Private Finished So a Fox Walks Into a Spa

Location: Tranquility Day Spa and Water Gardens

It had been a pretty good day so far. Kaliyan had attended school for the morning as usual and then after a quick lunch he had returned to the spa for his afternoon shift. Kal had finished with his previous appointment about 20 minutes earlier. After washing his hands and arms and making sure his dark blue polo-style shirt hadn't gotten stained by the massage oil he had come out to the front desk to help out the other employees. His name tag identified him by name and as a "Guest Assistant". The truth was that while he spent a lot of his time there working as a masseuse he was able to do pretty much any job in the place if needed. Lyrseir, his mother and the owner of the spa, wouldn't have had it any other way.

So there he was helping the front desk staff schedule appointments and welcoming guests as they arrived. His next appointment wasn't scheduled until later- it was a bit of a slower day at work for him. Kal took a break from answering the phones to stretch his arms and back and look out around the room.

The entire building oozed serenity and calmness as they took great care in creating a place where even the most stressed out guests could come and take a break from what was going on outside their light blue doors. Inside the lobby there were ridiculously comfortable lounge chairs, a softly trickling fountain and many healthy plants resting in their own little ponds. The walls were light blue and cream colored and various pieces of abstract art were arranged to both draw the eye and relax the mind with their soft, curved shapes. In short, everything seemed to be designed and arranged to promote one thing: comfort.

He was snapped out of his thoughts as a new guest came into the lobby and approached. This walk-in was someone Kal recognized almost right away. With a warm and friendly smile he turned to the guest. "Welcome to Tranquility sir, I can help you right over here." Kal gestured to the portion of the desk he was standing behind. It was the normal greeting he was supposed to give to any guest. The fact that this guest and him knew each other didn't mean he could be unprofessional about it.

@EmiRose

Kaliyan was glad Cam had been the one to come in at that moment. From the few interactions he'd had with the man he was pretty sure they would get along fairly well. Of course Cam had his usual air of .... playfulness?.... he wasn't really sure how to describe it. At any rate he was fun to be around and it seemed like he was asking for Kal specifically so his day was going to continue to get better.

"Of course, we are happy to accommodate-" Kaliyan raised an eyebrow of his own and held in a laugh. Ok, if Cam was going to make a game out of this then Kal would just have to play along. Both because he was a customer and because he thought it would be funny. "Hmm I know Kaliyan is pretty busy with requests but let me take a look at his schedule." He looked over at the computer but didn't bother to interrupt the other employee there to pretend to actually check his schedule. Playing this game was probably fine but he wasn't going to bother the others.

"It looks like he should be available to assist you at this time" Kal's grin continued to grow and he felt utterly ridiculous but he was too far into the game to turn back. "There are just a few small bits of paperwork for you to read and fill out as you are a first time guest here and we want to make sure you are comfortable while you are with us. Were you looking for just a classic massage today?"

Kaliyan reached under the desk to retrieve several sheets of forms asking for basic contact information and payment details and of course containing a liability waiver. A final sheet of paper asks for the guest's preferences on room temperature, music selection, favorite scents, and massage oils used. It mentions that the masseuse will select appropriate items if no preference is indicated.

At the bottom of the waiver is the following:

Aura warning: Out of an abundance of caution we would like to inform prospective guests that the owner does possess and utilize a calming and relaxation aura to aid in the experience of guests. Anyone who may be sensitive to such things should contact staff prior to booking or arriving.

Tranquility is fully capable of tending to the needs and restrictions of all people regardless of species, gender, shape, or temperament. Your pleasant stay is important to us and we will satisfy any concerns immediately. Please do not hesitate to contact a member of staff should anything arise. If you become uncomfortable at any time or for any reason we will change staff around to accommodate you. None of the staff will be offended by your request to change things.

At no time is any illegal activity to be conducted on these premises. Additionally fraternization with other employees or guests is strictly forbidden while an employee is on shift. No exceptions. Safety and comfort of guests and staff is the highest priority.

Kaliyan stepped back a bit to give Cam some time to look over the papers and then he thought of one last thing. "I'm sorry, I should also warn you about your masseuse's aura that makes the air around him warm and humid." Kal was doing his best to not start laughing at this. He was pretty sure the other employees were going to give him a hard time about this later but that was ok.

@EmiRose

Coffee? What.... Oh right, I said next time i'd make the coffee but I had meant in the community center or something. We don't really serve coffee here unless a guest really, really wants it. Hard to relax for a massage if you're hopped up on caffeine.

