Spa Opening, Part 4
Posted on Thu 4th Jul, 2019 @ 9:46pm by Lieutenant Damion Ildaran & Carlo Rienzi & Morva & Khellian s'Siedhri MD & Makila i'Hartelhai
1,054 words; about a 5 minute read
Mission:
A Diplomatic Affair
Location: Varuna Spa
Timeline: MD 3, 1300
Tags: Makila
Khellian had never before had experience with a spa, but as many of his patients and former patients had extolled their virtues, it would be remiss of him not to try it. The Romulan was impressed with the beauty of the landscape job, with seamless transitions from one area to another. He was going to start with the salt cave, and spend a 10-minute session in there, then perhaps a soak in the larger pools.
Caroline gave up on talking to the owner for the moment, and decided that she would experience the spa for herself. "Handsome, take a hike for a while. Or pick your poison here, at my expense. You're off duty until further notice."
"Righto," the man said, brief as always, and headed back to the entrance. Until it was time to pay, Caroline wouldn't have any idea what his choice had been. She shook her head and looked through the options on the electronic brochure she'd picked up for research. Skimming down, her eyes stopped at "Salt Cave". "That's a new one on me," she murmured.
The Salt Cave/room was designed to help you leave your worries behind with the aid of soft golden lighting from the Himalayan Salt, peaceful music, and comfortable Zero Gravity lounge chairs with fresh blankets provided. We encourage this quiet time to be used for relaxation or meditation. We encourage you to wear comfortable clothing and clean white socks, and to walk around on the salt pebbles for the added benefit of reflexology.
"Well, why not? My clothes are comfortable enough, and they'll probably sell me socks." She picked that destination on her bracelet and followed directions. When she arrived, she did find socks available and divested herself of other things into a locker available. Walking into the cave, she looked around for one of those zero gravity lounge chairs. It sounded great.
"Oh, hello," she said to a man already seated in one. "Will it disturb you if I sit next to you? This is my first time in such a place, and I'm not sure what protocol is."
"By all means. I am also not certain of the etiquette here, but I never mind company." The warmth and gentle light made everything seem to glow red and gold. "It is quite ... soothing in here."
She nodded in agreement and sat down next to him. "Oh!" she exclaimed softly. "It really does give one a feeling of weightlessness, doesn't it?" She leaned back and relaxed, closing her eyes. "I could get used to this," she murmured.
By about one minute into his Swedish massage, Damion realized that lying face-down on a table, half-naked, while the chatty Denobulan massaged his back had been a big mistake. He couldn't relax, and he thought he understood why. In a hand-to-hand fight, being on the ground was not just a vulnerable position; it could prove fatal. He was having to devote all of his concentration to not jabbing an elbow outward and knocking the masseur far enough away so he could scramble off the table.
The masseur noticed too and reduced the amount of pressure he was applying. "Are you all right? Am I making you uncomfortable?"
"Yes, now you are," Damion said. "The gentle touch is much worse. I think--perhaps--I should not continue this."
The masseur immediately stopped the massage. Damion let out a ragged sigh and relaxed. "That's not a problem, sir," the masseur assured him. "This is entirely under your control. Is there anything I can do that might help you to feel more comfortable?"
Damion thought about that. "Half the problem is, I can't see you. I've been trained to fight hand-to-hand. What you're doing feels really good, but since I can't see you, my first instinct is to want to fight you off."
"I can bring a mini-cam and viewscreen in here," the masseur told him, "but you are under no obligation to continue the massage if you would rather not. My job is to enable my clients to feel relaxed and safe in my care."
Damion had to snicker. "Please, stop talking like a counselor. Let's see how it goes with the mini-cam."
The masseur smiled. "Coming right up."
Makila was still favoring her left shoulder a little from the length of time it had been dislocated on the tram. She wasn't sure if she wanted to get a massage, so she spoke to the chip "Random, no massage."
A door opened down the hall in front of Makila, and two people clad in white, terrycloth bathrobes stepped out of it amid a cloud of steam. One was a tall Human male with curly brown hair and a moustache, the other a diminutive Ferengi female.
"Okay, okay, I'll let you talk me into a mud bath," the man said, "but I draw the line at jellied gree worm."
"You've never even tasted jellied gree worm, Hoo-man, so why would you think to avoid it--Oh!" The Ferengi woman stopped when she caught sight of Makila. "Hello, dear! You're Dr. s'Siedhri's daughter, aren't you? I'm Morva. I run the Slug and Grub restaurants. It's good to see you here!"
Behind and above her, the human spoke in an exaggerated whisper and made a warding-off gesture with his hands. "Say no to gree worms!"
"Pay him no mind," Morva said to Makila with an airy wave. "We were just heading to the mud baths. Where are you headed?"
"Something warm, past that i haven't really decided. I don't want a massage because my shoulder is still sore from the Tram derailment." Makila replied to the Ferengi female.
"Oh, you were on the tram car that got derailed?" Carlo asked. "Carlo Rienzi, of Pub 10-42. Good to meet you, and I'm glad you're pretty much okay. Looks like we're headed to the mud baths. Morva says they're warm."
"True," Morva said, "but a soak in the jacuzzi might be a better idea for you, since you wouldn't have to rinse mud off yourself, then. Or even the sauna might be a good idea."
"I'd be happy with any of those three options," Carlo said. "Whatever's best for you, Makila."
"Mud baths certainly do sound interesting..." she paused and then grinned widely "Let's do something new. Mud baths it is."
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