Closed Not in the Job Description (Viper)

[Wanda Endust]

65th, Summer 513AV
Soothing Waters Bath and Massage, 19th bell

Wanda reached for her hand towel, slowly wiping the leftover massage oil from her hands. She'd just finished up with a customer and sent him on his way. He'd still be sore for a couple bells, but Wanda knew that when the fellow woke up in the morning, he'd feel like a new man. There was something incredibly satisfying about her job, especially now that she was being trusted to handle more customers and didn't have to face the excruciatingly long breaks between activity.

However, sometimes it was difficult to deal with those few folks who mistook her for one of the masseuses who got paid for more than just massages. More customers meant fending off more awkward advances. Luckily, it seemed that the fact that the new masseuse was off-limits was beginning to become common knowledge among those who might've thought otherwise.

It was approaching the end of Wanda's shift, and it seemed that the man she'd sent off moments before would likely be her last for the day. But there was still enough time for a last-minute customer -- perhaps 45 chimes before she could return home.

Wanda finished wiping her hands, folded the towel, and placed it gingerly next to the white massage mat. The aroma if incense filled the surrounding air. Wanda made sure to rotate the scent each day, but sometimes the constant smell was simply too much to endure all day. Though the scent had faded since the morning, Wanda opened the door to her massage room to let the place air out.

And then, she waited.

OOCHope this is alright! I had some trouble with writer's block.

[Viper]

Viper found himself roaming the streets of Syliras mulling over the troubling news that had just made its way to him. His people out of desperation to not vanish from the face of Mizahar have decided to take drastic steps to increase the population back to more sustainable levels. Although he understood perfectly well the need to survive...raiding for slaves was just not something he could fathom his people stooping too.

Were things really that bad back home? Truly, he didn't know. He hasn't been back there for some months now. The epidemic he left behind must have done far more damage than he even realized. Was there justification then? He supposed they weren't actually intending the people they captured to be slaves in the normal sense of the word after all. Really the people would be well treated and absorbed into the clans to become normal members like any other....

And as a fellow Drykas, was is not his duty to help in the rebuilding effort of his people? Viper had mulled these thoughts for many hours before very reluctantly deciding, he must do what he could to help...for the betterment of his people. His next query was even more vexing than the first. How does one go about choosing a target? He honestly had no clue. In point of fact, he had gone out and fought raiders in the past. Now it seemed he was to become one of them.

Pushing those thoughts from his mind, he tried to focus. Ok, I'm looking for a female...obviously. Preferably a younger woman. Hmm, I could just go down to Herald's Arm and pick someone up that way. A frown soon took over his expression. No...not looking for a whore. Looking for someone who could be a fine respectable member of the clan. Preferably one with skills... It was at this moment his eyes were drawn to a nearby sign for the Soothing Waters Bath and Massage business. Hmm well. Probably not the most useful skill set for my people. But then perhaps they would enjoy a luxury service in these depressing times to lift their spirits.

As he continued to contemplate these thoughts in his mind, a customer happened to be exiting the building. An apparent friend of his greeted him and asked how the new masseuse was and if he should look into hiring her for her "services". The man exiting had laughed and said the new girl wasn't offering those kind of services and continued his discussion for a minute before switching to a new topic. Moving away from the duo before they noticed his eavesdropping, he pondered the idea a moment longer. Perfect! he thought. He had heard of these type of places offering more than just a "massage" and again wasn't looking for that type of person. Perhaps this one would be a good choice...

"Good afternoon ma'am." He said in a pleasant, if somewhat hesitant tone as he entered the building. Having never been in a place like this before and then for his current purpose, he was feeling a little awkward. "I'm a...hear for a massage. A friend of mine mentioned a new employee of yours was particularly good. Was wondering if she was available at all?"

"Oh! Just one moment and let me see if I can find her for you." Replied the attendant happily before disappearing to find Wanda. He cracked his neck tensely as he waited, wondering what this woman might be like. Wondering all the while what he was really getting himself into...

[Wanda Endust]

A couple chimes passed and Wanda found herself sitting cross-legged at her door, tracing mindless patterns onto the stone floor with her forefinger. Tomorrow was her day off. But though she was eager to return to her apartment, she honestly wouldn't have minded taking on another customer to keep her busy. There was some saying about how idle hands were no good, but Wanda couldn't quite remember the way it went.

