Completed [Open] A time for wooing

[Bethsyliss]

Day 84 of Winter, 512 AV. Today was a big day for Bethsyliss. She had spent the previous afternoon writing a poem for Ronin with the meager knowledge she had of composition in common tongue. Her heart was now filled with the promise of warmth and affection. A window in her mind that had been closed shut her whole life had suddenly opened when Ronin had kissed her soundly the day she had saved him from a dire fate on their arrival in Ahnatep, and that window she could not close, no matter how hard she tried. It ushered in feelings of joy and sadness, pleasure and pain, satisfaction and longing, all at the same time; and Syliss was certain she could resolve her confused thoughts by confessing her emotions to the man who made her heart skip a beat every time she saw him. Apprehensive yet impatient but with nothing of that animal anxiety that was familiar to her, for this was a different type of feeling, she braced her fears and prepared herself to face the day she had planned with such dread and excitement. First, she needed to decorate her letter with something elaborate. True, the calligraphic font the poem had been written with was pretty enough, but Syliss didn't want to take any chances and was determined to do her best to impress Ronin. She roamed around the city all morning looking for something to use as an ornament on her elaborate sheet of wadj, but all the trinkets she fancied were too expensive for her to afford. On the strike of the twelfth bell, she passed a large, unassuming building made of clay bricks with holes cut into the side. What attracted her to it was the fact that it had nothing of the pomp and show that so marked the rest of the Eypharian buildings of Ahnatep. She knocked the door, absently looking at the cut hers and flowers that framed it, not really knowing what kind of place this was but wanting to find out. She heard a pleasant female voice humming a merry tune. A very young Eypharian lady opened the door and greeted her warmly. "Hi there. What can I do for you?" The attractive woman smelled very strongly of a rich, sweet perfume, which caused Syliss's nose to twitch slightly. "Hello," Syliss replied shyly. "I... I'm looking for sssomething to decorate a -- umm, well -- it's a bit embarrasssing, actually, ssso I hope you don't mind." The lady laughed. "Of course I don't mind. Why don't you take a seat? I'm Sunee re Bisret. I own the establishment. Don't be shy, tell me what you had in mind." Syliss sat down in one of the chairs outside the house. As she was about to speak, a small bird came around the building to the place they were sitting. "Look!" she exclaimed. The creature was absolutely stunning. Its slender, craned neck was cobalt blue, the color of clear midnight skies, and it had a crested head. But most amazing was the long trail of blue-green feathers it dragged like a turquoise royal coat: it was covered in iridescent, deep blue eyes that reflected the sunlight with rainbow patterns. The bird glanced at Syliss, who stared at its hypnotic beauty with her mouth agape. Then it shimmered and dissolved in a swirl of pure light. Syliss very nearly fell off her chair with surprise before recognizing the process Ronin went through when he shapeshifted. Like Ronin, this creature was a Kelvic. Not a second later, a handsome man with dreamy eyes and feathered hair stood in its place.These Kelvic can't ssseem to keep their private partsss under control, Syliss thought, all the while staring at his male organ. It would take a long time for her to get used to this, she thought; even though she had seen Dhani shift back and forth between snake form and human form countless times when she lived in the viper nest, it was not the same with a foreign race. "I know what you're thinking," the Kelvic said cunningly, winking suggestively at Syliss. Sunee laughed then. She said: "Looks like it's the first time you see a peacock. Or a -- no, never mind." She chuckled. "This is Emin. He helps me take care of the place. So, what was it you wanted?" Syliss couldn't help but stare at the attractive man who stood naked priding himself on Syliss's interest in his anatomy. She stammered: "Umm -- sssorry, -- yesss. I -- uh -- I'm looking for something -- a trinket, perhapsss -- of -- well, -- romantic nature. It's to decorate a love letter I've written." Emin's expression changed brutally, and Syliss surmised it was from jealousy. "For a Kelvic man I've known for forty daysss or ssso," she added cruelly. Emin seemed even more hurt. Feelsss good, Syliss thought, hiding her amusement. "I've looked all acrosss the city but all I kept finding was expensive jewelry or gaudy junk." "You've ended up in the right place," Sunee said cheerfully. "I sell dove feathers as well as peacock feathers. All you need to do is pin a couple of these to your letters, and voila! your man will be in your arms before you know it." Syliss's face soared with the satisfaction of having found what she needed. "I'll show you both types of feathers so you can choose which ones you like best." After a moment, Sunee returned, delicately holding two fluffy dove feathers and two mesmerizing, silky peacock feathers -- one in each hand. She said: "I'd recommend the dove feathers since it's a man you're trying to impress, but sometimes --" "Peacock," Syliss interrupted, staring at the two turquoise feathers Sunee was holding. "Peacock feathersss," she repeated then, looking up to Sunee. "The two of them." "Fancy that! I'll just need four silver mizas, and they're yours." Syliss handed her one gold coin, and Sunee gave her the change. "There you go. Oh, don't forget to swing by the Red Corridor. Good luck with your man!" Emin, who had somberly watched the whole scene without saying a word, turned his head away and batted his eyelids. Syliss thanked Sunee then and immediately pierced her piece of wadj in the corner with both feathers, enhancing the mystical quality from the flowery calligraphy that adorned it. She carefully placed it in the backpack and walked away from the Laughing Dovecote, smiling broadly.

