Oh So Pretty
Perry sat idly on the couch, not bothering to make a sound. It seemed so harmless at the time, never actually having thought it would be this big of a deal. Several heated battles and a trip to the hospital made him almost forget about something he didn’t even see as a big deal at the time. It was still hard to tell why the woman in front of him was so full of energy and enthusiasm about something so subtle. A few weeks ago, prior to Sombra’s attack, he had said he would join Rarity and Fluttershy on one of their weekly spa treatments. It was more of a way for her to say thank you, but he wasn’t sure why it was such a big deal to her. Fluttershy didn’t seem nearly as excited, but she still had more pep than usual.
“I can’t remember the last time we were supposed to have a spa date! This is so marvelous!” Rarity said, brushing her long purple hair out of her face. She was wearing a subtle white sun dress, appropriate for the season as hotter weather began making its way to the small town. Fluttershy, on the other hand, seemed like the opposite, dressed in a yellow sweater and white pants. She had her long pale pink hair blocking most of her face, furthering the thought that she must be slowly cooking. “Thank you again for agreeing to join us, Perry. All of that fighting can’t be good for you.”
“It really doesn’t bother me, but I don’t see the harm, really. Never been to a spa before, so I can’t say I know what to expect.” Perry said honestly.
“It is so relaxing, Perry.” Fluttershy said, patting him on the shoulder. “You will love it.”
“So Perry, do you have any idea of what you want?” Rarity asked as she headed towards the door, obviously more than ready to enjoy herself.
“Whatever you think is good, I guess.” Perry said, standing up and offering a hand to Fluttershy. She accepted it and pulled herself up as well.
“The full treatment then!” Rarity exclaimed happily, waving the other two along.
“Before I do go…I have to ask. Is it appropriate for me to even be joining you?” The question was legitimate, and Perry figured she would handle it with care.
“We will all be wearing bathrobes, silly.” Rarity answered, Perry’s question of common decency probably ignored for the most part. He figured there really was no getting out of it at this point so he might as well enjoy it. At the very least, he could torment Catacomb with the grand tale for all of eternity.
---------- ---------- ----------
“So give us the full package, please.” Rarity said, laying the money on the counter.
“Absolutely, Miss Rarity.” The receptionist wearing a light pink dress responded using a somewhat exotic accent. The other woman behind the counter, wearing the exact same dress though a light shade of blue, began to quickly crunch up the numbers. Perry looked at the two, finding it odd that the hair color of one matched the dress of the other, though he figured it might be rude to bring it up. “Is he with you as well?”
“Oh I am sorry. I almost forgot. Aloe, this here is that dashing gentleman I have been talking about.” Rarity said, pushing Perry forward. He bent down and bowed politely, his normal way on introducing himself.
“Ahh, so this is the famous Perry.” Aloe said, giggling slightly. He started to ponder about what exactly Rarity said about him. “I am Aloe. My sister, Lotus, and I run this fine establishment.”
“A pleasure, Miss Aloe. I hope it isn’t too awkward with me being here.” Perry said. Aloe shook her head, looking him over slightly as she did.
“Though we don’t usually receive male clientele, I assure you that you are not the first. I just ask that you behave yourself while you are here. We are not that kind of spa.” Aloe asked politely, receiving a nod from him. “Perfect! Head over to the changing room when you are ready, we will begin with a massage.” Perry watched as Fluttershy and Rarity seemed to instinctively know where they were going. He slowly followed along, trying to not do anything that would result in his permanent shame and humiliation. Aloe noticed this and pointed him in the direction of the men’s changing room.
“Thank you very much. Where exactly do I go from there?” Perry asked politely, a bit of a whine in his tone.
“When you walk in, it will be the door to your right, and go straight down the hall.” She responded, obviously amused by his slight immaturity. “If you need anything, don’t hesitate to ask.
“Thank you again. You are so helpful!” Perry enthusiastically thanked her and walked into the changing room, preparing himself for a challenge of a lifetime.
