Solo Moonlight Stranger

[Ssezzkero]

23 of Summer 515 AV
The pale iridescent skin of the Konti made her almost illuminate in the moonlight. Ssezzkero’s soft steps were making an audible patter on the gravel that lead up to the gazebo, but when she caught sight of the Konti, Ssezzkero slowed. Carefully she stepped onto the grass beside the gravel, but continued on. Slower and quieter, the Iyvess approached the Gazebo, as she got closer, able to recognize that the woman was wearing a simply light blue dress, and curled into herself on the far end of the Gazebo. Ssezzkero came here to dance often, and knew that the side which the Konti faced showed a beautiful side of the botanical gardens. Ssezzkero had been assigned these gardens to dance every once in a while. They were not in such dire need as the farms, as they had people to attend them with more detail, but her first gnosis mark would do these gardens good.

Two steps from the end of the Gazebo, she realized why the Konti appeared to be curled in on herself, she was crying. Ssezzkero paused, slowing her breath to hear the ragged sobs better, and confirm. This beautiful woman was crying in the moonlight. Sadness touched her own face, and Ssezzkero abandoned the stealth play, stepping onto the gazebo with more audible footsteps. The woman must have heard her, but did not turn. Ssezzkero cleared her throat.

“Go away N’Val.” The broken words escaped between the Konti’s sobs. Ssezzkero didn’t answer, crossing the large Gazebo to her, and placing a hand on the wood railing that the Konti leaned against. The sea creature leaned forward onto the wood, allowing her weight to rest on her hips, the river creature leaned back onto her lower back which rested on the wood.

[b”]I’m not N’Val.”[/b] Ssezzkero spoke gently, realizing that she did not know this stranger, but wanted to comfort the beautiful woman anyway. The Konti turned to look at her, puffy blue eyes appraising the small snake before they began to well up again. Ssezzkero guessed it was at the realization that this N’Val had not actually come for her.

“Can I help?” The snake asked simply, boldly reaching her arm over to place on the woman’s forearm. The gesture was reassuring, but she found the touch of such a beautiful woman to be enticing in a way.

“There is nothing to do. He loves another.” She sniffled, squeezing her eyes as if she could hide the trace of her crying. She reached up with one hand to wipe her tears, rubbing at her pale cheeks, but she did not move the arm which Ssezzkero held. Taking this as an initiative, Ssezzkero gently guided the woman to turn around, facing in towards the Gazebo like herself. She felt some rise of confidence and softened her steps to a fluid movement as she stepped out to face in front of the Konti.

[Ssezzkero]

“I think he isss making a misstake.” She offered, letting her hand glide down the Konti’s iridescent scales to grab her left hand with Ssezzkero’s right. Ssezzkero held up her left hand as well, offering it for the Konti to take. The pale beauty snorted, looking up to hold her tears in and wiping her cheek once more with her right hand, before tentatively placing it in Ssezzkero’s.

“It’s not that he doesn’t love me too. He has just decided to take another wife.” She sniffled, looking down at their feet, mirroring each other on the smooth wooden panels. Ssezzkero began to realize what was happening. She wasn’t well versed on the marriage laws in Riverfall, but she had known of the polyamory that the Akalaks took to, she had guessed it had to be consensual though.

“He didn’t asssk you?” She offered, trying to navigate this conversation in this culture she didn’t know well.

“He did, but I… I didn’t want to limit him? He is so successful, it is good for him to have more than one son, and… I can’t even produce him one.” She sighed. As she spoke, Ssezzkero’s eyes drifted down the pale cheeks, hesitating on her smooth pale lips, and then falling down her pronounced clavicle to her light blue covered chest. Almost embarrassed the snake glanced away, back up to the Konti’s blue eyes to see that she hadn’t been paying attention to Ssezzkero’s wandering eyes.

Unsure of what to say, Ssezzkero stepped forward, still holding both of the Konti’s hands in her grasp. This forced the Konti to step back, which distracted her. Deliberately, Ssezzkero twisted her left hand over her shoulder, guiding the Konti’s hadn to rest on her shoulder. “Oh.” The woman said, understanding what Ssezzkero was doing now, and did not protest when Ssezzkero placed her own left hand on the beauty’s hip.

“I can sssee why you did it.” The snake ventured, not actually sure that she could. The Konti frowned at the false note in her voice. “But I can tell you one thing.” Ssezzkero pulled the Konti into her, stepping back to where they had just been. Two steps.

