Denny loved the spa. Made a man feel...pretty. Good for the circulation. Always worth it to be pampered. He'd just had a soak in a pool of imported mud from some volcano somewhere, infused with something expensive or other. Rose petals? Gold flakes? Denny could never remember. It was supposed to make your skin soft like a baby's.
Speaking of soft skin...he saw someone down the hall who looked like she had very soft skin.
River emerged from the mini-yoga session feeling calmer, stretchier, and altogether more centered than she had earlier. She turned to offer Barney a smile as he followed. "Better than a massage," she concluded, padding down the hallway on bare feet and stretching her arms up over her head.
Barney grinned, "I personally like massages, but it is good." His whole workout career was based on this sort of treatment. Heh. Walking down the hall as well, Barney was (vaguely) surprised to see Denny and waved.
"You found this place too!" To his other normally suited friend.
Denny's spa robe was very plush, but it was strange to see Barney in anything but a suit. Denny had the sense that he was rarely without it.
"Barney! I always find out where the spas are before I go to a new place." He turned to the girl who was with him and smiled his Denny Crane smile. "And who are you, young lady?"
Reflexively, River hid behind Barney, peeking out from behind his arm. New people. New was scary. New was scarier when she couldn't Read in the usual way. She made a little noise and then fell silent, but not before adding -
Interesting. Denny let his smile fade a little to less intentional, a little less teeth. "Like a snake, huh? Didn't mean to do that. Guess that's what happens when you make your living practicing law. A pleasure to meet you, Miss Tam."
"Pleasure." River repeated, her fingers still curled tightly around Barney's upper arm, like using him as a shield between them. She tipped her head up a little bit so she could look at Barney, features all lines of worry and concern.
Denny stepped back a little to give the girl some room. She was clearly agitated, and he didn't really understand, but, he was wearing a robe, which made him softer and more vulnerable. Besides, he didn't want to look unsympathetic to the viewers.
He fished around in his pockets to see what he might have to offer, and pulled out a rose petal. "Here."
What a small, pretty thing, so red and dainty in his hands...River slipped away from Barney, her grip on him loosening as she reached for it. They were still hesitant motions, careful and quiet until the petal was in her hands.
It was then that she finally smiled -- that warm, accepting grin that said she trusted him.
He held his hand still, palm up with the petal in it, until the girl had taken it.
"Ooh, a massage. Sounds good! Merciless, those massage girls. Or boys, they have those now too, if you prefer it. I had a mud bath. Good for the skin. They've got nice, thick stuff here to really sink into."
"I swam in the ocean." River drifted between them, holding the petal between her fingers before settling it daintily on the tip of her nose. "It bubbled and sang to me. And then we stretched!"
Skinny arms stretching again over her head as she spun in a gentle pirouette, only half-aware of her surroundings.
"I like it a little rough." Wink wink nudge nudge. "Their facials are nice too. You know, it's a rare man that takes care of himself so well. I keep saying that people should."
He watched River momentarily, "You're good at that." The pirouetting.
She was good at it. "I can't stretch, but I can be stretched. Gotta be, at my age. Taking the time to be pampered, that's the trick. That and finding other ways to stay limber."
Speaking of soft skin...he saw someone down the hall who looked like she had very soft skin.
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"You found this place too!" To his other normally suited friend.
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"Barney! I always find out where the spas are before I go to a new place." He turned to the girl who was with him and smiled his Denny Crane smile. "And who are you, young lady?"
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"Smiles like a snake."
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"River, this is Denny Crane. Denny, this River Tam. A friend I've made here in town."
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"Don't think she likes him."
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The older suited man couldn't be all bad. Barney didn't think he was bad at all!
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He fished around in his pockets to see what he might have to offer, and pulled out a rose petal. "Here."
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It was then that she finally smiled -- that warm, accepting grin that said she trusted him.
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"This place is awesome, am I right? Have you tried a massage?" Barney hadn't yet, but they looked awesome.
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"Ooh, a massage. Sounds good! Merciless, those massage girls. Or boys, they have those now too, if you prefer it. I had a mud bath. Good for the skin. They've got nice, thick stuff here to really sink into."
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Skinny arms stretching again over her head as she spun in a gentle pirouette, only half-aware of her surroundings.
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He watched River momentarily, "You're good at that." The pirouetting.
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