[Bethsyliss]

Now, Syliss only needed a proper outfit to dazzle Ronin when she'd get home this evening. She knew she probably wouldn't find anything affordable anywhere else than the Pavilion, so she roamed around the market, carefully examining the stalls of clothing and comparing prices. She still had the reputation of a spendthrift, so she had to be extra alert when dealing with merchants in the area, trying to detect those who seemed likely to rip her off shamelessly. She selected an honest-looking stylist who was exposing extravagant wear of different colours, and asked if she could take a look. "Please come in my tent," he invited her. "The bulk of my wares is inside." The walls were racked with all types of clothing, from headdresses to shoes to accessories she couldn't name in colours she couldn't name. Her eyes traveled from item to item without any logical order; she pictured herself wearing all the clothes at the same time, and suddenly got very dizzy. Amused by her distress but wanting to do business, the merchant offered: "You are welcome to try on anything that you think you might like. There's a mirror right here if you need to see how you look." After two solid hours of trying on various items with the help of the merchant, she finally came up with an outfit she was comfortable with. It consisted of a flattering satin corset which enhanced her feminine features, a tight-fitting satin dress with shoulder-straps made of tiny golden beads, high-heeled leather shoes dyed white to go with the colour of plain satin, a golden satin scarf fashioned as an elegant foulard, weaved with brocade threads which made it seem that it was made out of fine gold fabric, and lace-trim, embroidered cotton undergarments. She felt beautiful. The sum of money the merchant requested broke her trance: "That will be eighty gold mizas." "Eighty?!" she exclaimed. "I'm sssure you rounded that up from a much sssmaller number, good merchant. I won't pay more that fifty for all of thisss." "I helped you create the outfit. It's only fair I get an extra portion of money for the time I spent assisting you. It took more than two hours, you know. I'm starting to get hungry. Let's say sixty and wrap up the deal so we can both go have lunch our separate ways knowing that we did good business. Time is money, and right now you're wasting both." "Fine. I'll sssettle for sssixty," she said. She was not a good haggler and ended up paying almost twice the regular value of what she bought. She handed the merchant sixty golden-rimmed mizas. "Do you know of a good place where I could buy some jewelry?" she asked curtly while his counted the money from his sale, grinning with satisfied greed. "Street of Emeralds," he answered without even looking up to her, engrossed in the exercise of his gluttonous cupidity. Syliss nodded her head in acknowledgement, changed back to her usual wear inside the tent, and left the merchant who was glowing from rapacious success with her new outfit delicately folded in her backpack. Ronin will be astonissshed, she told herself, more to strengthen her personal level of resolve than out of any actual sense of self-confidence.

