Up until recently, Mars was also new to the wonder (or not really a wonder, depending on one’s mood and who it’s all being shared with) of Hoennian saunas. He had been to a sauna before moving to the region, of course, but his experiences with them involved just pressing a few buttons to turn the heat up, which was convenient but not nearly as nice.
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Thankfully, one Remiel Calcifet had been eager to show him the Hoennian sauna ways, and so when he steps into the small wood-covered room and sees the woman inspecting the ladle and mumbling to herself, he easily offers her a smile:
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”A bit weird, huh? I’ve heard it’s the traditional way, but I’m still not used to it.”
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For a second, he considers explaining that pouring water onto the burning stones would make steam rise up and increase the heat, but that’s something simple that anyone could figure out, and he’s not about to mansplain saunas, alright?
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All he does instead is step farther in, taking a seat at the more distant benches.


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Alexandra Briarwood
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kYBKLl_X
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918/1000

The hissing sound of the stones is sudden, but not one he minds, steam decreasing visibility in the small sauna room. It’s warmer, but this too does not bother Mars, since warmth is exactly what he had come here for. Or heat. Or steam. Whichever it is.
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It’s distracting, all-consuming, it’s embrace being welcome as he takes a deep breath in an attempt to rid himself of all the thoughts that have been bothering him as of late..
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’I take it you don’t come to these often, then?’
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Like a charm, the words draw him to look at her, honey-coloured gaze meeting hers.
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Well… Not all of the words but one in particular, one that remains ringing in his mind even a few seconds after it's pronounced.
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You.
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It makes him smile.
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Smile in that radiant way that’s so typical of Mars.
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”I’ve gone to hot springs before, but I guess the saunas in Hoenn are a bit different from what we had back where I’m from.” The explanation comes easily, although he’s sure some places in Sinnoh must have traditional sauna rooms too. A hand is offered to her then, the smile remaining. “Martín del Mar, by the way, but you can call me Mars.”
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You.
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It’s not as nice when he’s saying it to someone else.



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Alexandra Briarwood
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X1xLL6mo
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886/1000

’It’s nice to meet you, Mars.’
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For a couple of seconds, he can do no more than look at her, for the word rings like a bell in his mind. It echoes. Once… twice… three times. And, as it does, the smile remains, for there’s something about it that makes him feel warm inside.
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What had she said her name was?
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’Lex.’
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"It's nice to meet you too, Lex."
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Passingly, it reminds him of his recent conversations with Killian Decker right here at Lavaridge, but why would Mars ever assume this is Alexandra Briarwood herself and not some other woman who goes by ‘Lex’. The thought is there, but it falls to the back of his mind, the question distracting him from it – even if not nearly as much as the word had.
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”I guess you could say it’s the convenience of it all? A lot of modern saunas run with electricity, so you just hit a few buttons and the heat goes up. This is more traditional, but that doesn’t make it bad. I’d say it’s more fun, in a way.”




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igULwkQx
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817/1000