As she glanced up from her musings, she caught sight of a disturbance in the mist, an attendant rapidly approaching. Wanda beamed as the woman came closer, scrambling to her feet in a most unprofessional manner. With any luck, the other employee was here to give her something to do! And luck was on Wanda's side it seemed.

"Wanda!" the woman called cheerily, and for a moment Wanda felt embarrassed to not know the attendant's name. But the other woman continued. "A young man specifically requested you for a massage. Think you've got the time to squeeze one more in before you leave?"

"Definitely!" she chirped brightly. The attendant nodded and turned, and Wanda followed her through the warm mist of the bathing area to the reception counter.

Without breaking stride, the attendant leaned closer and mumbled quietly, "He seemed a bit uncertain, probably a new customer. Do your best to make him feel welcome, yeah?" Wanda offered a reassuring nod, and the two parted. As she arrived, she eyed the waiting man before breaking out a warm grin.

"Hello hello! I'm Wanda, I'll be your masseuse! If there's anything specific you need, don't hesitate to ask," she greeted Viper."But please! Follow me." She motioned in the direction of the massage quarters. He was simply another client. For now.

[Viper]

As Viper waited, he glanced around the room, taking in his surroundings. It didn't take long though before he was greeted by an attractive young women who introduced herself as Wanda. He flashed his customary friendly smile and quickly nodded to her request to follow. "Pleasure to meet you ma'am." For now, he preferred to not to mention his name, and simply moved quickly past the introductions as he listened to the rest of what she had to say. He wanted as few people as possible hearing his name. Actually now that he thought about it, he should probably come up with a new alias altogether. If it wasn't for the possibility that she would notice his expression. He would have rolled his eyes at his own stupidity. What a wretched beginning this was.

Walking through the misty hallway, he tried to gather his thoughts together and soon entered the room she pointed out. Viper was beginning to feel nervous. Not only about why he was here, but also the simple fact that he had no idea about any codes of conduct in a place like this. Well...I'm supposed to be learning about this person and what she does...so why not just ask? He finally thought to himself. "Ok so honestly. I have no idea what to really ask for. I have never seen a masseuse before. My friend finally convinced me to try it out. Soooo....how does this work exactly? I mean, does this massage thing have any health benefits? Or is it just for relaxing purposes? What do I do?...."

He cut himself off as he realized he was starting to ramble. Bringing a hand up, he rubbed the back of his neck and gave a half hearted chuckle as he then realized he hadn't even lowered his mask. Pulling it down to finally reveal all his face, he shrugged a bit nervously. "My apologies ma'am. I am a bit out of my element here." He finished with as warm, and as friendly a smile as he could muster. Good gods...why does this seem like an even worse idea than it was before? He pondered to himself as he watched her closely hoping she wouldn't see right through him. Course then again.... Why would she? She has absolutely no reason to suspect anything more than him just being a new customer feeling a bit awkward at this new environment. Come on Vipe, get a grip. Focus! Settling down some, he took a breath as he awaited her response.

[Wanda Endust]

Wanda flashed a grin at the man's polite greeting, whisking him gently through the mist and steam and into her massage room. He seemed to get gradually more uncomfortable as they proceeded, a fact that made her a little worrisome, though her friendly smile did not falter. As the pair entered her candlelit room, she paused to swing the door closed but kept it slightly ajar. So as not to make the man feel closed-in.

Here, she could see the man better. The first thing she noticed was his height -- he seemed to be roughly an entire foot taller than herself. That, coupled with the fact that his face was partially covered, would have been intimidating. But the fellow had kind eyes and, for better or worse, Wanda determined that she could trust him.

Reaching down to adjust the massage mat, Wanda kept watch of the man from the corner of her eye. However, his mouth was obscured (either by his mask or her vision, she couldn't tell) and it came as a nice surprise when he spoke to voice his concerns and questions.

"Well," she began with a lop-sided grin, "It looks like we'll only have half a bell's time, so does a simple neck and shoulder massage sound fine? Nothing too complicated for your first time," she chortled with a friendly wink. "It might work best if your shoulders are bare, but you can keep your shirt on if you'd be more comfortable."

"As for the benefits... I suppose most folks use it to relax. But it also helps with anxiety, digestion, headaches, insomnia, and all kinds of injuries and whatnot," she reassured, counting off the list on her fingers. "All you need to worry about is relaxing."

