Fandom High School

If only she and Ignis had coordinated a little better, they could have combined their New Zealand trips. But alas, they had not, and so Liliana's special trip to New Zealand had to take place the week after his. Still, there was no better place for them to celebrate the last class and get to practice everything they'd learned over the past seven weeks.

A message had gone out, informing people that they might wish to bring something to go swimming in, or something they would wear to a spa with massages, and they met up once more at the portal. It wasn't until they stepped through and into their destination. "Welcome to The Lost Spring," Liliana said. "A resort built around natural geo-thermal pools. There are several, with several variations in temperatures. There is also a treetop day spa, should you wish to enjoy a massage, a wrap, or some other treatment. A restaurant, in case you wish to indulge in food. Even a store, in case you were looking to enjoy a little bit of retail therapy. Or you can just sit in a patch of sunlight and play on your phone. No lecture today, darlings. Simply find something - or more than one thing - and spend at least one last hour treating yourself to luxury, relaxation, and indulgence."

Liliana was too busy getting ready for tomorrow's party and I woke up late and utterly braindead and so class was canceled with the message

Class cancelled, darlings. Indulge in your free time by doing something kind for yourself in the hour we would have had.

And then went back to instructing people for decorations and furniture and the catering. (To be fair, her instructions for the caterers were always, 'Talk to Mr. Scientia, please.')

Handwavy messages had gone out during the week once again informing students that today's class had a massage component and suggested people wear clothing that they would be comfortable getting a massage in, whether that was stripping down to their undergarments, bathing suits, or wearing some kind of thin, base layer that a masseuse could work through, or but reminding people that because this was a class, some kind of clothing did need to be worn. Additionally, it suggested giving some thought to any instructions that they should pass along to their masseuse, providing examples such as: places to focus on, places to avoid, preferred amounts of pressure, scents or textures to avoid, etc. And, lastly, it contained a reminder that an alternate exercise was available for those who wished to forego the massage, but asked that those who were hesitant to undergo a new experience to at least try it, before reiterating that anyone who chose to skip it were free to do so, with no questions asked.

On the day of class, they once more met up at Theodoric's, though when they entered, they were shown into a small waiting area, full of plush sofas and chairs, soft instrumental music playing in the background, and cups of cucumber water for them to drink. Liliana was already lounging on a low couch with a glass of water when they entered. ( 'Cause I get chills every time that you / Almost touch me )

"And so many people find themselves in something of a catch-22; wanting and needing that touch from others, not wanting to admit that there is something that they need from someone else and many people are raised with the concept that absolute self-reliance is the ideal to strive towards, and all the while being wary of the dangers inherent in obtaining that touch. There are, of course, ways to work around this; the most effective - though I do not say easiest - is to find a person or persons that you trust and care about who are not generally touch-averse, or, at least, do not seem to be with you, and having an open and honest conversation about consent for touch and touching, as well as physical and emotional boundaries around what kind of touching is allowed and welcome. Even just sitting close enough to someone that your sides touch, or engaging in hugs that last ten seconds or longer can soothe some of that skin hunger. There are programs that look for volunteers to come interact with elderly, infant, and other infirm people to make sure they are getting enough touch, which also will help you in that capacity as well. And then we have massage, a supposed 'self-indulgence,' that puts you in the position of being touched by a professional, in the exact manner of your choosing. As we've discussed before, indulgence is the opposite of deprivation, so it might certainly feel like indulgence after so long of not being touched at all, but once your needs have become properly regulated, it will start to feel like what it really ought to be - maintenance for your continued well-being...aka, self-care."

Various forms of communication had been sent out to inform Liliana's class that they would not be meeting at the school at all, but in town, at Theodoric's and should wear clothing that was easily adjusted to bare their calves. Getting scandalous up in here. Inside, they would find a ring of odd-looking chairs, all facing inwards for the ease of conversation. Those who recognized such things would realize that these were mani-pedi chairs; anyone who didn't would just see a comfortable, cushioned chair with a built-in basin. Liliana was already present, of course, her tall leather boots tucked against the side of her chair, already shin-deep in hot water and bubbles.

"Welcome to Treat Yourself," Liliana said to each person as they arrived. "Please remove your socks and shows, if you are wearing pants, adjust them so the cuffs are at your knees, and then take a seat. Your technician will arrive shortly to fill up your basin, and in the meantime, we'll have a bit of a chat. So, this is a class nominally about self-care, but really moreso about self-indulgence. Of course, self-indulgence is often a form of self-care, but with an emphasis on luxury and excess. And, contrary to many people's opinions, there isn't anything inherent wrong with either of those concepts. They are, in fact, not synonymous with over-indulgence or selfishness, the way that purists will try to insist. So they why a class on self-indulgence instead of sticking solely to the more palatable self-care? A number of reasons. First, everybody deserves to be a little self-indulgent sometimes." Or frequently, if you were Liliana. "This is a guarantee that you will at least be given the opportunity one hour a week, which I assume is more than many of you allot for yourselves by an amount that will only distress me. Furthermore, I'm looking forward to unpacking the various stigmas about self-indulgence, especially of the kind we will be engaging in. And lastly, self-care has been watered down to the point where it is simply another box to check off on someone's to-do lists - engaging with the concept in only the most cursory of fashion possible in order to leap back up into the grind."

Ridiculous behavior. Just absolutely nonsensical.

"Unlike my previous two classes, this is less a lecture and more of a discussion. I am interested in learning how you interact with the concept of self-indulgence, what thoughts and emotions that brings up for you and where you think those beliefs come from. Now, these questions are more for you than me; while I admit to being quite curious to your answers, the most important thing to me is that you engage with the questions themselves. Some of the questions may involve answers you're not comfortable with answering out loud. That's why, on the small tray tables next to you, you will find a journal and a pen--" or, in Ignis's case, a stylus and a slate and his paper was much thicker, closer to cardstock "--for you to write down your thoughts when there are questions you don't want to answer. I won't be collecting them for a grade or the like, they're yours. The only thing I ask is that you actually consider the questions I'm asking and make your best faith effort to try to answer them in the privacy of your own journal.

One of the staff wandered around, setting down flutes of champagne over poured over a single raspberry; unless you didn't drink, in which case it would be a glass of sparkling cider instead.

"Enough of an intro," she said. "I'm far more interested in listening to your answers today. At some point, add your name while you're answering a question and we'll count that as good enough for introductions."