"Mm-hmm... you spoil me, sister...~~" Aloe practically purred as she wondered how long it would take to boil herself.  Yes, she intended on enjoying a long soak for as long as she could manage without turning her hooves all pruney.  Wrinkled hooves were not attractive at all.  Still, she couldn't help but peek open an eye at her sibling.  "Though... Lotus, how come you don't take very much time for yourself these days?  The Spa is very important, yes, but so is your social life.  You're too wrapped up in work sometimes."

Laughing, Lotus looks over her shoulder with a happy smile.  "If we didn't spoil each other, Aloe-dear, who would?"  Resuming her work at brushing out her tail until her twin speaks again, Lotus will pause her brushing at Aloe's concern.  Lotus blinks as she thinks back over the past few days... and weeks... and months... and maybe all of this year...  Then makes a thoughtful 'hm'ing sound and cants her head to one side as she speaks in a musing tone.  "I suppose it never seems like there's much I want to do?  I had a wonderful time when we camped out over-night for the Apple family's cider, and we always help during the seasonal chores, and then whenever we have promotional days at the spa...  Well, I suppose those are as much fun as going out tends to be.  I always just feel...  Just so warm and so happy when someone else is happy.  I think it makes me happier when you go out and have fun than staying out late does."

Lotus replaces the brush on the vanity after speaking, still seeming rather contemplative as she speaks again.  "Maybe that does mean that I'm too wrapped up in my work, but I don't think it hurts anything.  I've never been quite so outgoing as you, and I certainly don't have the luck you do with the stallions."  She giggles at the last, her mellow good humour fully returned by now.  "I'm not really worried, Aloe.  As long as we're both happy, what is there to worry about?"

Despite the reassurances, Aloe still looked concerned.  She pushed away from her reclined spot to drift across the tub and hook her forelegs over the far edge, resting her chin upon them as she watched her sister get ready for the day.  "I know... so long as you're satisfied, I suppose it's alright.  But... I'm not saying you need to change your whole lifestyle or anything, but sometimes I wonder if maybe you should take more time for yourself?  I just want to make sure you're happy."

The spa pony sighed to herself and fell silent for a moment.  For as social and empathic as she was, she never quite knew how to express herself in such situations.  What was she even asking her sister to do anyway?  Take up a hobby?  Go on a date?  Take a vacation?  She wasn't clear herself, but she didn't like the idea of Lotus perhaps throwing herself too heavily into work and missing out on the bigger world around them.

"Though now that you mention it, you really shouldn't have any trouble getting a stallion's attention.  We're twins, after all, so you're set in the looks department.  And your attitude is already far more attractive than mine." Aloe let a smirk drift back onto her lips.  "Or do you prefer mares, sister?  You did spend quite a lot of time admiring Princess Luna's mane..."
This message was last edited by the player at 14:11, Tue 05 June 2012.

Lotus' entire beauty regimen lay in a neat array on her side of the vanity's counter, and she begins working her way through the steps as she listens to Aloe's concerns.  "Oh Aloe.  This spa is like my dream come true.  I feel like I achieved all the things I wanted so quickly--every day I get to help other ponies find serenity and happiness, even if only for a few hours at a time.  Every day, Aloe.  Isn't it wonderful?  We can make a disaster into a marvel, a bad day into a wonderful one.  I always feel so selfish and greedy when I think about it this way, but seeing them happy makes me happy."  The spa pony sighs in contentment, and for a moment looks dreamily past her own reflection in the mirror.

She's just started the careful process of painting thin lines around her eyes to better define them when Aloe speaks again, and Lotus is set to ignore the teasing until the mention of preference.  Surprised by the implication and blushing despite herself, Lotus just barely manages to avoid poking herself in the eye with the slender brush of pigment.  "I've never given it much thought," Lotus replies with a little huff of almost-indignation.  "And I spent so much time on Luna's mane because she has so much of it and it is gorgeous."  She turns to smile in playful amusement at her twin, only one eye defined at the moment helping her to look just a little silly.  "Besides, I've never once mooned over any of our guests the way you do over any stallion that sets hoof past the door," Lotus teases in a light and playful voice.