The man was nervously rambling, though Wanda had no way to know that it was guilty anxiety rather than plain ol' out-of-comfort-zone nerves. She chuckled good-naturedly at his apology, and the preceding mask removal, for which she was grateful. "Ha, no worries. It's perfectly understandable that you'd be anxious in a new place." For a split second, she considered using hypnotic suggestion to get the man to unwind a little, but silently scolded herself. That kind of thing could lead to nothing but trouble.

"How 'bout this," Wanda said, motioning with her hand for the man to sit, "Let's just share a little bit about ourselves, yeah? Get to know each other." She moved to sit on the floor, crossing her legs. "I was born here in Syliras -- Oh! I didn't catch your name!"

[Viper]

Her calm and friendly tone surprisingly did wonders to ease away a bit of his nervousness. So far she seemed to be exactly what he was looking for. Even her description of the benefits of her service took him by surprise in a good way. So it seemed these skills of her might be useful to his people after all. Well that was a plus. As she spoke, he began to forget his actual reason for being there and was more and more settling in to simply talking.

Taking the offered seat, he smiled. "Sure. But I'm fine. I should probably at least have you do my shoulders if you wouldn't mind. Then I can tell my friend honestly, that I used your services. And he can stop pestering me." He chuckled lightly. "I mean not that I find you intimidating or scary or anything... Like I said, just not the element I'm used to...." He paused for a moment before continuing. "Uh... you said shoulders bare worked best right?" He confirmed as he began to remove his shirt. "Still I wouldn't mind getting to know ya as well." He flashed a friendly smile and returned her wink.

With that, he turned in his seat a bit so that his back was to her. And not a moment to soon either. For when, she asked his name, his eyes widened some. "My name? Oh, I'm sorry..my name is Aeyan." He slightly stumbled at first, but then finished normally. He purposely fumbled with his shirt just a bit to mask his hesitation as nothing more than him just messing with a stupid button. A moment later though, he removed his shirt, revealing muscular form bore several large scars on his chest, shoulder and right arm.

"So... born in Syliras were ya? How do you find living here? Seems so cramped with all these people living on top of each other. Am I right? Or does one just get used to the more confined quarters? I don't mean that in an insulting way mind you. I'm just more used to the outdoors."

[Wanda Endust]

As the man undid his shirt, Wanda moved behind him and folded her legs comfortably. "Well it's nice to meet you, Aeyan," came her cheery reply, glad that he seemed to be relaxing, and that she had seemed to impress him with her knowledge.

She stifled a surprised squeak as "Aeyan" bore his back. Wanda hadn't expected him to have so many scars. It wasn't a new sight to her -- the knights of the city whom she'd serviced were often heavily scarred themselves. But this fellow definitely didn't seem to be a knight, and the regular folk of Syliras didn't tend to see battle.

Ah, but he did seem to be a foreigner, judging by his questions. "I like it here, overcrowded-ness and all," she chuckled. Really, she'd never been anywhere else. In fact, she probably would have figured that Syliras's condition was normal if it weren't for the constant complaints from travelers and out-of-towners. "Seems normal to me I guess. People probably get used to it, or they wouldn't keep hangin' 'round," she mused.

While she spoke, Wanda eyed the man's back and reached out the initiate the massage, beginning with the neck. She applied pressure with both hands to either side, proceeding to move her hands inward with circular motions. "Ha, we cityfolk aren't completely cut off from nature! I still take walks outside the walls every now and again. Actually, I was planning on taking a walk tomorrow morning, since it's my day off," she said with a smile. "I want to get out of the city someday though, maybe somewhere where I could learn more about massaging. How about yourself? Where do you come from, if you don't mind me asking?"

[Viper]

Viper's keen ears managed to pick up the surprise in Wanda after he removed his shirt. Despite her best efforts. A small smile appeared. "Ah...yeah sorry. Forgot to warn ya about my scars. Although I do love the outdoors. Man isn't the only danger lurking around this world. I had a bad run in with a pack of wolves of while back. Fortunately, my acquaintance and I were able to get ourselves out the mess. Even if I did come out of it a little worse for wear." He chuckled a bit. "That and a couple other random hunting mishaps from time to time. Still it was more my fault. Wasn't paying enough attention I suppose."

He shrugged after offering up the story on his scars and then listened as she went on about her life in the city some. As she began to work her craft on his upper body, he at first instinctively tensed when she reached for his neck. It had been a long time since anyone had really laid a hand on him in a manner so as not to cause harm. Working past his instincts, he quickly relaxed once more and let her do her job. As he listened to her something she said suddenly captured his attention.