[Bethsyliss]

After grabbing some lunch, she decided it was time to shop for jewelry. She had not forgotten the advice of Sunee, the Caretaker of The Laughing Dovecote, who had mentioned the Red Corridor, but she decided to go there after she was done fixing herself an outfit complete with shiny regalia as a tasteful accent to her exquisite garb. She floundered about town for some time before she managed to make her way to the jewelry district of Ahnatep -- not without the directions of helpful passers-by. The Street of Emeralds was a small area which housed several jewelry shops, most of them seemingly quite akin to each other, for all Syliss could see was a group of simple storefronts filled with low cedar furniture, brass mirrors and locked boxes. She didn't know which to choose, so she picked one at random. As soon as she entered the shop, she was greeted by a man with silky manners who introduced himself as Uratah and went to great lengths to make sure Syliss had entirely grasped the fact that he was the Pressorah's primary jeweler and that this was proof of the impeccable quality of his craft. He guided her to the workshop which was in the back room. The walls themselves, covered with extravagant pieces of metalwork, mostly gold, seemed to reflect and amplify the light coming from the window. Syliss was bewildered. She had not known there was so much gold in the world, and marveled at her automatic that the other jewelers' workshops in the Street of Emeralds were probably filled with the same amount of the shiny material. "What would my Lady require?" Uratah asked with almost exaggerated politeness, to which Syliss was unaccustomed. This refined and high-class environment caused her to feel nervous and slightly out of place. "I'm composssing an outfit to --" she started saying, but left it hanging, supposing the type of women who could permit themselves such extravagance on a regular basis were not used to sharing their personal concerns. Syliss composed herself and made an attempt at behaving as one of the higher ranks: "I need to be beautiful for tonight," she simply stated. "Certainly," Uratah agreed servilely. "Did my Lady have anything particular in mind?" Syliss got a bit carried away with her acting regal and self-important. She looked down at the jeweler with melancholic eyes and said dramatically: "Gold, Uratah. I want gold." The merchant looked a bit unsure of how to phrase his questions, so, getting a hold on herself, Syliss added, with much more pragmatism than she had shown: "I need a bracelet and a brooch, both made of gold. Ssshow me what you've got." Syliss enjoyed playing rich. She knew it wouldn't last, as the reserve of mizas she had earned by rescuing Ronin was rapidly depleting, but she was determined to make the best of it while she still could; and that implied having fun with it. "Quickly, now," she commanded Uratah with the tone of a spoiled child. Uratah wafted around his workshop as effectively as he could, turning around sometimes to help himself picture Syliss wearing his jewelry, picking up what he deemed would suit her. She waited, faking impatience, all the while looking at the different pieces of gold that had been shaped in ways she would never have imagined. Jewelry was very impractical for a race of people used to shift between different forms many times a day, and so Syliss was discovering a brand new world of appearances in this Uratah's workshop. A few minutes later Uratah returned holding many different accessories. "I found a number of different bracelets that would suit my Lady. As for the brooch, my eyes have set on one piece which I am certain will suit my Lady perfectly." He handed her the gold brooch. It was fashioned in the shape of a slithering serpent with its tongue flickering out. The curves were so delicately proportioned and the elaborate pattern of scales finely etched on the metal so realistic that Syliss almost had the impression that the gold serpent was actually moving and hissing. She gasped. "It'sss... It's perfect," she whispered, hypnotized by the overwhelming magnificence of such intricate artistry. The golden streak on her left eyebrow went incandescent as it caught a ray of sunlight, and her golden eyes seemed to communicate with the golden brooch. Uratah smiled. "And now for my Lady's wrist?" he said tentatively after a few moments to let Syliss admire his work. "I think these will please my Lady, if she does not deem them understating in comparison to my Lady's beauty." He showed her a series of complicated bracelets that all seemed to click in place with impossible mechanisms that she figured were suited for Eypharian women who had more hands than she did. She also thought bracelets must be a very successful trade in Ahnatep, as the ladies, obsessed with pomposity, probably needed to cover their many wrists with these expensive bracelets. She was grateful to have only one pair of arms. "None of all thisss," Syliss said, dismissing the jeweler. "I want a sssimple, sssolid gold bracelet. I want people to look at me; not my adornmentsss," she added. Uratah's expression grew slightly worried. "My Lady will tell she bought this at Uratah's workshop, won't she?" he asked with a pained look on his face. Syliss laughed. "I haven't said I was buying yet, Uratah. Impresss me with a bracelet and I'll consssider it." Though she wanted to be considered of the high class, Syliss had no intention of coming across as a spendthrift who has so much money she doesn't even count it anymore. If