Chapter Text
Footsteps pounded through a dark forest. The sound of desperate gasping echoed, the woods deathly silent except for the chaos of running humans.
A suited figure in an animal mask yelped as her foot snagged on a gnarled root, her palm scraping harshly against the jagged bark of the tree as she caught herself. Biting back a sob, she threw herself forward again, a new limp hampering her stride.
Well! This assignment was rapidly becoming much more interesting.
Braun’s smile tilted sympathetically as the poor woman stumbled yet again and was promptly grabbed by the throat. The apparition that was crouched upside down on the branches shrieked in triumph as it dragged her up into the canopy, the two of them disappearing with a rustle. Ah. He would have to remember where he kept the casualty forms...a branch appeared from the darkness before him and he caught it in his hand. It snapped in half with one squeeze and Braun scoffed, throwing it over his shoulder and into the face of the apparition looming behind him.
An excited cry broke out in front of him as the forerunners of their little bunch spotted something in the gloom. Braun saw it a moment later, his brows rising in faint surprise. He hadn’t remembered anything about shrines in this particular ghost story!
In front of them stood an enormous hongsalmun, the red paint gleaming like new in the dull light.
One of the agents faltered. He stammered out a question to the agent with the gold-lined falcon mask next to him, flailing his hands in a rather panicked manner.
“Ch-Chief! Should we really—I mean, what if there’s something worse there?”
Falcon clicked her tongue. “Whatever is beyond this might kill us. The ghost story chasing us down right now will definitely kill us. Which one do you want to face?”
“...right, sorry.” The man gulped.
They continued running towards the hongsalmun.
Braun took a closer look as they passed under the arch, noting with some degree of amusement the glittering golden flecks in the paint. Whoever built this gate evidently had an affection for luxury.
Between one step and the next, the eerie forest warped and twisted into something entirely new, Braun’s polished leather dress shoes clicking against the polished stone path that had appeared under his feet. His eyes widened. It was still dark, of course, but the stars had reappeared above their heads, and the forest around them practically hummed with life. The group of Daydream employees continued to move down the path, bursting into a grassy clearing.
Braun allowed himself to fall behind, lingering in the back of the pack as his colleagues came to a stumbling, clumsy halt, surveying their surroundings.
Unlike the dry, dead air of the last forest, this place was positively muggy. The humid air was already weighing down Braun’s hair, his skin beginning to sweat under his tailored suit. He could see the origin of the heat on the other side of the clearing. An enormous hot spring made up more than half of the space, almost seeming to glow from the inside.
Steam curled up from its surface in delicate white wisps, a ledge made out of large blocks of rough-hewn stone separating the water’s edge from the grass beyond.
Before anyone could actually recover enough to say anything, a roar shook the sky.
Braun latched on to the tree next to him as a fierce wind whipped through the clearing, his fingers digging into the bark to keep his footing. An enormous shadow fell over their group. The previously hopeful mood was gone, a renewed fear sweeping through them all as they cast their gazes upwards.
A dragon large enough to block out the moon descended from the sky, landing in the clearing with a low thud. Its fur looked as if it were made out of solid gold, rippling waves glimmering under the gentle moonlight. The scales that decorated its belly were a delicate shade of rose gold, each band shimmering like mother of pearl. Bright ruby eyes peered down at the motley group of humans below, large elf-like ears twitching on either side of its head. An enormous pair of tree-like horns arced out from either side of its flowing golden mane, each thick branch laced with garlands of delicate looking glass flowers which flashed and glittered as it moved.
In short, it was the most beautiful thing he had ever seen.
Braun could not take his eyes off of it. A powerful sense of curiosity and greed seized him, a new desire rising from deep within. He wanted this creature for himself.
The group of agents trembled, several of the lower alphabets huddling together for safety. Being made of somewhat sterner stuff, Braun’s fellow elites had already moved into a loose formation, their hands drifting to their items.
[INTRUDERS?]
There was no physical source for the voice that suddenly resounded inside his head, but it was clear that the rumbling growl belonged to the golden dragon looming before them.
For a moment nobody spoke. Braun waited with bated breath for someone to break the impasse, admiring the way the dragon’s tail wove slowly through the air. Then, of course, Chipmunk-sunbae separated himself from the pack.
“W-we are a humble group of travelers. Begging forgiveness for accidentally trespassing upon your domain, Great One,” He said, holding his hands out in front of him.
