This story has been beta by TheMischieviousPuppyDog.
Sorry it took a while. Hope you enjoy this chapter!
Azul was looking forward to his massage as he stood outside Elysium Oasis. It had been a long week, especially with management making a ruckus over something so minor about this store. Profits had not dropped since Pyrrha Nikos made her statement, so it shouldn't be something Spa Envy should be so hung on about. Yet the manager was starting to spout off random ideas, some of which were borderline insane and dangerous. Several times he had to smack the manager on the head to halt the production of stupid ideas.
"Well, let's see what all this hype is about," muttered Azul as he entered the building.
Immediately, he scanned around the room, taking note of anything and everything and making silent opinions and judgments.
'Not a bad color scheme... relaxing enough for those waiting... up to date magazines to keep patients interested as well as a few comics for those who don't feel like reading through a magazine... Not a bad choice on the comics, they're all famous and best sellers... Prices... are adequate for a place like this... Let's check on the staff.'
Azul reached the front desk, where a smiling Velvet was ready to help him. Behind her were Clementine and Arvo, going over a few notes that Ren had helped type out to allow them to transition into the system smoothly.
'Staff seems competent. Two new hires to help out at the front desk, it seems. One obviously more experienced. Said staff seems to have muscle structure more commonly seen in upcoming Huntresses. Perhaps working here part-time to supplement her income? Also helps double as security,' mused Azul as he signed his name in.
He knew very well that any Huntsman or Huntress in training, no matter what year, was more than a match than a bunch of thugs. And considering his manager was considering it despite the fact the more talented thugs were part of Junior's gangs... he could see no victory in that path. Nor did he even want to consider that path.
'Not to mention a lot of his customers will most likely be young people who want to be Huntsman or Huntress or the real deal. His network into that field will just grow with Pyrrha Nikos's statement. Which in turn, if it's found that Spa Envy sabotaged such a small company, we would be bankrupt very fast. Not to mention since he clearly doesn't discriminate against Faunus either.'
He did not underestimate just how much influence such people had. Especially if said people were from the Academies themselves. As for the Faunus, he was aware of the underhanded tactics the company had for Faunus customers, but that wasn't something he could correct. He could voice it, but the chance of being ignored was pretty much 100%.
'In any case, the co-branding idea seems more viable. Ultimately, the test comes on how much talent the masseur has.'
It didn't take long before it was Azul's turn.
"Not as comfortable as the baths back at the business, but enough to relax," stated Azul as he stretched his arms. While taking a shower, he kept his eyes opened as usual, mostly nitpicking some flaws at this point. He was soon guided into a single room and asked to wait while Jaune was finishing up. As soon as Clementine, the one who had guided him in, left, Azul closed his eyes.
"Four rooms," muttered Azul, "It's not a bad idea. Some patients fall asleep right after a massage, so having more rooms allows this Jaune to massage other patients while allowing the previous patients to rest. Though due to this, he is limited to the number of people he can take. If he could expand, say purchase one of the adjacent buildings here, he could potentially double if not triple the amount of people here. However, it seems like my hypothesis was right, he is the only masseur here. Meaning expansion would be a pointless endeavor."
Any more thoughts were stopped when he heard the door open.
"Hello, My name is Jaune," Jaune introduced himself, "I see that you ordered the full body massage for 90 minutes. Is there anything that you're allergic to before I start? Do you have a preference of oil you'd like to use?"
"No, I'm fine. Go ahead and start, and just give me scentless" replied Azul as he laid face down on the massage bed, having already shrugged off his robe.
Jaune nodded as he began by rubbing some essential oils in his hands before spreading out all over Azul's back.
As the massage went on, Azul's mind was busy organizing everything that he had learned during his time here. Of course, it was rather difficult to do so while getting a mind relaxing massage.
'He's good,' admitted Azul as Jaune pressed down on a knot within his gastrocnemius muscle, 'Much better than the majority of our staff. And he's pretty young, too. Plenty of growth there. Still, I don't see how his massage could've stopped Pyrrha Nikos from giving a statement to Spa Envy.'
It was then he decided to speak up a bit.
"Hey, you're pretty good at this," complimented Azul as he opened one eye to look at him.
"Thanks," smiled Jaune as he continued his work without pause.
"There's one thing I'm curious about though. What type of massage did you give Pyrrha Nikos to get that statement? And also, I noticed that you on your price board signs of you putting something on, but taking it down."
