Time to Relax

Ponyville.
To any average pony, the small town could be considered old fashioned, secluded and irrelevant to any kind of large business.
But to Rose, Ponyville was a chance to turn something great from almost nothing. She had just that morning negotiated a trade deal with the town's most successful business pony and, to excuse her own pun, it could make her Filthy Rich. Or at least, richer.

To celebrate, Rose decided to visit the town's spa. Despite not being a huge town settlement or city, Ponyville was known for having a surprisingly luxurious beauty therapy facilities.
Rose stepped into the building, opening the door with her magic. The lobby was rather peaceful, as one would expect at a spa. She casually stood at the counter and rang the bell, awaiting for service.

Rough Draft walked into the spa, slightly embarrassed to be the only stallion in the facility. He looked around and saw a pink mare standing at the desk. He tugged slightly on his favourite scarf, which was hung loosely around his neck. He then walked up to the front counter and stood in line behind the mare. Hopefully once his treatment began all his anxiety would wash away. He just send his newest novel to the publisher for review. He hoped it would go through.

"Seems like they're busy here." He said to the pony ahead of him, afte noticing that nopony has come to help them yet. "Understandable, of course. This spa has some amazing treatments. I'm looking forward to the hot springs, and getting my horn filed." He said, nervously.

Bright Sides bounced towards what seemed to be the town's spa, she grinned wide as she grew closer to the main doors. "I hope the nice spa ponies can help me look pretty!" Sunny and her Mama had to go to a very important party for her Mama, she was getting something called a "Promotion" Sunny wasn't sure what it was but it really made her Mama happy so she wanted to look her best for it.
Going inside she got in line behind a stallion who seemed to be talking to a mare in front of him, deciding not to bother them Sunny just waits her turn humming a song and bouncing up and down.

Rose turned to view the pony who had spoken, having not bothered looking when she heard them come in. Now that she heard the voice was male, her curiosity perked up.

A yellow unicorn with a well kept blue mane stood in line behind her. Now, Rose had been around many types of ponies in her life. Seeing a grown stallion inside of a spa discussing treatments immediately made her jump to one conclusion about him. Not that she minded in the slightest.


In fact, Rose gave him a big smile and replied "I wouldn't know anything about those. I'm afraid I'm not local to town. Just here on business," she finished saying, just as a mare appeared behind the counter. Normally Rose might have commented on the delay but decided against it. Again, she smiled at the colt and asked "What would you recommend for a mare like myself then?"

Rough Draft looked Rose up and down. "Well, I would suggest a hooficure, as well as a horn filing, then maybe the hot springs. they are always nice and relaxing. After that, you could take a mud mask while they give you a a massage. They might even style your mane if you ask nicely enough." He said, smiling.

Rough Draft turned around to see a small, bouncing, filly in line. He laughed a little bit, thinking how cute the little one was. He then readjusted his scarf and waited for one of the spa workers to help him.

Sunny pulled out her purple piggy bank and shook it hearing the few bits inside bounce around
"I hope that this will be enough..." She only had a small amount left after she had bought her friends their birthday gifts earlier that week.

She looked towards the sign seeing only the stallion in front of her.

Rose nodded and turned to the spa pony.

"Hello there, I think I'll try everything this fine stallion just suggested," she said, producing a bag of bits from her saddlebag with a short use of magic. Only now did she notice a young filly also in the lobby.

Rose wasn't particularly fond of children, nor was she any good at talking with them. Her talent may have been in speaking and charm but to this day, she almost found it painful to try and talk to children.

Giving a the filly a little fake smile, Rose turned her attention back to the colt. "Say, would you like to accompany me in the spa, mister...?"

Rough Draft cleared his throat. "Rough Draft. My name is Rough Draft." He said. "And I would be pleased to accompany you." He said. Rough then turned his head to the next spa worker to come. "I'll have what she is having. Also, could you please use the kiwi shampoo on my mane instead of the apricot stuff? Thank you." He said, while levitating his own pack of money towards the counter. He then turned his head and gave the filly a small, sweet, smile, before being whisked away.