---------- ---------- ----------
“Oh, that feels wonderful!” Rarity purred as a blond haired woman worked on her, forcing out all the built up tension from weeks past. Fluttershy was being taken care of by Aloe, who seemed much gentler with her than Rarity’s masseuse. Needless to say, the overall scene made Perry feel uncomfortable. The lack of clothes on his friend, his girlfriend being in the same state, and besides his mask he was wearing only a robe. Nothing about this entire scenario seemed right, but it was happening. Perry might as well embrace the absurdity of the situation and at least enjoy it for what it’s worth. He walked over to the empty table where Lotus had waited, giving him a reassuring smile.
“Sorry about the delay, Miss. First time jitters I guess.” Perry said, laughing slightly. “So I just lay down?”
“If you could, do you mind sliding down the top part of your robe, first?” Lotus asked. She had the same accent as her sister, yet her tone was just a bit deeper. A mild difference, everything aside. Perry nodded and slowly slid down his robe to his waist, pausing when he heard her gasp slightly. “If you don’t mind me asking, what happened?” Lotus asked, pointing to the scar on his chest.
“Oh. A fight with my great grandfather. Not to worry.” Perry said, his tone more chipper than Lotus expected. “So just lay down?” She nodded, letting Perry get comfortable on the table. His face laid in a hole in the table, staring at the ground nervously.
Lotus not wanting to ask about the matching scar on his back, began to assess her situation. He was tense. Very tense. In fact, it was as if she was trying to massage stone. “I will need you to try and relax, Perry. It will be difficult to do anything as you are now.”
“Sorry. He took a few breaths to calm himself, as Lotus began again. She started pressing into him, but it wasn’t that much more different than before.
I wonder if he has ever relaxed before in his life. Lotus pondered. She decided to try and use more pressure to at least loosen him up slightly. She pressed down, almost met with an equal amount of resistance. She looked down at him, to see he was still doing the deep breaths to stay relaxed. I am not bested yet! She continued to try and press down harder, and more vigorously, but her client’s body refused to budge, remaining as adamant as ever to not be worked on. She stopped for a moment, before a slight grin growing on her face.
“Everything alright, dear?” Aloe asked as Lotus started walking away.
“Of course it is. I just need to get a special tool, that’s all.” Lotus responded.
“Sorry if I am being a bother.” Perry said from his spot on the table.
“Not at all, Sir. You are just more sturdy than most of our clients. I will be right back, so don’t move!” Lotus happily walked out of the room, the other two workers exchanging glances.
“How is it so far, Perry?” Rarity said, not removing her head from her little hole.
“I…I don’t know. I think it started, but I don’t feel more relaxed. Maybe it is just me.” Perry responded, his tone full of confusion.
“Don’t worry. You can trust these fine ladies. If anyone can help you feel better, it is them. They are professionals.” Rarity said, relishing in the treatment she was receiving herself. Aloe continued to work on Fluttershy, easily flattered by Rarity’s compliment, and finding it quite adorable how Fluttershy falls asleep during their sessions. She looked around, trying to figure out what happened with Lotus, when she noticed her walk back into the room holding the mallet style meat tenderizer from their kitchen. Aloe stared blankly at her sister, whose response was a shrug and a smile.
---------- ---------- ----------
“So this is what it is like to feel relaxed.” Perry said, leaning forward from his seat in the steam room.
“Aren’t they fabulous?” Rarity said, taking in the cleansing heat for all it was worth.
“Indeed. I don’t know how they did it, but I feel like every knot in my back has been taken care of. I don’t see myself doing this regularly, but I can tolerate it.” Perry said, sighing as Rarity let loose another blast of steam. He turned his view towards the other girl with them, who made every effort to hide behind Rarity. “How about you, Fluttershy?”
“I…it was nice…I guess.” Perry chuckled as she spoke quietly, like the first time they met.
“Are you embarrassed to be in here with me?” Perry asked, his tone slightly amused.
