The Arcade was bustling, and Nicora recognized many of the games as variations on classic cons that her fellow gypsies had long ago mastered - the ball and cups, the hidden queen, and so on. The ones that did not rely on the sleight-of-hand skills of the demonstrator were of a more mechanical nature: shooting galleries, coin and ring toss and bowling and pitching games. Surprisingly, Mave didn't show interest in any of them (perhaps because the prizes were so cheap). Tulani, however, loved the shooting and pitching games, and even managed to knock over the bottles on one that was clearly rigged so that the bottles couldn't be knocked over (she accomplished this by throwing hard enough to knock over the table the last bottle was mounted on).
By the time they made it to the sky wheel, Tulani was carrying a stuffed animal that looked disturbingly similar to the Boschian horror from the tunnel ride. It stared with blank button eyes just like the monster did. The wheel at least was relaxing - just a swinging covered bench that went up and around a few times, providing a nice view. On the second lap, Nicora spots a long black shape off of the main park path - the big Naga from the dancing show. It is in an area of open-sided tents behind the performance ones, in what must be a staff canteen area.
"Ah, look there," Nicora suggests and tries to direct the attention of the other two towards the staff area. "Even up here you can make out the enormity of the serpent-dancer. Do you think they would be offended I I went and asked them where they learned their dances? I would love to know who taught them their Sylvanian ones, as it may be someone I actually know."
"How do you mean to get to the backstage area?" Mave asks. She doesn't confirm or deny spotting the Naga from so far away though. Maybe her eyesight isn't what it used to be.
"Yeah, that's the guy, but his paint has been scrubbed off," Tulani confirms.
"Simply go ask. I was invited up on stage and could express that I wish to offer them gratitude for an enjoyable show," Nicora suggests. "In other circumstances I would have offered to do an aerial show for them ... but not so much in this body."
"Because it's older?" Tulani asks with a grin. "Perhaps you could get those two fire-dancers to escort you, yes," Mave agrees.
Nicora lightly slaps Tulani's upper arm. "It isn't that old. It is more the weight distribution is different. I am not sure I could perform the same as my hip and chest weight is different," she remarks dryly.
"You probably couldn't fit in your old costume either," the Sphynx notes, unable to help herself. The canteen area passes from the view as the wheel begins its descent. "But if you want to go, Mave and I can get something to eat if you'd rather be alone with your new friends."
"No, I couldn't, as I said my hips are wider. Pants won't fit right," Nicora says as she rolls her eyes. "And I wouldn't mind asking about the dance techniques. Soon I won't have any reminders of my homeland, well, save a mirror. I don't think I would take long as I'm sure they're busy. Are you up for eating now, Mave? After the cart ride you looked like you wanted to release all of last year's food at once."
"I'm not sure what is actually edible in this place," Mave notes, as the wheel stops and the attendant releases them from their bench restraints. "I'm sure there's fruit and stuff," Tulani points out.
Nicora stands and stretches a bit. "There is plenty that is edible. I'm sure Tulani can find you a friend something to eat. I'm sure it won't put too much eight on you," she teases her Eeee companion. "I do promise I won't be too long. If you get bored or worried, just come ask for me. And anyway, they may not even let me in."
"We'll be over by the aquarium then," Tulani says, pointing further down the arcade towards some sort of fake mountain. "They've got fried fish there. Or.. well, stuff with fins that could be fish."
Nicora grins a bit at that and decides to not annoy Mave too much by making further comments. "I'll see you both soon, I promise. I also expect both of you to behave, I will be," she says, then waves, and heads back towards the performer's tents.
Things are much less crowded now that the performances are simpler things for the moment, like puppet shows and trained animals. The entry to the fire dancers' and serpent charmer's tents are unattended, save for signs indicating when the evening shows will be performed.
Nicora heads for the fire dancer's tent first and peers inside. "Hello?" she calls out politely.
"Yes?" replies the Skreek who's busily sweeping between the benches. "Who is it?" His accent is almost nonexistent, hinting that he's probably from outside of Chronotopia.
"My name is Nicora," Nicora answers as she steps into the tent. "I was taken up on stage during the performance as their representative of Kali. I was wondering if I could thank them for a fun time. They were quite skilled and very careful to not harm me. I was also hoping that perhaps they could introduce me to Nagisa. I wanted to ask her about the origins of some of her dances; bits seemed familiar to me," she explains.
The Skreek's whiskers vibrate as he listens. "Oh, you want to see Ken and Yves then?" he asks, and lifts his nose to sniff the air. "I think they're done cleaning up. Come with me." He sets down his broom and heads towards the stage.
"If I were wearing Rina's body, I wonder if I would find him attractive," Nicora ponders as she follows the skreek towards the stage. "This won't cause any problems, will it?" she asks, "I don't wish to be a bother."
"Oh, they get lots of visitors," the Skreek notes. "Maya shoos most of them away though," he warns, as he holds aside the curtain for Nicora.
"Maya?" Nicora asks as she steps though the open curtains.
"I'm Maya," replies the woman announcer Nicora encountered earlier, as the janitor leads her through to the back stage area. There are props being cleaned and inspected by various crew (as would be expected when fire is involved in the act). "You're Kali from earlier. What can I do for you?" the human woman asks.
Nicora curtsies politely. "I wished to thank the two dancers for earlier; they made my time on the stage quite fun," she claims with a smile. "I was also hoping they would be willing to introduce me to Nagisa. I saw her dance earlier and recognized some of her steps. I was hoping to ask her where she trained and with whom, in case it was someone I knew."
"Nagisa?" Maya asks. "I think I saw her and Drahk going off to eat. And how would you know about her dancing style, if I may ask?"
"I've known a few Sylvanian Gypsies and the early part of her dance reminded me very much of them," Nicora states, "Though when Drahk came into the dance it quickly changed into styles I did not recognize."