"They'll put us in the hot springs first." Said Rough Draft. It was hard to get Rough Draft to talk, but if you got him talking about something he was interested in, it was hard to get him to shut up. "The hot springs are really, really relaxing. They're great. Trust me."

Yay now it was Sunny's turn, as she bounced towards the counter piggy bank in hoof she waved at the Stallion as he went for his treatment, She dumped her entire piggy bank onto the counter causing a small hooffull of bits to fall out onto the counter. The amount would maybe be enough for a hooficure if that, Looking up at the spa pony behind the counter with hope filled eyes she says in the cutest voice ever "Is this enough to make me look pretty?"

She watches as the pony counts the bits carefully.

Rose had no reason to trust Rough Draft, considering they had just met. However, she recalled reading somewhere that your initial impression of anypony is made within the first seven seconds of meeting them. This stallion didn't appear to be mean spirited in the slightest, quite the opposite in fact.

"I would hope they are relaxing," Rose replied, as she followed Draft and the spa pony.

Several pools of steaming water were spread across the room they entered, with a small area of closed of changing rooms, for anypony wearing clothing or with items to store. With horn glowing, Rose lifted her satchel bag and placed it inside one of the rooms.
As the spa pony walked away to check the pools were ready for them, she glanced at Rough Draft again.

"You know, you don't often see stallions in a spa," she said. Rose spoke it in a way that it could easily be passed off as a comment, but the subtext was carefully laid underneath it.

Rough Draft levitated his scarf towards the change room before he walked towards the hot springs. He then blushed furiously when the mare mentioned seeing stallions in spas. "Well, um, well, I like to look good, you know. Make a good first impression. Aso it is quite relaxing..." He stammered, slightly embarrassed about that.

He slipped into the hot spring, relaxing in a seat near the edge. He lowered his body, so only his head was sticking out of the water. "Ahhhh, this feels very nice. Not many things are as relaxing as a nice hot bath."

Sunny bounces behind a pair of spa ponies as they lead her towards the hot springs, as it turned out ponies under the age of 16 get half off on the first vist so she had enough for a bath and a hooficure. Sunny had refused to take off her bow for the bath until one of the spa ponies had said how it could of gotten wet. So now her she was bouncing down the hall towards the baths without her bow she felt so strange without it on.

Unsatisfied with Draft's answer to her subtle question, Rose made a mental note to take another jab later. he enjoyed the somewhat social tension of probing questions and gossip. Sinking into the pool between the stallion and the filly who had entered behind them, she let out an audible sigh of pleasure. This was wonderful.

"Ah, yes. Not much can beat it," Rose agreed with him, sinking further into the pool. She looked between the two ponies on either side of her before saying aloud. "It's something enjoyable to a pony of any age."

Letting the hot water sooth and relax her, Rose blinked in surprise when she came to a sudden realisation.

"How rude of me, I didn't introduce myself. My name is Rosette Allure, but you may just call me Rose."

Rough Draft smiled. "Well, pleased to meet you Rose. Quite a lovely name. Although a rose by any other name will still smell as sweet." he said, quoting one of his favourite authors.He closed his eyes and leaned back in the tub, completely relaxed.

Rough Draft was not satisfied with the way he dodged Rose's question. Although he was comfortable with his sexuality, it was not something he wanted to talk about, or for every pony to know. Although he tried to see the good in everypony, he knew there was the odd pony here or there that would discriminate because of that. He had enough of that when he was a colt. He shuddered slightly to shake the bad memories away, and sank lower into the water.

Sunny relaxed in the water sighing softly thinking this was almost as good as one of her Mamas bubble baths, she looked over at the other ponies near her and grins "Hi my name is Bright Sides, But you can call me Sunny" She was hoping they would be her friends. "It sure is a nice day for a spa vist isn't it?"

