"Seriously, what was it that had them so riled up?" Pearl asked as they exited the shower room.
Each Gem was dressed in the white robe and slippers offered to them earlier. Upon the polite (but rather insistent) recommendation of the friendly shower woman, they now wore bikinis under their robes. Garnet had on a sports top and boyshorts, Pearl wore a bralette and high-waisted bottoms, and Amethyst sported an underwire top and hipster bottoms.(1)
"Did you enjoy your shower?" Jolene asked. The Gems nodded and Jolene clapped her hands together. "Good. Now, if you're all ready, my fellow attendants and I shall escort you all to your individual treatments."
Pearl soon found herself seated on a white, padded table in a treatment room.
"So, this 'facial'" Pearl asked, emphasizing the unfamiliar word. "What exactly is its purpose?"
"Well, it has quite a few, Miss Pearl," the esthetician, Martha, explained as she prepared a tray of equipment next to the table. "It provides your skin with much-needed care, it gets rid of blemishes or wrinkles, and it can even make you look years younger."
She instructed Pearl to lie back on the table and then covered her body with a white sheet.
"That gem on your forehead is very beautiful," Martha said, before suddenly reaching for it. "Let me just remove-"
"NO!" Pearl sprang up from the table, both hands clasped over her forehead and a look of terror on her face.
"Okay, Miss Garnet, here we have the massage parlor," Garnet followed a pair of attendants, Victor and Gordon, into a candle-lit room with two padded massage tables.
"You may want to take off your glasses," Gordon advised, "It's a bit dim in here."
"Oh, they won't be a problem," Garnet replied, a small smile spreading across her face.
"Odd," Victor said, staring at his clipboard. "Your appointment here calls for two massages," He looked up at her, confused. "Is there somebody with you? Was there a mistake in booking?"
Garnet chuckled. "No, it's correct." Her Gem began to glow.
"What the?!" Both attendants covered their eyes as Garnet vanished in a red flash of light and was replaced by Ruby and Sapphire. Ruby wore a top and shorts similar to Garnet's, while Sapphire had on a triangular top and tie-side bottoms.(1)
"Okay," Ruby said, "So we just get up on the tables and-"
She stopped upon seeing both attendants with their jaws on the floor. "What?"
"And here you go, Miss Amethyst," Paula, her attendant, said as they arrived at their destination. "Our finest mud bath."
Amethyst's eyes went wide at the sight of the large pool of warm, steaming mud that filled up most of the room. "Here's your towel," Paula said. "Just please leave your robe on the chair an-"
Paula was cut off as the purple Gem shoved her aside and barreled towards the bath.
"CANNONBALL!"
After calming down and giving Martha a brief lecture on Gem biology, Pearl allowed her to continue on with her facial. Another issue briefly arose when she refused to allow Martha to apply the facial mask, disgusted by the idea of having white goop spread across her face, only giving her consent once Martha had assured her that their face cream was made from fresh, natural ingredients and was completely hygienic, as well as nourishing, to the skin.
Currently, Pearl lay back on the table, with a white cream mask spread over her face and cucumber slices over her eyes, while Martha massaged her scalp.
"Enjoying yourself, Pearl?" she asked.
Although she tried not to show it, Pearl wasn't really impressed by the treatment. Despite the apparent effects of this highly praised treatment, she didn't feel any immediate changes. All it felt like was white goop on her face. During the earlier parts of the procedure, Martha had gone on about the their face mask was designed to "open and clean out your pores," but this had done little to convince Pearl of its effectiveness, instead making her grimace. Human biology was so weird to her. Besides, Gems never had to worry about blemishes or wrinkles, or even aging for that matter, what with their bodies being mere holograms of solid light. Whoever had designed this beauty treatment clearly didn't have Gems in mind.
Despite all this, Pearl couldn't help, but admit that there was something inherently pleasant about the experience. The bed was comfortable, the cream had a pleasant odor, and Martha's patient and understanding demeanor had more than impressed Pearl. She'd listened to and answered all of the Gem's questions and concerns with complete compassion and empathy, acting as if Pearl's level of comfort was her top priority. And given what Connie had said earlier about the spa, Pearl couldn't be completely surprised.
What did really surprise Pearl was how she felt about it all deep down. During her years as a servant of Homeworld, Pearl had lived under the belief that she was nothing more than an accessory, made to please and serve her master. Whether or not intentionally, she could see a lot of these traits in the employees around her. In fact, it almost felt like a complete role reversal. For the first time in her life, Pearl was actually the one being waited on. Her needs were not only being acknowledged, but being considered with the highest level of importance. And her only obligation in return was to trust in their ability to satisfy her needs. Pearl would never admit it out loud, but she was beginning to see some of the appeal in being in such a position of power. As underwhelming as the actual facial process was turning out to be, Pearl wasn't in any hurry for it to end.(2)
"I don't think I've ever felt better," Pearl responded happily.