"I do not know if it is a learned style, a combination, or something they just came up with themselves," Maya admits, then looks over the work being done back stage. "Well, since you aren't here hoping to have some fun with my boys, I suppose I can take you to see Nagisa," she offers.
"Oh, no, of course not. I am aware of how terrifying my species can be to others; I would not be trying to 'have fun' with them," Nicora remarks as she bows her head slightly. "Please, lead on."
The woman leads Nicora out the back of the tent, into an area filled with wagons, tends and several more permanent structures - which also had tents and wagons attached to them. One of these is the canteen, a brick building with long open counters in one wall, with another wall past them where the kitchen area was. Attendants manned the counters, each one specializing in a different dish or dishes, which would pass from the kitchen area as needed. A tent-like awning stretched far out to cover the dining area of tables and benches.
"There," Maya says, pointing to a dark haired woman in a robe, next to a recently oiled Naga who is coiled at the end of the table.
"Far more organized than we ever were," Nicora thinks as she quietly follows the human back into the canteen area, "We were lucky to ..." Her train of thought quickly ends, though, when Maya points them out. "Is it okay if I walk up to them? Do they dislike being bothered during a meal?"
"I don't know them that well, to be honest," Maya admits. "But I have never heard of anyone's head being bitten off in the canteen yet, so I'm going to assume they are not that touchy about being approached."
"Thank you, Maya," Nicora says to the human, then offers her a small smile. She steps away, then negotiates her way through the tables to approach the dancer and her terrifying Naga companion. "Nagisa?" she asks, her voice taking on a slight tone of nervousness as she approaches. "I hope I am not bothering you and your dance partner?" she adds and gestures towards the huge Naga.
The woman turns to face Nicora, setting down the remains of a sandwich. Without her makeup, she somehow looks more delicate, her eyes so brown that seem almost black. "We do not see many Eeee through here," she comments, with a bit of an Abu Dhabi accent - and a few others, for that matter. Drahk looks on silently, his hood flush to his neck. Without his paint, his eyes seem invisible, just more shiny black specks in a shiny black face. Only his tongue stands out as it flicks to taste Nicora's scent.
Nicora shifts her stance a bit, finding herself extremely nervous to be near the huge Naga. "I'm from Sylvania, actually, on a trip to see various places in the world," she claims. "I witnessed your dance with your partner and please let me say that it was simply amazing. I have never seen anything quite like it before. Some of the steps especially caught my curiosity as they seemed to be of Sylvanian style, those of the Gypsy. Did you learn from a Gypsy of my lands? And oh, may I sit?"
Drahk shifts his coils, providing a seat in his 'lap' for Nicora - possibly just to see if she takes the offer. "I have never met one from a Silvani tribe," Nagisa notes in Romani. "But I know that dances had an original source, and have changed from that with time and distance."
Nicora eyes the huge Naga nervously. Still, she has sat on scarier ... and so walks over and very gently settles herself upon his coils, then folds her hands in her lap. "Ah, then you would not know a dancer named Nyneve, one I have seen before when her family traveled through my town. Her dance steps are similar to how yours began, though it quickly changed into styles I do not recognize. I have never seen anyone dance with a Naga before," she replies in kind.
"Drahk was a sword-dancer," Nagisa notes, returning to Standard. "His bulk and ability to blend into the shadows gave him a unique edge over the multi-armed dancers. But he was bored, after decades of performing the same traditional routines. Then he saw me dance, and.. well, we have traveled far and seen much, and never looked back. We are always working on new variations."
Nicora leans back and looks up at the Naga for a moment as Nagisa speaks. "When I was young I wanted to run away and become a dancer," Nicora claims as she lowers her head back so that she's looking at the human. "But I quickly learned that my kind lack the features that people look for in a dancer ... so I gave it up for more practical pursuits. It hasn't diminished my interest in dance, just made me be realistic about it. You mentioned an original source? What is it? Perhaps I will travel through the lands of its origins and I would love to see it practiced by the descendants who created it."
"Oh, the First Gypsies are a fable, I am sure," Nagisa says, but adds, "But we had to come from somewhere, ya? Every tribe claims to carry the true ancient tradition, of course, which makes it difficult to trace. And since we are of all peoples, bloodlines are of little use as well. But there are nomadic traditions in the Himaat, and I think that is important. We move about, for our blood is restless."
"True enough," Nicora has to concede. "So, you are only part of the shows here for a limited time? You will return to the road? I do suppose with your companion few will dare try to harm you, so traveling without a troupe is safe."
"Oh, we have a troupe," Nagisa says, and makes a sweeping gesture with her arm to take in half of the dining area. "The Park here.. it is our Spring Camp. Then another troupe comes in Summer, and we move to our Summer Camp. The Chronotopians maintain the machines and rides, but the living attractions cycle through every few years."
"Where is your summer camp?" Nicora asks. "The troupes of Sylvania rarely had fixed camps, for the lands are too dangerous to be predictable."
"Ah, that is yet to be decided," Nagisa notes. "There has been some suggestions for a tour of Kroz, which has many kingdoms and principalities. Others are wishing for warmer climes, so perhaps southern Tizhar or Abu Dhabi next. There is no hurry to decide yet."
Nicora listens, then nods once. "I have not visited either lands, so could not begin to offer any advice," she admits and spreads her hands. She looks up again at the underside of Drahk's chin. "I expect your companion would appreciate a warmer climate, though."
"Ah, size has its benefits, there," Nagisa says with a grin. "Drahk eats a bit more, but loses heat much more slowly. And I keep him warm as well."
The long forked tongue flicks out slowly, one tine brushing a long Eeee ear.
At that Nicora laughs lightly. "Oh, I believe that you do, if your dance was of any indication," she starts to say, only to find herself pause and shiver slightly at the touch of the forked tongue upon her ear. "Ahem, as I was saying," she says with a bemused smile, "Your dance showed that a great passion exists between you two."
