Meeting with the Stranger for a Dance (Syndela)

[Rafaelle]

72nd Day of Summer, 511 A.V.

It was getting late. Denizens of the wondrous city trailed off from one side of the street to the other, disappearing somewhere behind a remote corner. All of them ushered by their own mysterious motives. And the crowd thinned gradually as the sun turned red and descended wearily somewhere behind the rooftops. The skies were splayed with spectacular lilac, the herald of the night and shadows grew longer, crawling down every terrace.

Usually, watching people pass by entertained Rafaelle somewhat, especially here, in Alvadas where all sort hung about. But not tonight. The anticipation of what was to come was too much to bear, everything else paled in comparison and it made the already languid and uneventful day stretch even further and further... oh, the drudgery. The rogue had filled his stomach with cheap food. Although It was not enough to sate his hunger he thought that eating too much at once was too much of an encumbrance. It wasn't practical in the least unless he wanted to deliberately vomit in front of somebody.

The last hours were spent in silent contemplation and the fleeting footsteps of others seemed like a distant echo as he leant comfortably again. And as much as he hated to admit it, he wanted to see Syndela again. Perhaps it was the vicarious pleasure he received from observing her tantalizing movements. She moved with such ease, her limbs maneuvering through the air sinuously. She was not perfect, by any means, but to Rafaelle who rarely had the chance to witness anything of the sort, her dance was simply impeccable. Enthralling.


Rafaelle regarded his own hands with casual boredom. They looked just as they always did. The fingers were calloused but nimble still for he rarely needed to carry any heavy crates around or anything of the sort. But it was time to leave and commence his search for their destined place of gathering. He had observed Alvadas for many days and weeks but to no avail. Indeed, the streets changed arbitrarily or the pattern was simply too complex for his puny mind to figure out. The fledgling wizard was fond of puzzles but not when they appeared to lack a solution. And this was the case with Alvadas.

He pushed himself off the wall and looked in two opposite directions the narrow street he resided in. It was a rather ordinary looking street. They all looked identical. And even if there was something special about a particular place, there was little point in memorising them for the city shuffled streets like cards. Two familiar places could be on opposite sides of the large city the next day.

As he set his foot to the right, having come to a decision, he came to an abrupt stop. Something talked to him.

"Pssst, hey! Boy, over here!"

The street was emptied, perhaps half an hour ago and Rafaelle was well aware that when he was alone, things happened... in his head. He whirled around and cast his eyes down at a small figure of a curious humanoid creature. It was a small fat naked man, almost wholly covered in curly hair except for the bulbous shiny belly and his forehead. The creature had horns and hooves instead of feet. Its eyes were rather small, probably due to the fat cheeks, and smouldered with red. The thing grinned wickedly at Rafaelle and then frolicked in the opposite direction of where the mage was about to head while playing a horrid tune on its flute, missing many notes... on purpose.

Strange as it may have seemed, Rafaelle's bizarre visions had an uncanny way of guiding him towards his destinations. He had little choice in the matter. Once the strange little demon disappeared behind the corner, Rafaelle did not manage to get a full view of the creature again, ushered only by a its shadow and a faint sound of the horrible music its flute produced. The first stars were beginning to show in the skies as he passed by many identical streets in a zig-zag.

The tune stopped abruptly as the fleeting shadow disappeared somewhere to the left. The path seemed to lead into a dead end but Rafaelle trusted his subconcious on this one. The journey probably took an hour. Who knows how long it would take him if he tried to match his own wit against the madness of a maze that was Alvadas? And as he turned, there it was. The tap. No clothes hung above anymore, leaving room to watch stars wake one by one to clutter the darkening sky. Somewhere the moon loomed among clouds, still shy to shine its luminescent beams.

Relieved that he had found the place once more, Rafaelle looked about the place. There was only one entrance, again. It felt rather secluded and solitary between three walls. There were no doors this time. And if the cruel joke was to repeat itself he would surely have to suffer a night out in the cold.

[Syndela]

Terrace to terrace rimmed the courtyard, all traces of laundry removed so that each building could have fit snuggly within vision. The curious thing about the courtyard is that the houses faced backwards, their doors no longer visible and windows barred. The back of each house had individual sets of glass cast within each wall, some windows square in nature, while the rare oddity or two took a circular form.
Small garden beds and planters spanned out from the back of some terraces. One had a sort of metal contraption that whirled with the wind, another yard possessing plump berry bushes ripe for harvest with it's seasonal fruit and so on.