"Come on then and drain the bath; you'll be all wrinkly if you stay in too much longer."  Lotus giggles at the thought and resumes lining her other eye as she continues.  "Did you want to take a nap while I open up the spa?  I believe we should be light on guests today, so it shouldn't be a problem."  Despite her teasing and her attempt to change the subject, Aloe does have Lotus wondering: 'Did I really spend that much time admiring the Princess' mane?  She does have such a lovely mane...  And such grace...'

Entering from Summer Song Cafe

Clop...  clop...  clop clop clop clop clopclopclopclopscreeeeeee- WHUD. "Ow."  Clop clop clop clop creeeeeak clop clop. "Hello?"

These sounds are the incredibly dignified announcement of the arrival of part-time spa partner and full-time friend Shai Ni, who looks as if she has just slid across the road on her flank before hitting a box with her face.  In fact, there is still a piece of wood impaled upon her horn.  Other than that, however, she looks just fine!  She even takes off her slippers at the door so she won't track in dirt.  Still, it looks like she can definitely use the famous Ponyville Spa Treatment™.

"Miss Lotus?  Miss Aloe?  It is Shai Ni.  Do you, ah, have some time to talk?" she calls out, not going past the reception area so as not to intrude if they are occupied in the back.
This message was last edited by the GM at 17:24, Sat 09 June 2012.

Thankfully before Aloe has the chance to steer the conversation back into uncomfortable territory, the familiar voice of Shai Ni echoes out from the reception foyer.  Lotus blinks at her sister, then trots hurriedly toward the front--it's not a scheduled day for Shai Ni to provide her treatments, and it is well before the shop is set to open, so to Lotus the beyond the norm visit is probably serious.

"Shai Ni?  Do come in, dear, we're in the back."  Lotus calls out ahead of herself as she moves through the rest of the private household and into the wide open spaces of the spa itself.  As she first spots the other mare Lotus nearly stumbles over her hooves in speeding up to get to Shai Ni's side.  "Ohmygoodness!  Shai Ni!  Aloe!"  The delicate spa pony turns her head and calls out to her sister with perhaps surprising volume before looking to Shai with concern and worry.  "You poor thing!  Are you hurt?  What's happened?  Let's get you into the bath?"

With an awkward laugh as Lotus hurries over to her, Shai Ni stumbles a few times in the rush before finding her hoofing.  "Ah, it is a bit of a story.  Suffice to say, the short version is this: may I set up temporarily here at the spa while I look for a new place for my clinic and home?  Last night... something happened, and... well, I do not have a clinic anymore.  Ah, the walls are still there, but the roof is gone.  Thankfully, nothing important was damaged, but I am now currently seeking lodging while I attempt to find a new location within Ponyville itself," she says with an embarrassed smile as she makes no signs of protest should Lotus and/or Aloe fuss over her, knowing better than to refuse their hospitality.  "I have been up all night and all morning packing my things and pulling the cart, and Miss Merriweather and many others have helped me out with breakfast and the cart already."

Despite how fresh from the bath Lotus is, she readily steps near to help Shai stay on her hooves as someone to lean on.  Lotus gasps as she listens to the story, and it's all she can do not to hug the poor bedraggled mare too tightly.  "Of course, Shai!  We'll have you a comfortable room set up, and you can make yourself at home for as long as you need."  Lotus will try to gently guide Shai Ni towards the back, figuring that Aloe can have a little company in the bath if her twin hasn't already started hurrying this way.

"When you're clean and rested you'll have to let us know who helped--we'll provide them a free treatment in thanks for helping you, how does that sound?"

"Oh, you are much too kind, Miss Lotus.  I am very lucky to have met you and Miss Aloe," Shai Ni replies as she is ushered towards the baths proper, rather looking forward to something so relaxing after her night and morning experiences.  "It was Miss Rainbow Dash who helped me in the town square when I was too tired to move anymore, and she helped me get to the Summer Song Cafe, where Miss Merriweather and Miss Twilight Sparkle helped me.  Miss Applejack helped me as well.  They are all so very kind."

Aloe had perked curiously at the sound of their friend, Shai Ni, arriving so early in the morning.  It was unexpected and certainly piqued the mare's curiosity but she left it to her sister to tend to.  Just a few minutes longer in the bath was all she wanted.  But that thought went right out the window when Lotus called to her with such urgency in her voice.  While she may have expressed it differently and far more externally, Aloe shared her sister's love of other ponies and was out of the bath in an instant at her call, not even taking the time to towel off in her haste to give assistance.  She arrived in time to catch most of what the acupuncturist had been through that previous night and seemed absolutely shocked to hear of it.

