Gaius Scaurus stepped out of the late afternoon sun into the entryway of the Capacian Baths. He adjusted the belt around his waist that held his thigh length tunic, the hems trimmed in the color of His faction, against Him. He was met by an attendant of the Baths.
"Tal Gaius," The man said, looking at Gaius' new tunic. "I had heard you left the Silvers. I see that you DID join that new faction, the Coppers. How did you do in the races today?"
Gaius smiled, walking with the attendant, moving in the direction Gaius needed to go anyway. "We were put in 4 races today and took one win, two seconds and a third place finish. Not bad for a new faction." The attendant nodded. "Not bad at all. Aurelia is in there. Enjoy." The Attendant turned and headed back to the entryway to greet more visitors to the Baths. Gaius walked through the archway into the Pool of the Northern Forests. He stopped to admire the pillars designed to look like the massive trees of the Northern Forests. His eyes followed the 'trees' up to the mosaic on the ceiling depicting the canopy of the Forest.
As He made His way through to the Pool area a couple of bath girls started swimming His way. Suddenly they veered away as a pair of lithe but strong arms wrapped around Him. A soft voice whispered "How did you do in the races today Master?" Gaius smiled and turned within the circuit of her arms. "I took first in my race. Last lap pass of Lucius of the Silvers, My biggest competitor when I was a Silver."
Flashing Him the smile that caught His attention in the first place, she led Him over to the pool area. From there she moved one of the plants to the side of a 'trail' and led Him down the small 'path that the plant marked. Once back out of sight, she helped Him get out of His sandals, leaning down to kiss His feet as He removed His belt and tugged His tunic off over His head. She folded His tunic and laid it down on the small low couch, laying His belt across it. He took a silver tarsk and followed her back towards the main pool area. On the way He stopped and dropped the coin in the slot under the name 'Aurelia'.
He followed her; a plush towel wrapped around his waist, over to the pool area, admiring the two pieces of cloth in a 'panther girl skins' design intended to further the experience of the Pool of the Northern Forests. To avoid detracting from the environment, the girls in this pool, unlike other girls in the Capacian Baths, did not wear the chain and plate common to the bath girls. They instead wore a locking slave bracelet with their name, pool and cost. Aurelia's for example read: 'I am Aurelia, enjoy me at the Pool of the Northern Forests in the Capacian Baths for 1 silver tarsk.'
As they returned to the pool area, she spread a large towel out on the stones near the pool, gesturing to them as she knelt. "Please make yourself comfortable, Master. I will begin the first rubbing directly." Gaius removed the towel from around his waist and laid down on the one she spread out, closing his eyes as he waited on her to begin the rubbing.
She removed the top from the glass vial holding the coarse oils, pouring them across his shoulders and down his back, beginning to slowly massage them into his skin with the flat of her hands in long steady strokes. Gaius moaned softly with pleasure feeling her hands moving lightly over his skin, working loose the dirt and sweat of the day with the coarse bathing oils as well as the tension the racing built up in his muscles.
He opened one eye as she stopped rubbing the oils into his skin to see her wiping her hands on a cloth. She picked up the thin bronze spatula-like curved strigil laying nearby and turned back to him. Flashing him her dazzling smile she whispered, "Relax Master. I'm just going to scrape what I have oiled so far before moving on." Gaius closed his eyes and rested his head on the toweling again as she leaned over, slowly running the cool metal edge of the strigil up and down his back. He groaned softly as the strigil removed the mixed residue of oil, dirt and sweat from his skin, as well as scraping away the dead skin from his back and shoulders as she worked.
She slowly ran the strigil in long slow motions up and down his back, scraping until the majority of the oil was scraped up. She then took the vial of coarse oils and, laying his arm on her thigh, began to rub the oil into his arm in long smooth strokes, same as she did for his back and shoulders. Her hands slid in single motions down from his shoulder down to his wrist, her soft hands working the oil in to loosen the dirt and sweat on his arm.