The dragon cocked its head, watching them with glowing, ruby eyes.
[PURPOSE]
The grass rustled as a sudden wind swept across the clearing. Someone squeaked.
“We ask for nothing from your great self, only refuge or safe passage through your territories.”
[ENTRANCE FEE]
“What will you accept?”
[STORY OR SACRIFICE]
Braun raised an eyebrow. Sacrifice, sure, whatever, that was a dime a dozen in ghost stories. But a story? What kind of stories did dragons even like? The thought of a new audience sent his thoughts whirling.
“If we offer a sacrifice, will you spare everyone else?” Chipmunk-sunbae asked. He had put a hand out behind him as he stepped forward, his voice shaking dramatically.
[NO INTENTION OF HARM]
Chipmunk-sunbae nodded. “If nothing else works…round-off team’s sparrow, come here please.”
A cry went out from the alphabets as the one with the charming little brown bird mask froze into an almost painful-looking rigidity, hobbling forward with stiff legs and a bone-white face. Braun pursed his lips. Ah, yes, an offering given through force. How...droll. They had just been presented a terrible dilemma where one must be sacrificed for the good of the collective, and in tandem with a workplace betrayal, no less! Chipmunk-sunbae could have at least put on a bit more of a show.
Braun made eye contact with the alphabet as it passed him, its eyes wide and rolling and terrified. He gave it a sympathetic nod, putting on his best comforting smile.
“I’m so sorry, Sparrow. May you be reborn into a better world,” Chipmunk-sunbae whispered, touching its shoulder as it passed him. He stepped back with clenched fists and a bowed head, letting the little bird take center stage.
[SACRIFICE]
The dragon reared back, opening its mouth to breath out a roiling cloud of golden steam.
It billowed out into the air, pooling at its feet to roll forward in a silent, looming mass. The bird-masked alphabet let out a muffled scream. Utterly helpless, he could do nothing but watch as the steam reached his feet and tendrils separated from the main body. There was a delightfully dramatic pause before the tendrils entered his ears, passing seamlessly through its mask to enter the nose and mouth as well. The poor thing's eyes rolled back until only the white remained, its entire body convulsing. It was unable to make another sound before dissolving into a burst of mist. The dragon settled back onto his front paws and leaned down, drawing the cloud of steam into its nose in one mighty inhale. A deep, rich gold pulsed behind its eyes and it snorted, licking its lips.
[WELCOME]
An enormous gate loomed out of the golden fog behind it, the doors opening inward with an eerie creak. The sounds of splashing and running water suddenly filled the air, laughter and screams echoing equally from the gateway. Braun peered curiously past the entry, but could see nothing beyond yet more thick golden steam.
“Thank you, Great One,” Chipmunk-sunbae beckoned to everyone as he walked forward, only to flinch as an enormous golden tail fell in front of him.
[ONE SACRIFICE. ONE ENTRY]
“Th—! You said no harm would come to them!”
The dragon cocked its head, unblinking.
[NO HARM HAS BEEN SUFFERED]
Braun bit down harshly on his bottom lip.
No, he simply could not afford to laugh right now—!
Desperately, he steered his gaze to the most boring rock he could find, unable to bring himself to look at the undoubtedly gobsmacked faces of his esteemed colleagues.
“—!!!” Chipmunk-sunbae huffed, loudly.
The dragon let him walk past without any further ruckus, uncaring of the dramatic, sickeningly down-trodden glances that Chipmunk-sunbae cast behind him before he disappeared through the doorway
The dragon turned back to the group, his horns chiming merrily.
[STORY OR SACRIFICE]
With the ice broken, the daydream elites did not hesitate to follow their peer’s example. Braun watched in faint amusement as seven more alphabets were offered to the dragon, coming and going in a similarly monotonous and utterly boring fashion. A few of his gold-masked fellows turned back before they entered the doorway, pausing to shoot him confused or searching looks as Braun continued to loiter comfortably at the back. Braun waved them off every time, smiling as they disappeared into the steam.
Soon enough, the only people left were Braun...and a final, stray alphabet.
Braun folded his hands behind his back as the silly thing shrunk back, walking up to her quivering form.
“Hello!” he chirped. “Do you not wish to enter?”
“Ah! Uhm, well. You aren’t going to offer me up…?” she said. Her colorful parrot mask wobbled entertainingly as she spoke, and Braun idly imagined a set of real feathers twitching on the sides of her head.
