Day in the Spa

[st_unning]

After Alcuin's conversation with Phryne, he had a small sense of purpose. She'd pointed out a marketable skill that hadn't occurred to him -- massage. He had come across the spa at the inn during his exploring, and it did not really seem to be in use.

After a few cooking lessons, Alcuin had offered to read to Ignis, and so when he'd seen him last he suggested they meet the next morning by the pool, which also happened to be right by the spa. Perhaps he'd be interested in helping him explore that, as well.

Comments

[st_eadfast]

"Blank paper may be easier to find than decent books." And it would be interesting to hear literature from Alcuin's world, definitely. "And for the record, I would be more than willing to listen to poetry should good books remain unavailable."

[st_unning]

Alcuin looked up at the sky for a moment, and then said softly, "I will recite for you one of my favorites, then." Ignis would not know exactly how much this meant to him, and he needn't.

"O, dear my lord...
Let this breast on which you have leant
As close in love as a foe in battle,
Unarmed, unarmored, grappling chest to chest,
Alone in the glade
Where birds started at our voices,
Laughter winging airborne, we struggled
For advantage, neither giving quarter;
How I remember your arms beneath my grip,
Sliding like marble slickened;
Your chest pressed to mine
Heaving;
As our feet trampled the tender grass
Your eyes narrowed with tender cunning
And I unaware
Until your heel caught my knee; I buckled,
Falling,
Vanquished; O sovereign adored,
To be pierced ecstatic by the shaft of victory;
Sweet the pain of losing,
Sweeter this second struggle..."

His voice trailed off as he finished the poem, and hoped that the emotion had not been so apparent in his voice as he felt the ache of Anafiel's loss.

[st_eadfast]

Perhaps it should have been predictable, but the poem made Ignis think of Noctis before he could shove it back and try to appreciate the words for what they were, devoid of... other meaning.

Even partially distracted, he heard the emotion in Alcuin's voice, as well as the fact that Alcuin was trying to hide it. Therefore, he ignored it. Mostly. At least as well as his own emotions, anyway. "That's lovely. Thank you, Alcuin."

[st_unning]

"It was Anafiel's," Alcuin said softly. "He was a poet, a very good one..."

But then he cleared his throat, trying to chase away the melancholy. "But you're right, I should write them down. And it's unfortunate the Trois Milles Joies is mostly pictures. Though I'm not certain how interested others here would be in what is essentially an instruction manual for pleasure."

[st_eadfast]

...Ah. Um. Ignis willed himself not to fidget uncomfortably. "Anything worth reading would be worth reading in general. And I, ah, imagine Miss Fisher at least might be interested." Perhaps the Captain Corsair as well, though she would be unlikely to admit it out loud.

[st_unning]

Alcuin chuckled. "You may be right about that. Oh, speaking of Miss Fisher!" He smiled brightly, even knowing that Ignis could not see it. "We had a helpful conversation the other day, and she pointed out an actual helpful skill set I have... which was what I thought you might be willing to help me out with. I want to take an inventory of the spa here. I have some skill with therapeutic massage."

[st_eadfast]

Even though he couldn't see the smile, Ignis could hear it. Even without effort to that effect, smiles tended to enter peoples' tone, which meant it was one expression he could decipher without difficulty.

Alcuin's smile was not surprising in the least, either; he'd spoken before of his desire to be useful and productive, of his need to find something to do. Of his worry that the skills he had were none of the above. Ignis smiled back with unfeigned pleasure that none of those worries had been valid. "I would be more than happy to help you, of course."

[st_unning]

Alcuin beamed at him. "Oh, thank you," he said. "It will be nice to have the company. It's actually right here near the pool, if you don't have anywhere to run off to?"

[st_eadfast]

"Nowhere at all," Ignis assured him. It would have had to be a considerable emergency to draw him away from Alcuin's company, and while that was an issue that would no doubt have to be attended to before it became obvious, there was no need to worry about it now. Tidying and inventory was decidedly friendly assistance. "Tell me how I can help."

[st_unning]

"Well, partly I'd just like company, and you're very good at that," Alcuin said. He got to his feet, and took Ignis' hand to pull him up. "Come along, let's go explore, then." And he kept hold of Ignis' hand to lead him to the spa.

[st_eadfast]

Quite probably he should have taken his hand back and used Alcuin's footsteps and the almost-indistinguishable (to most) echoes of them to find his own way, but Ignis let himself be led. "I expect proximity to the pool means you'll have a lot of visitors once you're set up."

[st_unning]

"Perhaps!" said Alcuin. "I also hope that there are others here who might have suitable skills for a spa. I know about massage, but that is about it. I'm not really sure what a facial is, for example."

They walked inside the main entrance of the spa. There was a slight smell of subtle scents of lotion and soap, even though the bottles had all been closed up for some time, Alcuin assumed.

[st_eadfast]

"A facial would be one or more of several types of skin treatment for the face. Masks, and so forth." Ignis shrugged. His own skill set had never come close to including either facials or massages, given Noct's frequent discomfort with being touched at all in general. "Perhaps there are instructions somewhere for the procedures you don't know." It was a long shot, but had to be a non-zero possibility.

