//------------------------------// // 11~The "Bathhouse" // Story: Youngblood // by Centurion Pike-Wall //------------------------------// August 30, 3095 Imperial Calender (1522 AD) Scootaloo's House, Ponyville DJ went back into the room he shared with his brother, groaning and flobbing on his bed. Depressi looked up from the book he was reading and asked, "Something wrong?" "This shower sucks", DJ groaned. "Well, to be fair, they don't have a water heater", Depressi said. "It's a pipe connected to the town cistern, brought into the house via a pump." DJ shrugged, sitting up and grabbing a flask next to his bed. He took a swig of water, before asking, "Does that mean I can't complain about it?" "No, I suppose it doesn't. But, I can't do anything about it", Depressi said. "Why don't you go hang out with the Princeps?" "Nah. Not the day we meet up", DJ said, reaching for a small bottle in his bag and pulling out a small pill. Depressi slid a small piece of cord into his book. "What do you two even do?" DJ finished the swig of water he used to wash the pill down, before putting both the containers back by his bag. He said, "She doesn't want me to say." Depressi smirked and said, "Ah, I see. Making out in the woods, eh?" DJ's feathers flared in embarrassment, looking to Depressi with a look of bloody murder. "W-why would you even assume that!?" "No reason", Depressi said, returning to his book. "I am not saying anything about it-" "You just did, you twat", DJ said, slumping back on his pillow. Ignoring his brother's taunts, Depressi continued, "-But, I am saying that there are some people that will take it that way. Or, they might take it another way; who knows. I mean, I am certain that her mother would have a few interesting-" "And with that, I'm leaving", DJ said, standing up and grabbing a fedora leaning on his bedpost. Depressi once again looked up from the book, asking, "And where are you going?" "That building on the edge of town with the roof that looks like a pair of different-sized teats", DJ said, slipping a pad of paper into his vest pocket. "From what I heard in a conversation between Southern and Pumpkin, it's something like a Bathhouse. And it is still Tuesday." "Don't you still have to finish up some homework?", Depressi asked. DJ opened the door, looking back. "There's even less than we get back home. And we already get next to nothing. Most of it's due Friday, anyway. Push come to shove, I can do it tonight. Now, I want to go get a proper Tuesday dip, so thank you. Go suck your own dick or something." Depressi shook his head as DJ shut the door behind him. He turned back to the book, muttering to himself, "Stubborn, I'll give him that." ++++~++++ "Ah'm tellin' you, Flurry", Southern said. "This'll be good fer ya." Next to her, Pumpkin Cake and Flurry Heart trotted alongside her. The three of them rounded the corner of a street, spotting a building with a pointed roof and a few shrubs outside of it. Flurry asked, "Why exactly are you dragging me here again?" "Because, you need to relax", Pumpkin replied. Flurry ground to a halt, asking calmly yet coldly, "And what does that mean?" The two mares stopped in front of her, looking back with a mix of annoyance and concern. Southern said, "Flurry, y'all are kinda... oh, what's the word...?" "Intense?", Pumpkin offered. "Yeah, that works", Southern said. "Ya work yerself harder than ah do whenever you come over to mah place, ya go off and do whatever ya do on Fridays and whatnot, and are otherwise always so... on edge, ah guess." "Yeah, that sounds about right", Pumpkin says. "This'll be good for you, Flurry." Flurry sighed, continuing to walk and head towards the Ponyville Day Spa. She said, "I don't know. It sounds a little... frilly." "Oh, for Celestia's sake, Flurry", Pumpkin said. "We get it. You don't like being a Princess or any sort of thing in any way connected to that. But, this has nothing to do with it!" "Yeah! Ah don't like that sorta thing too, but even ah go to this with Pumpkin. Hay, Aunt AJ goes with Miss Rarity when she an' Miss Fluttershy go to it", Southern said. "I'm here, aren't I?", Flurry asked, opening the door to the lobby. Her eyes quickly shot over the benches with various ponies, mostly mares, waiting for their appointments. Her half-lidded, bored eyes finally fell on the front desk, turning to confusion. "Girls, is that DJ?" The two looked past the Alicorn, spotting