A delayed return

Posts : 732 Join date : 2012-05-09 Age : 30

Arpeggio slowly entered the spa, looking around. The pegasus had to admit that he was quite sore still; his muscles were aching from disuse due to being bedridden at the hospital.

He spoke up, his voice raspy, though he didn't see anyone at first. "Hello? Is anyone here?"

Posts : 644 Join date : 2012-04-26 Age : 35

Makeover had been delivering clean towels to the sauna and bathing areas, as she heard someone call. Voice was somewhat familiar to her, but raspier than any she knew. She hurried back to the front.

"Yes? How can I he-- Oh, goodness gracious!" the mare exclaimed when she saw Arpeggio in his new, poor state. She looked at him wide-eyed. "Honey, what on earth happened to you?"

Posts : 732 Join date : 2012-05-09 Age : 30

He gave her a weak grin. "Hey, Makeover. It's good to see you again... and you don't know? I'd heard that rumors had been going around town... I've been in the hospital for several weeks..."

"Well..." He coughed a few times. "Either way... can I get a full treatment? I know I don't have an appointment..."

The stallion took a glance at his body; he looked really unhealthily thin, he had to admit.

Posts : 644 Join date : 2012-04-26 Age : 35

Makeover fiddled her hooves a little, then admitting, "I heard gossip, but did not actually believe them. I hoped you had taken a holiday somewhere else."
She walked to the ill-looking stallion, guiding him further to the spa room, "I am not busy today, and if I were - I would still have some time for you."

She eyed her regular client, shaking her head a little. Seemed she'd have to be gentle with him this time, as Arpeggio looked pretty much like he could break from any harder touch.

Posts : 732 Join date : 2012-05-09 Age : 30

He gave her a weak nuzzle. "Thanks, Makeover. I really appreciate that..."

He followed her to the spa room. "So what's on the list for the treatment today?" He gently brushed a bit of his mane out of his eyes as he looked at her. His hazel eyes hadn't lost their shine despite everything that had happened to him.

Posts : 644 Join date : 2012-04-26 Age : 35

Makeover gently patted Arpeggio's shoulder and said, "Let's put you to the sauna first. Let's take a gentle temperature, though. You look like you could get a heart-attack any moment."
Beautician adjusted the steam room, then wrapping her client to the large and soft towel. "While you relax, I shall fix us some tea, hmm?"

She beamed at him, getting somewhat curious about how he got all of the injuries and had ended up to the hospital care. Though, asking about it would have to wait for later, as she now had his well-being to look after.

Posts : 732 Join date : 2012-05-09 Age : 30

"Alright..." He did grin slightly at that. "Well, my heart's perfectly fine. It's my lung that got the brunt of the damage... among other things." He took the towel and entered the sauna, relaxing in the heat. "Tea sounds nice, thanks..."

Arpeggio closed his eyes, taking slow breaths. He idly put a hoof on his chest, atop the semi-hard patch underneath his skin that allowed escaped air from his lungs to leave his chest cavity so the air didn't build up in that area.

Posts : 644 Join date : 2012-04-26 Age : 35

"Lungs, heart..." Makeover muttered to herself, "Better to be careful, anyway." The mare also gave a sad smile, thinking; Also, if that all happened because of ... things, I bet his heart is not perfectly fine. She shook her head again, then getting to brew some green tea. This particular mix of leaves was said to remove impurities from within, both body and soul. It would surely help.

She boiled some water, then measuring the leaves in a small sieve.

Posts : 732 Join date : 2012-05-09 Age : 30

Arpeggio continued to relax in the sauna. After a while, he had to admit he was getting thirsty. He continued to sweat in the heat.

Posts : 644 Join date : 2012-04-26 Age : 35

"You okay there?" Makeover called out as she poured some water on the leaves. She let the tea brew on its own, and she went to the sauna door, not quite sure if Arpeggio had heard. She knocked on the doorway and said, "Just checking you have not fainted."

Posts : 732 Join date : 2012-05-09 Age : 30

"I'm alright. Thanks for the concern, though..." He exhaled slowly, flaring his large wings a bit to get the sweat off of them. "What'll be after this?"

Posts : 644 Join date : 2012-04-26 Age : 35

Makeover leaned on the doorway, looking at the stallion in a pretty unabashed way. "I was thinking of giving you a back massage, then maybe a hooficure and your mane REALLY needs to be washed and brushed."
She crossed her front legs, very sure of her professional opinion of Arpe's current condition, in a skin deep way, to say the least.

"It has to be a very gentle massage, though." she then added.

Posts : 732 Join date : 2012-05-09 Age : 30

"Alright. I trust you, Makeover. Should I get out of the sauna now?"

The pegasus got up, stretching a bit on his hindlegs... and accidentally dropping his towel in the process.

He blushed quite a bit and swung one of his large wings across his lower body to hide himself; the heat had relaxed his body which also made him not-exactly-decent.

"Um... s-sorry you had to see that..." He quickly went down on all four hooves, still hiding himself with a wing.

Posts : 644 Join date : 2012-04-26 Age : 35

Makeover blinked for a second or two. The sight had been visible for a short moment, but it sure was glorious. She coughed a little bit, still believing in good manners. There was no need to be coarse about accidents. A little flustered, she said, "Ehhh, don't worry about it. It is, er, completely natural."