"Ah, yes, we share a passion for the performance," Nagisa admits. "But such does not extend to more personal areas. We do love each other, I admit, but it is.. hmmm.. sexless, to be clear. I simply do not smell right for Drahk. And if I did.. well, what do you know of Naga anatomy?"
"Does anyone save another Naga smell right?" Nicora has to ask before peering back up at the snake she sits upon. "As for their anatomy? No, I am not familiar with Nagai in that sense."
Nagisa holds up a hand and displays only the middle and index finger, wiggling them suggestively as she grins.
Nicora blinks. "Really? That would ... hm, provide some interesting possibilities," she admits as she grins a bit, feeling her own ears warm slightly from embarrassment at the fleeting thoughts she had.
"Well, I am usually satisfied with just the muscular motions of his coils.. once he's properly warmed up," the woman admits with a dusky wink. "After all, I do not think I could properly accommodate him in the usual way, even if he were interested."
"Still, would you be intrigued to try?" Nicora asks as she lokks up again at the large serpent. When she looks back down, the smiles and nods knowingly about the coils, "And yes, I could see how the coil movement would be quite ... satisfying. But what of him? Do Naga have the same desires as we?" She looks up onec more and addresses him directly, "Do you wish it could be a more complete union at times?"
"Oh, I have.. tended.. to him before, just not in the traditional manner," Nagisa says. "We take care of each other, but are not attracted to one another." The Naga looks down at Nicora (possibly, it's hard to tell), and then holds up one hand to sign, "Emotions and fingers go only so far. I wish for a mate with a substantial tail and mass."
"I do not understand how you could not be attracted to him; he is beautiful. If you will forgive me in suggesting this, but, there are magics that would allow you two to union," Nicora suggests as her brow perks in curiosity at the sign and signs it back to him as she speaks, "If one of you were willing to sacrifice your shape for the other for a time."
"I do not have much truck with magics," Nagisa notes. "But something of that level would surely be expensive and complicated. And when it wore off, what would we have? A memory, and the frustration it would bring? No, I would rather find a good man, and Drahk a good serpent-girl."
"It depends on if you would wish to sacrifice completely or not; it can be permanent," Nicora notes, but then nods and holds up her hands. "But I can also understand your concern, and your love must truly be deep for what you wish to find him. Please, forgive me for prying into such a topic." As her hands lower, she pats the coils beneath her. "Back to my earlier question about dance. Do you learn new dances when you travel and adapt your performance with them?"
"Occasionally we will encounter a new form, and incorporate some of it," Nagisa admits. "Sometimes, however, we simply follow the music, or lead it. It makes the performance more of a living thing. We have no students, so are free to experiment. In the next performance, I think I will be painted, and Drahk will summon me from the basket.."
Nicora laughs softly. "I wish I would have time to see that, but I will be leaving the city in a day," she admits. "Who does your painting? Do you apply it yourselves or do you have those who help? Being furred, well, I know little of how body painting works."
"Drahk applies it to me, and I to him, always in a different pattern of course," Nagisa says. "It's a special paint, specifically for use with Naga, procured from another Serpent Dancer I met who was a favorite of the Joyous Wiggler Cultists. Her partner was MUCH larger, and would swallow her whole at the end of the dance. The paint causes him to disgorge her shortly afterwards though."
Flick goes the big tongue of Drahk, his only commentary.
Nicora's ears twitch. "That would be an extremely disturbing dance to witness. You two have not attempted that, have you?" she asks nervously.
Nagisa laughs! "I am not that petite, nor is Drahk's jaw so large when unhinged. Using this particular paint is something of a personal joke between us."
Nicora lets out a held breath. "I do not think I could ever attempt something like that, even if I knew I would be released soon thereafter," she admits and laughs. "Nor do I think I could ever become a serpent dancer, myself. Just sitting on your partner makes me nervous."
Maybe saying that is what caused Drahk to twitch his muscles under Nicora, or drape the end of his tail across her leg. Naga's do have a sense of humor, possibly. Or maybe the talk of swallowing people was giving him ideas, since Nicora was slightly smaller than Nagisa..
"The only risk with Drahk is if he gets too excited and tries to bite," Nagisa notes with a wink. "He is not of the constricting type, after all. The paint smell does remind him not to do so though."
"And your friend is trying to 'mess' with me," Nicora says, trying to sound calm as she looks up at the serpent. "You wouldn't really try to eat me, would you?" she asks him, then makes herself laugh. "As for biting me, I doubt I could excite him as you do."
"Drahk would not hurt a lady," Nagisa assures, reaching over to pat Nicora on the knee. "So, you are traveling the world, yes? Where does that take you next?"
"Olympia," Nicora explains as she lifts the end of Drahk's tail into her lap so she can pet it, "If the route does not change on us. A strange land from what I have heard; they still practice slavery there from what I've heard."
EDIT: Remove dup 'what I've heard'
"It is an old place, worn by the weight of time and tourists," Nagisa claims. "I have been there, but never for long; it is depressing. A land with a storied past, but no future save to preserve it. It's potential has been used up, I feel."
"That sounds ... terribly sad. A land with painting, but a crumbling surface beneath it," Nicora admits as her brow furrows in contemplation. "IS there anything worth seeing there at all?"
"Elysium," Nagisa says. "It is.. well, where the very wealthy go to indulge in luxury that they find lacking in their normal extravagantly luxurious lives. It is pretty to look at from the tops of Parthos's cliffs."
"Ah, well I doubt I can afford to go there. Or be welcome there as I am far from wealthy. Also, Eeee do not have the greatest of reputations in the world,," Nicora admits and shrugs, "And much of that is sadly deserved. Still, there are times I miss the company of my own kind; to feel less ... different."
