Closed A Dance of Blue Flames

[Sayana]

Special one time event indeed. Sayana matched his smile with one of her own. She was starting to like him. Suggestive but not blatant. Confident but not cocky. Plus being perfectly polite earlier. She glanced over at what’s-his-name, Alexus. It seemed like the young had chosen to watch the show rather than the oddly matched pair. “Oh, profuse sweating would be inevitable.” Her hand had clenched at the fiery display but in its release he had also tightened his grip for a moment. He had noticed. Or he had gotten startled long after the display… no, he had noticed. Her eyes glanced slyly over to him but he didn’t wear a smirk or a look of pity, just genuine enjoyment or so she thought. “Profuse sweating might be rather nice on an otherwise cold night,” she answered with a wink. “How’s your endurance?” Her answer, of course, was in plain sight in front of her. He looked well-toned and during his performance he had exerted himself with the scythe to no small amount. The swift weaving in and out with the blade had been quite impressive and he had accomplished it with such ease. She idly played with her curly brown locks with half her attention on the show and half on Aren. At this rate she might hardly get to enjoy the performance she had been waiting so eagerly for, or at least she might enjoy it through other means. But what was a good night of passion? She could certainly use some loving, and while Garland was sweet, he was also as innocent as a flower. Sayana scooched her chair over so that she was right next to him and relished in the simple contact of thigh against thigh. She missed this. Syliras had a safe feel to it, but its people were as cold as the weather. In Ahnatep, the people were proud but pleasure and intimacy were always highly regarded. She gave his hand a gentle squeeze and then draped her high arm about his shoulders. “Have you ever been with an Eypharian?” She murmured softly. “We know how to have fun.” With the fingers on her high hand she delicately caressed that delicious place where his neck meets his shoulder. It was about that time when the performer on stage took her bow and the audience broke into applause. Sayana looked at Aren with a knowing smile and then released him as she leapt to her feet with some thunderous applause of her own. At last she sat back down with her highs and mids resting on the table and her lows comfortably in her lap… at least for now.

[Aren]

Aren couldn't help but smile at her thinly veiled suggestion, and happily replied with his own, "I can guarantee you wouldn't be cold. Heat is a bit of a specialty of mine, after all." The Akalak's sun-colored eyes flashed away from the performance for a second to gleam in her general direction. At her question in regards to endurance, the warrior looked away, his lips curving downward as if the query provoked serious thought on his part. After a few seconds however, the smile returned, revealing the ruse, "How's yours?" The experienced fighter had found that when one was enjoying oneself, exertion was much less of a problem than it normally was. As in other circumstances, a good fight might last much longer than the stamina of either combatant should allow. The last thing on your mind was often how much you had left in the tank, and though sometimes this could lead to pushing your body past its limits, conserving their strength was not something people generally thought of in the moment. At that point, even the skinniest farm hand could find himself "fighting" for hours, and Aren was no farmer. Practice always helped too, of course, even if he hadn't practiced in longer than he'd care to admit. As Sayana shifted her position around the table, the pleasant friction created from her warm skin on his felt like a soothing balm for the dreary winter outside. At this precise moment, in such delightful company, that frustrating cold felt like it was a lifetime away. His lips briefly pursing at the question he soon realized was more rhetorical than anything else, Aren's neck instinctively relaxed at her touch. Every nerve he had in the general vicinity craved the same attention and pleasurable heat. Realizing that he could very well stand to allow the moment to continue indefinitely, the Akalak cursed the dreadful timing of the red haired performer on the stage. Getting to her feet, Sayana produced a disproportionate fraction of the applause contributing to the appreciation being heaped on the young girl on stage. Aren unfortunately found himself unable to follow suit. Her touch had left his muscles oddly weak, though his only complain was that she had removed it far too quickly. "You have a gift." The momentarily weakened warrior managed to utter as the six armed temptress sat back down. The Akalak promptly collected himself, but the Eypharian didn't play fair, and perhaps neither should he. As such, Aren decided it was about time to take a page out of her book. His longer body allowing him to almost coil around Sayana's much more petite frame, the Akalak's blue hands gently placed themselves on the girl's upper shoulders. His hot breath brushing against the back of her neck for an almost imperceptible instant before his mouth was at her ear, Aren thought it only appropriate to respond in kind to her earlier provocations, "But you know... Akalaks have all kinds of hidden depths, as well. His hands lingered on the Eypharian’s shoulders as the Herald’s Arms began to darken again, almost as if on cue, in anticipation of the next performance. In this growing blackness, golden eyes seemed to shine with an animalistic intensity; right now he could make out every plume of heat emanating from her body.