"You poor thing!  You should have come to us straight away!" even Aloe could manage a motherly tone as she fretted over their friend.  She was mildly surprised at how clean the unicorn was until she noticed some tell-tale sparkles of magic left in her coat along with the mention of Twilight having helped out.  Ah... that instant shower spell again.  Twilight had shown it off to the sisters in hopes of it giving a hand in their work, but it was of little use to a place that put so much effort into slow and relaxing beautification techniques.  Well, at least it meant she was ready for a soak without having to scrub up first.

"Come, come.  Let's get you out of that dress.  Lotus, go get the muscle-relaxant salts for the bath." she urged as the both of them fretted over their friend's well-being.

Lotus makes a mental note of each name, and while she's sure it'll be nearly impossible to get Rainbow Dash into the spa for a treatment, but maybe Merriweather will be a tad easier...  Twilight and Applejack shouldn't be too difficult, especially once Rarity learns that they've earned a free day.  "We're glad to have you as a friend, Shai Ni.  You've taught us so much, you know."  Lotus replies, though she quiets as Aloe arrives to see Shai's state.

When given the suggestion to retrieve the specific salts, Lotus nods and readily trots away towards the supply room.  Spa-strength salts are called for here, in Lotus' professional opinion, but not an over-large amount.  She quickly scoops a portion into a linen bag and secures it at the neck before gracefully hurrying to meet the pair of mares at the bath.

Blushing a bit at the attention, Shai Ni allows the sisters to help her with her dress, her mane and tail ribbons, and with getting into the bath proper.  As she sinks in, she closes her eyes and appears to be leaving this mortal world for the realm of heaven, she looks so content and happy.  "Much too kind... mmmmmmm," the young mare says as she enjoys a soak, forcing herself to stay awake both so that she doesn't risk drowning and because if she is asleep, she isn't awake to enjoy the lovely bath and accompanying pampering.

All the weariness of the evening and morning's activities, all of her fretting and worrying, melt away as she relaxes in the bath.  With a ladylike laugh, Shai Ni jokes, "If this is how you two care for a friend in need, I should have lost my roof months ago."

Shai Ni was in no danger of sinking below the water mostly because she ended up having a bath buddy in the tub with her.  Aloe hadn't dried off and saw no reason to do so now -- instead she slipped back into the water with the Unicorn, though not for her own leisure that time.  As the hot water was tinted with tingling salts and aromatic dressings, Aloe gestured for Shai Ni to turn and lean against the rim of the basin so that she could set her skilled hooves into a firm, deep massage along her friend's aching back.

"Well, we'd rather you show up without property damage being an incentive.  You've been making yourself so scarce over the past month..." the Earth Pony mentioned as she worked at a particularly bothersome knot of tense muscles at Shai Ni's withers.

Shai Ni nearly melts into a puddle of goo when Aloe begins to give her a massage, her face one of extreme bliss.  She could bring balance to a pony's chi flow, heal illnesses at the root cause, and treat sprains and muscle pulls, but compared to Lotus and Aloe, Shai Ni was a complete amateur when it came to muscle-relaxing, thoroughly enjoyable massages.  Combined with the fact that she cannot massage herself, and the overexertion from the past twelve hours, Aloe finds more than one tricky, stubborn knot in Shai Ni's body.

"Mmmmmmmmmmm-OOOOOOoooooooh... right there," the young mare manages to say between moans of relaxed pleasure, "I have been busy getting ready to move into Ponyville prop-Ooooooooooh-er, and looking for the place where the natural chi flows with the most balance, and I think I have found a good place or twoooooooooooo~"

At this point, she is so into the massage that getting anymore coherent conversation from the small unicorn will have to wait.

Lotus ducks out of the bathroom almost as swiftly as she'd entered to place the little linen sachet in the water; she needs to go and prepare a room for Shai's stay.  The mare works swiftly to ready a seldom used guest room by putting fresh linens on the bed, fluffing the pillows, and lastly by opening the windows just a hair so that the air will circulate a bit better.  A small vase of flowers from the spa itself is the last touch, and graces a small end-table while the flowers themselves lend a soft perfume to the freshening air.  Once that's done and Lotus sees to bringing Shai's belongings into the readied room, Lotus hurries along to gather one final touch before making her way again to the bathroom: one of the plush robes from the spa.