"You have no family who travel with you, then?" Nagisa asks. "What of the ghostly white one who sat next to you in the tent?"
"Her? A friend, but we do not have a great deal in common," Nicora admits. "And I believe she is slightly wary of me, which is understandable."
"Wary of you, why?" Nagisa asks, smiling. "You seem a friendly woman."
"I used to be the a hunter of the supernatural. Ghosts, zombies, that sort of thing," Nicora explains and shrugs a bit. "I had the aptitude and my land needed it. So people worry about what terrible things I might have been exposed to."
"Oh, it's not like you're a vampire or anything though," Nagisa says. "Witches and shamans generally get some respect, even if it is out of fear."
"Ah, there, it is the fear part. It is difficult to get a close friend," Nicora points out. The part about being a vampire is left out, of course, but it makes her feel a bit ... well, more of a pariah. "Still it is not your worry, just an idle comment. And I should probably leave you two to your meal; I have taken too much of your time. I do appreciate you speaking with me, thank you."
"Of course, always a pleasure to meet a fellow wanderer," Nagisa says, giving a little bow.
Nicora leans back a bit so she can reach up and stroke Drakh's cheeks with her hands. "And a pleasure to meet you, Drakh. Thank you for being a very polite chair," she tells him. "And perhaps we will meet again some day," she says to Nagisa. "I would be honored if perhaps you would teach me a little of your dance."
"Teaching is not my strong suit," Nagisa notes. "And I try to change things often. I can only tell you to move with your spirit, however it may guide you. Technique is not dance, and dance is not technique. Use what you know, but do not let it control you."
"If I used what I knew, everyone would run screaming," Nicora remarks dryly and skews her lips. She shrugs slightly, pats the serpent beneath her, then stands. "I wish you both many more amazing shows."
"We will be performing again in the evening," Nagisa says, one eyebrow arched. "After the rides and games are closed."
"Is that an invitation to attend?" Nicora asks and folds her hands together.
"It will be a bit more interesting, I think," Nagisa admits. "I hear you are a performer yourself, if not a dancer," she notes, and glances over to where two beefy men - the fire dancers - are sitting and eating.
Nicora reaches down and picks up one of the small forks from the table. She twirls it deftly between her fingers, then spins it around one, then right atop the tip of a single claw. "A bit of music, agility with my hands. Even a little true magic, but such is frowned upon in these lands so I will not use it," she admits. Her fingers snap and the fork seems to disappear, only to reappear twirling lightly in her left hand. She sets it back upon the table.
"Ah, your dress belies your upbringing, I suspect," Nagisa notes with a wink. "I hope you enjoy the rest of your visit."
"I will see you this evening, then," Nicora replies with a smile. "And forgive me if I seemed a bit ... upset now and then. Life has been hard for me as of late; I've been a bit touchy. It was not you or your dear friend at all. I quite enjoyed our talk." And with a wink, she adds, "And sitting on your friend's coils. He is quite comfortable."
"Throw a blanket over him, and he makes a wonderful mattress," Nagisa laughs in agreement.
"You had better take care of him," Nicora teases and even cocks her hips to the side. "Or perhaps I'll capture him to keep me comfortable on my trip, hmm?" She winks once more, then saunters off to go find Tulani and Mave before they start to worry.
The other women are still at the aquarium, which is a series of pools in a fake mountain structure. They are debating whether or not the mermaid is a human with a complicated swimsuit, a Boschian horror.. or some sort of mechanical fake.
Nicora approaches the glass to try and get a good look. Namely, does she seem to have gills or a visible seam!
The glass and water are not so clear that such details can be easily made out. The creature doesn't approach the glass, though.. and does seem to follow the same circular course, only occasionally rising up to splash the surface with its tail flukes.
"I think it is fake. The movement is too predictable," Nicora suggests to her traveling companions. "A real creature would vary its movement more."
"Ah, how did your visit with the dancer go, if you made it through to her?" Mave asks.
"If we threw a fish in there, and it went for it, we'd know for sure," Tulani mutters. "But.. that would be a waste of a good fish."
"It went very well. Both Nagisa and Drakh are quite pleasant to talk to," Nicora answers, "And she is definitely gypsy. Drakh is a former sword dancer. There's another show after the rides and games close I plan to go to." Her head tilts, then she suggest to Tulani, "We could throw Mave in."
"I don't know, can Mave dance?" Tulani asks, grinning.
"Of course I can dance," the Yodhinala claims.
"In the water. I want to go on the stage with them," Nicora claims and crosses her hands over her chest.
EDIT: Her arms.
"I can also swim," Mave notes coldly. "And what do you intend to do on the stage? Be a 'prop' for them?"
"Whatever it is they want of me. I do know how to perform and I find Drakh handsome and Nagisa an excellent dancer," Nicora claims, "But it may not involve any participation. There's just another show. I plan to go. You two do not have to."
"Oh wouldn't miss this," Tulani says. "You've got the hots for big black and reptilian.." she starts to say, then sort of trails off looking a bit lost. "I wonder if he likes dragons?" she asks, with a bit of a growl.
"I saw him first," Nicora nearly growls back at Tulani. "And so what if I find him sexy and ... it's all Maves fault."
"You wish me to teach you how to seduce a Naga?" Mave asks, perfectly calmly.
Nicora rubs her forehead. "Yes," she admits weakly. "I just ... you taught me to embrace myself and this body and your Mistress makes it so amazing that..."
"And how do you plan to sate his passions if you are successful?" Mave asks. "Your body would be crushed."
"I will find a way. Nagisa is able to, she says he is not a constrictor," Nicora claims. "I can't change shape here easily, it would have to be very private if it came to that," she says in a much lower voice.
"I can change pretty easily," Tulani notes with a grin. "Just duck into one of the unused theater-tents, and poof!"
