New Friendships

Posted on Fri 28th Jun, 2019 @ 3:53pm by Lieutenant Commander Alora Baro & Lieutenant Commander Dallas Briggs & Lieutenant Alexia Redding

1,293 words; about a 6 minute read

Mission: A Diplomatic Affair
Location: Varuna Spa
Timeline: MD 3, 1330
Tags: Redding, anyone

Ensign Lea Loren had been wandering around this amazing spa. It looked like a piece of heaven. She had no idea what to do first, Hot Stone massage, Mud bath, it all looked wonderful. Perhaps she would do a little of everything. She was looking everywhere except where she was going and ran right into someone almost knocking the two of them over. Needless to say when she grabbed the other person, she was a she and her hands were in some rather private places on her upper body.

She quickly moved her hands off of the other woman’s chest, a little embarrassed and turned a light shade red. “I am so, so sorry for running into you and for ... for touching your, I mean..a....” She gestured with her hands, a cupping motion over her own breast. “Well...crap, I’m sorry for that.” She lowered her arms by her sides and then realized that the other woman was Bajoran as well. “Hey, aren’t you the Chief Engineer? I’m Ensign Lea Loren, but please, call me Loren.” She extended her hand out to shake.

Alora laughed, after that massage she was too relaxed to be offended, "It happens." She extended her own hand, trying to put the other at ease. "Lt. Baro Alora at your service." She smiled broadly at the other woman. "Fixer of all things broke."

“I am so sorry about that, I wasn’t watching where I was going, this place is so amazing.” Loren paused for a moment, “I was thinking about doing something relaxing and it’s no fun to do it alone, I was wondering if you might like to ... join me?” She had no idea why she asked a total stranger to join her to probably get naked in some way, in a room that she had never been in, but she was Bajoran, too, and that had to count for something.

"It is at that ... " she considered the other Bajoran for a moment, remembering a roommate who was as outgoing as this. Another smile crossed her face at the memory. They used to say the girl operated on warp power and knew no other speeds, that and the fact Alora was in a 'why not' sort of mood. She stuck her hands in her pockets, "Sure..." She turned to head the way the other had been walking, "Where to?"

“I was thinking a nice hot mud bath to loosen us up a little, then maybe the hot rock massage.” Loren smiled. “But only if you want to, I’m sure there are other things to do, as well.” She spun around looking at all the wonders, “It sure is beautiful, isn’t it?”

Alora glanced around again as they walked. "It's amazing, I may have to move here," she joked, and glanced at her new friend. "I never understood mud baths. I mean, what's the big benefit to sitting in mud?" She was genuinely curious and a bit confused about the idea.

“Hot mud,” Loren corrected her. “It opens the pores and makes your skin tingle all over. It makes you feel brand new. It’s a little hard to explain, but once you sit in it for a hour, you’ll understand,” Loren sighed, "and the heat will relax your sore and tired muscles.”

Alora thought about it a moment, then shrugged, "Not sure how it is supposed to do all that, but I guess I can give it a try. Seems counter intuitive, though, a bath of mud." She smiled at Lea as they neared a mud bath area.

“You get to shower with real water after the mud bath.” Loren smiled as she walked backwards then turned to see the mud bath. She headed for the changing room. “We can grab towels over here.” Loren led Alora to where they could remove their clothes and put on nothing but a towel.

Alora grabbed a towel and went into a small changing room. It still felt odd. Mud was what you washed off, not sat in. Still, as one of her Earther friends would say, "In for a penny, in for a pound." Alora had to have the reasoning behind money and a weight being connected explained to her at the time. She quickly changed and came out in a towel, athletic legs poking out underneath, and put her clothes in a small locker for just that purpose. Her hair was loose, though she still wore her earring. Often she forgot it was even there.

Loren took the winding path down to the mud bath. She stepped down into the massive pit-like tub of thick brown mud. It was wasn’t super thick like Loren had seen in the past, but it was warm. A person took her towel as she climbed into the mud. She sat down, submerged except for her neck and face and leaned back against a cushion and closed her eyes. “It feels really good and my skin does tingle, come try it.”

Alora looked doubtfully at the bubbling muck. "Somewhere my mother is concerned about the mess I am about to get into," she said, a little cautious as she entered slowly, getting used to the warmth sans towel, which she put on the lip of the pool until she too was covered.

Loren chuckled, “My skin is actually tingling from the mud bath.” She giggled again, “It tickles a little.” She was up to her neck in the mud and it felt very nice, almost magical. She glanced over at her new friend, “How are you doing?” She was afraid that Alora was skeptical and had already made up her mind about the whole experience.

Alora smiled, "It does feel tingly," she agreed. It was still among the weirder things she'd done, but she was always game for a new experience. "I take it you've done this before?" she asked curiously.

Loren nodded and giggled, "Nope, its my first time. It nice and strange all at the same time. I've never felt this tingling sensation all over my body before, but I do feel good. Once we shower off we should try the hot rock massage."

---

Jade and Serena meandered down the corridor toward the lobby. "I don't know about you, but I think I got my money's worth." Serena smiled and thought about Andrew. He was a man and probably wouldn't notice anything different, but it still amused her to think about him coming to the spa himself. She could give him a few pointers.

"Yes, it's one of the nicest I've ever tried," Jade agreed. "I would say it even rivals the one I used on Risa a few years ago." She held up her wrist with the bead bracelet. "This was a really nice touch, and inspiration on Redding's part."

"I hope we see her and can relay that," Serena agreed. "She's probably feeling the way we did way back when the first Orchids & Jazz opened. This is her dream, and I hope people handle it with care."

They came into the lobby and saw Alexia greeting people still coming in for tours and the open house. "There she is," Jade nodded toward her. "Let's say goodbye and give her some feedback."

"Did you enjoy your stay?" Alexia asked as they approached the exit and herself.

"Oh, we did!" Serena said enthusiastically. "You've done a great job here. We were just talking about how lovely it is, and how tasteful."

"I think you're going to have a success on your hands," Lantz added. "You obviously spent a lot of time thinking about what you wanted your business to be, and it's going to pay off for you."

 

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