Location [Syliras Location] Soothing Waters Bath and Massage

[Chevalier]

The very first person Gunho met was Ivis, a dark haired man with a short stubble growing about his face and a pair of prominent eyebrows. The man sat in the reception area, apparently going through some documents and preparing orders for additional supplies to be filled. When he looked up to see Gunho, he smiled softly, his voice soft and smooth, "Gunho Ma, that's a very interesting name. I am Ivis, I help keep things organized around here. So then, you're not interested in the services, but in fact curious on employment? Well, that's very fortunate, and you may be in luck." Ivis replied, offering a slight nod to Gunho's more formal bow.

Ivis took one last look at the numbers on his sheets before carefully stacking them together and pushing them aside, "Our establishment serves all of Syliras, but skilled masseuse’s are most difficult to find. We often have so much business that clients end up waiting several bells simply to be seen. This means you certainly would get plenty of experience. Oh, but don't let that deter you, massage therapy can also keep your pockets quite full. It looks as if you've just recently moved into the area, but let me say this, so long as you don't mind your skills being evaluated by our Master Masseuse, and so long as you don't mind working diligently with the many customers that come here, there is always an interest in hiring another masseuse. When would you be available to consult with our Mistress?"

[Gunho Ma]

The man who greeted him, Ivis, seemed an easy person to work with. He was accommodating, polite and didn't even mind the lack of finery in the garb that Gunho sported. "I would not refuse a blessing like that. I am not a wealthy man, the salary would be great and the experience I could obtain from work here would mean even more to me." "The assessment would be appreciated sir. I would like to know how far I've come and what I must learn to better myself. I'm not afraid of working long days sir, a busy schedule will suit me well sir." he told Ivis while nodding his head respectfully and gratefully for the opportunity. "I am available now sir. I have no acquaintances in this city, I've only just arrived and my only other plan for the day is to find lodging. That can certainly wait sir."

[Chevalier]

Gunho Ma

"Well then, let us take a walk and meet her. In the evening she becomes more busy with clients, but right now she should just be going over documents. Follow me if you will." Ivis responded, stepping out from behind his counter and leading Gunho down one of the corridors. The establishment itself seemed extremely spacious, which made sense considering the sheer volume of patrons it served on any given day. Everything inside was well cared for, the marble was scrubbed, the tiles were cleansed, and the staff typically wore flowing, silken styled garbs of light soothing colors, often white.

As they continued past a few doors, they arrived at one in particular with a placard upon it. Ivis knocked thrice, and a female voice responded from the interior. Opening the door, Gunho found the room was seemingly built from glass tiles colored a cool blue. Inside was a young woman with wavy red hair with a plethora of different towels in front of her. She looked up from her pile of bath resources and smiled, to which Ivis spoke, "Hello madam, this is Gunho Ma. Gunho Ma, this is Mistress Calyna Zia. Mr. Ma has expressed interest in gaining employment as a masseuse." he explained, and Calyna seemed thrilled.

"What a relief. You've no idea how difficult it is to find good masseuses these days. It seems every young man is caught up joining the Knights or working in the fields or the mines. Oh, thank you Ivis." though she had begun expressing her interest to Gunho, she turned slightly and nodded to Ivis, whom returned with a slight bow and exited the room, closing the door behind them. "Well then, have a seat." Calyna nodded to one of two cushioned chairs in front of her desk as she swept the various towels to the side. "I was just gauging the softness of a few different towels various merchants are trying to sell us, so this is a welcome distraction. So then, tell me about yourself. You've professional massage training? Where did you train? How long have you been in the practice? And let us see those hands." Calyna seemed quick to begin with the appropriate questions, extending her own hands so she could receive Gunho's.

[Gunho Ma]

"Greetings Mistress Zia," again he dipped his head low, drawing both hands together reverently with palms joined and fingers pointing up. "It is an honor to meet you." The acolyte hesitated for a few seconds but took the offered seat and set down his items beside him. He felt a little out of place in such a formal institution. His experience was limited to little clinics, at homes or in dojo. A location that was actually built to house trained masseuse ready to render services to the public was almost like a dream come true for him. "I am Gunho Ma, I was born in Lhavit and was training to become a Shinya there - a warrior fighting in the defense of the people but it seems that was not my lot in life." he hadn't ever been asked by anyone to share things about his past before, most people he'd met in his journey going to Syliras never ask. "I've received training from professionals but I am not sure how good the training I obtained is compared to what masseuse in this establishment learns. My training was conducted in Lhavit, in small clinics and on clients with illnesses or injuries so it could be said the foundation of my training is medical in nature." "I have been practicing five years now, give or take a few months. In that time I've learned a fair amount of knowledge about human anatomy, specifically about muscle groups and skeletal structure to a lesser extent and also some things about pressure points in the body." he presented his hands for her inspection, wondering what she was going to be looking for in them.