Nicora nearly growls. Her jaws clench and fangs so, for certain. "This is so frustrating," she complains, "I have these urges I want to satisfy. And Tulani is ... grr."
Edit: so -> show
"What? Afraid of a little competition?" Tulani asks with a grin. "It's not like I'd actually turn into a dragon just to indulge my curiosity. Because if I did, then I know I would. That body has strong urges."
"No, because I know you would win," Nicora admits and shakes her head. "I think I'll just go back to our room. Better if I don't go to tonight's show. It'll help keep my own urges in check."
"Don't let them control you," Tulani says, thumping her chest with a fist. "Otherwise you'll be miserable all the time. Beat them into submission! Stare lust, hunger and the longing for clean underwear in the face and say: You don't rule me! I'm a creator of life!"
"I want to enjoy them," Nicora says, "I look at Drakh and I get all tingly inside." She throws her hands up, then goes back to rubbing her forehead.
"Oh, well.. I forget that you're still new and all," Tulani relents. "So go jump on him. Or, you know, whatever Mave tells you gets a Naga aroused.."
"I also won't be this way forever," Nicora admits and continues to rub her forehead. "It's just ... hard. Boy, do I feel pathetic."
"You would have made a fine Yodhinala, with a little more training," Mave says, trying to make Nicora feel better.
Nicora laughs softly at that, not quite sure how she feels about that. "Willing to teach me at least how to be with a Naga?" she asks, ears flushed with embarrassment. "That is unless Tulani really wants him; I'll concede to her."
"I'm not that.." Tulani starts to say, and then hunts around for a polite word. "I'll get the next one," she concludes instead.
"Competitive?" Nicora offers.
"Hormonal," Tulani counters with an apologetic grin.
Nicora frowns. "Maybe I was right, we should just go," she suggests. "Watch the show, but just behave. Afterward just go to our rooms, then leave in the morning."
"Inala's blessing could be bestowed upon you," Mave offers to Tulani, who just raises her hands and waves them while shaking her head. "Oh no.. I'm.. not worthy enough.."
"Her blessing does make urges a bit more intense," Nicora admits to Tulani, "And Inala was kind enough to give it to me."
"And it honors Her when you follow Her guidance," Mave points out. "I will teach you what you need to know. Although you may need to modify yourself in the end. Just bear in mind that these structures are not particularly sturdy when you are in the throes of passion."
Nicora gives Tulani a you really should be thankful it isn't you that is blessed look. "They're tents, I know they're not that sturdy. I'll be careful if anything at all goes that far," she admits.
"Then we had best return to our room and begin," Mave says, putting an arm around Nicora's shoulders. "The stretching exercises are most important, if you are to make the proper movements.."
"Stretching exercises?" Nicora asks, her brow arching slightly. It's odd how someone can look so defeated and yet excited at the same time. A lesson to take away from this is that a blessing from any kindly one is not a blessing at all.
The 'after hours' show was full, but mostly with other park workers and performers, along with a few other humans who all seemed to favor trenchcoats and wide-brimmed hats that cast their faces into shadow. They also tended to stay in the back row. The traveling trio found that seats had been reserved for them in the front row. The lights went down soon after they were seated, and the audience noises faded as the music began: different than the day show, somehow more ... slithery.
Once again there were two huge woven cauldron-like baskets on stage, but this time the first performer to appear was Drahk, the Naga. Instead of being painted in red highlights and swirls, he was covered in bright green ripples and stripes, and wore a green-and-gold felt poncho. An oversized Imperial flute hung from a cord around his neck, and once he was done pouring out of his basket, he reared up and began to play it. What came out wasn't exactly music, since it didn't seem to follow a set meter. Tones flowed into one another, like a waltz played very slowly, or the wind on a lazy day. The serpent swayed hypnotically as well, his black eyes unblinking in the center of green painted starbursts.
Nicora and her pair of troublemakers managed to get the first row again for this next odd show. Nicora is sitting between Mave and Tulani and is currently leaning forward a bit to listen. She can't help herself since having grown up playing music she tries to analyse it. Or rather, the lack of any real meter. "Hm, he's playing to how he thinks the sway would sound?" she wonders, ears twitching and splaying this way and that.
There is a subtle pattern to the music.. but only because the Naga is playing it while breathing both in and out. A closer look reveals one of the secrets to the ethereal results: the flute's bore is wide enough for Drahk's tongue to slide through, providing an extra means of shaping the sound. As he continues to play, he begins to coil around the second basket. Another black serpent rises from within.. followed by another. But they aren't, they're Nagisa's arms, painted black and wrapped in shed Naga skin - most likely Drahk's own shed skin. Red lines highlight the 'faces' of the gloves, making them look like smaller versions of the Naga's earlier decoration. The way they move is also suddenly familiar, since Mave just spent the afternoon demonstrating the mating dance movements used by Nagas.
Nicora blinks a few times, realizing that using the shadow ... well, she could simulate the dancing snakes /so/ much more. Not that she would get that chance, not in Chronotopia, of course. So, she satisfies herself with a small smirk and then lightly elbows Mave. "/Snakedancing ... with only one snake, heh," she thinks.
Nagisa continues to rise up, in time to the rising notes of the flute. Her hair has been braided and bound into a series of serpentine forms, and her skin seems to be painted completely black beneath the wrappings of shed scales. Red highlights surround her eyes and color her lips, the lines extending onto her cheeks to give the impression of a wider smile. Her sinuous movements, with her arms extended up over her head, cross over between Naga ritual and mammalian sexuality. A drum begins backstage, forcing a heart-beat rhythm to go with the breathing one Drahk plays.
Nicora shifts a bit, oddly fascinated by this. After Nagisa claimed she wouldn't want to share his form, here she is pretending anyway! "So flexible," she thinks as she watches the human move ... and the far more twisting movements of her partner. The fingers of her right hand flex and waves slightly to the odd 'tune' along with a slow bob of her head.