the demigryph talking to one of the Spa Ponies, Aloe. The Prench pony said, "I am sorry, sir. But, as I have said, this establishment is by appointment only. You can set one up, but I can't just let you go through a treatment now." "Hey DJ!", Pumpkin called, drawing the attention of both Aloe and DJ. Turning her attention away from DJ, Aloe said, "Ah, Mademoiselle Pumpkin! Are you here for your ten 'O clock?" "Of course", Pumpkin said. "But, uh, what's going on?" "I was hoping to enjoy something at least a bit similar to my usual Tuesday visits to a Bathhouse. But, well, these establishments are really different, as it turns out", DJ said, sighing. After Flurry translated what he said, Southern scratched her chin while Pumpkin asked, "Why, how are Bathhouses different?" "You don't need appointments, for one", DJ said, shooting a dirty look at Aloe. "And I'm not all that sure about some of the services here, but the mentality seems to be the same." Following Flurry telling them what he said, Aloe said, "Again, I am sorry. But this isn't how it works here." "Well, can he join us?", Southern asked. Aloe tapped her hoof to her chin, then looked at a clipboard just below the counter. Flurry asked, "Wasn't this supposed to be just a thing for us?" "We never said that", Southern countered. "Besides, he's a friend, ain't he?" "Thank... you", DJ said. "That should be ok", Aloe said. "I'll let the attendants know to expect an extra. It should take another few minutes." "That's fine. Thank you", Pumpkin said. The four of them took a seat at one of the benches near the door, DJ taking off his hat and putting it on a series of hangers on the wall. Southern asked, "So, you go ta bathhouses back in Pryha? Ah never really pegged ya as the type." "What does that mean?", DJ said, before muttering a curse. "Everyone... does it." "Really?", Southern asked. "Ah mean, even among some of the less mare-y mare's, it's still a mares thing." DJ said, "And... that is... dumb. Why?" "It's just how it is", Flurry said. "That is... dumb. Bathhouse... ah, fuck. Flurry, you mind?", DJ said, growling in frustration. "Already do it", Flurry groused. "Good", DJ said. "Anyway, it's both a tradition and a social thing. It started out before independent showers, public sewage, sanitation systems, and even fucking soap were things. Big communal spaces where creatures could go to get clean and eventually meet up. Even after all that shit was invented, it was still around for the social aspect, and to help get really clean. I mean... yeah. I'm not the best at explaining this shit, and that's the best I got." "Well, spa's here aren't at all like that", Pumpkin said. "You'll see, but it's more for relaxation than to get clean and hang out." "Best I got", DJ said. "Normally do this on... on... on Tuesdays, and... the shower at Aunt Scootaloo's... not good." As Flurry finished relaying what DJ said, the other spa sister, Lotus, called, "Pumpkin Cake for ten O' clock!? Pumpkin Cake for ten 'O clock!" "Let's go", Pumpkin said, standing up. "I promise, you'll enjoy this thoroughly." A pale lime unicorn stallion led them down the hall, with DJ looking into the rooms whose doors were open as he passed. He spotted various ponies, some in the signature headbands of the Spa while others were wrapped in towels. Those in towels laid on thin white beds, while those in Spa uniforms performed various actions to them. Rubbed their backs, applied ointments; he even saw one room with a huge stallion pressing down on the much smaller ponies back. He asked Flurry, "You're certain this is supposed to help one relax? It looks more like a torture facility." "Hey, you and me both", She said. "I got talked into this too." "Trust me. You'll enjoy this!", Pumpkin called back. "Me and Southern have a whole thing planned out. We start out with a Mud Bath, then get a back rub, then air out at the sauna." "Mud bath? Isn't that counter-productive?", DJ asked. Flurry relayed what he said, and the spa employee replied, "It's not actually mud, sir. It's a mix of seaweed and volcanic ash from the Dragonlands, mixed with spring water. It helps relax the muscles and absorb some of the oils from your fur. I wouldn't recommend getting it in your feathers, though. We've had a few complaints about it being bothersome and not all that helpful." DJ shrugged as they entered a small room containing a large wooden tub. The spa attendant