“Well…yeah. I’m sorry, but it is embarrassing. Oh I wish we could wear more clothes.” Fluttershy looked away, blushing heavily.
“That’s adorable!” Perry exclaimed happily, causing her to jump and duck behind Rarity. He pointed a finger at his mask. “All of the steam is fogging up the glass. Though you look sexy as a pinkish white blob, I doubt you have anything to be embarrassed of.”
---------- ---------- ----------
The mud bath. An oddity if Perry ever saw one, not that he could see anything at this point. Due to the excessive insistence of Rarity, the encouragement of Fluttershy, and the nice ladies’ recommendation, Perry was wearing a different mask of sorts while lying in a tub of mud. He had no idea what it was, but only insisted he put it on in private. As well as this, there were cucumbers covering each eye, stuck on by the weird mix on his face.
“Rarity, what am I wearing?” Perry asked, looking around to try and pinpoint a location.
“Don’t worry about that, darling. It is what it does for you that counts. You’re always wearing that silly thing, so I figured to have you set up for a pore cleansing.” Rarity said, approximately eight yards at his nine. “Flutters, dear. He can’t possibly see you, so no need to feel embarrassed.” Perry heard a small squeak, four yards away from Rarity, and sounding like the woman in question.
“I know, and Perry isn’t the kind to peek. I just find it…umm…” Fluttershy couldn’t figure out how to describe how she felt. Perry smiled, an action generally unseen to the public, and turned his back to her.
“I understand what you mean. Rarity could have picked certain activities that required more clothing…” Rarity winced slightly, feeling that one directed right at her. “…but if I make you uncomfortable, I am sorry.”
“It’s fine.” Fluttershy said. He could tell that she seemed a bit more energetic in the way she spoke. He heard footsteps coming from where she was standing, walking over to him. After the sound of some fidgeting, Perry felt her hands on the cucumbers over his eyes, almost causing him to react reflexively. He restrained himself, though, knowing he could trust her. The cucumbers were slowly removed, though he kept his eyes shut just in case. “No one can see you.” Perry heard Rarity’s annoyed moans from where she was, confirming what she said. He slowly opened his eyes, starting with the left one. As his vision came into focus, his right eye shot open, a bright blush showing through the green cream on his face. Her face was right across from him, though upside down. Her hair cascading around creating a veil so no one else could see. “You never bother me, and I am sorry if I made you think that.”
“I...It’s quite alright." Perry blinked, like trying to take a picture to remember for all time. He was always amazed that she didn’t mind his odd eye, a crimson red with the exception of his pure black iris. The other one was completely normal, however, a gentle blue matching the duality of his own personality. She smiled and gently stuck the cucumbers back into place and made her way over to her bath. He would have heard her get in, but his mind was somewhere else at the moment.
“I said this once, and I will say it again. You two are just the cutest little couple I have ever seen!” Rarity squealed. “I only wish I could see his face when he finds out you took off your robe.” Perry, barely there at all after that one, was only able to pick up on a loud ‘eep’ from behind him.
---------- ---------- ----------
“I do hope you all enjoyed your stay.” Aloe said to the trio as they made their way to the exit.
“I feel so refreshed after all of that, don’t you?” Rarity asked, though both of her friends were slightly unresponsive. She giggled, restraining herself from teasing them any more than she already has. “Anyways, for a first trip. How was it?” Perry knew the question was directed at him, though he had a hard time explaining how it felt. The massage was simply amazing, believing Lotus to be a miracle worker as he had never felt so limber in his entire life. The manicures and hair treatment was definitely weird, and he figured he would avoid that in the future, though his nails did look nice. The steam room was interesting, leaving him feeling refreshed, and the mud bath had left a lasting impression on him in more ways than one. All in all, he wouldn’t do it as regularly as the two, but he wasn’t against it.
“I guess…I feel pretty.” Perry answered. He doubted anyone within a mile of them didn’t hear Rarity laughing that day.