that were the case, the merchant would surely request much higher prices from her, and her resources were already starting to feel limited. A few seconds later Uratah presented Syliss with a simple gold bracelet with a smooth surface that reflected the light on to her. "That will have to do, I sssuppossse," she sighed extravagantly. "Has my Lady decided upon whether she will purchase these pieces yet?" "Well, I guesss you've done well enough, Uratah." "Then, if my Lady will follow me to my office, we will deal with the payment," he said, and led her upstairs to a room with a cedar desk and two chairs. He sat behind the desk, and offered Syliss to take a seat. He took out a file from a drawer and sifted through the pages listing his various pieces of jewelry. "Here we are. The bracelet is twenty mizas..." He searched more. "And the brooch is one hundred and forty mizas." Syliss nearly fell off her chair. It was the second or third time that day, she noted. "Are you mocking me, Uratah?" She said primly, quite prepared to haggle the price down. "Will my Lady excuse me?" he replied, startled. "Oh, come now. You aren't really expecting me to pay that much, are you?" She tried her best to sound offended so that Uratah would lower the price to please her. He narrowed his eyes. "Is my Lady proposing to haggle as the common people do?" She had not thought of that. His reply threw her off her game. But she controlled herself and attempted to salvage the situation. "I will haggle if you asssk for such outrageous money. No noblewoman would let herssself be treated that way." "I am the Pressorah's primary jeweler," he reminded her. "Naturally that comes with selective prices." "Well, I guesss I'll have to talk to the Presssorah about that," she replied in an offhand manner, aware that she was taking a great risk in pretending to personally know the ruler of Ahnatep. "I don't believe you request sssuch preposterousss and rude sssums of money from her. You ssseem to have enough gold already." She pursed her lips, hoping she would pull this off. The merchant seemed to wince slightly at her empty threat. "Look," he said. "I understand this is an expensive brooch; I have spent much, much time crafting it, I can assure you. But I will make a fifteen percent discount on the brooch. I take it my Lady will consider this a personal favor and treat it with discretion?" Syliss did not push her luck. "That isss very kind of you, Uratah. And very decent. Ressst asssured I will honor your favor." "I'm glad," he said, apparently relieved. "The discounted brooch is a hundred and twenty, and the bracelet is twenty. That's a total of one hundred and forty gold mizas." Syliss cringed as she counted the coins from her backpack, but instantly forgot her tremendous expenses when she laid hands on the gilded serpent. She placed the brooch and the bracelet in her backpack, curtly saluted Uratah -- who made a great show of how much pleasure it had been doing business with her --, and left his shop extremely satisfied with her luxurious acquisitions.

[Bethsyliss]

It was now time to go to the Red Corridor, as Sunee had suggested a few bells earlier. Since it attracted a wealthy and high-class clientele, it was located in the direct vicinity of the Street of Emeralds where Syliss had purchased her expensive jewelry. On the main road, Syliss passed by a number of gilded nobles and aspiring socialites. This was definitely the neighborhood or Ahnatep's elite. None of the dishonest business carried out by disheveled commoners that Syliss had grown so accustomed to in the Pillars of Dust area where she lived happened around here. It was a place where the deluxe population dwelt, far from crime and poverty. In the Dhani viper nest, societal phenomena such as social segregation did not exist; seeing the wealthy and the poor live in separate zones seemed profoundly unnatural to Syliss, as well as unprofitable to the city's industrial effectiveness. Sssomething'sss not right, she said to herself, but now is not the time to think about it. Today, I get to play rich. Today, I get to be beautiful. Syliss, helped by the directions of the less snobbish among the passers-by, turned the corner and entered a sumptuous L-shaped laneway. The path was paved with red marble tiles and the ornate marble walls, carved with elaborate gold engravings, were painted a passionate red. In that roofed passageway in the corner of which lay a bright, open courtyard with makeshift garden and two benches, Syliss was under the impression that the sun was setting the sky ablaze with fire before dipping under the gaping horizon. There was no doubt she was in the Red Corridor. Where to begin? she thought. She walked through an appealing set of doors and found herself in an enclosed courtyard with a water garden of lotuses. An attending was sitting by cedar doors on the far side of the courtyard, holding piece of wadj in her hands. She signaled to Syliss. "Welcome to The Perfumed Cloisters. Would you like an appointment?" Syliss figured she was probably in a bathhouse since she had been offered an appointment. This was just the place she needed. She nodded regally. "If you'll just answer a short set of questions, I'll fix you an appointment right away," the attendant said politely. Syliss went through the short interview while the attendant made notes on her sheets of wadj, primarily concerning basic information about herself as well as her hygienic habits, then was given a box of palm wood she didn't understand the use