“What can you, a stranger and a foreigner tell me about my culture?” The Konti raised a brow, defensive in her words, but willingly following in her steps, as Ssezzkero guided her to the left, and twisted their bodies slightly, but kept the slow rhythm of their steps. The konti could follow now, but she did not know how much this bell could dance.

“Nothing.” Ssezzkero shrugged with honesty, glancing up at the pale blue eyes with a glimmer of knowledge. “I can, however, tell you that love is not limited to one.” She said with a certain conviction that sang of her years of experience. Kontis were not the quick flitting lives of the humans, but she had seen more years than this one, that she was certain of. But her words did not source from the confidence of her age, but from the earnest of her heart. She felt for a crying soul, but she also craved a beautiful face.

[Ssezzkero]

Tears began to spring in the Konti’s eyes again, and Ssezzkero picked up the pace. Stepping into the tall beauty, stepping back, and then twisting. The rhythm was simple for now, easily in line with the beating of their hearts, which was Ssezzkero’s favorite metronome. This time instead of stepping forward, she let her left hand fall from the Konti’s hip, and extended her arm forward with enough force that the Konti could follow what she was supposed to do. This ballroom dance was so common in all cities that the Konti easily ducked under the smaller woman’s arm, twirling. To Ssezzkero’s pleasant surprise, the Konti returned with a hint of a smile, the red puffiness of her eyes fading.

“And how did you reckon across this knowledge?” The Konti’s voiced had changed from the morbid result of her lover’s decision, to her amusement with this stranger’s philosophy. One side of Ssezzkero’s lips turned up, and she gripped the Konti’s hand, pulling her gracefully back into herself. The beauty was much taller than the beast, and so she pressed her left hand into the Konti’s lower back to keep her from curling over her shorter dancing partner.

“I’ve exxperiencced sssome thingsss.” The snake whispered in the Konti’s ear before allowing her to stand straight again and continuing on the original rhythm. Forward, back, twist. The Konti let out a breathe, which Ssezzkero could almost claim was a giggle. The snake felt her own heart begin to flutter, enthralled by the interest of this gorgeous creature before her. Forward, back, Ssezzkero stepped into the Konti on the expected twist, pulling the long lithe body around hers so that they switched places. It was not nearly as smooth as if this stranger had been as good ad dancing as she, but the Konti did follow her moves as best she could. Straightening back up, Ssezzkero guided the Konti to the side, switching up the rhythm slightly. She couldn’t help but let her own brown eyes be caught in the soft blue ones above her.

She was addicted to watching the sorrow fade away to a soft awe. Ssezzkero no doubt wore the same expression on her own face. Two steps to the side, and Ssezzkero twirled them both, deciding to keep them together rather than attempt to leave the Konti to her own dancing skills once again. Within in seconds, Ssezzkero felt the soft tingling in her leg that let her know she was activating her gnosis. Although the Iyvess had added a partner to this dance, she still drew diamonds into the floor with her steps, as was the original intention.

They reached the other end of the gazebo, the Konti nearly putty in her knowledgable arms, following the experienced steps of the Raindancer.

[Ssezzkero]

“Do you dance often?” The Konti spoke suddenly, as Ssezzkero extended her arm once again to recreate the twirl they had done in the beginning. In order to call the light showers that she wanted, Ssezzkero would need to recreate their path to this end back to the other end.

Ssezzkero nodded as answer, unwilling to interrupt the silence with noise, pulling the Konti back in and returning to their original rhythm. Forward, backward, twist. The Konti seemed to sense this, and Ssezzkero got the feeling that it was settling into that beautiful brain how she was suddenly apart of something bigger than a smooth dance with a stranger in the moonlight.

When they reached the other side again, Ssezzkero sped the pace up. In her mind she could imagine the fall of the rain, slow and steady sprinkling. So light that it is not heavy enough to worth noting. Now she wanted to bring the rain to a more continuous storm. This time, when Ssezzkero pulled the Konti into her, copying the familiar twirl, that brought the pale beauty too close last time; Ssezzkero let the Konti spin out in one more twirl. This time she let her hand go, and was thankful when the grin on the Konti’s face showed she was glad to follow suit. Ssezzkero turned her back to the woman, stepping around her in a quick movement to catch the Konti at the end of her twist. She must have surprised the stranger, because the Konti lost her balance, and Ssezzkero struggled to grab the larger woman before she fell. She knew enough about raindances to realize that a mistake could be smoothed over, but stopping would ruin it. Still, it took the Iyvess who extra steps to adjust their rhythm. In order to contain the rain, Ssezzkero returned them back to the simple rhythm of forward, backward, then twist.