[Sayana]

“You have a gift.” Sayana glanced at him with a devilish smile that contained a hint of smugness. Even though she may not be certain of the outcome of her actions, her actions were still very much intentional. She was enjoying having such an effect on him. As he moved in closer to place his strong hands on her upper shoulders she melted softly at the warm sensations and his solid presence. This was how it should feel. Close, warm, intimate, and not clutching your dagger or worried for your life. His warm breath on the back of her neck sent chills down her spine. And as he spoke, her low hand moved to hold his inner thigh while her mid arm wrapped about his waist. “But you know... Akalaks have all kinds of hidden depths, as well.” Aren was still very close to her as the lights began to dim. It wasn’t a far reach to cup the back of his head with her outer high hand and bring him in for a kiss. His lips were soft yet held some intensity. Not the delicate peck of virgin, something with substance. Let me explore those Akalak depths. Sayana thought as she deepened her kiss and let her tongue enjoy the succulent tastes and sensations. She was too lost in the moment to notice anything on stage and her arm about his waist tightened its grip. He was hers now. At least for the night. She broke the kiss gently and resisted the urge to immediately go back for a second one. She loved her pleasure but she also attempted to retain some class. Although someone else hardly thought much of her efforts. “Go get a room if you’re not here for the show,” was Alexus’s hushed but snippy reply. And although annoying, the young man had a point.

[Aren]

Aren noticed that his touch on her had a similar effect as her's had on him. It was a unique feeling, to know that a woman liked the way you felt; the knowledge had a way of making you sit a little straighter, walk a little taller. It was something common in newer relationships, which unfortunately tended to fade with time, but the sensation was worth it while it lasted. The kiss came swiftly, almost unexpectedly, but with no less the force of a haymaker. Sayana had suddenly taken hold of the back of the Akalak's neck with one of her hands and pressed his lips against his. Aren did not resist; he wanted this just as much as she did, maybe more. His eyes closing instinctively, he allowed her tongue to find his way into his mouth without any defiance. "She tastes like..." The warrior's thoughts were not entirely cohesive at this point, making it difficult for him to think, but he found himself not caring. At one point of his life, however, he would have considered this situation extremely dangerous, for fear of Seros using this state of mind to his advantage. "...honey." The Akalak's darker Other chimed in, almost as if on cue. Thankfully, the two had come to an understanding some time ago, and Aren no longer believed that his brother needed to constantly be caged for the safety of those around him. Even so, it was strange to be sharing such an intimate moment not with one other person, but two. Seros had always felt like an intruder during these times, his presence generally signaling the end of of any semblance of privacy the dominant personality fooled himself into thinking he possessed. Whatever was happening now was different, however. For the first time in almost a century, Aren felt like his brother was a part of him, and not just an unwanted house guest. Neither really knew what to make of the notion, but for once in their lives they experienced a sort of unity that had never been there before. One of the Eypharian's arms snaked itself around him and it felt as if the moment would never end. Sadly, it was not to be, and not long after, this strange sense of harmony between souls seemed to repeat itself as they shared a flash of irritation at the comment hurtled towards the amorous pair. "It's dark. I think I can break his neck without anyone noticing." Seros offered. Whether he was joking or not, he himself was not entirely sure. "Tempting, but I think he's a friend of her's or... something." Aren, for his part, was not entirely certain if his annoyance was at this guy, or simply an unintended byproduct to Sayana ending the kiss. Now that he thought about it, however, the young man might have done him a favor by pointing out that they weren't really watching the show anyways. Golden spheres stared into the six armed beauty's deep brown eyes with a kind of ferocity that seemed contained only just below the surface, yet simultaneously managed to soften and accentuate a smile, "I don't suppose you'd be terribly disappointed if we missed the rest of the show, would you?" It felt like that kind of moment, but the Akalak had a slight sense of trepidation at not knowing how she'd react if he'd somehow misjudged the situation. He'd experienced something like that before, sort of, and the feeling afterwards was always a potent mix of gut wrenching confusion and mind numbing frustration.