Purple hues and streaks ran across from cloud to cloud, growing more lavender in the direction of the horizon. Black looms of fluffy cloud stringed the moon, leaving soft impressions of light to fade down onto the shuffling streets below.
Such serenity left the aerobatical dancer behooved to stop and pause preparation to take the time to glance at the sky. Already having found the courtyard, she was sure to make preparations on the chimney of one of the terraces. It had been appropriately blocked by a slate of stone, leaving the space wide enough to kneel down and lay down with her knees tucked against herself. Having no lodgings, Syndela made home where she found it. So far no other areas of the city heralded a worthy home, since most places were on street level.
Imagination of a second story balcony with a shaded ceiling flashed into her mind. If only such perfection could greet her cause.

With exquisite dance outfit on and silk ribbon in check, the Symenestra left her belongings in the chimney and gently float herself toward the courtyard. Sweet memories of the playful antics that took place that night between herself, the human known as Rafaelle and the group of nobles frisked her thoughts. It could have seemed childish to have done what they did, but when someone yearned for new heights what truly would satisfy more than to put down the creatures that topped the hieracy triangle and throw them from their pedestals in ways that they never knew happened?
Fond lips curled momentarily. She could never find out why she had spared Rafaelle his life. What made him so interesting compared to the other useless fodder of his race. His mind expansive yet not conclusive, evading prying behind the portrait of a trickster.

Feet met the ground in the faithful leap, using the roof to slow the jump down and land unharmed at the area behind the crooked metal tap. " It is good to see you are on time, Rafaelle. " Proclaimed the pale woman with a dainty brow. The majestic outfit looked even more lavish than before, probably from repairs or modifications unseen. Black and dark purple eyelids fluttered under the pointed sharp brows, appealing to his presence with that sultry female vibe.

" Please, seat yourself where you find yourself comfortable. " To the male's conveniance there seemed to be a medium lone cushion placed against the stone ground. It was not fabulous by any means, a simple creamy gold object that Syndela both used as part of her bed linen and a seat for private customers.
Unknown to the novice wizard was that Syndela was armed. He agreed to not trick her again, but if the Symenestra discovered him imposing mind tricks on her repeatively, then the conclusion could end bloody.

Patiently, she took up position in the centre of the courtyard near the tap with a flexible leg keening out to rest heel on the metal hinge. No traces of moss would befall her this time.

[Rafaelle]

His eyes met her figure with genuine interest and fascination. She was a beauty to behold and even if there were flaws, they were hardly noticeable in the late dusk. Nor did the rogue seek any to criticize. The clothing specially made for the performances complimented her petite figure well.

The rogue's eyes glinted almost greedily in the dark and he could not control his countenance from spreading in a crooked grin. He tucked the mystical amulet within the confines of his shirt to demonstrate his innocuous intentions. No ulterior motives.

Usually he payed to touch the females as well but only the devil knew what this Symanestra was capable of. He had only dealt with wenches solely of his own kind so far.

His eyes scoured for a comfortable spot as soon as she told him to, announcing that the private show was to commence. Straight to business and no talk, he thought. It was strange, usually women liked to chat either because its their nature to prattle or because it helped them waste more time and in turn demand more jink later. Sometimes Rafaelle found it to his liking, especially when the wench was a sultry seductress. There was something mind-numbingly enthralling and alluring about being flattered with mere words of a woman. A hedonistic guilty pleasure to please the atavistic tastes.

"Very well then, Syndela..." He muttered, and without taking his eyes off the dancer, the rogue wizard took his seat on that cushion she had left deliberately. A cushion fit for a sultan. And he waited for her to begin, the pace of his heart hastening involuntarily. He should have brought torches, perhaps. But the possibility of attracting outside attention did not appeal to him.

"I am ready..." His voice was just above a quiet hush, audible enough to the acute ears of the Symenestra.

[Syndela]

Politely she awaited for Rafaelle to take his seating. Every passing second seemed to carry on for far longer than usual and she didn't quite know why the time lapse decided to occur now. Was Alvadas's magic really wanting to spoil this moment and test her patience? She had patience. Perhaps she had too much at times, but during her work she wanted things to occur in sequence with the next. Once his body had relaxed on the pillow, she proceeded to her next request.