"I can get you some coffee if you want but I think you should trust me when I say you should wait until after your massage." He was serious but he couldn't stop grinning. Cam was far, far better at this game than Kal could hope to be. It was only a matter of time before he broke and he had no fancy moves like blocking his face with his hand to save him.

The interior design. Kal could go on for hours describing what it was like to help his mother pick out each individual piece of art and furniture in here. Everything down to the pebbles in the ponds by the plants had to meet her exacting standards. He understood though why it was so important- successful relaxation was as much about the atmosphere as it was any skills or techniques he had been taught.

The professional in Kal had made him make a mental note about Cam's concerns about his shoulders and lower back. It was always helpful to get an idea of what pains his guests were experiencing so he could focus on those areas if need be. Though if his shoulders and lower back were both bothering him at the same time then likely his whole neck and back was tensed too. It was probably good that he had come to the spa when he did.

The expensive pen barely even registered to Kal. They had all kinds of customers come in and he made it a point to treat them all the same regardless of how much wealth they displayed. Every person who walked through those doors was just a person looking for a little escape for a while. He was however a little impressed that Cam actually read through all the papers. A lot of people just skimmed right through them like they didn't even care.

Kal wasn't really watching too closely as Cam filled out the forms- it was a chance to get a break from his losing battle against laughter and he never wanted to be accused of trying to memorize a person's personal information or payment details. He did however notice Cam thinking a lot more about the preferences page. When he smiled and handed them back Kal fought the urge to roll his eyes a bit.

Of course he hadn't picked any preferences. It was probably more of a game. This one however he was well-equipped to deal with. He started to chuckle a bit before he stopped himself. "Very well, I will select some appropriate choices for you. If you decide any of them do not suit you just let me know and I will adjust accordingly. As requested I will let you find out my selections when you get to your room." The unspoken challenge to impress Cam had been just enough to keep Kal from completely losing it but if he didn't get them away from the front desk soon he was going to look a lot less professional.

Kal placed the paperwork into a folder and handed it off to one of the front desk staff to be properly filed. He then stepped out from behind the desk and gestured for Cam to follow him. "Right this way sir, i'll lead you to the changing rooms." As Kal lead Cam through a doorway into the rest of the spa the edges of Lyrseir's calming aura could begin to be felt. To most people it tended to feel faintly like a nice warm hug as they felt more inclined to relax and forget about whatever problems they had been experiencing.

Leading the way towards the changing rooms Kal stopped by a curtain that had been hiding shelves full of folded up soft white plush robes and soft cushioned sandals all perfectly clean and ready for each guest. He offered the robe and a pair of sandals to Cam and gestured to the doorway marked 'Changing Rooms'. "You'll find private rooms to change out of your street clothes and many lockers for you to secure your belongings. If you wish to take a shower before your massage they are also located in there, with all the amenities you might need. You will obviously be given the opportunity to shower afterwards too. If you don't need any further assistance I will leave you to get changed while I go prep your room."

@EmiRose

As soon as Cam was out of sight Kal hurried off to go prepare the room. Also to let out all the laughter he had been holding in throughout their exchange. He kept the volume low enough not to bother any of the other guests but as soon as he was out of earshot he was laughing his way down the hall.

Not very far from the changing rooms Kal approached the treatment room and flipped the sign on the door to "in use". Below that, on a small whiteboard-like surface he wrote out "Kaliyan" in large, clear letters. The policy was that a guest's name was never to be indicated on the door for privacy reasons but the staff did need to know who was in which room if something happened. Therefore the name of the staff member assisting the guest was used. The other employees who might need to know who was in the room could just look it up in the system based on the staff member's name and the time.

With that done Kaliyan did a quick inspection of the room. The massage table was the kind that had a cushioned headrest with a hole for the guest's face. On top of the table was a layer of thick, soft towels for the guest to lie on. Folded on top of that was a clean sheet. This room was once more decorated in light blues and cream colors though instead of art hanging on the wall there were just long sweeping swirls of a darker blue paint. Along one wall was a set of cabinets and shelves that held a range of oils and products and stacks of towels and other similar items. One small cart sat by the cabinet for the masseuse to use for his selected oils and products.There were two large bowl-shaped objects at either side of the room that Lyrseir and Kal were especially proud of. They were custom lighting fixtures that produced a dimmable light filtering through a sealed bowl of water and glass beads that gently shifted. The effect was supposed to be even more calming than candle-light.