[st_unning]

"Perhaps," Alcuin said. "I do enjoy learning new things. So - " He began describing the space around them. "There are a number of massage tables, and also chairs by sinks. There is a steam room, and showers, and... I believe they are called jacuzzis? There are a number of massage oils and other products that I can't quite identify."

[st_eadfast]

Yes, he was present to be company, but the idea of helping Alcuin get his place arranged was a pleasant one, so Ignis started moving around the space. Slowly and carefully, subtly using his feet to swipe for obstacles since he hadn't even bothered to bring his cane out of his room in weeks.

There had to be some kind of desk or office with... appointment books, inventory ledgers, something. A computer. They would be of no use to him, but might provide Alcuin with some usable information. "The chairs by sinks are likely for hair or face washing, particularly if there's a divot in the front. The patron rests his or her neck there to put their head over the sink and make the washing easier for the one performing it."

[st_unning]

Alcuin looked over at them. "That makes sense," he said. Then imagined it, finding that the position made a lot of sense. "I know how to do that... wash hair, scalp massage." He opened a cabinet above the sinks, finding an array of soap... shampoo. Just for hair, he assumed.

[st_eadfast]

The combination of faint floral/herbal/fruit smell was oddly soothing despite how indistinct it was, and the space was well-arranged enough that Ignis didn't even come close to humiliating himself by crashing into something while trying to avoid another thing. No desk, yet, but the space was taking shape around him at least. "If we can find proper scissors, hair-cutting is another service that will likely be called for, sooner or later. I doubt that anyone's hair will cease to grow just because we're trapped here."

[st_unning]

"I have no idea how, but I suppose I could learn," Alcuin said thoughtfully. "I'm not sure who would want to let me practice on them, though..."

He moved closer to Ignis, and leaned over him to open another cabinet. This one had a variety of bottles of oil. "What sorts of scents do you like?"

[st_eadfast]

"They're mainly food-based. Coffee. Vanilla, cinnamon, and so on. Terribly predictable, I know." After a moment of thought , Ignis added, "I confess I've always liked jasmine, as well, though I mainly know it from tea. You?"

[st_unning]

Alcuin hummed a bit as he began looking through the bottles. "Jasmine is one of the houses of the night court in Terre D'Ange," he said. "Their canon is pleasure for pleasure's sake."

Then he made a happy little noise and pulled out a bottle. He opened it and held it closer to Ignis. It was jasmine vanilla.

[st_eadfast]

Ignis couldn't think of a canon less appropriate to him, and wondered absently if he should find a different scent to like, given its meaning. Clover, perhaps: a pleasant and inoffensive scent, but on no one's list of top choices.

He might have continued along that thought process, even started checking to see if there were any scents like that, when the jasmine vanilla hit his nose and... it was unfair, really, that combination. It was. Two scents he already liked well, combined into one that should have been too sweet but wasn't, in the hands of... well, anyone's hands would have been awkward, but.... Unfair. "Yes. Um. That one, definitely, would be on my list of favorites."

[st_unning]

"I thought you would like it," Alcuin said, sounding pleased.

He hesitated, and then said, "Ignis, please feel free to say no if you'd rather not, but if you'd like... I'd like to... try things out. Give a massage table a spin."

[st_eadfast]

That was a bad idea. Ignis liked Alcuin, the young man was good company, an intelligent and interesting conversationalist, a warm presence. A friend. Almost certainly, Alcuin had had enough of crass attention, and part of the pleasure he found in Ignis's company was that a blind man didn't, couldn't, react the same way as so many others. Surely would be a bad idea to invite the kind of hurt and awkwardness - for them both! - that could result from hands on skin.

And yet, provided he could control his own reactions - assuming there would be any, of course - who would know whether he enjoyed being touched or simply allowed it to help a friend? Alcuin wanted to test his skill on a friend first instead of a stranger, nothing more. Distance could always be recalibrated afterward, surely.

Excuses on both sides, and Ignis could have gone around in mental circles for much longer than he allowed himself, which was about half a minute. At that point, he nodded. There'd never been any real chance he'd turn down Alcuin's offer. "It would be best to practice on someone you know, at that, especially given how much of this place is unfamiliar in general. Tell me what you'd like me to do."

[st_unning]

Of course Alcuin felt his hesitation. There were a number of reasons he might hesitate, most perfectly valid.

"I truly am not offended if it makes you uncomfortable," Alcuin said gently. "Though I promise I mean nothing... untoward."

Though he could not deny that he knew he would enjoy touching the other man. Still, he had very good self control.

[st_eadfast]

"Of course you don't." The response, in a reassuring tone, was immediate and nearly automatic. Yes, of course he didn't. That idea would have been patently ridiculous. Alcuin's intentions were not in question, all the questioning was for Ignis himself.

But he could be neutral, couldn't he? It wasn't like he hadn't had practice. Keep still and hold off on worry and apologies until there was actually something to worry or apologize for. "I'm not uncomfortable," something of a lie, the mix of desire for touch/concern for feelings/shame for wanting at all wasn't exactly comfortable, "merely given to considering unexpected questions at length. What do you need me to do?"