[Chevalier]

Gunho Ma

"Oh, no need to be so modest. The principals of massage translate through all manners of training. Our facility includes the medicinal application of massage, as well as for leisure and relaxation. You'll find a great many Knights tend to frequent here, and although they may use a majority of the facilities resources with no charge, quite a few tip well." the woman explained. She was an expressive Human, and seemed quite pleased to hear of Gunho's foreign training. Inwardly, she knew that the best and most complete training in massage came from fragments of techniques from all over. If Gunho brought those of Lhavit to her establishment, it could serve well to further the reputation of the Soothing Waters.

As Calyna accepted Gunho's hands, hers seemed to trace over his curves, ridges, and angles for a moment, almost as if she was trying to gauge their shape simply by touch alone. Her hands were soft, almost unnaturally so, and the skill she had in manipulating her fingers showed a dexterity akin to the finest musician or artist. Massage was simply another form of art, after all. "Mmhmm. You've got good development, I can feel it..." she then moved up to his forearms, pressing into the muscle firmly, but without causing any real discomfort, "...excellent." she said finally, releasing his hands and seeming outwardly satisfied.

"Well Gunho, let me put you in your own atmosphere, so that I can get a feel for your skill. Then we'll talk about your schedule and compensation. Pretend for a moment I am a Knight, and through my rigorous training I have strained my shoulder and tricep. This is an extremely common occurance we have waking in here, Knights straining the weapon arm that is." she requested of him, a soft smile crossing her lips while she pointed to her right arm, "Feel free to manipulate or move me however you want, just do what you would normally do in this situation. Don't be nervous, I'm sure you'll do just fine."

[Gunho Ma]

Gunho quietly awaited her verdict and the woman did not look like she was displeased at him... she said he had 'good development' but she did seem to be nice enough to treat everyone the same way which made him less sure of the compliment if it was one. "Okay... I'll do what I have to do, but I'll verbalize my thoughts as well ma'am. I usually have a reason for things I do but I am not sure if they're correct... Someone of your experience would be able to correct me if I am mistaken and it would certainly help me grow as a masseuse." "My teachers taught me to observe before I do anything else, carelessly performing a massage without proper assessment of the client can lead to exacerbating an injury instead of helping it. I use my eyes to detect obvious abnormalities, swelling, redness... deformity noticeable on the skin. I listen carefully to the client's breathing and pay attention to any notable strained words in his or her speech to determine if they're trying to hide their pain as most warriors do... and I use my hands to feel heat, excessive heat that doesn't match the temperature of the rest of the body may mean something is wrong and I lightly palpate the area I am about to massage." Gunho performed all the things he said as he enumerated them. His fingers were lightly trailing across Calyna's skin, pressing her flesh but not too hard on her shoulders and triceps specifically. "When you strain your muscles there are symptoms to look for. Swelling, heat, unusual discoloration... if a muscle is not being manipulated and it hurts already the case may require medical attention. Prolonged weakness of the muscle is a sign too, but I will assume this is not the case for our hypothetical situation." he started kneading her arm with his thumbs, slowly and carefully gliding blood towards the muscles in line with how they were shaped according to his anatomy books and according to the feedback his sense of touch was giving him. He subjected her shoulder to the same treatment but did not neglect the neck. "Relieving the surrounding sites of the subject of concern usually helps increase the effect of a massage... something I learned throught experience but wasn't taught."

[Chevalier]

Gunho Ma

Calyna listened to Gunho speak, impressed at his reason and logic. He applied not just what was taught to him, but actual medicinal theory toward his practice. She sayed silent as he worked, concentrating mostly on his movements, how he targetted muscle groups, and how his fingers determined the density or elasticity of the muscles they were working with. Of course some of the things she had said to be polite, but now she was getting a true demonstration that Gunho genuinely knew what he was talking about. His training must have been very thorough. Her head rolled slightly, the volumous hair atop bouncing softly, and inside she determined that having someone with Gunho's talents would be an asset to Soothing Waters.