"Ah, you noticed?" blinked Jaune, "Didn't think anybody would notice that."
"To be honest, it's a very tiny detail," nodded Azul, "Very few would notice."
Azul was one of the best masseurs for a reason, and it was because he paid attention to the smallest details. Whenever he massaged, he would always keep track of a person's status, noting their breaths, their movements, everything. He would adjust his strength, his tempo, and his grip depending on his patient's mood.
"Well I thought about introducing a new massage that I like to call Aura massage," smiled Jaune, "It's something new that I've been testing out. So far, it's been a hit with some of my friends. I haven't put it on because it hurts and numbs my hands a bit if I do it for too long. Did it for three hours straight, but I think if I can improve my Aura control it'll be better."
"Hmm, mind giving me a little sample of that?" asked Azul curiously. Being a civilian, he had no real clue what Aura was. He had heard about it before, but from what he knew, it was like some sort of force field for Huntsman and Huntresses.
'Speaking of Aura, how did Jaune know about it? Perhaps he wanted to be a Huntsman but couldn't make the cut or some other situation?' thought Azul, 'Perhaps that's what gave him the edge.'
"Well, I suppose it couldn't hurt," hummed Jaune, "I do need an outsider's opinion, and you seem like someone who could give me some good advice on massages."
Before Azul could register or reply to that, Jaune's hands surged with Aura before pressing down once more.
Aura is the manifestation of one's soul. Huntsmen and Huntresses used it every day to protect them. Those who knew how to use it also used it to protect or fight. Those who's Aura was unlocked knew what Aura felt like. So when Jaune poured his Aura into his test patient's muscles, they knew what to expect, even if it was a surprise for them. Not only that, but their own Aura would react, to reach, and observe if the foreign Aura was a threat. Pyrrha, Blake, Miltia, and Melanie all had Aura, and each one had the same reaction, as if a warm blanket wrapped around them, subconsciously knowing their own Aura would react if it was a threat.
To Azul or to anyone without knowledge of Aura or having it unlocked, it was a horrifying experience. Azul felt like his soul was being analyzed, thousands of ants skittering about his body as if to sample on his flesh. Without any Aura, he had no way to know what the Aura was doing. It was as if he had been dipped into ice water with everyone staring at him with a cold glare.
"Stop!" panicked Azul as he pushed himself off the bed and onto the floor.
Jaune was shocked at this sudden freak out that it took him a second to register Azul was on the floor. Quickly cutting off his Aura, Jaune went to help Azul back up.
"Are you okay? Did it hurt? What happened?" asked Jaune with concern.
Azul took a few seconds to regain his calm, taking deep breaths with his eyes closed.
"I'm... fine," sighed Azul, "That Aura massage just took me by surprise... by a lot. It felt weird, chilling, and unnatural."
Jaune blinked as he heard that, "Weird, I've not received any comments like that."
Azul managed to completely regain his calm once more, lying back down on the bed once more, "Your friends said they enjoyed this? There has to be a key difference between them and me that is missing. What do your friends do?"
Jaune hummed for a bit, "Well Pyrrha and Blake are Huntresses in training at Beacon, while Miltia and Melanie work at a bar with Junior."
'Alright, I can confirm that Jaune knows Pyrrha by a first name basis as well as being close. This Blake is unknown but is a Huntress, but the other two sound like they're part of Junior's group. In fact, I think they're the main enforcers,' thought Azul, 'In fact, I've heard that they're tough enough to take on some students at Beacon. Which would mean...'
"Do all your friends have ….. this Aura unlocked?" asked Azul.
Jaune blinked as he had to put his finger to his chin to think, "Well I know Pyrrha and Blake do... I think Melanie and Miltia might too. I remember them talking about Aura at one point."
"Well, there can be two conclusions drawn from this. Either your 'Aura' massage only works on girls or it only works on people who have their Aura unlocked," concluded Azul.
"I think it's the latter," blushed Jaune, thinking of the former. There was no way that part was true, right? Something to test up on later, though.
"Let's finish up your massage first. I apologize for frightening you earlier with that."
"Mmm no worries, I was the one who asked for it," waived off Azul.
After experiencing that horrifying moment, Azul decided to just enjoy the rest of the massage and ponder about everything else later.