[Sayana]

“The show I’ve been begging Kevith day after day to see?” Sayana teased. “Of course I won’t be disappointed… not if I’m spending the time with you.” She finished with a very genuine tone and met his striking golden eyes. Both her comments were very much true. She had been pestering Ser Kevith, the owner of the Rearing Stallion, repeatedly for a night off to see the famous fire dancing. And she doubted he’d grant her another night off just because she blew it for some guy. But Aren had so much potential and her body yearned for the contact, the sensations, the intimacy. She gave an annoyed glance at Alexus and then rebelliously decided not to follow his suggestion, or at least not right away. She loosened her hold on the strong Akalak and moved to a stand as if preparing to leave but then promptly took a seat upon Aren’s lap, facing him with legs slightly straddled. She placed her mids upon his shoulders and it was like this that they were more or less the same height. The Eypharian gazed into his eyes for a moment before giving into her desire once more. She moved in and their lips met once more. This time it was more leisurely than before and her lips seemed to linger without hurry. In part it was simple defiance of Alexus’s comment but mostly she was just enjoying the sensations and didn’t want to rush, unless of course Aren broke the kiss early. A few uncomfortable thoughts entered her mind, dark ones. Her travels through Cyphrus had left a stain on her intimacy. She would be fine, feel fine, would she not? It was more of an uncertainty than a fear, and the best cure for it was probably to spend the night with Aren. She forced the thoughts away until they were merely shadows at the edges of her mind. A troubled expression may have shown on her face but it was quickly replaced by a smile. She placed a hand gently upon his chest. It was firm and strong. She smiled and moved her hand to feel the Thump thump of his heart. “I will, however, be blunt with you,” Sayana spoke changing to a more serious tone. “Do not think that someday we might wed and raise a family. That spot can only be filled by an Eypharian.” Her eyes met his as she watched for his response. “But for fire and passion, I would very much like to join you upstairs.”

[Aren]

As he heard her answer, Aren's lips curved upwards absent command; he hadn't misjudged the situation, after all, which was a relief. Sayana didn't seem quite ready to leave, however, as was made apparent by her mounting of the Akalak. Though he didn't complain, the warrior did notice that a few eyes had now very obviously shifted in their direction. Although it was dark, several people who were close enough to still be able to make things out seemed to be getting distracted by the other show going on. Right now though, Aren found himself not giving a damn about what was going on outside of this moment. Sayana's legs on top of him prompted his hands to begin to stray in the vicinity of her thighs, until the Eypharian's lips met his own once again. Instinctively wrapping his arms around her waist, the urge to hold her, to possess her, was almost overwhelming. Lost in this different, but somehow more intimate kiss, Aren barely had a concept of what was going on around him. Yet somehow, he was keenly aware of a brief, almost imperceptible change in her expression. It vanished before he could even think twice about it, but it was something that lingered momentarily in the back of his mind. When the Eypharian placed her hand on his chest, however, all these insignificant concerns appeared to fade away; the sweet taste of her lips was the only thing that mattered right now. When Sayana eventually spoke, the Akalak's eyes met her own, and he could see a sort of stubborn determination in them. She wouldn't ever marry him, apparently, but Aren was a hundred years old. He knew nothing in this world was absolute, not even the gods."Your own heart is a dangerous enemy to have," He whispered, knowing from experience just how true his own words were. Smiling, his golden eyes seemed to suggest there was no certainty to be had when you were dealing with these matters. It was a fact he was sure Sayana would eventually come to understand, in her own time. For now, however, he was perfectly fine with nothing but passion, "But our fire is your's, for as long as you'll have it," Aren uttered, his voice low and deep, before reaching in to try and meet her lips once again. In his current frame of mind, he simply didn't notice the slip of the tongue when he used the wrong personal pronoun.