With the folded robe placed near the large tub, Lotus takes up one of the soft bristled-brushes from the vanity and sets to work on Shai Ni's mane.

"Well, if we can help at all, don't hesitate to ask." Aloe reassured Shai Ni while she worked.  For the better part of an hour she kept the unicorn fairly well paralyzed with those magical hooves of hers, taking advantage of the heat of the water and the relaxant salts to ease away Shai Ni's tension.  Between the massage and the ever-relaxing sensation of having her mane brushed by Lotus, she'd have trouble discerning her own limbs from the liquid she soaked in before long.  But all good things did eventually have to come to an end -- Aloe was on hand to help Shai Ni out of the tub and into a plush robe after drying.

The Earth Pony herself had become quite pruned in the hooves as a result of spending so much time in the bath, but it was a sacrifice worth making.  She'd have to take care of that before any of their guests arrived that day though.  It wouldn't do to be seen with soggy hooves.  She'd destroyed her hooficure... but that just meant she could get a new one~!

It takes at least five solid minutes for Shai Ni's brain to recognize that it is time to stop being a puddle of happy pony and start behaving like a living being again, and by then, everything else is set out for her.  So, she slowly climbs out of the bath and closes her eyes, focusing a bit before using magic to slowly dry herself off from the tip of her horn to the tip of her tail, the water flowing along her body and hair as if it was being guided back to the bath, where it ends up once again - without disturbing the loving care that had been given to her body and mane by Aloe and Lotus.  Of course, she could have dried herself off more quickly, but that would have meant she would have to do all the brushing all over again, and why waste the precious gift she has just received?

Very carefully, she puts the robe on with Aloe's help and smiles, then asks, "Would you like me to return the favor, Miss Aloe, Miss Lotus?  I am not quite as adept as the two of you when it comes to such lovely pampering, but I can at least help restore the balance of your bodies' chi.  With all of the positive chi the two of you surely accumulate, helping it spread evenly throughout yourselves in balance is the least I can do."

Lotus is ready on-hoof with a towel, but as Shai speeds the drying along with magic she instead hands the towel to her twin.  "I wish I could do that," she remarks somewhat wistfully.  She gives Shai Ni a friendly nudge of one shoulder and shakes her head.  "Later, certainly, I'm sure Aloe agrees when I say we'd both love nothing else.  But for now you should at least get a little rest?"

"Rest... yes, I think that is wise," Shai Ni replies as she stumbles slightly from the nudge.  If she's this shaky on her feet after that treatment, what is she going to be like trying to focus and use her talents on Aloe and Lotus?  Obviously not in prime shape, which they so obviously deserve.  "I think... yes, rest will be wonderful.  If... if you need any help, do not feel shy about waking me, alright?"  With a very content smile, Shai Ni walks towards the guest room and turns around to nod in thanks one last time.

"Again, both of you, thank you ever so much," she says before walking over to the cot and lying down, falling asleep immediately upon her head finding the pillow.  As with many others, she looks simply angelic while sleeping, and with her size and build while asleep, she almost looks like a filly instead of a mare.

Of course, the spa treatment and pampering aren't helping her look older, either.

"My sister is right -- you've earned a nap at the very least.  Go and rest."  Aloe agreed as they helped Shai Ni off to bed in the guest room.  If nothing else, she didn't trust the idea of needles in the hooves of such a beleaguered mare just then.  Best wait until after Shai Ni had gotten a chance to recover properly first to reduce the chances of getting skewered.  Aloe wasn't surprised, but rather quite amused, over how quickly their guest conked out into bed and smiled warmly as she drew the sheets up around her body.

"The poor thing... I wonder what happened though.  Roofs don't just go up in smoke for no reason.  Do you think it was a monster?  I always said she lived too close to the Everfree Forest for anything good to come of it." the spa pony huffed in concern once she and Lotus had tip-toed out of the room and closed the door in their wake.  She'd often lectured Fluttershy on the same thing, but strangely the demure Pegasus seemed to handle herself quite well out on the edges of such wild territory.  Plus she would never leave her animals, so arguing it was a waste of breath.

-Entering from Carousel Boutique, Day 2-

Of all the undignified, wasteful, absolutely needless things to do...