“I would have thought you’d be glad for the opportunity, Parrot! Don’t you want to find out what kind of stories a dragon is interested in?” Braun said, smiling encouragingly. “Or would you prefer to be sacrificed instead?”
Wide-eyed, the alphabet scrambled to her feet. “N-no—! I’ll do it, I will!”
Braun watched in anticipation as his pilot tester wobbled forward, turning her head up to look at the dragon.
[ENTRANCE FEE]
The dragon said, unblinking.
“I would like to offer a, uhm, a story, please,” she said.
The dragon’s whiskers twitched. A sharp wave of its claw closed the doors of its gate and silenced the ruckus, and it lowered itself onto its haunches with a shift of its mighty muscles. Ruby eyes glinted as it waited silently.
“...ah. Okay, so. Have you heard the story of the boy who cried wolf?”
The dragon shook its head, snorting steam through its nostrils.
“Right. Great. So, it goes something like this…”
Her storytelling was amateur at best, Parrot's voice tense with nervousness and breaking several times as she had to pause to choke back tears, interrupting the already barely tolerable flow. There was very little emotion other than the already present shock and fear infused into her voice, thoroughly messing up the immersion. To make things even worse, she forgot a key part of the plot and had to go back halfway through the story so she could correct herself.
Ugh, what a mess. Braun tuned her out two minutes in, unwilling to dedicate any more of his attention to a subpar show.
What he found far more interesting was the dragon’s reaction. It listened intently, neck held straight and proper as it lowered its head down to her level. Those ruby eyes fixed unblinkingly on the alphabet as she spoke. At this scale, it was easy for Braun to notice even the minute changes in its body languages, and what a feast indeed! Its pupils dilated when she got to the part about the boy being ignored by the entire town for his deceit, whiskers twitching in what seemed to be amusement. Its ears flicked forward when she described the wolf devouring the boy’s flock, the tiniest peek of pink tongue lapping at its teeth as if empathizing with the hunger.
By the time Parrot finished speaking, both Braun and the dragon were enraptured.
“And, well. The end,” she finished awkwardly.
The dragon hummed lowly, its ears flicking.
[WELCOME]
“Th-Thank you—!” the alphabet squeaked, rushing inside before the dragon had even finished speaking.
She cast a nervous glance at Braun as she ran past and Braun waved cheerfully, watching her disappear into the mist.
...And then there were two.
Braun strode forward and stood in front of the enormous golden dragon, looking up into its ruby red eyes.
[ENTRANCE FEE]
“It seemed like you enjoyed that woman’s story more than the sacrifices!” Braun said. “Does a spoken story give you more power than a ritualistic killing?”
The dragon stared at him silently.
“I intend to offer a story as well, and it will be infinitely more entertaining than the one you just heard. But is passage the only thing you will grant for this offering?”
[...]
“An information exchange, perhaps?”
[DESIRED KNOWLEDGE]
“Why you are interested in stories. What you guard beyond those gates. What kind of stories you like the most.”
[REASON]
“Are you beginning the information exchange?” Braun asked, flashing his most winning smile.
[...]
[TELL YOUR STORY]
Braun hummed. “Goodness, if you insist. Let us begin on a night much like this one—although, unfortunately for this poor storyteller, he was unable to witness such divine stars as he does now. We shall find this humble Braun in the middle of an assignment…”
And, heavens.
If Braun had thought that observing the dragon’s reactions from afar was fascinating, being the sole focus of this audience of one was exhilarating. He had chosen to tell the tale of an A-class ghost story he had been assigned to clear. One of his most cherished episodes, packed with plenty of intrigue, suspense, and, most amusingly, betrayal. One of his ex-colleagues had attempted to backstab him during that mission, and Braun took great pleasure in describing the way he had hoisted the woman on her own petard.
What a ball! What a show!
His audience of one listened avidly. Braun had never seen someone as invested in his storytelling as the fellow before him. While it made no sound, the dragon’s ears flicked back as Braun mimicked the dying scream his ex-colleague had let out to the exact, piercing note. Its claws dug furrows into the ground when Braun described those several close calls he had endured to lure the ghost into following his marked path. Its fur shivered when he painted the picture of the dark, rotting house; how the floorboards creaked ominously with no one walking its corridors, how the lights flickered sporadically if functional at all, and how the paintings would follow you with their eyes.