"Ohhhhhhhh," Ruby moaned in delight as Victor kneaded her back and shoulders. "Oh yeah. Ah! Ooh!" She gritted her teeth when his fingers found a particularly sore muscle. "Ohhhhhh!" the red Gem hollered he rubbed the soreness out. "Oh yeah baby!"
Over on her own table, Sapphire giggled at her partner's over-the-top reactions, all the while receiving a light back rub from Gordon.
"Having fun, Ruby?" she asked playfully.
Ruby looked over at her, tears of happiness now flowing down her face. "I haven't felt this good in years," she whimpered. "Ooh!" She squeezed her eyes tight as Victor worked on her leg muscles.
"Boy, I'm feeling a lot of tension on you, Ruby," Victor said as he rubbed. "Stressed lately?"
"Oh, more than you know it," Ruby replied with a small smirk. "Ooh!" She raised a fist and hammered down on the table as Vic reached another sore spot, causing the candles to shake.
"Yikes," Vic chuckled, with a hint of nervousness. "Remind me never to get on your bad side."
"Trust me, you don't want that," Sapphire playfully warned as Gordon began lightly karate chopping her back. "Light her up and she'll burn the whole house down."
Ruby blushed, but her expression quickly changed to anger.
"Hey buddy!" Ruby snapped as she noticed Gordon's hands getting close to Sapphire's rear. "Hands off the good stuff!"
"Ruby, it's all part of the massage," Sapphire said assumingly, though she couldn't help but give a little "ooh" and blush as Gordon's hands gently pounded her backside.
Ruby's eyes narrowed and she growled.
"Ow!" Victor threw up his hands as Ruby's skin suddenly went red hot.
"Ruby," Sapphire sighed. "Please don't embarrass us."
The red Gem's face quickly loosened up and she plopped her head down on her pillow in shame. "Sorry," she mumbled.
"Geez," Victor said, shaking out his burnt fingers. "I've heard of hot flashes, but that was crazy."
"Oh, she's one big hothead," Sapphire teased.
Ruby turned her head towards her. "Am not," she rebutted.
"Are too,"
"Am not."
"Yes you are."
"No, I'm not!"
"You are and you will be until you die." Sapphire gestured towards her face and sang, "Future vision."
Accepting defeat, all Ruby could do is blush and smile in embarrassment. She paid no attention to Victor as he (hesitantly) resumed the massage, her eyes locked on her lover.
"Ruby, his hands have moved. You can stop staring at my butt."
After a quick shower of her own, Paula went back to the mud bath and peeked inside. "Miss Amethyst?" She asked, a bit hesitant. "Are you-" She was caught off in shock.
The entire room was coated in mud. The mess was so thorough that not one inch of white stone was visible. In the center of the room, lying in an empty pool, was one very dirty, very happy Crystal Gem.
"Hey Paulie," Amethyst casually called. "Pump up some more mud, will ya?"
"My gosh, Miss Pearl. Your skin is glowing!"
"Thank you Stella," she said to the manicurist. Her facial complete, Pearl was now seated in a salon room, a pair of attendants massaging her fingers and toes. Thanks to the cream mask, a soft, warm glow now radiated from her face. If she blushed, it would make her whole face light up.
"I must admit, that facial was quite an interesting experience," Pearl chatted with the attendants. "Never in a million years would I ever think putting white goop on my face would actually be beneficial."
The attendants laughed at her statement.
"Honestly," Pearl continued, "I never thought I'd ever want to do any of this. Spas, beauty treatments. Nothing against you, of course," she quickly added.
"None taken."
"But now that I'm here," Pearl went on, "I'm surprised at how much I'm enjoying it all. The scenery, the hospitality, even these weird treatments. It's all very relaxing."
"Well, that's what Ocean Breeze is all about, Miss Pearl," Tammy, the pedicurist, said. "Relaxing and remolding customers. Some may be a bit hesitant at first, but they always leave feeling better than when they came."
"Trust us," Stella added with a smile. "By the way, would you be interested in any nail polish?"
"Well, I don't typically don't wear nail polish," Pearl said, "but I guess it wouldn't hurt to give it a try. Do you have any teal-colored polish?"
"Miss Garnet!" Randy called through the sauna door. "We got a call from maintenance about the heat. Are you alright in there?" When no reply came, he opened the sauna door.
"Holy smokes!"