Spa visits for mares was one thing, the bat-winged captain fumed as he flew over the heads of Ponyville citizenry.  It was even okay for colts, he conceded, though only on the grounds that they actually wanted that sort of thing.  But him?  No sir!  No ma'am!  The captain could only growl and grit his fangs as he neared the spa.  He'd rather be tromping around through the Everfree Forest fighting off ravenous Dire Badgers than wasting his day away sitting in some fru-fru beauty salon.  If Silver Crescent went and blabbed about it too, he was going to thrash that pony's tail off and have him cleaning the palace floors for the rest of the year.

"Ugh... alright soldier, time to pony up." he braced himself at the door of the spa after a quick landing.  Gah, this was harder than he expected.  He drew in a breath and knocked soundly on the door a few times -- it was a public building and he knew he was free to enter, but part of him silently hoped he could just get away with knocking and then assuming nopony was around.
This message was last edited by the GM at 19:59, Tue 19 June 2012.

Having spent most of the morning and the early afternoon tip-hoofing around the spa to ensure that Shai Ni gets her rest, Lotus is just finishing the last of a leisurely lunch when she hears the solid knocking.  She blinks at the door in a bit of confusion, then trots over to it to pull it open.  Seeing the stern-looking guard pony puts Lotus briefly mentally off-balance, but her smile is swift to light her features.  "Oh, you're here!  Please come in; we have everything prepared for you."

Sure that Aloe will be delighted as soon as she sees the guard, Lotus will usher him in and gently close the door behind the stallion.  "Right this way, if you would?  Aloe!  Sister-dear!"  Lotus' tone is warm and welcoming with the first, then raises in a pleasant trill as she calls out for her twin.

Aloe had lingered behind to tidy up the remains of their lunch while Lotus headed off to get the door, though she perked eagerly when she was called.  At last~!  They'd wanted a stallion's view of things and now they would have the perfect opportunity to expand their portfolio!  The contrastingly colored spa pony giggled in eager delight and called out "Coming~!" in that same sing-song tone Lotus had.

Captain Equinox, meanwhile, had to shamefully admit he'd briefly planned out an escape route and gauged how quickly he could make it to the door before the mares could catch him.  Yet he forced himself to stand fast with a growing sense of trepidation as Aloe joined the fray... that mare had a look in her eye that didn't settle well with him.  "Oh my~!  And here I was expecting the other one... but this is a wonderful surprise."  Aloe practically purred as she moved to stand beside her sister, reflexively mirroring her twin's pose and smile.

"He'll be attending later, ladies.  For the time being I am at your disposal." the captain kept his tone level, though it was hard not to scowl when Aloe practically squealed with a musical laugh.

"Ooh, so formal~!  Please, do come in and let us help you relax.  We're very excited to have you here today." the Earth Pony trilled as she gestured to the spa proper.

With her initial excitement experienced and set aside, Lotus comes to realise that the guard isn't exactly thrilled about being here.  Once both the guard and Aloe have spoken, Lotus offers a light smile as she turns to lead the way.  "To tell you the truth, sir, we're hoping that you'll help us perhaps more than we can help you.  We don't get many stallions because, well: we're a spa.  We know our treatments don't exactly seem to appeal.  How about we give you a tour, and you tell us what you'd like to do, what might be alright with a change, and what is absolutely off limits?"

"Well, that's honestly not what I was expecting." the captain murmured as he was led along by the two mares.  "I don't know how much help I'll be though.  I don't exactly put much merit into these sort of..." Wastes of time?  Frivolities?  Needless indulgences?  "...treatments." he finished tactfully.

"Precisely why we'd like a stallion's opinion on things.  You boys don't know what you're missing out on~." Aloe crooned.  She had to seriously resist the urge to press herself against the soldier's side on that comment since he didn't seem like the sort to appreciate such gestures.  He seemed a tougher nut to crack than most they encountered.

"Very well.  I can already tell you I don't like to have my hooves touched, and as far as I figure most stallions don't either.  I handle my own horse shoes just fine." he stated concretely.

"And what about your wings?  We've just had a Bat Pony move in to town, so it would be invaluable if you could show us some proper grooming tips.  These membranes are so much different than Pegasi feathers." Aloe noted as she looked the soldier's large, bat-like wings over.  "She was the one performing on stage last night.  Is she a part of your troop?"

"Negative, ma'am.  She's an unrelated civilian."

"Please, call me Aloe~~."

"Ma'am."

"Hmph..."