back. He makes a throaty sound of slight strain and then a pleased, voiced sigh.

"You should move over--that way," Lucius directs with a vague motion toward a jet. "If you angle that right, it's heaven."

[ninetoes]

Never has there been such luxury on his body. This is sinful in every sense of the word and Izzy doesn't give a single god damn fuck. He squints at the suggestion, but Lucius has not yet been wrong about the contraption and so he slides over, settling and jumping a bit as the jet assaults his lower back. Oh- oh mother of Jesus that is good. That is very- very- good.

"You sinful fucker," he says and lets his head hang back, neck fully exposed.