Day 55, Whenever is Convenient

[spinning_nissi]

Nissi spent her day happily flitting from one end of the resort to the other, sampling everything it had to offer and quite content to let the men and women there lead her various massages and treatments and one very amazing bath. She smelled like a garden in full bloom, and wore nothing more than the robe they had provided. Her hair was piled up

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[gwenyth_b_good]

Gwendal sat in the salon, getting a manicure (mainly to get the mud from the mud bath out from under his fingernails), a pedicure (same reason), a haircut (just a trim), a hot oil treatment for it (slightly dry), and to have his goatee professionally whipped into shape (scruffy wasn't a good style for him). He still wasn't sure he was keeping it. Gunter had liked it and had even said it only tickled a little bit when they had kissed (Gunter had surprised him), but Nissi hadn't seemed to be impressed with it at the festival (even though she had kissed him with no mention of it tickling). It was a decision he could make later after he saw what the stylist would do to it (come on, stylist

[spinning_nissi]

She had passed by the salon a few times, but always told herself she would go back to it. An off-hand comment from an attendant that she would look "cute" with shorter hair made her hesitate to enter any place where people with scissors were likely to be. But now she was certain this is was the only place left that she hadn't taken advantage of, and it did offer other things. Surely no one would chop off her hair without her permission

[gwenyth_b_good]

Gwendal sat a little straighter in his chair when he saw Nissi being seated next to him. A broad smile lit up his face. "Give her the whole package - manicure, pedicure, exfoliation - on me, of course. Make her feel as special as, I assure you, this young lady is." He winked at her. "Just don't touch her hair, unless she asks you to."

With those instructions, the worker ran off to prepare her treatment. Gwendal, currently undergoing a manicure, took advantage of the moment to talk. "I'm glad to see you. Have you been enjoying yourself?"

[spinning_nissi]

"Thank you." She leaned back and turned her head to give Gwendal a grateful smile. "That's very generous of you. I have been enjoying myself. It's very relaxing here. Well, except for that earthquake. Did you feel that?" She turned her head so she could look up at the high ceiling. "It feels nice, to be taken care of, doesn't it? Even if it's just for a day."

[gwenyth_b_good]

Gwendal bit his lip. "Terrifying. Just terrifying." He didn't like lying to Nissi, but he didn't want to get in trouble for causing it either. "It does feel nice to be pampered. Has the staff treated you well? I had a run-in with a masseur earlier, but Gunter is taking care of it. What have they done for you today?" He took a sniff in the air. "You smell like a lovely garden."

[spinning_nissi]

"It must be all the oils. I've had five different types of massage today. Did you know there were so many? I think I've picked up some new skills." She paused to watch an older woman sit down in front of her and start scrubbing away at her feet. "I've been treated very well. A couple of the men even went so far as to offer to dry me off after my bath."

[gwenyth_b_good]

"I didn't know there were so many." I wouldn't mind if you demonstrated your new skills on me. He thought it, but couldn't bring himself to say it. Was it because he was still shy around her or just a coward?

As his hands received an impeccable manicure, he watched the woman giving Nissi her pedicure. He found himself thinking about the fact that she had been treated well and seemed to be happy with her day at the spa. At this point, he really didn't care how much money he was out because of the bet. The day had been well worth it. He focused his attention back on her words in time to hear about her bath experience. "A cou-couple of men? Like employees? Di-did you accept? You didn't accept, did you? I mean, assuming they were employees, it was probably okay, but maybe not. Maybe a woman should have ... or you could have done it yourself. Did the earthquake frighten you?"

[spinning_nissi]

She giggled, mostly because the woman had brushed over the bottoms of her feet, but Gwendal's stammering was also ... cute. "No, I didn't accept. I can towel myself off just fine, and it seemed strange to have someone else do it." She shook her head, wiggling her toes, much to the woman's annoyance. "The earthquake? No. Once I knew it wasn't my fault and no one was hurt, I didn't think twice about it. Strange that most of the damage was focused on only one area though."

[gwenyth_b_good]

"Oh, well, you're right. It's just better to do some things yourself." He tried to hide the relief in his voice, but couldn't quite manage it due to the sharp pang of jealousy he had just experienced. He batted it away in his mind, knowing that he had no right to be jealous.

"Yeah, strange, that." Why did he have to bring up the earthquake again? "Why would you think it was your fault?"

[spinning_nissi]

"When my magic first surfaced, it caused something like an earthquake. I didn't realize it was me at first, until it got worse. I'm afraid one day it will surprise me again."

There was something in his voice that struck her as odd, but she couldn't place it. She turned her head to look at him again. "Tell me, is it common for people who work in these places to steal kisses from the clients?"

[gwenyth_b_good]

"I can assure you that you had nothing to do with this quake. No great loss anyway. It was just a bunch of ugly statues ...," he added quickly, "... from what I heard." He cocked his head. "Did you not know that you had magic?"

Gwendal examined his manicured hand as the manicurist left to obtain fresh supplies. "I've never seen my nails so shi - WHAT? Someone kissed you?" Gwendal half rose from the chair. "No! It's not all right! That's - that's - that's TOTALLY UNPROFESSIONAL, is what that is!" He plopped back down, and crossed his arms, heedless of the fresh manicure. An obvious pout covered his face. "And - and - and wrong! What's the matter with this place?"

[spinning_nissi]

"It did look as though a great many had fallen over. Seemed a shame." She shook her head. "No one has magic where I'm from. Anyone thought to have it is killed. They usually go crazy from it, so I suppose it made sense to put them out of their misery..."

She wasn't expecting such a reaction, and leaned away from him blinking. At least it confirmed her initial suspicion, that something wasn't quite right with his tone of voice. She leaned closer and reached out to lightly touch his arm. "You're not... jealous, are you?"

[gwenyth_b_good]

"Gaudy statues and columns shouldn't be an afterthought. Sometimes simple beauty is the most elegant." He glanced her way. "Then, you never knew you had powers until you came here? Would they have killed you right away if you had shown powers there? Powers were discouraged on my world, but allowed if the user could prove betterment of society through their use. That's why I could practice mine

[spinning_nissi]

"I... suppose..." Nissi didn't know all that much about gaudy statues and columns. Compared to where she had been before, she thought they were nice, if a little misplaced. "I had no idea I had powers. I'm sure my father would have had me killed as quickly as possible. He wouldn't want to be troubled with such an embarrassment. And if they came later, well... I suppose I would have been killed then too. I don't think I could have hid them for very long, if at all."

She watched him curiously, and with a little disappointment. Did she want him to be jealous? Something told her she did. "You don't have to go through so much trouble for me..." Considering it wasn't exactly true... Was his chair shaking? She leaned even closer, despite protests from the woman at her feet. Did he say yes?

"Goatee? Oh. It's very nice. I like it."

[gwenyth_b_good]

A frown creased his forehead. "I don't think I like your father."

The frown remained, but the vibrating had stopped. "It's no trouble. I've been dissatisfied with some of the services here, and to think that an employee would dare to lay his hands on you and kiss your soft, plump pink lips, so sensual and ..." His voice faded off to nothing...

...

...

...

...

... Shaking his head, he blinked his eyes and cleared his throat. "So you like the goatee? I'll have them trim it up nice and neat." He hesitated. "It ... um, didn't bother you when we were ... um, kissing the other night?"

[spinning_nissi]

"No one really liked my father."

She touched her lips briefly. Were they really that nice? "It didn't bother me at all. I like kissing you."