The woman does a good job of slithering out of the basket, only to lie back on her partner's coils. Her hands continue their own dance, and one leg rises up to join them, although not quite as sinuously. Drahk leans over her, as only a Naga can, appearing to play the flute along her body and limbs as if it were a tongue.
"He might actually be licking her," Nicora realizes. she casts a brief glance to Tulani and Mave, wondering how they're reacting to this. Her own body is being its usual ... demanding self with the urges it has ... and she struggles to ignore. "They are quite the show," she admits to herself, though.
Tulani is playing with her tail in her lap, transfixed. This unfortunately reminds Nicora of her serpentine, black-scaled tail as well, which is being a bit squirmy right now.
".Just don't think about what it would feel like,/" Nicora thinks to herself. "/It's just a show between two people who love each other./" She also has to shift again to try and pin her tail down to keep it from moving too much.
The lighting on stage changes, darkening so that only the green and red highlights are visible on the performers for the moment. Nagisa must be on her feet, as the the outlines weave in and out of each other.. until something happens that must be impossible.. until it's obvious that the woman must be shedding her borrowed skin.
"/Don't think about how it feels to use the shadow and shed forms,/" Nicora thinks to herself and fidgets even more. "Thank you for being dark, just .. hints. Just have to keep my imagination in check.../" It doesn't help she can feel an occasional squirm from her right hand now and then, though.
Soon it looks like there are three performers on stage, as the shed and painted skin is puppetted about between Drahk and Nagisa. The red paint that's exposed is on the woman's own skin now, along with the black, still used to give her a stylized serpentine form.
"/That is so ... disturbing!/" Nicora thinks to herself, "/Why in the world is it making me so ... nnnngh!" Her toes twitch and flex to relieve pent-up frustration as the dance goes on. She has to wonder /why/ she wanted to come to this!
"I am reminded of our performance nights in the Temple, when hundreds would flock to the gardens," Mave whispers with a sigh.
"I'm somewhat glad I missed those," Nicora admits softly. "I would be even worse than I am now."
Beneath the music, there is a scraping sound. Drahk's tail has coiled around something behind the first basket and is dragging it out onto the stage, and there's just enough light (for those who can work with little light) to make out a black pot. The tail's tip dips in and pulls out a black, wet cloth, just as the Naga's hood flares out, displaying red and yellow flames that seem to dance as he flexes the membrane. Playing the flute with only his tongue, he uses his hands to lift Nagisa into the air again, and makes darting, snake-like attacks with the rag. Each 'bite' washes away a patch of greasepaint to reveal the human's dusky skin.
Nicora can't take it and her mind rebels, she starts wishing she were up there in Nagisa's place. The Eeee's ears splay and then she sighs softly; partially for the unsatisfiable urges ... and partially because she's feeling them. "He's amazing," Nicora whispers softly. "So powerful and yet he never once endangers Nagisa."
The sentiment is slightly ironic, as the dance changes tone. Nagisa is returned to the floor, where she seems to cower as Drahk rises up and looms. His arms spread out, his head dips, and he sways from side to side. His flute hisses melodically, and Nagisa tries to dance away - only to be blocked by a raised coil or a heavy arm. The drumbeat increases; the heartbeat of a panicked animal now! And with each blocked attempt, more of Nagisa's paint is wiped away to enhance her air of vulnerability.
And of course that is ... inspiring too. It reminds Nicora all too much of how she has been basically cornered by Melusine ... and the recent times when she has had no chance of escape when the shadow dragon wanted to ... play. Those were terrifying and yet ... she wouldn't have run had she really the chance anyway. She runs her hands through her hair as an outlet, then draws in a deep breath. "Terror and excitement, two feelings so close together," she thinks.
"Play with your prey.." Tulani whispers in encouragement, her own expression somewhat predatory.
"Sometimes it is fun to be the predator, other times the prey," Nicora murmurs softly, adding to Tulani's sentiment.
Soon, Nagisa is reduced to only her face paint, and her movements become more languid. Drahk's face hovers before her, his fingers returning to the flute to tease a complicated but hypnotic tune from it. The woman follows the bobbing of the flute, appearing to be completely under its spell.. and then she swoons. Drahk catches her, letting the tethered flute drop back against his chest. He holds the limp Nagisa in his arms and rises up again, his hood fluttering. Red flashes as his jaws gape open towards the audience, showing long, glittering fangs.. and then like lightning he strikes, clamping his jaws on the woman's throat! There's no scent of blood, so it's unlikely he actually bit her.. but Nagisa gasps and her body spasms.. either in death or ecstasy or in some artistic image that the two are the same thing. The music stops abruptly, and the Naga slithers backwards into the darkness as the curtains close.
"To think that's all just greasepaint and talent," a human (possibly Ken the fire dancer?) comments in a whisper a row or two back, but is soon drowned out by the applause of the crowd.
Nicora knows how both ends of that feels from being a vampire. HEr fingers and toes curl and she can't help herself, she lets out a gasp. "Oh ... wow ... ah," she murmurs to her companions. She has to take several breaths to calm her own rapidly beating heart before she also applauds, even standing to do so!
Tulani is up as well, whistling loudly! "That was really.. uh.. stirring!" she comments to Nicora. Mave applauds in a more reserved manner, but is smiling.
"Oh yes, yes it was. Now do you understand how I'm feeling?" Nicora remarks in whisper to Tulani. "Can' you just imagine being part of that?"
"I already was imagining it," Tulani admits back.
A Skreek head pokes through the rear exit from the tent, and gestures to Nicora.
"/So I'm not the only /hormonal/ one," Nicora teases back, then elbows her feline friend. She's about to say more, then spots the hand and her ears splay out in surprise! "Uh, er," she stammers and wrings her hands as she's being summoned. "I'll be right back," she whispers to the two and hurries over to the skreek. "Yes?" she asks nervously.
