Hope Springs Occasionally

[Riemaia]

"Oh babe you obviously haven;t been to one if thats how you are describing it! That sounds more like Great Purchase Yards, Val-marts have sun roofs and obviously only use incandescent lighting when its dark enough... fluorescent lights are illegal in Riemaia you know!" Anneli said as she walked into the store, and started to stare at the naked lady in the window. "Wow... are you sure this isn't a strip club? Why didn't we go here first!?!" Anneli teased, as she smelled the lovely scents in the air. "Do they have anything that smells like apricots? I totally love apricots! Like just the other day I had some apricot soda, wait.... I totally should have brought some for you! Maybe when you come home with me to help out with the taxes I can give you some."

[New Edom]

Mara sniffed. "We'll see--next time we're in Riemaia you can take me to Val-Mart. I just remember that girl Venessa as well--I guess she was alright but she rubbed me the wrong way. Maybe I was having an off day, I dunno." as they went into the shop and Annelli made her strip club remarks, Mara said, "I know it's funny but actually it's originally from some liberal place, this company--Radiata or something--and public nudity has been legal there for a while, and they do ads like this all the time there. Anyway yes, apricot is nice, let's get an attendant..." they soon had a really nice middle aged woman called Mitzi from Estovakiva who showed them a few different lines of products that had apricot scents, and began to explain in layman's terms the chemical compounds (this one has beeswax...this one has ambergris...) and the properties, the application, and the resulting scent and feel.

[Riemaia]

"Venessa is pretty nice, she helps me around when I need the help, mostly with things like carrying my purse or pushing me around in my wheelchair, simple stuff." Said Anneli as she began to listen to Mitzi. She wasn't too fond of the Estovakivans, with her limited exposure to them, but didn't dislike them enough to want to refuse to talk to them, but was definitely not willing to talk anything that involved secrets or military-related info. Anneli wasn't paying too much attention to the chemical compounds of everything, just wanting to know their fragrance and if they have anything which would make her allergic, which was unlikely since she was only allergic to peanuts, horse hair, and capsaicin. "Umm... what do you recommend in the way of body soap? I need something that wont leave a film of soap on my skin."

[New Edom]

"Well," said Mitzi, "It depends, yes? For example, do you have dry skin, oily skin, sensitive skin? And are you washing in warm water and then moisturizing afterwards? How do you usually feel after you shower or bathe?"

As they were standing there a buxom young woman with fair hair sleek in snug pants and a filmy top that left little to the imagination came up, smiling. "Excuse me, but I don't know if you remember me, I'm Anna Rand." she was perhaps a little older than Annelli.

"Oh, Hi." said Mara, smiling and exchanging bows. "Hey this is Admiral Rand's wife Anna. Are you shopping here in Lucy's too?"

"Yes, I'm doing that, then I'm going for the spa treatment at the resort--you should both come," her large eyes begged them, "It will be so fun to have some company."

"Oh...really..." said Mara.

[Riemaia]

Anneli opened her mouth, but didn't answer, noticing Anna had walked in and started talking to them. "Oh... well uhh, I'd love to, we were going to go to the spa later as well, weren't we Mara? Though we were going to go get me something businessy to wear later on when i'm not... well, you know, pregnant. But uhh, sure Anna, I think it would be cool for us to tag along, that is if you wanna go, Mara." Anneli had no complaints about hanging around with a third person, albeit someone she didn't know. "I'm Anneli by the way, but I guess you already know that..." She said as she opened her box of leftover poutine and started to munch on it. "Want some poutine?" She asked as she extended the box towards Anna.

[New Edom]

'Oh no thanks, i can't eat that stuff..." Anna shook her head, smiling, "I will just break out in flab from that, you wouldn't believe in the diet I'm on." She glanced around, "This sure is a nice place, and I'd love to do the spa thing with both of you, so honored!"

Mara made a face, looking away. She loved her friend, but honestly, sometimes she had no judgement--not that Mara should talk, but at least she limited that to who she went to bed with sometimes. Anna Rand was a gold digging social climber, as far as Mara was concerned. She was an actress Admiral Rand had married--probably for her body and her ability to look pretty in public--and the fact that she was a person of no family, and therefore someone whom he could control completely. "Hey, Annelli," she said, "Is there anything else you wanted to buy? Or were you gonna answer Mitzi's question?"

[Riemaia]

"Oh, Mitzi... thats right!" Anneli said as she turned back to her and smiled. "Well... I was looking for something that smelled like apricots and had the moisturizing lotion in the mix, all in the bar of soap, know what i'm saying? And some shampoo and conditioner that smells like peaches?" Anneli liked things and people that smelled nice and fresh, and being in the store just filled with things that smelled nice was quite calming for her.