Kal went over to the cabinet and pulled out the oils and scents he planned to use. Into the scent diffuser went lavender and a few drops of vanilla. Lavender naturally calms and promotes healing and vanilla was just generally a very pleasing scent. Experience told him how much to use so that it would be pleasing but not too strong. It would fill the room by the time Cam was ready for his massage. The music selection was a bit of a more difficult choice. He chose a mix based on Falling Water, set to a low volume.

With all that done Kal wheeled the cart over near the massage table with a selection of oils and several towels. For the massage oil he had picked a sweet almond oil. Setting the thermostat so that the room would be comfortably warm and dimming the lights were his last steps before he headed back out to meet Cam by the changing rooms. He had managed to compose himself again with the short break combined with the effects of his mother's aura and the calming atmosphere of the room he had been setting up.

Cam was standing outside the changing rooms when Kal returned. It made him a little nervous as he wondered how long he had left the man to stand there waiting. He probably should have just told him where the room would be but oh well. "I'm so sorry to make you wait, but I think you will enjoy the selections I made. Right this way, Sir." Back to their little game. Kaliyan could see the prosthetic of course but his attention was more on Cam's face than anything else.

As they entered the treatment room Kal gave Cam a moment to take it in before quietly advising, "I'm going to step outside for a couple minutes to give you time to disrobe and lie down on the table, covering up with the sheet. If you need more time when I knock just say so. I do have one more question about your preferences today. Are there any areas you would be uncomfortable for me to work on? For example your face, scalp, foot or glutes. Those are common requests." Kal wanted to ask about the place where Cam's leg had been cut off too but for the life of him he couldn't think of how to phrase it.

After waiting for a response Kal stepped out into the hall, closing the door behind him.

@EmiRose

It was good that Cam wasn't requesting a bunch of areas be left alone during the massage. Comfort was obviously the most important but those areas were just as important to massage as the rest of the body. He did pay careful attention to the request about his leg though. He would just massage it like he would any normal leg but not touch the scar from the incision where the amputation was made. It would be like he was working on a normal leg except he skipped everything below the knee.

While Kal waited outside the door he took a deep breath. He was feeling pretty happy and... excited? He was glad to be able to help someone who was becoming a good friend. Every time he had spoken to Cam the man had managed to put a smile on Kal's face. Even when he was suffering from his annual week of pain. That was a pretty big deal.

After a few minutes had passed Kal knocked on the door and waited to hear a repsonse. "I'm ready" had been the soft response from inside. He waited until a guest passed by in the hall and then quietly opened the door and slipped in, closing it behind him. The rule was never to let anyone else have a chance to see into a treatment room while a guest is using it.

Kal rubbed his hands together a bit to make sure they were warm- although they were pretty much always warm. "Ok Cam, i'm going to start with your foot and work my way up. I'll talk as much or as little as you want but you should focus on relaxing and let me do all the work," he explained in a smooth, quiet voice. As he approached to stand beside the massage table the increase in warmth and humidity in the air washed over Cam.

Kal folded up the end of the sheet just enough to reveal Cam's intact leg but keeping everything above the mid thigh and the other leg covered by the sheet for warmth. He put a generous amount of the sweet almond massage oil on his hands and began massaging Cam's foot. With both hands he rubbed and applied pressure, using thumbs to focus in on the arch, ball and heel of the foot. After gently pulling a little bit on each toe he moved on to the calf area and then the thigh portion of the leg.

Each time Kal moved to another section of the leg he began with smooth gentle movements to ease into it and warm the area before progressing to kneading and more pressure where it was needed. He seemed to be very aware of which muscles needed a little extra attention and when it was time to get more oil. He was exactly as strong and gentle as needed for the situation. After finishing the first leg he covered it back up and uncovered the partial leg to start working on it.

Taking great care not to touch the scar end of the leg he worked his way up from around the knee to the mid thigh on that leg. Kaliyan's mind was pretty much blank except for remembering the procedure and noting the tension in each muscle that needed to be addresses. Work like this was sort of a form of meditation for Kal. He covered the leg up again with the sheet

"How are we doing so far? I'll be working on your glutes a little before progressing to your lower back. You will have the sheet covering you of course."

As far as Kal was concerned it was going very well so far. Cam had been concerned mostly about his lower back and shoulders but the muscles in his legs and feet had been very tense too. Perhaps he had been on his feet a little too much lately.

@EmiRose