said, "Go ahead and climb on in. I'll be back in about forty minutes for your back rubs." As he left, Southern undid her bandana and set it on a bench. "Ah'd take yer clothes off. Real mud or no, it ain't fun gettin' it on yer clothes. Flurry shrugged, pulling off her gorget and jacket in one fluid motion. She climbed up the stairs next to the tub, sliding in after Pumpkin got clear of the stairs. She instantly relaxed, sliding down the side of the tub just enough so the base of her wings were just above the mud-line. "Oh, you two were right. This is great." She looked over, spotting DJ slowly stripping, being careful to keep his back faced away from them. "Yo, you good?" "Yeah", he called back. He finished getting out of his clothes, climbing up the side with a towel around his neck. Again keeping his back facing away from them, he slid into it, sinking up to his neck. The four of them just sat still, heads leaned back and eyes closed. DJ shifted around for a bit, noting the viscous consistency of the mud being very different from the Caldarium that was the best comparison he had. Not bad, just different than he was used to. After what felt like two hours, the unicorn poked his head back in, calling out, "Ready to move on!?" "Yeah!", Pumpkin called, turning to the others. "He should have some water for us to clean it off. I wouldn't get dressed again. They'll take your clothes to the front." "Right", Flurry said, standing up and flying out of the synthetic mud. After the others did the same, DJ stood and grabbed the towel in his beak, following them. Sure enough, four buckets had been provided. Flurry picked hers up in her magic, letting the water fall on her back and wash the mud off. DJ did the same, before throwing his towel over his back. "Let's go", Southern said. "This is my favorite part." The four of them once again followed the unicorn into one of the side rooms off the main corridor. Inside were four of those white beds that DJ had seen earlier, which he now noticed had a large hole in the front, about big enough for someone to fit their head through. The stallion said, "Just lay down on the beds. Your masseuses will be along shortly." With that, he once again left, after which Pumpkin and Southern climbed onto the beds. Flurry did the same, followed by DJ after he re-adjusted the towel. He asked, "Is it supposed to be like this?" "You're meant to focus... well, either on your masseuse or on nothing at all. Just enjoy yourself", Pumpkin said after Flurry repeated what he said. Following this, the door once again opened and a few ponies entered. DJ, due to having his head in the hole, didn't get a good look at the one who came up to him. In fact, he only really registered it when he heard a mare's voice with a prench accent asked, "Excuse me, sir. But, would you mind if I take off the towel?" "Why?", he asked. Flurry said, "He wants to know why." "Oh", the mare said. "I just need to get better access to your back muscles, and the towel is in the way." "Tell her I don't rightly care", DJ told Flurry. Following the relaid request, the mare seemingly nodded. "Ok." DJ then felt a pair of hooves press into his back, pushing into the somewhat coiled muscles and seeming to cause them to deflate. DJ sighed in contentment, shutting his eyes as he let himself be lost in the sensation. It reminded him of the oil rubs he got from time to time, albeit without the oil. He opened his beak lazily, half thinking of asking if that was an option, when he felt the towel be raised slightly. His beak clamped shut, and his eyes shot up. His head shot up, rage-filled eyes locking with the confused and panicked ones of the Masseuse. "What I just say!? No move... NO MOVE TOWEL!" He took several deep breaths, looking around him. Everyone else in the room, and even another pony outside the room, were looking at him. Southern asked, "Are... are you ok, DJ?" "I'm fine", he said, anger still in his voice. "Just... don't." He laid the towel back over his back, laying back down. ++++~++++ The four of them exited the spa, silence reigning between them. Finally, once they were no longer within earshot of anyone else, Southern asked, "DJ, are ya ok? Ah mean, what was that outburst back there?" "Fine", DJ said, shifting his hat around. "Just... not like others touching back." "Well, uh... see you tomorrow?", Flurry asked. "Sure. Vale", DJ said, heading back towards Scootaloo's house.