Since Anneli had never really met Anna until now, she didn't know anything about her, where she came from, if she had any college degrees, or how old she really was. She looked over her shoulder to both of them, and said "I think the dressy business clothing can wait until later, what do you two think?"

[New Edom]

Mitzi held her patience, she was used to this kind of crap from rich women. "Sorry Highness, I meant to say: do you have dry or itchy skin? Oily skin? What sort of skin do you have? This will help me make the right kind of recommendation for you."

Anna shrugged. "I'm pretty easy on that, I do need some businessy stuff come to think of it, since Charlie sometimes wants me to attend afternoon functions with him. You know what, a lot of it is boring scientists, boring business people, boring religious people, boring military people. But he's lots of fun, he's a great dancer and he loves that yacht of his. Mmm, I love that, I could spend all day in a bikini--or less..." she said with a wink.

Mara rolled her eyes, turning away, and whispered, "She's some dancer he met at a club, she's just smart enough to be able to actually have a human conversation."

[Riemaia]

"Itchy, very itchy!" Anneli said as she looked at Mitzi, and then at her hand, which of course began to start to itch when she mentioned it. "It gets itchy alot really, like after showers, when its too cold outside, when people i dont like start talking to me... you know the average stuff." Anneli said as she scratched her hand, and glanced back over to Mara and Anna. "Clothes are a good thing Anna, you should know this... tease not please, remember that!" Anneli said as she laughed at the thought of being naked on a yacht... well for a second time, remembering she did skinny dip on Mara's yacht back during her birthday party.

[New Edom]

"Alright then, let me make a few recommendations," said Mitzi as she began to explain how particular soaps and bodywashes might suit Anneli.

Anna looked thoughtful, "Yeah, well that makes sense, you know, leave them wanting more, right? I think now and then just because everyone's doing it or for shock value..."

Mara checked her phone and then glanced at Anneli. "What's so shocking about that, unless you're around a bunch of prudes? It's not like it would be the first time someone flashed her ass at a party; I don't do it for that reason at all. I do it because I hate panties and it looks dumb to just wear a bikini top, though I will wear a one piece."

[Riemaia]

"Well you aren't the only one who just doesn't wear panties," said Anneli as she glanced over while listening to Mitzi as well. "For me it's cultural, like most Riemaians don't wear underwear at all, but do wear regular clothes... but swimming back home is pretty rare, all the cold and everything... But yea, I never wear panties, but maybe a thong every now and then, they can be comfortable from time to time." She then looked back at Mitzi and payed as much attention as she could, but small parts just went right over he head."Well thanks! I think that one over there that smells like apricot with the moisturizer already in the soap, sounds like it should help my itching really well."

[New Edom]

"Seriously, the both of you never wear panties?" said Anna, wide eyed. "Wow, I should do that too, though Charlie really likes sexy panties--I mean what about the man you er date, wouldn't you, well, like to a bit of packaging, a bit of surprise?"

"Somehow most of human history people got along without them and managed to be pretty darn sexy according to the Song of Solomon or whatever," said Mara. "So I don't give a hoot in Hell about it. Anneli, were we gonna do more shopping or are we gonna head off to the spa now?"

[Riemaia]

"It's an issue of comfort, not an issue of sexiness," said Anneli as she turned around at looked at Anna with some slight confusion. "I always put comfort over being sexy... well I shouldn't really say that, since sometimes I want to make people stare at me, but thats besides the point really." She then looked back over to Mara and smiled to her. "Well I want to get my suit, but if you want to go to the spa now, I won't complain. In fact, I think I would prefer to go the spa and get the suits tailor made instead of bought in a store, you know... more form fitting and all."

[New Edom]

"Welcome...to the SPA!" said the grinning huge man in a leotard facing the three women. He had a bald shiny head, a handlebar moustache, and was shaped roughly like a triangle, his upper torso ridiculously pumped up, his legs like knotted ropes, his arms suggesting that he was a shaved gorilla. The other women, in their nice clothes and fancy shoulder bags, either looked surprised or resigned, depending. "Before you enter, allow me to explain a few....THINGS...to you. There is no barbed wire at the spa! No stockade, no security towers! Your changing rooms are on the left! While NUDITY IS COMPULSORY--there is much exercise equipment, hot water, slippery lotion, protruding corners and so on, and therefore you are ADVISED....to..." he looked around, his eyes darting like pilot fish around the mouth of a shark, "Wear protective equipment, as I do, to protect the tender parts of your flesh from INJURY. Here are postcards which you may send to your families describing the wonderful time you are having. Please enjoy the spa!"