Rose inwardly sighed when the filly spoke directly to here. As she had reminded herself earlier, she was never good with kids. She never seemed to be able to talk to them seriously, mostly because they always seemed so immature or completely unlikeable.

However, Rose decided to take this moment as an opportunity. Instead of shunning the filly like she may normally have, she faced her with a welcoming smile, albeit a little forced.

"Hello Sunny. Yes, it is. Do you...come to the spa often?" asked Rose.

Rough Draft closed his eyes, leaned back and relaxed. He gave the filly a small smile, but otherwise tried to empty his head of all thoughts and just concentrate on the hot water. He continued to listen to the conversation between the other two ponies, finding the young filly absolutely adorable.

"This is my first time here! I came to get pretty for my Mama's party shes getting a um...pro...pro...Promotion!" She smiled at herself for being able to say such a big word all by herself. "it sounds important so i thought i should look pretty for it!"

"A promotion? Well, isn't that nice?" Rose replied, cringing at her own words.

It wasn't that she was trying to be nasty, far from it in fact. It was just that her words seemed so false and forced, especially for her. With her ability to be able to talk smoothly with just about anypony, her awkwardness around fillies and colts stood out even more. In something of a silent plea for help, Rose glanced towards Rough Draft.

In the vague possibility that he read minds, she thought 'Please help out with this conversation.'

Rough Draft cracked one of his eyes open to see the pained look on Rose's face the begged for his assistance with the little filly. He smiled softly before opening both of his eyes and looking at the young pony. "Well, that is very sweet of you, wanting to look pretty for your mother's promotion. I bet it makes her very happy. Although I think you are already pretty." He said in the happy tone that he uses when speaking to children.

"My name is Rough Draft." He said smiling. Then an idea hit him, a way to entertain the little one and let Rose relax. "Say Sunny, do you like stories?" he asked.

Sunny stared up that Rough Draft like he had just said he owned the worlds biggest chocolate bunny "Yes! i love stories, i really really like Adventure stories!"

Rose let out a very quiet sigh of relief as Rough Draft took over and solved that situation. Then she realised the irony of her situation; she was feeling tense and stressed, while trying to relax in a spa.

Mentally laughing at herself, Rose let out a deep breath and allowed herself to sink into the pool. Most of her mane went underwater too, but the feeling of simply letting go was lovely. With Draft's input into the conversation with Sunny, Rose felt she could cope better talking to the filly.

"Adventure stories, you say? I heard from somepony that there is supposed to be a pegasus that lives in Ponyville who writes such stories for a magazine. I can't for the life of me remember his name though, or that of the magazine..."

Rough Draft smiled and went into a great adventure story, perfect for a little filly. Brave knights, daring deeds, and of course, a beautiful princess. He tried to keep the filly's attention for a while and let Rose relax. When he was done, he smiled and turned his gaze back to Rose. "Yes, I heard of that pony as well, The name escapes my mind at the moment.

Tacha had been bored. She really didnt like the idea of a spa but it couldnt hurt to try. She was feeling kinda drained after all she had met so many new ponies and she had only been in ponyville a few days. her nerves were all over the place and she needed to do something so she went to the spa, nopony tries to socialize at spas right? she had never been to one before but hey it had to atleast be a quiet relaxing place even if she did run into other ponies. As she approached the pool she heard the end of an amazing story. she was captured by its easy flow and was only too sad that the end came all too soon. slightly shaking herself she had to remember it wasnt her story to hear and tecnically she had been ease dropping of what was probibly a family time afternoon. the three really did look good together. taking a breath she carefully eased into the water a few inches away from the three ponies careful not to ruin the rest of their evening.

"THAT WAS THE BEST STORY EVER!!" Sunny grined at Rough Draft then taped her chin as if she was thinking of the magazines name then grined "I dont know what it would be called...i cants read so good yet" She says as she stares in the water for a moment before looking up smiling again at Rough Draft "But i bet you can tell stories better then anypony ever in the whole wide world!!....besides my daddy that is..."