The raindancer had forgotten the heavy emotion of attraction that had previously settled on the scene, and took a deep breathe to attempt to settle herself as she readjusted the rhythm. Her gnosis was activated, so whatever rhythm she could create from here would change the rhythm of the rain. This knowledge in mind the Iyvess decided to change the rhythm slower. Forward, back, twist. This time when she guided the Konti forward, Ssezzkero took her own step back, raising the Konti’s hand over her own and twirling. The Konti giggled slightly, but still didn’t speak. Ssezzkero grinned at her, stepping back into her, and then guiding them back to the rhythm, although slightly faster. Forward, backward, twist. Again, they reached the other end of the Gazebo and Ssezzkero sped up once more. Forward, backward, twist. On the second forward step, she extended her arm for the Konti to twirl. The tall beauty was understanding the rhythm by now, and followed the twirl easily, which made it easy for Ssezzkero to solidify the pattern. Once the Konti returned to her, Ssezzkero barely had to lead. Forward, backward, twist. Forward, backward, and then Ssezzkero send the Konti on a twist and stepped around her to catch her. She knew the tall beauty was catching on because they did not collide as they did last time, and were able to step back into rhythm quickly, so Ssezzkero picked up the pace. Forward, backward, Twist. Forward, backward, twirl. Forward, backward, twist. Forward, backward, then Ssezzkero twirls. Forward, backward, twist. Forward, backward…

[Ssezzkero]

This time when Ssezzkero extended her arm to let the Konti twist, the woman let go, twisted out, as if she expected Ssezzkero to step around and catch her, although that was not Ssezzkero’s intention. The snake realized this when she felt the iridescent scaled hand fall from hers, and without grace stepped forward to catch the Konti. With fast enough reflexed, Ssezzkero skipped to the Konti to stop her twirling, letting the taller woman crash into her, and stepping back to hold her up. Still, she felt her nose knock into the woman’s clavicle, but no initial pain.

“Oh! Are you okay?” The woman interrupted the silence, grabbing Ssezzkero by the shoulders, and angling her to look at her face in the light of the moon. Ssezzkero squinted her face, waiting for the pain, but not sensing it. Tentatively, she reached up to brush her nostrils, feeling no liquid, and so she relaxed.

“I’m fine, I’m fine. Sssorry about that.” Ssezzkero sighed, reaching to her shoulders to grab the Konti’s hand again. She could feel the tingling in her leg, it was settling down slowly, as it did after a successful raindance, unlike the sudden stop as if she had failed. Running back through the dance in her memory, she knew it would be a rocky rainfall when it did come, but since her gnosis was so low, it wouldn’t matter. That was why she was sent on these missions, it was almost impossible to mess up when all that was needed was the bare minimum. Ssezzkero chose to relax, looking back up at the Konti, who was no longer worried since Ssezzkero was obviously fine.

“Thank you.” She said simply, staring too intently into Ssezzkero’s eyes. And suddenly the snake was brought back to the reality she had been living in before pulling this stranger into her raindancing. But before the snake could properly reply, the Konti moved her hands up to cradle Ssezzkero’s face in her iridescent fingers. Ssezzkero’s eyes widened, she knew what this tall beauty was too shy to do. Morals asked the snake not to dare kiss this Konti. But the snake only hesitated for a second before raising herself to her toes and closing the gap, resting her lips on the pale lips of the Konti before her. She inhaled the sweet salty scent of the sea creature, and knew that the Konti could smell the river on her. But Ssezzkero only gave a peck and let her feet drop flat again. “Thank you?” The Konti said again, a question this time.

Somewhere in her soul, Ssezzkero knew that she should likely be embarrassed by the rejection, but she didn’t feel the need to be. Instead she grinned, gently placed her hands over the Konti’s to removed them from her cheeks, and stepped back. “I hope N’Val isss better to you.” She whispered as a last parting, feeling the lump in her throat as the shame began to show. She had made a move where she wasn’t supposed to, and then was rejected.

Ssezzkero twirled on her toes, and stepped of the Gazebo with a new vigor. She had finished her duties there, she had danced for the Botanic Gardens, and she would do so again in a few days. She had happened to entice a beautiful Konti to join her, but that was it. She had to tell herself that was it. Still, her own heart sank slightly for the stranger who didn’t at least stop her. Perhaps it was only fair.