“And lo! This humble Braun was forced to make a mad dash through the halls with the terrible spirit of the mansion right behind him. I could hear its thundering steps behind me, close enough that its rancid breath soured the air in my lungs. Oh, listener. Have you ever been chased by a far greater predator, one that you could only hope to outwit?” Braun looked up into the dragon’s ruby eyes and winked, pressing the side of his hand against his mouth conspiratorially.
“...although I hesitate to imagine a beast that would make such a magnificent and fearsome dragon such as you quiver in fear. I was certainly shaken, that night! Luckily, the very door that this humble Braun had been searching for so frantically revealed itself to me in the nick of time. I, taking advantage of the ruckus that our pair made down the hall, swung it open sharply and leapt to the side in the nick of time, sending the beast careening into…”
He paused dramatically, watching the way the dragon's ears had swiveled towards him.
“...the very room that I had sequestered my traitorous colleague in some minutes prior.” he revealed lowly, grinning with all of his teeth.
The dragon twitched, eyes widening in shock. Its pupils had rounded out somewhere between the initial stabbing and this reveal, now slightly spiked ovals instead of the narrow slits it had originally.
“Yes, she received quite a nasty shock,” Braun murmured, smiling.
He had baited her into the perfect position to be torn into bloody pieces and eaten by the spirit of the mansion in full view of her subordinates. And while they had been…unfortunately distracted, Braun himself had ventured into the attic and stolen the diary that formed the core of the ghost story.
Braun could feel himself growing more animated, his voice projecting effortlessly across the clearing. He was standing straighter now, as if on a lavish stage before an adoring audience, his hands gesticulating and mimicking the swiping motion he made to snatch the diary from the dusty shelf it sat on.
By the end of it Braun was flushed and triumphant, the last echoes of his voice ringing out across the clearing as he waited for the dragon’s response.
“...so? Was that more entertaining than the one you heard before?” he asked, smug.
The dragon rose up from its neatly arranged coil, the glass flowers in its horns clinking softly as it shifted forward.
[YES]
The praise sent a shiver down Braun's spine.
“And what will you give me for it?” he asked breathily.
[WELCOME]
“...pardon?” Braun asked.
The dragon said nothing further.
“H-hey!”
It was too late. The dragon launched itself back into the air, a shimmering expanse of golden muscle coiling sinuously in its flight. In an act of showmanship Braun begrudgingly appreciated, it made one last spiral across the sky before disappearing beyond the gate.
“Goodness,” Braun huffed. Not one for words, this fellow.
Neatening his jacket with a sharp tug, he turned on his heel and strode into the gate. It swallowed him easily, the golden mist rising up as if in welcome. Braun smiled, stepping forward.
“Good evening,” he said, to the smiling employees at the reception desk.
“Good evening, honored guest! Welcome to the Golden Flower Jjimjilbang. How may we assist you today?” the employee on the left said.
“What services do you provide here?” Braun asked.
“Our most popular feature is the recuperative outdoor hot springs, of course! But our guests may also avail themselves to the indoor mineral baths and traditional sauna kilns if they wish. As well as that, we host a salt sauna, fully stocked cafeteria, and lounging area where our guests may stay for the night and refresh themselves.”
“Oho? Would any of these services incur an extra charge?” Braun asked.
A quick glance around revealed no others in this quaint little room, not even his fellow Daydream employees. Braun himself stood on a polished wooden floor, the room tastefully appointed with dark wood panels and creamy, off-white walls.
“Of course not! Our honored guests need only provide an appropriate entrance fee to our master to access all of our amenities.”
The two receptionists stood behind a solid looking wooden desk, with two lanterns hanging on the far corners of the ceiling and an ornate glass flower hanging between them on the back wall. The large black cabinet behind the left one caught Braun’s attention immediately, the series of polished golden locks speaking of important files kept behind the doors.
Ohoho.
“Your master?” Braun asked, maintaining his polite smile.
“The owner of the Golden Flower Jjimjilbang, Golden-nim! He works very hard to ensure that all our guests have the best experience.”
Golden. A little boring, but amusingly apt.
“And does he greet all of the visitors personally?”
Both receptionists stared at him unblinkingly.
“Oh, it depends. Our master is quite a busy person,” the left one said.
Hmm.
Braun cocked his head, studying him back.