Azul hummed as he organized his thoughts, sitting in a cafe not too far from Elysium Oasis. In front of him were notes he had written about Jaune, organizing all his thoughts. Jaune had been apologetic after that disastrous trial, apologizing after the massage was done and even offered to halve the price of the massage. Azul shook his head and paid the full price, stating one again that there couldn't have been any way that Jaune would've known, and that he had been the one to ask for it.
As he was lost in his thoughts, munching on some fries he had bought, a noise brought him back as a chair was pulled back, along with the sound of a tray being placed onto the table.
"Pleasure meeting you here again," said Jaune as he sat down.
"Indeed," nodded Azul as he subtly collected the papers and dropped them out of sight.
The two stared at each other for a bit before Jaune spoke up once more.
"So, as one masseur to another, how was my work?" asked Jaune.
"So you already knew," chuckled Azul, "What gave me away?"
"Your hands," motioned Jaune, "They're pretty smooth yet worn. Hints that in your job, you use your hands a lot, yet you're always using some sort of oil. Your eyes were always roaming analyzing everything, from what Velvet told me when she saw you being guided by Clementine. You notice the smallest details, and you asked about a massage that Pyrrha Nikos got to give that statement. Overall, you're some sort of recruiter or competitor. I would've guessed a manager, but your knowledge of some massage techniques or interest in them made me suspect another fellow masseur."
'He's also sharp,' remarked Azul mentally, 'Combine with his skills and age, and he'd become one of the best. I'd take him as an apprentice if I could.'
"Pretty good," admitted Azul as he managed to gather his thoughts, "You knew your oil and spices, and always applied the right amount of pressure onto the muscles."
"So why were you here today? Checking out a competitor?" asked Jaune with a smirk, "Is it the shop several blocks down? I've heard several complaints about how misleading their Zelp reviews are."
"No, I've been there, and I have to agree with those complaints," chuckled Azul before flicking his hands, making it look like a business card suddenly appeared in his hands, "I'm here because I was mostly curious. I come from uptown Vale, Spa Envy, a branch of Mii Amo."
Jaune took the card to inspect it, his eyebrows raising at the sight of it.
"Why would a high-end spa worker want with my clinic? We don't even have the same customer base."
"Well, you did get a quote from the celebrity Pyrrha Nikos. That's why management and I were interested," replied Azul.
"So? You guys get tons of quotes from other celebrities," shot back Jaune.
Azul chuckled, "That's true. But to me, it's rather a matter of personal pride. You see, I was the one who massaged Pyrrha Nikos when she visited my establishment. At my place, I'm the best. She admitted it was good, but she didn't give the same quote to me as she did to you. I managed to get some clues in that you were the one who stopped that, so I was interested. Were you better than me? More experienced? A secret trump card that flips the tables? To which, in case you're wondering, my conclusion is that you are very well trained with skills almost on par with mine. In terms of experience, I'm ahead, but that's to be expected from our age difference. And apparently your trump card was an Aura massage that apparently works only on people with active Aura, correct?"
Jaune nodded, "I tested it out on Clementine and Velvet. Clementine gave the same reaction as you did while Velvet told me it felt comfortable."
"Mmm, makes me tempted to get my Aura unlocked," mused Azul, "Tempting, but not something I'd want to do."
"Why?" asked Jaune, "In fact, why don't most people do so?"
"Because it can easily paint a target for you," replied Azul, "Not to mention quite a lot of people can become corrupted from it due to its power. You've heard the saying. Power tends to corrupt, absolute power absolutely corrupts. Not to say all Huntsmen and Huntresses are bad, but the good majority of them have morals that stop them from falling into that saying. I've heard some people who unlocked it gain special abilities and used it for their own greed. There's a strict law in Vale that if you commit a crime with active Aura, your punishment is quite heavy. It's pretty much a common law in all the kingdoms. Plus, I doubt I'd have the time or control to learn Aura."
Azul stood up, finished with his meal, "Don't worry too much about it though. Both the store and the Aura talk. I'm sure you'll be fine. You can guarantee from me that Spa Envy won't do anything stupid. Though if you ever get tired of managing your own place and want to work for our place instead, just give me a call. I'll hook you through easily. Talent like yours is hard to find."