"Very good..." she paused for a moment, nodding toward Gunho to signal that his evaluation was complete. "Very good indeed, and I'm not just saying that. An artist can always tell the compentency of another artist, and your training does well to reflect your knowledge and skills. I would be a fool to let you go elsewhere, so I'm willing to compensate you seven golden Miza's per day of work, and I would request that you work seven in ten days, and eight out of twenty four bells during those days. The rest of the time you'd be free to see to whatever you wish. As your skill improves, so would the compensation of course. You would also be given a uniform to wear, though you are free to buy similar styled clothes if you wish. How does this offer strike you, Gunho? I think you'll find the atmosphere extremely enjoyable here, and the compensation worthy enough to allow for an excellent life here in Syliras."

[Gunho Ma]

"Your offer is generous Mistress Zia... I am not in a position to refuse your kindess. I will accept and do my best to honor the trust you have placed on me. I hope I can repay it and prove my worth to you." he was more then pleased at the outcome of this interview. Gunho hadn't really counted on that much money, but it was going to keep him fed and housed. With winter coming into full swing he couldn't afford to let such an opportunity to make money and improve his skill go to waste. "I have no problems with uniforms, I shall receive whatever everyone else wears here." he said happily. "I will start working whenever you deem it is proper for me to start Mistress Zia." "This may be unrelated, but I am also somewhat skilled in the kitchen. If you ever have need for someone to fill that role, I can take it on temporarily Mistress."

[Chevalier]

Gunho Ma

"Well then!" Calyna began as she stood, holding out her hand to shake softly with Gunho's in an understanding and appreciation of their deal together, "That settles it, you are officially a part of the Soothing Waters. I'll always be around to ask questions to, and the staff is always polite enough to show you how we work. Tomorrow I'll accompany you through the day just to teach you what a typical day at the Soothing Waters is like, and where we can best make use of someone with your skill." releasing his hand she raised a finger up into the air, as if to address his secondary point about cooking, "Now, while the Soothing Waters doesn't exactly offer any sort of meals to clients, I'm sure myself and the staff would love to taste whatever you can prepare. Actually quiet often we bring in food to share amongst ourselves, there's quite a few bakers in our midst, though it might not seem as such. Food is so different depending on the culture, I'm sure you'll have something exciting to contribute."

The woman walked with Gunho as they moved to exit her office, explaining the last few intricacies, "Ivis will take care of getting you your uniform, and you'll need to fill out some simple paperwork with your personal information so that we can add you to the employee roster and schedule your work days. Also we need to make sure you get paid, of course. Tomorrow we shall begin, if you're ready to go. Show up by the eighth bell and we will get started with all the things you'll need to know that I spoke of just previously. Good luck to you, and I'm sure you'll do us proud!"

Gunho Ma

LORE

• Soothing Waters
• Mistress Calyna

EXPERIENCE

Skill	XP Earned
Massage	2
Rhetoric	2

Storyteller Notes

Secret :

Alrighty! You are now an official employee of the Soothing Waters, feel free to post threads with the Soothing Waters tag (not in this thread, but making your own threads with the tag) utilizing your skills and doing whatever. Your schedule is as mentioned, and you receive one white silk tunic, and one white silk pair of pants as your uniform, and are free to buy additional from the tailor if you wish. Your pay as a competent masseuse is 7gm a day. I also gave you a few xps because I felt you deserved them!

[C'Arya Tomva]

C'Arya came at this location seeking refuge from the chill that comes from winter. She looked just like anyone else in her clothing and the bags on her back were all she had, a traveler's burden. This was her first day in Syliras and she was looking for a place where she could recover from the months she had spent abroad traveling the lands. She came looking for a wonderful story to muse over when she continued on her journey. She had asked the guards where to go in the city and they looked her over and recommended The Soothing Waters Bath & Massage.

When C'Arya arrived, she was enchanted. She had a sudden desire to let her self go and unwind, and worry about her troubles later. The are of massaging was fascinating to her, and she wondered if she could learn such a skill, a skill that would help her get the coin to live on. Any amount of knowledge on the art would be better than nothing she thought to herself.

She was now going to reach out and have a conversation. "Good Evening," she bent over in an awkward pose that could be considered a bow, putting her smooth hands together, and then clasped them behind her during that bow. "I am C'Arya Tomva, I am a Kelvic. I wish to train to perform therapeutic massages on my travels. I hope to rest and maybe learn a few things about the art of massaging."

She rose back up to a relaxed upright position, her face hopeful. She was used to being turned down and it would be okay to just get a massage and then leave, but it would be nice to hear a few tails of the land and pick up a few skills to take with her, when and if she left.