There were subtle golden scales running down the sides of his face, the slit of the receptionist’s golden pupils narrowing between one blink and the next into a thin black line. In the center of both receptionist’s foreheads was emblazoned a golden flower, in the same shade of shimmering gold as their master’s scales.
“Is there anything else we can help you with, honored guest?”
“No, I’m quite satisfied for now. One person for an overnight stay, please!” Braun said.
“Of course!” the left receptionist turned, unlocking one of the small drawers at eye level and retrieving a coiled plastic bracelet with a matching plastic tag and a small golden key. Another, larger drawer yielded a set of towels and a neatly folded pair of shirt and shorts. “170 is your locker number, please proceed to the left corner to enter the locker rooms.”
Both receptionists bowed in sync.
“Have a wonderful stay, honored guest.”
“Thank you both.” Braun replied.
He took his things and began walking towards his directed path like a good little guest. Right after he rounded the corner he peeked back behind him, finding the twin receptionists facing forwards and smiling pleasantly, unmoving.
Hmmm.
Facing forwards yielded a similarly bemusing picture, as Braun was faced with two sets of curtains hanging over identical doors. Where the sign for male or female would usually be inscribed was instead an… indecipherable, symbol, of some sort.
Braun stared for a long moment.
Goodness, how fascinating. Would it be terribly rude to ask about a dragon’s perception of gender?
Neither of these figures had any discernibly human characteristics either. They seemed to shift and writhe when Braun glanced at them from the corner of his eye, the images on the curtains shifting from shape to equally unintelligible shape. On one occasion Braun thought he saw a gaping mouth filled with rows upon rows upon rows of teeth, which snapped shut and distorted into a branching, coral-like picture. Before he got too distracted watching the shift, Braun decided to go through the left.
Whistling cheerfully, Braun ducked through the thin cloth curtains and strolled down the narrow corridors of the locker room, spinning his bracelet around one finger.
Well! That was delightfully informative.
He mused over the knowledge he had gained as he found his locker and began stripping, turning the little cuecards of information over in his head.
One, the master of the Golden Flower Jjimjilbang was indeed the magnificent dragon who had greeted them in that clearing.
Two, said beautiful dragon very much liked stories. Specifically, he liked to be told stories, and, though it may have just been Braun’s ego talking, the more entertaining they were the better.
Three, Golden was personally invested in providing a positive experience, which meant that some sort of protection was granted to all his guests.
Four, he was able to collect his entrance fee remotely, although whether that was limited to sacrifices, stories, or both was yet unknown.
Five, Golden may or may not be aware of human standards of gender. Minorly concerning, as it may or may not hint at a lack of understanding for other human conventions.
But the best little factoid yet; Braun had just entered a supernatural jjimjilbang for free.
Gosh, not even free! He got to put on a show!
Right then and there, Braun resolved to find some way to come back.
He paused, hands freezing in the middle of neatly folding his trousers.
Ah! He knew there was something he forgot to ask the receptionist.
Braun sighed, wrapping the towel around his waist and slipping his mask back over his face. Something for after his bath, then. He was looking forward to washing the blood off his legs, it had gotten a bit tacky. Cheerfully ignoring the whispering and muttering coming from somewhere down the never-ending hall of lockers, Braun slipped the bracelet onto his wrist and opened the door into the mogyoktang.
Oh, goodness.
…Braun carefully regained his breath, lowering his gaze from the sight beyond and moving forward into the partitioned space before it.
The bathing area itself was wonderfully tasteful. Braun walked down the smooth black tiles covering the floor, sitting down onto an unclaimed wooden stool between a fascinatingly quivering mass of bloody meat and a blob of gelatin with only arms and legs inside. The counter before him shone like polished onyx, occupied only by a golden shower head that Braun unclipped from the wall and three bottles bolted to the counter. Curious, he read the labels.
[Get your muscles squeaky clean! Deluxe skin peeler that is dehydrating, exfoliating, and pore widening!]
[9 out of 10 doctors have died from this! New and improved bleaching recipe for your eyeballs only! NOT FOR @%$$^@ CONSUMPTION]
[.. ..-. / -.-- --- ..- / -.-. .- -. / .-. . .- -.. / - .... .. ... / -.-- --- ..- / .- .-. . / .- / -. . .-. -.. / .- -. -.. / .. / .-.. --- ...- . / -.-- --- ..-]
…Braun decided not to make use of the complimentary shower supplies.