for, before being granted access through the cedar doors. She found herself in a circular room full of chaises and piles of pillows, where she was invited to sit. She figured it was a waiting room, since there were circles of women who chattered quietly to each other. She noticed the women were assembled in groups according to rank, prestige or elegance, because those engaged in a conversation wore similar garb, and their faces were visited with similar recurrent expressions. Syliss shuddered inwardly. Social inequalities drew people apart like a plague. She remembered her friend Singh and how that plague did not affect them, despite their coming obviously from two different worlds. She was grateful for that. Sylss looked up at the domed ceiling. It was painted with a celestial design that was simply majestic. Characters she was unable to identify but whom she surmised were gods were represented in exquisite detail. The colours that were so vivid seemed to swirl around each other like pigmented gusts of wind and gave the picture a sort of dreamlike realism that quite nearly hypnotized Syliss. An unintelligible voice calling a name snapped Syliss out of her reverie. She looked down again, and one of the women stood up with a sneer on her face to be led out of the round room and into the next. That went on for quite a while until all the women who had been sitting in the room when Syliss had entered had been replaced with new ones. It seemed to her, however, that some of the more richly-dressed women who had arrived after Syliss were invited to their appointments before her. Nevertheless, Syliss patiently waited for her turn, helping herself liberally to the fresh food and drinks that were brought in periodically by the attendants. She had a few glasses of wine before the attendant came in and called: "Bethsyliss?" She stood up, but, feeling slightly giddy, leaned on a wall and bent down to prevent falling and stop her head from spinning. "Everything alright?" the attendant asked. Bethsyliss took a few seconds before she recovered her spirits, lifted her head, and smiled to the concerned lady. Reassured, she said: "Right this way, please," and led her out of the second foyer into a low, warm corridor lined with many doors. She tapped one of the doors, opened it and gestured for Syliss to enter. She closed the door behind her. The room she now found herself in was warm and pleasantly damp. There was a large bath, beside which a pair of attractive and scantily-garbed Eypharian woman stood smiling. "Awioth-eniya," they said in unison, their hands joining at the wrist two by two to form a total of four moon crescents facing upwards. Unsure of the exact significance of such a gesture, Syliss mimicked them awkwardly, still a bit dizzy from her drinks. "Strip down and just relax," they instructed softly. "We'll take great care of you." Syliss removed her clothes and backpack and set them on the floor close to the door. "Weren't you given a key?" one of the attendants said, frowning a little. "In a palm wood box?" the other added hesitantly. "To put your clothes somewhere safe?" They gestured toward a locked chest in a corner of the room. "Oh -- yesss," said Syliss, remembering the box made out of palm wood that had been given to her with no explanation in the first foyer of the Perfumed Cloisters. She had placed it in her backpack. She removed it, opened the box, and used the key she found inside to unlock the chest. A fluffy white robe, folded up in an elegant fashion, lay at the bottom of the chest. She placed her clothes and backpack in the chest and locked it. The key had a cord that she fastened around her wrist. "If you're ready, you can step into the bath," one of the two attendants said. The water was soothingly warm and she hopped in clumsily, inadvertently splashing both attendants without even noticing. They glanced at each other wordlessly, sighed silently and started working on Syliss's body. All in all, it was a very relaxing experience. The attendants took turns at the bath, one gently scrubbing Syliss's dark skin and applying slightly scented products while the other prepared the next set of purifying creams and oils. Since Syliss was being pampered with very little conversation, her mind wandered along pleasant memories while subtle smells excited her sharp nostrils and the sound of water filled her ears like the noise of a peaceful waterfall isolating from the physical world intermittently. "There we go," the attendants said in unison. "You can borrow the robe provided in the chest. We'll give you some privacy while your body gets dry, then we'll send for a perfumer to select a fragrance for you. Would you like anything while you wait? A cup of tea, perhaps?" Syliss nodded, and almost immediately, a warm infusion was brought to her in an appealing mug. By the time she was done sipping her tea, her body was completely dry. She removed the fluffy robe and put it back in the chest, and was about to put on her regular clothes, when she thought this was probably a good time to change into her new outfit. She couldn't lace the corset on her own though, so she waited for somebody to come. After a while, there was a gentle rap on the door. An Eypharian woman came in. Peculiarly, she was odorless. "Good afternoon," she said politely. "I'll be helping you select a perfume to suit your personal taste and smell. Would you like to get dressed before we proceed?" Syliss nodded and gestured helplessly toward the corset she had been unable to lace by