The temperature was so high, he had to duck out in order to breathe, his face now drenched in sweat. Rather than open the door again, he merely peered his watery eyes through the steamed-up window. Inside, Garnet was sitting pleasantly. Far from the near-death experience of her attendant, the Gem leader was basking in the swelling heat and steam that filled the entire room. Randy was left speechless.
"Who are these women?"
"This way, Miss Amethyst."
"Oh, come on! I was right in the middle of my bath!"
Paula desperately tried to stay calm as she led the fuming Gem down the hall. "I'm s-sorry," she stammered. "but other customers have to use the mud bath too." Gulping, she added, "And besides, we have something even better for your next treatment."
The two entered a room with a small pool. Amethyst cheered up immediately. "Ooh!" she rubbed her hands together. "A hot tub."
"NO" Paula yelled. Catching herself, the attendant breathed and (rather forcibly) calmed herself before continuing. "Actually," she explained, in a much more pleasant voice, "It's a fish pedicure pool."
Amethyst raised an eyebrow. "A what?!"
"A fish pedicure pool," Paula repeated. "You stick your feet in the water and we release a bunch of special fish to nibble at your feet."
"You're kidding."
"Nope," Paula assured her. "These special fish will eat away at all the dead skin and make your feet all nice and smooth." She quickly directed Amethyst over to the pool and rather forcibly pushed the Gem's feet in the water. "Just sit here, don't move, and I'll release the fish. Be back to check on you in a bit." With that, the attendant turned on her heels and rushed out of the room.
Amethyst rolled her eyes. "Sheesh, what's up with her?"
From somewhere, an alarm sounded and several vents at the pool's bottom opened. Out swam throngs of tiny doctor fish, whom immediately swarmed Amethyst's feet and began nibbling away.
"He-he, that tickles," the purple Gem giggled. Suddenly, she felt her stomach rumble. "Oh, getting hungry."
She stared down at the fish in the water.
"Maybe just a handful."
Out of all the things the spa had to offer, Pearl's favorite quickly became the mediation garden.
She sat cross-legged in the soft grass, with her hands (and teal-painted nails) in her lap and her eyes closed, mediating peacefully to the sound of running water from the stream that surrounded the garden and the smell of sweet perfume of fresh flowers. A smile crept across Pearl's face as she looked back on pleasant memories. When Rose was alive and with her. When Steven was young and looked up to her. When she first met the Mystery Girl and actually managed to get her number. For a moment, the stress of protecting the Earth seemed to vanish. Replaced with tranquil bliss.
'Wash away the stresses of life.' They couldn't have chosen a better slogan.
Burp!
"Ooh, good one," Amethyst congratulated herself. She was lying on her back in one of the spa pools. Paula had basically ditched her after coming back to an empty fish tank.
"You know they have a snack bar," a familiar voice said.
Amethyst looked up. Lounging in one of the poolside chairs was Garnet. Steam and heat were issuing from her body, but the Gem leader didn't pay it any mind.
"Garnet."
"Amethyst."
"How long have you been there?" Amethyst asked.
"About an hour. You were sleeping when I came in," Garnet answered.
Amethyst tried to sit up in the water, but ended up sinking. She resurfaced and whipped her hair, sending a spray of water on Garnet, which evaporated on contact. "Whoa G, you're hot!"
"Thank you," Garnet said, smiling.
"Good call on Steven and Connie. This place is awesome," Amethyst continued. "Hot showers, mud baths, free lunches. We should have found this place ages ago!"
Garnet chuckled. "I can't argue with that." She sat up and stretched her toned body. The double massage had done her good. "We owe it to both of them."
"Yeah! We should bring them the next time we come here," Amethyst suggested. "Oh, and Greg too. That old guy could use a shower."
"And a massage," Garnet added.
"Yeah, that too," Amethyst agreed. "Hey G, you up for a splash fight?!"
"Don't challenge me, Amethyst," Garnet warned, rather playfully. "It won't end well for you."
"Oh yeah?" Amethyst teased. "Prove it!" She briefly turned into a small whale and blew water at Garnet. "Or are you BOTH chicken?!"
Garnet knew she couldn't walk away from such a dare. She summoned her gauntlets and grew them giant, a devious smile spreading across her face.
Amethyst's eyes went wide as she realized her mistake. She muttered a scared "Uh-oh" as Garnet leaped into the air and cannonballed into the pool.
(1): I wanted each Gem's swimsuit style to match their personality. I figured that Garnet's/Ruby's would be more athletic, Pearl's would be more conservative, and Amethyst's would be more revealing. Sapphire just goes for causal. My OCD at work again.
(2): Pearl's experience during her facial is where I first experienced my writer's block. I don't know why it was so hard to write, maybe because Pearl has such a complex personality. This is what took up twenty minutes of my Drawing class. Again, worth it.