[Sayana]

“Your own heart is a dangerous enemy to have.” The Eypharian frowned a bit at his statement. She raised her head in a half nod. It was dangerous when your heart led you down stray paths or gave you false hope on things that could not be. It had been a series of events that had brought her to Syliras but the first had been due to pride and defiance of a lover – and a secret hope that she might meet him on her travels. Love was a devilish thing. Something to embrace, yet something that might stab you in your back. She remembered how she had gripped her dagger with everything she had and sunk it into the black furry flesh. Hush. No more nightmares of shadows. She focused her gaze back into his yellow eyes. How could someone so blue, such deep blue, have such brilliant eyes? His presence calmed her and by the time he spoke the smile had returned to her face. As he moved in for another kiss she placed a single finger upon his lips to stop them. “Nah ah!” She tisked. “Upstairs.” She gave a nod in the direction of the soft lights that marked the stairs to the second floor. The mischievous glint in her eye had returned and she promptly got to her feet using his shoulders as assistance. She gave a quick glance at the stage and it looked as though the next performer was juggling fire. She could do without. Besides, she might ask Aren about his own dance. Sayana quickly gathered her winter gear and placed a reassuring hand on the dagger and knife secured in the belt at her hip. It was nice to have them with her but tonight she wouldn’t need them. Or she better petching not. His lips so soft yet firm and the way he had held her around the waist. Nimbly she wove through tables, chairs and people with the practiced grace of a dancer who’s second home was a tavern. The performance was at its climax and nearly coming to a close. As Sayana reached the foot of the stairs she glanced back first at the spectacular display of fire and then at her midnight blue Akalak. “Aren!” She whispered loudly and then waited patiently at the stairs.

[Aren]

Sayana's finger on Aren's mouth almost felt like it burned with its mere presence. Fortunately, it was a shot-lived pain as she hinted to an even more intimate encounter just a short walk away. Even so, it was disappointing to see her abandon the alluring posture she had adopted atop him. Aren's mind was a jumble of thoughts, but the Eypharian thankfully gave the Akalak a few moments to collect himself whilst she gathered her belongings. He could almost still feel her lips on his like they were an echo in time, haunting him amidst a less glorious present. The warrior's eyes couldn't help but follow the movement of her body like the edge of a lethal weapon. It had to be watched at all times, commanding such respect by virtue of the grace with which it was wielded, if for no other reason. The swaying of Sayana's hips seemed almost hypnotic, almost practiced. Maybe it was. Aren had never asked what she did for a living, or even what she might do in her spare time. She, for her part, had not offered any such information. As he looked at her, the mercenary suddenly realized that this girl he was likely about to spend the night with was a complete mystery to him. Its not like this was the first time he had found himself in this position, yet today it didn't feel like this lack of information was to be hailed as a benefit. It should have, since he might never see her again, after tonight, but it didn't. Lost in his reverie, Aren almost didn't notice Sayana call his name out from not too far off. Luckily, unlike his brother, Seros had not lost his perspective, "By Akajia's soapy tits, what the hell are you waiting for? Get your ass up and go." The darker Other's voice resonating inside of him made his brother sit up with a start. Not needing to be told twice, Aren picked up his scythe from the foot of his chair and erected himself without delay. Weapon in one hand, he walked purposely towards Sayana's position, all too aware of some of the stares he was garnering from what he presumed to be men wishing they were in his position. Just before he got to her, the azure hued giant stopped his progression a few feet away. His sun colored eyes found themselves studying her for a breath, prompting an almost imperceptible smile to decorate his face. "She is..." Aren began, "...yeah." And his brother understood, absent need for further explanation. A step forward was the only sign of their shared conclusion.