"Miss Nagisa would like to know what you thought of the performance," the Skreek tells Nicora, and holds the flap aside a bit to indicate the answer is meant to be given in person.
"Oh, all right," the Eeee says, feeling a little calmer since it is just a request of her opinion. So, Nicora slips through the curtain to go meet with the two dancers.
The Skreek leads Nicora to another tent, and holds the flap open for her to enter. Inside, she finds an eclectic mix of styles from all over the continent, but mainly just pillows for furniture. Nagisa is there at a makeup table, still wiping the black paint from her face, and Drahk is coiled behind her, another oil-pot next to him with a white rag this time. "Ah, Nicora! What did you think?" the partially painted woman asks with a big smile.
Nicora lets out a breath and runs her hands through her hair. "Truthfully ... that was one of the most arousing dances I have seen in a very long time," she admits with an embarrassed grin and really warm-feeling ears. "I could not help but imagine what it would be like to be at Drakh's mercy towards the end. I envied your position on stage. As did my two friends, I might add. I suspect most women in the tent felt the same. It was sensual and telling; a story expressed in movement and music. You two truly make an amazing partnership; complete trust in each other."
Standing up now that her face is clear, Nagisa begins undoing her hair braids. Drahk moves up behind her, cloth in hand, and continues to wipe the remaining paint from her skin. "I've heard that ballet is much the same - but we do benefit from having worked so closely for several years now," she notes. "I hope you do not mind bare human skin. I find it easier to oil-clean Drahk's scales when there is no fabric to catch or stain."
"I do not mind. Do you need any help in washing Drahk?" Nicora asks as she shifts her weight from one foot to the other nervously. "Or would you prefer that I leave? I don't want to get in the way..."
"Help?" Nagisa asks, tapping her lips. "Well, I would like to take a proper bath, if you are willing to clean up Drahk for me. I don't think he'd mind."
"I don't mind helping. Though if you expect me to undress to do it, I should warn you that I'm, ah, a bit of a mutant," Nicora admits, her ears folding back nervously.
"I don't know that it would matter to Drahk," Nagisa laughs, patting the serpent's cheek as he lays his huge head on her shoulder. "This is the surface after all. Such things are not uncommon!"
Nicora looks questioningly to Drahk. "Clothed or unclothed?" she signs to the serpent.
"I am not familiar with Eeee anatomy," Drahk replies. "I would not mind being educated." Nagisa has already slipped on a bathrobe, and made her way to the tent flap. "Use a gentle touch, just enough to get the paint off," she advises before exiting.
Nicora watches Nagisa leave, then goes about sheeding her rather complicated dress by undoing all the buckles and then undergarments. Once done, she spins once and admits, "Not really much to see. We're much thinner than a human." She then turns her back to him and cants her hips, showing the tail. "And my mutation; a very, ah, unusual tail."
Drahk places his hands on Nicora's shoulders, and then runs them down along her body to feel it out, including her tail. This causes her right arm to practically ripple. She feels something familiar: just as in Worms, the shadow wants to change her to reflect the situation. Without Inala's grace to suppress the Barsunala though, the only thing that can change is her hand.
Nicora's head tilts and her right hand splays. She doesn't really fight it if it does want to change at least her hand; but then her mind is a little clouded by everything ... and she can always claim its part of her mutation. "We're a lot frailer than a human in many respects; but that is what helps us fly," she tries to explain.
This brings Drahk's attention to Nicora's wings, which he gently spreads - and then licks the membranes to taste them. Her right hand changes then, the fur giving way to silver scales and fingers to reptilian talons. A glance at the mirror makes Nicora think that Mave is standing behind her for a moment - but the Eeee she sees is younger and more radiant.
Nicora helpfully spreads her wings wide, which does dwarf even the Naga when fully spread. She's staring at her reptilian hand one moment, then the Eeee in reflection the next. She licks her lips worriedly, then tilts her head back to try and look over her shoulder and see who this other Eeee is. She has a sinking feeling she may know ... but such is too terrible to actually be true.
Inala stands there, her enigmatic smile and glowing blue eyes focused on Nicora. "Nicora," the goddess whispers. "Such a dark name for a woman so full of life. Yet your mother holds you back from what you desire. I would never do that, if you were mine."
"If I give in to what you would have me do, I would then suffer your sister's curse on me," Nicora thinks, certain Inala can still hear her somehow. "Is that why you blessed me, though? To show me what possibilities there are? What when I return to normal? Or would you keep me as a woman?"
"I am not one to impose limits on one of my own," Inala replies, as Drahk continues to explore the strange new creature before him. "Gorphat may challenge Me, but.. you must still indulge yourself before She can do that. And you have done so, again and again. Does that not make me the stronger Sister? Surely you love Me before Gorphat... or Sunala."
"I do find being what I am now ... enjoyable beyond words at times," Nicora admits in thought, "But as for whom I love more than the other ... my mother is still the most dear dear to me and I wear her colors proudly. You ... I carry your blessing willingly and the pain Gorphat inflicts on me is worth the pleasure yours brings. This is very hard, so many desires to manage."
The goddess puts an arm around Nicora's shoulder, as she leans in to whisper into her ear. "You know that we were once the same, Sunala and I. And that legacy remains in the Barsunala," she claims. "You saw it tonight on stage: the greatest ecstasy is found at the moment of death, when the Barsunala stands between Me and Sunala. The Barsunala belongs to Me as much as to your Mother. Ask, and I will show you what that means."
Nicora has a bad feeling about this; as a Goddess rarely tells the entire truth. If she lets Inala show her, will that open her up further to this Goddess of lust and physical pleasure? Yet, if she doesn't ask ... she will always wonder. The Eee closes her eyes for a moment. When they open again she whispers to Inala, "Show me."