" Once the dance has begun, I would like you to pay by throwing the coins on the ground. The drain is blocked so it will not fall down. " A sharp trimmed nail pointed at the metal lining covering the pipe underneath, comically filled with moss so no stray coin could roll into it's mouth.
" This is so you can't pick up all the coins should you decide to flee. " Syndela added with a forced grin. Red lips parting to showcase the predatorial fangs. " The more coins you throw, the better the dance becomes. "

Unravelling the silken cloth ribbon, the Symenestra gently pranced over the crooked water producing device and jumped lightly. Tightly controlled feet found balance atop it's frame, the metal not buckling in the slightest with the added weight.
Mysteriously the ribbon curved around the figure of the female with a tug of breeze, acting as an extension of her own body. As a Symenestra, her armspan was longer, conjoining the outfit and prop to present a taller and longer figure. At 5'4, she was not the tallest of women or shortest, but the proud posture and added bonus of her racial features deemed attractive in her own species made Syndela look assertive and more confident.

Arching her back suggestively, she began to bend over. Knees bent with the motion as wisps of long white hair fell from her shoulders. Continuing to bend more and more, the balance on the tap kept firm until a perfect arc was formed. " Do you understand? "

[Rafaelle]

It was rather simple yet clever. He smiled through the environing darkness at her and a sign of good will, shovelled in one of his pockets to throw three copper coins at her feet. They made that distinct sound of metal clanging against stone. The echo was not as strong as it would have been would he had thrown silver or gold for copper was a softer type of metal.

He feasted his smouldering irises upon her as she stooped gracefully. "Of course, quite preemptive of you, Syndela. Carry on then and rest assured I shall shower you in coins should I find your performance pleasing." He nodded, the slight chill of the coming night forgotten. He rested his elbows on his knees, the fingers of his left hand rolling a silver coin between them, ready to be flung at her feet just like the rest of them. He had coin.

"Oh, and do indulge me in some detail. How... intimate can your dances get, mm? From my past experiences, some dancers of the female sex love to flaunt their bodies rather close to their customers. No offense meant, of course, I am simply curious." The rogue smirked though he tried to keep his tone academic and official.

What was left unsaid though is that he would gladly spank her as well should she agree to come close enough.

[Syndela]

Graciously and spontaniously her body came to flight. Curving back up into a standing position, the female flung herself toward the male. Graceful yet quick steps languidly spaced her legs apart as she turned toward her target. As if time has slowed down, her body began to fuse with the darkness, slowing down before him as if time had stopped. The twist had made the cloth ribbon spin out at her side, gliding over the top of Rafaelle's head. The motion fluid, perfect and faultless. As Syndela continued to turn, a foot also joined with the ribbon, gravity holding no bound as her figure float over him, allowing his eyes to browse her graceful and athletic body.

" Time is what makes this intimate, young human. " Called the pale woman, her figure spinning around at his side. As both legs landed on the ground, her movements sharpened, yet still retaining the essence of timing. Tight slow steps paced her before his eyes, using the very edge of her toes to tread over the ground. For a human, it would have been excruiating, having the full weight of the body suspended on the edge of toe and nail alike. But for the Symenestra, it was as easy as kneeling.

Ribbon flew between legs and wove around the bare skin of one thigh. Bound movements unwove, kicking out a leg toward Rafaelle slowly as the other pushed into the ground and levitating her into the air. The leg toward the male turned down and under, weaving under herself and pointing until it curved up behind her, facing heel against her back. Other foot loomed under her in the suspended jump, curling neatly before her as she performed an aerobatical split with ribbon weaving away from the leggings and around her mid-drift.

[Rafaelle]

The movements were strangely tantalising and hypnotising. The cover of the early night disallowed him from seeing every intricate detail put into the precise movements, calculated and practiced during rigorous sessions.

Syndela seemed to move with unconstricted ease as if gravity and time had no power over her. Such was the grace and skill that Rafaelle perceived. An illusion in itself. As observant as he was, he could barely track and remember the subsequent movements that followed each-other as she danced. Was it all orchestrated or spontaneous? It certainly looked spontaneous but at the same time too complicated to be executed on spot...

He crossed his legs to hide certain something, shifting uncomfortably on his seat. It would have been even stranger if he was not aroused by what he saw. His nostrils caught the faint pleasant scent of a woman that she left. Despite being of other species, he still found it to his liking. The silver coin took flight to land near her feet with a cling, flipped by his thumb.

"Time you say? I take it we have all night at our disposal? My schedule is for tonight is quite scant." The tip of his tongue rimmed the lower lip inadvertently, his irises shrinking from the scintillating movements of the dancer. He also adored having a casual chat regardless of the activity and could only wonder if she would rather stay silent to concentrate.

[Syndela]

Strange how the ribbon changed and blended colour as it moved. One moment being red as it wove a circuit around her torso then to turn a pinky lavender once her feet had made contact with the ground. Executing a perfect spin, she came to face Rafaelle with a presented smile, her knees lightly bent with a leg tucked behind the other, arm extended with ribbon for the next sequence.