[Sayana]

She reached the staircase with ease and when she turned back to look for him she saw that he was still sitting. Somone was taking his time. But she grinned regardless. She had no doubt that she had captured his attentions and that he wanted it just as much as she did, or more. As he approached she couldn’t help but admire just how tall he was. And he was all hers for the night. When he stopped for a moment she playfully beckoned him with a finger. If their overt advances offended anyone she didn’t care. By the gods and goddesses, it was the Herald’s Arms. Nothing less could be expected here. With a giddy smile she did a quick spin on the spot and dashed up the stairs. She pressed a single gold miza into the hand of an attendant and the man pointed to an empty room. Winter gear was tossed onto the floor and in a couple ticks she had kicked off her boots. She then sat in a feline pose upon the bed. She had both the excitement and curiosity of a kitten, and the passion and strength of a tiger. All her thought and focus would be at the moment at hand and she did not plan to relinquish her desires. Soon clothes would be gone, pleasure would ensue, and then exhaustion would finally take them both. --- The Eypharian slowly stirred from her deep dreamless sleep. Without opening her eyes she savored the warmth and the feeling of skin against skin of the man beneath her. She had slept mostly on top of him and on her front. Her cheek rested on his upper chest, her high hands lightly upon his shoulders and other arms spread out. That was a good night. That was a petching good night. She recalled the evening and its aftermath fondly. She had needed that, both in body and soul. It had been two seasons since the last time, and it had been more damaging than fulfilling. Of course, since then she had played a little with Garland, even told him of the zith that plagued her memories. But it wasn’t the same. Not when Garland was so innocent. This however… it healed her soul. It rid her of uncertainties and fears. And most importantly it reminded her of just how wonderful it could be, and had been. She nuzzled her cheek against the smooth skin of his chest and was in real danger of falling back to sleep. Aren… such a wonderful body, such a wonderful soul. She felt so safe in his arms. Not that Syliras wasn’t safe, but still. She gave a soft kiss to his chest and was on the verge of drifting off again.

[Aren]

Aren did not hesitate a second time when Sayana's gesture bid him approach. At this point, Wysar himself would have been hard pressed to shift his attention away from the provocative form which commanded his movement. The Eypharian's smile was like a story onto itself, one which was telling him that if he did not immediately follow her up those stairs, he was not a man deserving of her attentions. Aren, for his part, was not about to shame his ancestors by doing anything other than exactly that. Scythe still in hand, the Akalak trailed after Sayana as she entered the room she had apparently just payed for. A few seconds behind, he crossed the threshold with a slow, deliberate pace, knowing that there was no need to rush. What he saw when he entered told him all he needed to know: tonight was gonna be a good night. --- He seemed to stir, for a second, before returning to his slumber. When Sayana's lips touched his skin, however, the stimulus forced Aren into consciousness; the soft, gentle sensation had somehow managed to wake him, even when her body atop him had failed to achieve the same effect. His golden eyes slowly creaked open, focus coming, though only with difficulty. For a second, he almost couldn't place exactly where he was, but then it came to him. He was with her, on her bed, and she was on top of him. It was her kiss that had lulled him from his slumber. It was those lips that tasted like honey. The azure warrior couldn't remember the last time he had woken up absent any stress or troubling thoughts. Right now, right here, he couldn't for the life of him even remember what kind of things he thought of when he awoke, alone, in his own home. At this precise moment his mind gravitated only towards one subject; the curvature of her body, the way her skin felt like on his, it seemed like the only thing that mattered right now. "You're beautiful. Has anybody ever told you that?" It was obviously a question not in need of answering, and the Akalak's hand reached to drape itself across her back, whilst his sunburst gaze looked down to try and appreciate the full scope of the glorious view with which he had been gifted this morning. After a few breaths a smile slowly came to his face as his eyes unwittingly softened on the sight, like an artist's singular appreciation for an incredible work of art.