The meat mass moaned funnily as it covered itself with the skin peeler, what sounded like seven different voices sobbing and laughing in harmony as it began to hiss and steam. Braun hummed along as he turned on the shower, carefully aiming the head away from himself until he could figure out the appropriate temperature.
A few minutes later he was thoroughly towel scrubbed and as freshly rinsed as he could manage. Heart pounding in excitement, Braun stepped past the divider and into the main attraction.
Thick golden steam filled the air, the sound of running water, monstrous howling, shrieks, and the echoey laughter Braun had heard before now all around him.
The sprawling area was hemmed off by a massive, gentle crescent of rocky cliffs, the highest point in the distance directly opposite Braun rising into a dramatic looking hill. From the top of this hill a waterfall fell directly into a massive, steaming pool, with what looked like half a dozen more pools fanning out from around it in staggered tiers. Smaller, detached pools littered the outskirts at the very bottom, some of them dyed dramatic colors or churning with fascinating textures, the configuration shifting between blinks.
The expansive warmth of the hot springs seemed to reach for Braun as he took his first steps forward, rising like the steam of the initial gate to curl around him. There was greenery everywhere he looked, elegant trees and bushes decorating the set nicely and providing a carefully cultivated feeling of nature.
Braun stepped on to one of the many wooden bridges scattered strategically across the enormous space, resting his hand upon the solid railings to admire the subtle scales carved into the wood. Everything glowed a warm, welcoming, gold; carved wooden lanterns were placed in intervals amongst the plants and on the ends of the bridges, ensuring that Braun could see almost the entire outdoor area despite the thick steam.
The multicolored array of patrons Braun had glimpsed in the showering area were out in full force in the hot springs. This jjimjilbang must be a popular location amongst supernatural entities, as each tier of the pool was busy with beings indulging in the water in whatever way they saw fit.
Braun let his gaze rest for a moment on a massive tiger lounging in one of the middle tiers just in front of him, its tail swishing slowly from side to side in obvious bliss. A huge dish rested by its pale head, filled with what Braun assumed was some sort of rice wine. A few feet away from the tiger was what Braun recognized as a dalgyal gwishin, which was resting her head against the slightly upraised rim of the pool.
It was surprisingly placid.
As if in defiance of Braun's thoughts, the dalgyal gwishin suddenly let out an ear-piercing shriek and lunged forward, plunging her claws into the air before her. She must have struck true, as a jet of blood spurted into the air.
Before anything else could do anything, a massive rumble shook the ground. The spirits in the center of the pool only had a second to scramble for the edge before a massive golden snout burst from the water, Golden’s glowing red eyes rising up and fixing the dalgyal gwishin with a piercing stare.
She gestured silently at the space before her, and one of Golden’s whiskers snapped forward in a blur of speed to wrap around an invisible figure. Golden opened his mouth with a low hiss, his whisker curling forward to drop the invisible bundle into his maw. The snap of his teeth closing silenced the unnatural scream of his victim, the force of it parting the steam around him in a gust of wind.
“...Goodness! What a show, Master Golden!” Braun said.
Folding a shaking hand behind his back, he rested an elbow on the railing of the bridge and his cheek onto his fist, flashing his most disarming smile at the dragon.
It turned to look at him, still chewing.
[COMPLAINT?]
“Oh! Quite the opposite, in fact,” Braun laughed. “It’s not every day this humble Braun sees a sight as magnificent as that. Although, this being our second encounter of the night, should I mark the date on my calendar? Two visions of beauty in a day!”
[…]
Something crunched between Golden’s teeth, sending a pleasant shiver down Braun’s spine.
“If I may ask, what rule did that patron break to be graced by your jaws?” He asked.
[HARASSMENT OF FELLOW PATRON]
[PRIOR COMPLAINTS OF DISORDERLY CONDUCT]
“Serious crimes indeed,” Braun demurred.
The dalgyal gwishin nodded, lounging back against the ledge of her pool with an ominous chittering noise. All around Braun the normal chatter of the hot springs resumed.
[GUEST EXPERIENCE ENSURED]
Braun scrambled a bit as Golden began to sink back under the pool, leaning forward.
“One second, if you please! How many strikes must someone earn before it merits your presence?”
Golden paused. The pool heaved as he rose until one enormous ruby eye came directly with Braun, fixing him in that jeweled gaze.
