[The Red Room] That Hits the Spot (Xen)

[Traverse]

That Hits the Spot
1st of Winter, 513 A.V.

Rayls in her red hued Dhani form was curled around a large sandstone column, filing her nails to blunt ends with a long piece of metal, she had two clients at the moment, both lounging in Dhani form in adjacent pools, mud masks drying upon their faces as their scaly skin drank in the warmth of the waters, steam running along the smooth floor. Periodically the large female constrictor would slither over, her powerful hands giving shoulder and back massages to the two compliant serpents, then leave them to soak up the waters. Today was a slow day but business had been good this season and though the idea didn't sit well with her, the constrictor was faced with the idea of having to hire help. As a proud female int he nest, however, Rayls was not looking forward to asking anyone, or giving another constrictor power in a business which she had given the reputation and station for which it so deserved.

So now she coiled thoughtfully, the rasping sound of the large file against her claws the only sound save for the bubbling rippling pools of water, tongue lazily lapping out at the open air when she realized someone was approaching...
c

[Xen]

A new business establishment had opened up in Zinrah and Xen was excited! He didn't know what sort of business it was, as those cheeky constrictors were too reluctant in giving him the full details. Xen walked through the cavern and notices, as he was walking, that the textures of the cavern were changing. The cavern walls and floors were becoming smoother! The viper places his hand on the wall to his left and to his surprise—the walls were actually smooth. Xen, for a second, thought he was losing his mind! He grins, a little, at his foolish thought and proceeded forward.

Xen stepped out of the dimly lit cavern and his eyes widen at the spectacle before him. The red stoned walls glowed within the vipers eyes, as he walks through the cavern and feels the cool stone floor beneath his feet. What was this place? Xen couldn’t believe that there was such a place in Zinrah—the beauty of it all. He stepped through the cavern and as he observes the place around him, he notices that a certain area in front of him was exceptionally bright, as if, it was graced by the suns glory and presence. The viper steps towards the brightness, anticipating the best.


“ Good evening! ”


Xen placed his right fist into the palm of his left hand and lowered his head. He was sure to keep his voice at a tone where it would not disturb the two female constrictors that were relaxing in peace. Xen in his human form places both hands behind his back while standing straight-up. He wore his best black-robe which he was now grateful for doing. Xen hoped that he wasn’t intruding. This place was quiet and peaceful.

“ ”

[Traverse]

Dark eyes flicked up toward's Xen. In Dhani form Rayls was a dark scaled snake with red patterns drifting down like scaly clouds on her back, fading from bright red to a deep crimson before losing themselves in a dark brown/black. Her slitted eyes narrowed at the male's presence, head tilting to the side as her tail rasped upon the ground, drawing her forward so that she towered over Xen's human form.

"I do not recall an appointment being ssset by one...ssuch asss yourssself." Her tone was polite, but barely so. He was male and she female, and only the barest of niceties needed to be held here, even if she was seeking his business. Even so, Rayls was never one to pass up a potential customer, and assuming the male knew what the room was for and about, she coiled around him, shifting as she did so and slipping off his shirt. It was a strange thing, those massive hands pulling off his shirt, and as they did growing smaller, the tail wrapped loosely around his form receding so that suddenly the dhani had become a crimson haired woman behind him, her fingers pressing into his shoulders, thumbs pressing against back muscles and easing out any stress the viper had there.

"What kind of massssage would you like?" Her voice was softer in human form, quite pleasing to the ear.

[Xen]

“ I apologize for my intrusion. I was jusst curiousss of thiss place and rushed without thinking! ”

Xen was expecting the worst when the large constrictor slithered towards him. He closed his eyes, anticipating the cruel punishment he imagined inside his mind. Xen clenched his teeth and hoped that the female constrictor wouldn’t hit him in the face. The unexpected happened when he felt his robe slip off and his muscles being messaged. The viper lets out a sigh of relief; he wasn’t going to be tortured! Xen’s shoulders slumped in response to the pleasant muscle massage—that he could not afford because he was so cheap.

“I…Uh… didn’t come for a massage—are you looking for help?”

Xen, though slightly distracted from the massage, was trying to hide his extreme bashfulness from the older dhani behind him. He felt that he should at least pay her back somehow--return the time he had wasted.

[Traverse]

Rayls stepped back suddenly as soon as Xen mentioned he wasn't their for a massage, pale arms folding angrily across her chest as she paced around to face him. Some males were always insolent to her, but this one seemed genuinely apologetic, a properly trained one it seemed. Her eyebrows furrowed as she stared at him, trying to see if he was just playing with her.

This scrutiny ended in a long sigh sliding through the female constrictor's lips. "Am I looking for help? Aren't we all?"