Azul hummed to himself as he walked back into the spa, wondering his next move. He could find someone to unlock his Aura, but dismissed the idea. He had heard that the later someone unlocked their Aura, the harder it was to control it. Plus, he had no desire to be a target. He wasn't lying that people with active Aura that wasn't part of the Academies, military, or special forces were targets. Still, Jaune was working for Junior, or so he suspected. That was plenty enough protection for him. Not to mention he had a Huntress in training working for him, as well as plenty of customers with their Aura unlocked that could help defend him.
"Azul! Azul, thank Oum you're back," said the manager as he rushed to him, "I've got a brilliant idea that'll bring in more business and deal with that clinic!"
In the shadows of the night, five figures slowly approached Elysium Oasis. Each one of them held a metal pole, lightly tapping it in their hands. As they approached it, they passed by a streetlight to reveal themselves wearing black ski masks.
"We break in, destroy the shop, and if we're lucky, cripple the guy, right?" asked one of the disguised robbers.
"Yea, and anything else in there we get to keep for ourselves," chuckled another one.
"He's got to have a lot of Lien! I've seen his store, he gets so much damn business!" leered the third robber.
"Funny how even a massage business is cuthroat," laughed the fourth member, "Can't believe we got hired to do this little job."
"It might be little, but the pay is big," said the leader of the group, "They apparently don't want this place to exist anymore. Let's go!"
The five men began to close in at the clinic. The leader took a brick that he had hidden from somewhere, raising it up high and ready to hurl it into the window.
"And you're idea is?" asked Azul, "I hope you didn't do anything stupid such as hiring thugs to ruin that shop. I happened to scout the premise already. I actually like the kid."
"Oh goodness no," stated the manager, shaking his head, "I admit, I was going a bit far there, but that's what happens when you panic. I got into contact with upper management, and when I joked about that, they chewed me out big time. Not to mention they firmly explained it to me that since the place was under Junior's protection, doing something like that was ludicrous and they'd fire me faster than I could say 'but'."
"Oh that's good," nodded Azul, "What did you have in mind?"
"Well like you said, co-branding," explained the manager, "If we can get in that clinic, we can find out what technique he used to get that quote. He might learn something from us, but it'll be a two-way street at least. We might learn more than he learns from us."
"Ah, speaking of technique, I already found out what it was," chimed Azul.
"Oh? He gave it away so easily? Did you trick him?" asked the manager.
Azul snorted, "No, I just asked and he gave me a straightforward answer. However, it's not something I can replicate."
"Really?" blinked the manager, "How so? It's not like you to admit defeat like that. You're much older and more experienced than him, aren't you?"
"Yea, well, this is something I really can't do because of my age," sighed Azul, "It involves Aura."
"Aura?" asked the manager, "I'm not familiar with that term."
"It's something specific to Huntsmen, Huntresses, and a select few others. Nothing a civilian should really know," explained Azul, "Why don't you explain more about your idea though?"
"Ah, yes, of course," nodded the manager.
As the would-be robber was about to hurl the brick, a hand clamped down on his wrist.
"What do you think you're doing?" growled the interceptor.
The broken moon moved slightly as time passed to reveal one of Junior's henchmen, wearing the black hat, suit, red tie, and for some reason, red sunglasses despite it being night.
"If you don't wanna get hurt, I'd suggest you leave!" growled the leader of the robber, trying to pry his hands off, "Get him, boys!"
"Err boss?" squeaked one of the robbers.
The leader managed to turn his head just to pale as he saw a lot more of Junior's henchmen with axes, swords, and guns pointing at them.
"Why are you all here?" whimpered another robber, "We just wanted to do a nice clean job of robbing someone! This isn't any of your business!"
"This is Junior's turf. You mess with anyone in this turf, especially that place, you mess with Junior."
"You guys are Junior's men? The toughest gang in Vale? Wait, he's under Junior's protection?!" squealed another, "Screw this I'm out! I didn't know that!"
"Well that's a bit too bad," grinned the lead Henchmen, "Junior has invited you all over from some drinks. And it'd be rude not to accept such an offer. He'd be very interested to know who hired you all."
The would-be robbers could only whimper as they were taken away.
Meanwhile, Jaune had no idea such an event had occurred outside his shop. He was busy doing some push-ups while waiting for the water to boil.
Been a while since I wrote out another massage. Azul gets his masssage! Hope my explanation of the Aura massage makes sense!
Reminder, I have a pat reon, look up azndrgn making fanfic. Donators get perks!