“Not that I plan on testing those boundaries, of course,” Braun breathed. “It’s only fair to inform your guests of the rules before expecting them to participate, isn’t it?”
[…THREE STRIKES]
Ending that line of inquiry, the resplendent owner of the Golden Flower Jjimjilbang sank back into the pool with barely a ripple of water.
Braun waited until the last flicker of gold disappeared under the cloudy water to sink into a squat. Slowly, he pressed his hands to his flushed cheeks, his heart pounding double time in his chest.
Goodness.
Braun always did feel fluttery after a good show. He took a few seconds to breath and calm down, his mind racing.
As with the flow of production, first, research! Braun wanted a map, a copy of whatever employee handbook existed in a supernatural jjimjilbang run by a dragon, and a list of the Golden Flower's reviews, in order of worst to best. After that, he would be able to begin pitching ideas for the show of a lifetime, write up a script, and put into motion the beginning of something that should have happened long ago.
Getting Golden with the program.
Ah, the possibilities!
Braun rose to his feet in one fluid motion and continued down the bridge, heading toward the highest level.
As he suspected, the pools were arranged by tier and heat. The temperature of the pool below the waterfall nearly scalded his skin from proximity alone, and Braun stayed just long enough to categorize the set dressing and measurements before retreating back to more tolerable temperatures.
Observing the middle tiers proved that—either through magic or perhaps a very good filtration system—the water remained clear throughout. Although the most popular of the tiers, a cautious dip of his hand into the pool still yielded…somewhat painful results. Braun descended to the lowermost tier with a thoughtful hum, studying the…second? Third? Degree burns on his hand.
Leaving the lowermost pools aside for now, Braun strolled over to the individual springs on the left side of the outdoor area. As he had seen before, this seemed to be where the more specialized guests gathered. Blinking rapidly yielded a blurry swirl of colors as the water shifted rapidly, Braun unable to help a polite laugh as he observed. All the pools seemed to be of a size, at least, though he was unable to speak of depth. Braun’s gaze roamed idly over the dokkeabi fire replenishing a lamp before he moved on to the individual springs on the right.
This too seemed much the same. He took note of the more interesting things he saw, wishing idly for a recording device of some sort.
Wandering back to the lowermost tier yielded yet another surprise. Braun observed the group of humans with some amusement, watching as they all stayed within close distance of each other and kept their eyes lowered. True to his idle speculations, however, some of the more gruesome wounds on the lowest surviving alphabets had indeed disappeared, and all of them looked markedly healthier than they had been when Braun had seen them last.
How wonderful!
Braun turned and headed for the pool farthest away from them, lowering himself into the water some seconds later with a blissful sigh.
The receptionists had not deceived him. As he lounged in the pool the hot water seemed to seep into his very bones, leeching away the fatigue of a day on his feet and chasing away the beginnings of a subtle chill he had not even noticed. Braun watched as the burns on his hand faded away within seconds, replaced by his normal flawless complexion without a hint of a scar.
The idle chaos of his surroundings provided a soothing blanket of white noise as Braun leaned back.
“Nonono please nO—!”
“H-h-h-have you seen this ma-a-an???”
“AaAAaaaAaAAAAAHHHHHH”
“Hot. Heehee! Hothothothothot—”
“Look at me. Do I look pretty? Do you want to come home with me?”
Several minutes later Braun roused himself from his light doze, avoiding the severed head on a tray floating past him with a slightly drowsy smile. His earlier explorations allowed him to head right for the entrance, somewhat grateful for his towel as he was left bereft of the comforting heat of the hot springs.
A casual glance back told him that his esteemed colleagues had departed already, although…
Braun’s gaze lingered on the very human foot sticking out of the mouth of one of the spirits in their pool, his smile tilting up.
Well, stupidity was never very pleasant anyways. Hopefully someone would be able to report the exact cause of death.
His stomach growled.
“Hm! Time to move on,” Braun said. He remembered seeing a cafeteria somewhere…
“Excuse me, Mr. Employee,” Braun called out.
The employee he was addressing paused, a bottle of strawberry milk sloshing in his grip.
“Yes? How may this employee help you, honored guest?”
“Are we allowed to leave with items from the jjimjilbang?” Braun waved the half eaten egg in his hand.
“Why, of course! Our guests are encouraged to avail themselves to our accommodations to their satisfaction. Oh!” he cocked his head, a brief flash of gold passing over his dark eyes, a fascinating pair of bright red pupils narrowing into slits. “Within reason, of course.”