" I will dance for as long as offerings are continually placed. I have much energy, but I will not dance all throughout the night. Time is of the essence in this dance, yet you will find you will lose track of it. Indulge in this fantasy, Rafaelle. "

Nightfall increased the shadows and dark, making it harder to see the ghostly figure. Syndela decided to near closer to the male, allowing to see her dance at a much closer range despite not noticing his obvious arousal. Slow elegant steps swooped over his shoulder, the small jump forcing the Symenestra behind. Not only was she light but she was also nimble.
Swirling around him, the ribbon gently passed by and tickled the skin on his neck. Gripping the handle, the silk pulled behind his neck and through his ponytail, the body of the female arcing before his very eyes. She bent backward over him in reverse sommersault, time and gravity suspending the reality in which the woman moved.

Syndela's flexible body arched and contorted mid air, her feet picking up and gently sliding up into the air as her hands braced the ground and pulled herself along, bringing the silk ribbon to run with the momentum. Pushing until knees hit the ground with a soft thud, she then converted into another roll.
Thighs lightly parted away from him as muscles tightened and pulled her up into a stiff sitting position. Allowing herself to roll back, the female rolled forward over his lap, her hands pushing into the ground with force at the very end and kicking her legs at the last of the flip.

Her elegant structure was sent into the air with the push, white fronds of delicate locks gently washing over his chest and neck as she faced him from the air above, hanging upside down with her toes pointed to the heavens.

[Rafaelle]

One could only wonder for how long could the Symanestra hold the momentum. The soft silky texture of her hair felt soothing like a warm wind from the southern lands. Regardless of race, Rafaelle could not help but find almost any female attractive that bore striking semblance to his own race. The little differences were too trivial to pay any heed to. In fact, the exotic qualities of the mysterious dancer contributed to the overall charm.

The subtle faint touches sent warm vibes coursing through his body and inadvertently, he shifted again and again. Silently he mused with the still conscious rational part of his mind... how long would it take the dancer to realize his fascination? He held his breath and bit into his lower lip. The signs were clearly perceptible by now.

Unbeknownst to them both the construction shifted once more. The exit from which Rafaelle entered this place was now once again sealed while a path unravelled on the other side. Its dark depths were silent and hollow for a while, like a chasm that burrowed deep inside the earth, far into the unknown. Inexorably the hellish hole was bound to spit out some abomination.

Meanwhile Syndela continued her tempting dance, a growl reverberated from within the new passage. The rogue, startled, darted his eyes to it, wondering if his mind was playing tricks with him again or whether the threat was real.

An ugly maw of a large black snarling dog showed itself, the long nails scratching the surface of stone quite soundly as it walked slowly. Rafaelle gripped at his amulet instinctively through the cloth as though it was his anchor. His wide-open eyes darted at a quick pace between the dancer and the beast, silently imploring her to look over her shoulders and cast the dark shadows of his mind back into the abyss whence they came from.

Or perhaps it was real after all?

[Syndela]

Unbeknown, Syndela had closed her eyes to focus on the abstract and complex maneover that was to be used at the pinnacle of her jump. Body descended to earth slowly and as the ground neared her scalp did she twist sharply. Dazzling seams against the roving silk suit sparkled alike the stars, diving her legs sharply so that the impact on the ground was made by pointed toes and not her face. The sharp momentum had not been perfected just yet and so the vertigo from inverting from sky to ground left the Symenestra lightly dazed.

Syndela kept still as her eyes rolled lightly, trying to place her equilibrium back in check. Alvadas spun lightly, turning topsy-turvy, out and in until her vision rested upon the face of the young male. With fingers interlocking with the device hidden under his shirt, she felt a sense of apprehension fill the air. He hinted at something with his eyes, silvery irises darting back and forth like rolling icicles.

Instinctively she turned, standing up to full height to survey what had made him seem so worried. A vacuous corridor greeted her eyes, the familiar archway holding only a dark tunnel. Small flickers of light resonated at the end of the corridor. Surely a silhoutte would appear if anyone or anything approached, yet only the clean shape of the corridor was made discernable.

Apathetically, her eyes roved back to the trickster, finding his sudden ambiguous panic beyond doubt puzzling. Naturally she suspected him of foul play, but the expression and fear in his eyes said otherwise. " If you are trying to trick me or attempting to flee, then you may leave. " Slid a hiss from the female's throat, her fine delicate features progressively contorting into a much darker expression.

His ways were just unfathomable to her.