Makeover was not exactly innocent in matters such as this, she had managed well in Manehattan and Canterlot, after all. But, what it came to good manners, this was not the place or time to boast, or even inform, about past flings and relationships.

She turned from the door, but turned to have a look at Arpeggio. "This actually proves that you are gor-ge-us!" she said, emphasizing her last word. "But you could wash now. Cold water, if you please."

Posts : 732 Join date : 2012-05-09 Age : 30

He blushed quite a bit at her comments as he went to the showers to clean up. Arpeggio did use cold water. Ice-cold water, to be exact. After he was sure that he was clean and decent, he went back out.

"Eheh... okay... so what now?"

Posts : 644 Join date : 2012-04-26 Age : 35

Makeover granted a smile to Arpeggio, as she poured some tea to cups. She had also brought some nice mineral water to the table.
"Now we sit and have some tea", she said, "And then I could give you that back massage, also maybe a wing-grooming, unless you are fussy about others touching your wings."

Posts : 732 Join date : 2012-05-09 Age : 30

"It's alright... my wings could use a nice grooming. I haven't been able to preen them for weeks, they're probably really messy. And that tea sounds lovely."

He smiled at her, sitting at the table and taking a cup, taking a small sip of the tea, which felt good; it warmed his chest and stomach up from inside.

Posts : 644 Join date : 2012-04-26 Age : 35

Makeover drank her tea in silence for a moment, carefully eyeing the stallion. He looked pretty much like a walking corpse, propably was in pain. She was quite curious to hear, how all this had happened.
"So..." she opened a conversation, "I heard some rumours around the town. Seems that the reality was worse than gossip?"

The beautician hoped that she had not punched in a soft spot, but then had a mental shrug about it. Arpeggio would either talk or change the subject, whatever he'd do, Makeover would be cool with it.

Posts : 732 Join date : 2012-05-09 Age : 30

"Well... what was the gossip? I can tell you what's truth and what's fiction..."

Arpeggio took another drink of his tea, looking at the beautician. He was more than willing to explain it to her.

Posts : 644 Join date : 2012-04-26 Age : 35

Makeover nodded and took another sip of the tea, then saying, "They say you got beat up, because you swing both ways. Some rumour said it was done by random thugs living around town or so."
She shrugged a little, "Also, some rumours say you were captured by Diamond Dogs for a while and others say Thunder gave you a beating, because you tried to pick up Spring to get your revenge to him..."

White-coated mare raised her brow a little, having a keen eye at the stallion at this moment. All of the gossip sounded pretty much like blatant lies, but there was a hidden seed of truth somewhere, Makeover was sure of it.

Posts : 732 Join date : 2012-05-09 Age : 30

Arpeggio began to explain, occasionally stopping for a breath in his exposition. "The last one is partially true. Thunder did give me the beating, though it wasn't because I tried to pick up Spring; I'd lose my mind. I am not fond of jocks; that's why. No... because I was having a good time with a friend, and apparently annoyed them a lot, she got in my face and started yelling at me. I ended up punching her once in the mouth because she honest-to-Celestia scared me... and then Thunder tackled me to the ground and pummeled me. Broke my nose, my cheekbone, pretty much shattered my jaw... cracked three ribs and broke two more, one of which pierced my lung. Doc said it could've pierced my heart, too, but I got lucky."

He took a somewhat-nonchalant drink of his tea, though there was the glimmer of a betrayed look in his eyes. "As you can imagine, I currently have no desire to speak to either of them right now... I can't sing at the Gala like I was going to because of that. I'm going to play the piano instead."

Posts : 644 Join date : 2012-04-26 Age : 35

Makeover listened to the story in silence, taking an occasional gulp of tea every now and then. She kept a keen eye at the stallion still, when he had finished his story of the situation. She noticed how hurt he was, not just physically, but the whole deed had hurt him to the core of his soul.

"It's no wonder that you don't want to talk to them." she then admitted, turning the empty cup in her hooves. "Are you going to demand compensation?"

Posts : 732 Join date : 2012-05-09 Age : 30

"Pfft. There'd be no point; Thunder has barely anything to his name. I don't even know if he's still in town. Good riddance, I say." There was a great sadness in his eyes as he said it, though.

"A...Anyway... I shouldn't dwell on it... can I get that massage now?" The pegasus had finished his tea.

Posts : 644 Join date : 2012-04-26 Age : 35

"Sure thing, honey." Makeover said nodding and got up. She clicked her joints and then asked Arpeggio to get on a massaging table.
The beautician moved over to the shell of massaging oils, gently tinkling the glassy bottles around and around to find something fit for Arpeggio.

"Maybe some oil that makes you feel stronger again?" she pondered out loud, taking a small vial of oil enchanced with ironherb.

Posts : 732 Join date : 2012-05-09 Age : 30

"I would appreciate that... I haven't felt this weak... since I was a little colt..." Arpeggio got onto the table, spreading his wings and trying to relax his body.

» Possible Return
» Possible Return...Again!
» Return of the Gearhead
» The Return of the Cloak
» I Return, with Apology.