Braun smiled a little wider.
“I completely understand. Would you be able to direct me to the overnight facilities, as well?”
“...” the employee nodded slowly, the golden scales decorating the sides of his face and neck shimmering. “I can help with that. Give me one moment, please.”
“Of course!”
Braun watched as the employee closed the open vending machine he had been restocking, moving the box of loose drinks carefully to the side and pausing to hoist a pile of towels into his arms before straightening up and turning to look at him.
“If you would follow me?”
“One second, please!” Braun leaned past the employee, grabbing a bottle of strawberry milk from the cart before gesturing for him to go on. “I suddenly realized I was quite thirsty. Do you have any particular drink you recommend?”
The employee nodded, walking towards the central common area.
“All of our drinks are sourced from reliable and popular brands. However,” he paused, thoughtful. “I prefer the grape soda after a nice bath.”
“Wonderful!” he said.
No other employee he had questioned had shown any preference toward anything, or exhibited physical changes in the middle of their conversations. What made this particular employee special? Perhaps the small, nub-like horns sprouting from his forehead? Given the scales decorating his arms and legs and his bright red pupils it could be assumed that he was more closely bound to the owner himself, but was it a separation of consciousness or a service contract?
Could Braun be talking to Golden himself, in this moment?
A shiver went down his spine.
He would reserve his judgement until later; such leaps of logic were hardly becoming of a rational man.
“Have you tried everything available here, Mr. Employee?” Braun asked.
“Yes. We employees should know what experiences we recommend to our guests, after all. How have you been finding our facilities?”
Braun smiled back, delighting in the intensity of the employee’s gaze.
“I have been enjoying myself very much, Mr. Employee. Please send Mr. Golden my compliments.”
“We are very glad to hear it,” The employee drew to a halt, gesturing over to the line of plush massage chairs he had glimpsed prior. “Here we are. Our guests are free to sit or lie down anywhere in this room, although we do tend to prefer our deluxe massage chairs for better relaxation.”
“They look wonderful. Oh! I'm so sorry, I forgot my manners. What is your name, Mr. Employee?”
“...I go by Roe Deer,” The employee said.
“Mr. Roe Deer. How lovely to meet you,” Braun reached out—waiting for the newly introduced Mr. Roe Deer to shift the towels—and shook his hand, gently swiping his pointer finger over the employee's pulse. “I look forward to our next meeting already.”
“We are always happy to welcome our guests. Have a good evening, Mr. Braun.”
Braun kept ahold of his hand as Mr. Roe Deer made to pull back. “Just one more question before you leave, if you please. How do I come back?”
“It's very simple. If you would like to return, make your way to the closest public bathroom, knock five times on the doorway, and clearly say the name of our resort,” Mr. Roe Deer smiled back.
“I see. Must I return my bracelet as well?”
“Yes, but you may retrieve it at the receptionist’s desk when you come back, and your locker shall remain exclusive to you,” Mr. Roe Deer said. “We always endeavor to make sure we have enough room to accommodate all our guests.”
Braun let go of his hand this time, wiping the remnants of ink on the inside of his uniform sleeve. “Thank you very much, Mr. Roe Deer! I appreciate the information.”
Mr. Roe Deer had been stocking the vending machine before Braun had disturbed him. With enough luck, he would go back to his task, letting the ink linger long enough to seep into the skin and fade from visibility.
Braun woke up the next morning the most refreshed he had ever felt. He rose up and stretched, casting a quick glance over his meager collection of contraband just to make sure nothing was missing.
The jjimjilbang was quieter in the morning, the cheerful bustle of guests slowed to a rough handful of entities that Braun could only catch glimpses of on his stroll down the halls.
He had made note of the exit the night before, an almost identical doorway which led back into the changing rooms. Just like before, the endless rows of wooden cabinets were deserted. Braun changed quickly, tucking away the smaller of his souvenirs into his pockets and gleefully balancing the others in his arms.
“Have a wonderful day!” he said, nodding to the twin receptionists.
They bowed back as he pushed open the wooden gate, a blinding golden light consuming his vision before Braun found himself spat back out into the modern world. He blinked, looking back and above him to the public bathroom sign of the subway station right under his apartment, then shook his head in amusement.
“How very accommodating, Mr. Golden~”