She turned, returning to her two customers who were silent throughout the encounter. One Dhani she bade to flip over, a dull brown res slid out of her hand and suddenly she reformed the pool in which the snake reclined, pushing the earth down, building up the walls with the excess and laying the snake flat upon their stomach, another pull of res removed a block of stone which allowed the hot waters to recede so as not to escape over the cavern floor. Pacing to a small oval of steaming water she bent down and gestured to Xen to join her. On one side of the pool were two sets of tongs, one of which Rayls picked up and slid into the water, picking it back up with some effort (being in human form made it harder), the tongs clamped upon a dark rock that had been sitting in the boiling water. She then carried it over and placed it along the Dhani's spine just between the shoulder blades, the client giving a hiss of surprise that transformed into a relaxed moan at the extreme heat. Dark eyes glanced over at Xen to see if he had gotten the hint as she returned to pick up another stone for her client.
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[Xen]

“ I agree—we all need ssomething to be our pillar of sssupport sssometime! ”

Xen paid close attention to the female constrictor as she walked away from him. Xen’s eyes widened as he notices brown res escaping from her palms. Xen couldn’t believe it! Reimancy can be used to manipulate mud and earth as well? A silly grin stretched across Xen’s face, he couldn’t wait until the day when he could effortlessly manipulate res and elements within the palm of his hand. However, for now, he would need to be dedicated and focused while enduring all sorts of training sessions.

“…..”

Xen walked over to the female constrictor, as she beckoned him to come over. Xen made sure that he moved swiftly across the cavern floor. The curios part of his being had taken over and he wanted to see—eager to learn. Xen watched, as Rayls placed the hot stone upon the other constrictors body. The other constrictor approved of the soothing treatment, leaving Xen with no time to ponder. That’s when the realization struck him! He didn’t ask for this patient constrictors name and he didn’t introduce himself when he walked in—where did his manners go?

“My namesss Jorimunzssdsseiss but you can call me Kssen or Jörí ”

[Traverse]

Rayls rolled her eyes. Instead of helping her he insisted on telling her his name, well trained, but apparently not the brightest.

"Well Jori, I am Kihlissorayls, proprietor of the Red Room, and if you want to help me, grab some petching rocks and put them on this fine lady here."

She said this as she placed a third rock along the Dhani's spine, drawing another comforted moan from her customer. She left this Jori to put the rest of the rocks down, and moved to her other customer, she manipulated her reimancy once more, this time deepening the pool her customer was in, slowly guiding their relaxed body, and carving out a groove int he rock that would hold their neck, she leaned them back, and the water rose up, covering their entire body save for their slitted nose, leaving the Dhani completely submerged in the steaming pool, she turned back to see if Jori had actually done as she had instructed.
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[Xen]

“”

“Kihlissorayls, may I have those tongs?”

Xen resisted the urge to grin and covers his mouth, as if trying to stop himself from coughing. He didn’t want to be thrown into the hot water for his insolence. The viper liked Kihlissorayls personality as she reminded him of another feisty dhani he knew. Xen wished he could manipulate the portions of the water in front of him but his skills in reimancy were not up to par yet. The best he could do now was simply practice and slowly improve. Xen hid his frustration; he was moving to slow for himself and Kihlissorayls when usually he didn’t.

“”

[Traverse]

The female passed Jori the tongs so that he could lift the rocks and leaned back against one of the pillars in the Red Room, observing the newcomer more closely, both to see what he would do as well as try to get a feel for him.

Most Dhani did not walk around in human form. The halls of Zinrah could be traversed so much more easily with giant coiling tails after all, and it was quicker to boot. His form was trim and slender, clean and well kept as far as she could tell, and didn't smell horrible...for a male. Appearance mattered as much as skill in Rayl's parlor, for her clientel came to expect a certain level of finery. But did he know anything that could even help her?

"Tell me what you know of muscles and how to work them, Jori."

Her lips quirked. The male was biddable, and bossing him around so far was quite enjoyable.

[Xen]

“”

“Ah, why thank you.”

Xen could feel the eyes of the female constrictor barreling down upon him. The thankfulness he felt for being used to being carefully observed was great. Xen remembers how Kihlissorayls had reached down into the boiling water and retrieved a stone. There wouldn’t be any chance of him falling into the water would there? Xen saw this as a test and there was some form and technique behind everything, ahah! Xen crouched and crouched further to the point where he was nearly on all fours.

There was a clack followed by a sudden heaviness at the end of the tongs. Xen grinned in success, as he lifts a steaming rock from the pooling of boiling water. He places his left hand under the dripping stone and in case it was too hot, he blows a bit of air onto the stone to cool it off slightly. Xen places his stone just a few inches below the area of the shoulders blades where Kihlissorayls had placed hers.

“I understand that muscles are essential for moving the body. I don’t know how to move them with my hands.”

Xen hoped that his response wasn’t too vague.