As with Melusine, Nicora feels the changes. Her legs feel drawn up into her, even as her tail becomes hugely thick. Wings curl up like dying leaves, and her fur folds down into silver scales. Her head and neck lengthen, expand - not unlike when she becomes a dragon. Even as her hair vanishes, fans and frills and horns erupt from her skull. Strength flows through her - again like a dragon, but subtly different. It's a more physical feeling of power. Drahk moves back, his jaw gaping as Nicora becomes not just a Naga, but the epitome of Naga femininity - the silver-scaled, dragon-crowned Goddess of the Moon: Sutaranakh.
"Inala, what have you done to me?" Nicora thinks as she stares unblinking at her body through her now lidless eyes. Her body twists in nearly unnatural ways as she look at herself from every angle. "It sssseeemssss your touch hassss had an effect on me," she hiss-whispers to Drahk as she undulates from side to side, then sidewinds a bit closer to him, her own coils lightly overlapping his. "If I join with him I will be doing what Inala wants," she thinks, then flicks out her long forked tongue.
Drahk seems stunned, but his body knows how to respond even if his mind hasn't caught up yet. He strokes at Nicora, intertwines and flexes with her. He can't speak, since his hands are busy, but he doesn't seem about to question a miracle.
"/If I do this, Gorphat will punish me,/" Nicora tells herself as her coils entwine with the large naga, "/It will be doing what Inala wants, giving in to lust, indulging in this body." Yet, she can't really stop herself. Her scales hands mimic his as she traces them over his body. She begins to roll and undulate, dancing in the way Mave demonstrated for her earlier, but only in this body it seems so easy and natural.
The ritual is ancient, predating sapience itself in the deepest, oldest parts of the reptilian brain. The two become a connected whole, a declaration of life. It generates heat, something that Nicora is acutely aware of now, since things can't finish until that heat reaches a critical point. It's impossible to distinguish where she ends and where Drahk begins, so in sync are their muscles and breathing. And then the surge comes, and she can feel that heat too.. but then something unexpected happens! The claws and fangs of the Wraith seem to pass through her, seizing her heart and sinking into her throat. A shudder runs through her, and all of her strength and heat and life seems to be collapsing in on a single point. It burns there like a sun, everything she has ever done or been or could be.. and then it explodes! It is the ultimate release, as her body goes limp. She rides the shock of the explosion, perfectly at peace, letting it thin her essence out until she's barely there at all..
Everything is so alien, yet the body seems to know what to do. The dance, the ritual, the flow, and the build-up. She's aware of the sudden union, the alien feel of their body's joining together ... then all perception fades as the wraith strikes. If she had to explain this later, she could not; the sensations so overwhelming as to defy explanation. Her body is no longer in her control; all she can do is ride this out; this moment of perfect extasy!
It all vanishes with the utterance of, "My, you haven't made any progress at all!" The world falls back onto Nicora like a heavy blanket. She feels her body return; that of an Eeee woman. Her eyes open to see Nagisa looking down at her, where she's sprawled across Drahk's coils. The Naga himself is passed out asleep, but his body is still putting off the heat of their recent passion.
Nicora wonders if anything happened at all. Her thoughts go to her own body as she 'feels' it, looking for aches, pains, and even Gorphat's gift building and beginning its burn if it is there at all. "Sorry. I'll get to it now. We got lost in his examining of an Eeee's body. It was relaxing and I think my body-heat made him relax..." she murmurs as she struggles to sit up.
Nothing hurts.. and the curse isn't kicking in. She sure feels like something happened though, from the way her body (and right arm) are still tingling.. and from the way Drahk is still displaying certain normally hidden anatomical features.
"Ah, he is curious at times," Nagisa admits with a nod, then gets another rag and joins in polishing away the green paint. "I hope your friends have not gotten tired waiting though!"
Nicora goes for one of the towels now so that she can start cleaning off the passed-out serpent. Her ears are burning hotly from embarrassment as she gently works at the paint on the naga. "I'm sure they're fine," she notes, trying to sound calm about it all. "Inala, what did you do to me?" she thinks to see if the Goddess will respond, "Did I actually join with him? I feel really funny inside."
There's no reply this time - maybe because Nicora just isn't aroused enough anymore for the Goddess to notice her.
As Nicora works on the serpent she does take a quick moment to check and see if she's ... well, sticky. That would give away something did happen. "Was your bath relaxing?" she asks the human if everything was perfectly normal.
There is certainly a feeling of post-coital stickiness, at least. "Oh yes, a hot bath is the perfect ending to a good performance," Nagisa claims with a smile.
"Okay, so ... we did. That explains why I feel so funny. Does this mean I am becoming Her daughter over time," Nicora wonders, her ears flicking back in embarrassment again. "I wish I could stay longer,b ut our airship leaves tomorrow morning," she remarks idly as she works alongside Nagisa, "Off to Olympia now. And from there ... I'm not sure. Tulani will know."
"Be sure to visit the gardens of Elysia while there," Nagisa says with a grin. "Much better than musty old temples and ruins."
"Thank you for everything, by the way. It's been nice to have someone like you to talk to," Nicora says with a smile. "And I'll try! It all depends on the ship schedules."
"One should not rush through life," Nagisa notes. "The journey is something to be enjoyed as well." She then reaches over with a rag and washes some green paint off of Nicora's breast. "Stuff gets everywhere if you aren't careful," she notes.
Nicora does something probably unexpected by the human, she reaches over and curls her fingers behind the human's neck, then kisses her. It's brief, but passionate. "That it does," she agrees when she lets go and flashes a brief grin, then winks. She looks down at the smudge of green still on her, suddenly thankful it's just paint and not her fur turning green. Inala seems to have such control over her it's ... scary. If Gorphat had similar ... she may never be able to sleep again!