"Go for walks outside the city do ya? Well that's interesting. I usually go for a ride in the morning outside the city when I'm in town. If you'd care for some company, let me know....if that's not to forward that is." Internally he chided himself. Good grief Viper. Don't move so fast. Now she's just going to think you're creepy.

It was her next question that took him a little off guard. He had to think on it for a moment. "Well I'm not really "from" anywhere. I have tended to be a bit of a wanderer. Actually I had just arrived from Zeltiva not that long ago." In an attempt to lead the discussion away from him and his past, he continued. "But you mentioned that you'd want to get out of the city someday. Did you have anywhere in particular you'd like to see?"

[Wanda Endust]

The way the man recanted the story behind his scars was odd to Wanda. She'd grown used to the knights and their boasting, even if their stories were more than slightly embellished. "C'mon," she chided jokingly, "That's no way to tell a tale! You earned those scars one way or another, might as well make it exciting."

At his suggestion for company tomorrow morning, Wanda thought for a moment. It'd been a while since she'd had the free time for a walk. Did she want someone to accompany her, or would she rather experience it on her own?

Moving her hands toward the base of the man's neck, Wanda smiled foolishly. Perhaps she would make a new friend out of this newcomer? "Some company would be great!" she decided. It's always more fun with more folks, right? Besides, Syna's early morning light is always more beautiful when it's shared. His request didn't seem odd to her in the least. Rather, it seemed more like a courtesy.

"I have tended to be a bit of a wanderer."

"Ah, there are plenty of those in Syliras," she mentioned absentmindedly as she listened. "Anywhere in particular... Huh, I guess I never really thought about it much." She contemplated, and her massaging lulled for a brief moment before she caught herself. Wanda really didn't know anything about the world outside of Syliras. The only knowledge she did have was secondhand stories from travelers, and for the most part those slipped from her memory after a short while. She chewed her bottom lip in thought.

"Hrm, I don't really know of anyplace in particular outside of Syliras," she admitted sheepishly. "But anywhere exciting would do -- not that the city isn't exciting! I just wanna see someplace new." Wanda paused, considering. "Hey, you said you just arrived from Zeltiva? Where's that? What's it like?"

She might've been concerned about pestering the fellow with questions, but the sentiment didn't cross her mind. Has her hands kneaded their way down to and across his shoulders, she noticed that it was getting late and probably near time for them to be finishing up.

[Viper]

Viper chuckled when she joked about his ability to tell a story about one of his scars. It wasn't that he didn't know how to tell one, it was that it involved a person he did not wish to remember anytime soon. Still without putting to much more thought in it, he simply stayed quiet and let the subject fade away as the conversation moved on.

It was her answer to his offer to join her that took him more by surprise. She didn't seem to think the offer strange at all. In fact she seemed delighted by the prospect. He actually was slightly saddened. Well happy, but saddened. On one hand, it was just what he was looking for. A nice easy way to get her away from the safety of the city and the knights. Would probably even be able to get away with it without his name turning up on a wanted poster. But at the same point...she was just such a pleasant person. He almost wished it wasn't her that this was about to happen to.

It was good his back was to her, so as to make it impossible for her to see the small frown develop as he pondered the situation. Forcing a smile back on his face though, so it wouldn't betray his tone he said in a happy voice. "Excellent! Well then I suppose I'll just meet you outside the walls with my horse. As for Zeltiva...." He thought for a second. "...It's a coastal city to the south and east. Place of learning from what I could see. Seemed to support a large fishing and shipping community as well. Didn't have a very good selection of beer though." He laughed as he then recanted his short visit to the Kelp Bar and being surprised with the fact that the one brew was all they served.

The conversation had been so pleasant, he again was forgetting why he was there. He also suspected her message may have helped to keep his nerves in check as well. Though he couldn't help periodically wincing some when she would hit a knot. The day continued to press on though, and he soon noticed the sun getting lower in the evening sky. "Well ma'am. Although I am loath to say it, it must be nearing closing time if it hasn't already passed. I should probably let you get finish closing shop so you can get home at a decent bell." He pulled away from her and began to put his shirt back on as he stood up. Upon finishing, he cracked his neck a couple of times as he flexed his shoulders a bit, reveling in the comfort and relief her message had given him.

"Wow...that really is amazing. My 'friend' was right. You are very skilled at what you do." He said genuinely and with a friendly smile. "So how much do I owe you?"