herself. "Allow me," the woman said. With gentle hands, she helped her slip into all her clothes, fixing the corset so that Syliss's breasts were suggestively enhanced and paying attention not to crumple her tight-fitting satin dress. When Syliss stood up on her high heels, she swayed a bit, not used to that type of footwear. But she did not mind. She felt beautiful. The perfumer narrowed her eyes while she sniffed about Syliss's body for several minutes. It was slightly embarrassing, but she figured she knew what she was doing. Suddenly, her eyes opened very wide and she said: "I know exactly what you need!" Then she asked, with some reserve: "How much are you willing to pay for one ounce of perfume?" "As much as it takes," Syliss replied regally. The perfumer left the room and returned a few minutes later with a little bottle and a sprayer on top. She sprayed some perfume on a stick for Syliss to test it. The scent had barely reached her nose that she was under the charm. She smiled dreamily as the perfume took possession of her entire body. It was a delicate, sweet fragrance, its components mingled together so perfectly that Syliss could not identify them. "Acacia honey, exotic coconut extracts, and crushed Crown of Leth flower petals. Shall I spray some on you, as an extra? You still get the full ounce if you want to purchase it." Syliss's wondrous gaze answered instead of words. The perfumer sprayed some on select parts of Syliss's body: the back of the neck's base, the lower throat and the wrists. "There we go." The perfumer didn't need to wait for Syliss to voice her decision before knowing she was going to buy. "That will be fifty-five gold mizas for the perfume, and XXX for the body treatment." Without a single utterance, Syliss handed her 55+XXX golden-rimmed coins. She was led back out of the establishment and into the Red Corridor, entranced by her new personal smell and the satisfaction of having acquired a sample of that perfect perfume. I feel like a lady, she thought.

[Bethsyliss]

Syliss dreamily strolled the full length of the Red Corridor, but her mind was elsewhere. Her sweet-smelling scent sank her into a dreamy state of wonder as she envisioned her romantic evening with Ronin. She rehearsed it in her mind. When I'll come through the door looking like a goddesss, I'll say good evening, Ronin, he'll ssstare at me for several secondsss, and I'll let him admire me for a moment. Then I'll hand him the poem and he'll read it out loud and it will be like my own wordsss of love coming out of his mouth, and slowly his face will brighten up with unsuppresssed emotions as he'll realize he feels exactly the sssame way about me. Then he'll drop the feathered sssheet of wadj and look me in the eye and say sssomething romantic in return, and then he'll gently put his hand on my hip while he takes my hand with hisss other, and I'll place my free hand on his shoulder, and we'll dance very close for a moment before he decides to kisss me. Then the kissing will become more and more passsionate, and when he's feeling it, he'll decide to... An Eypharian woman interrupted her dreamy imagination. "Awioth-eniya, noble Hejdi," she greeted, joining her wrists at the bottom and opening up her hands in the shape of an upwards-facing moon crescent as was customary. Syliss was fairly certain Hejdi was a better term to be referred to as than dwsa or Awtol Shyke. The instantaneous effect her ostentatious wear had on people of the city surprised even her. "Would you care to have your hair done in our fine establishment?" "Just how fine is your establissshment?" she answered pompously, stifling the laughter that was trying to creep up on her as she once again assumed a new role. "The very finest, noble Hejdi. Our hairstylists are the best in the city, if I dare not say the world. We are responsible for the most fashionable hairstyles this season." "Well, I guesss I'll give it a try, then. I sssuppose I won't have to wait for my hair to be tended to?" "You'll be ready to be pampered in only a few chimes, noble Hejdi." "A few chimes?" Syliss exclaimed, sounding offended. "I am not in the habit of waiting on people to finisssh lessser work. I'm going to have to find a different essstablishment, I'm afraid." The Eypharian woman was sure to beg her to stay after that show. "Oh," she replied, looking disappointed. "Well, goodbye, then." Syliss tried not to gape at her. She was supposed to make me stay! she thought. But the woman was apparently not one to make concessions for her clients. In order to preserve her dignity, Syliss turned her back to her and walked away. She stumbled on something and nearly fell. High heels were not easy to move with, and her failure at the hairdresser's doorstep didn't help her confidence. She figured her hair must be in quite an unkempt state for her to be spontaneously offered an appointment with a hairstylist. Desperately, she looked at the storefronts in hopes of finding another hairdresser's shop. She needed to feel perfect for this evening; and, in order to feel perfect, she needed to be perfect, and knowing that her hair was messy prevented her from that. After a little while of roaming around the Red Corridor, when she was about to lose hope and started thinking she'd have to return to the first place, she found just what she needed. Unfortunately, the salon was closing shop. Syliss saw the hairdressers putting away their tools and furniture while servants swept the floor clean. It took a second for the fact that the establishment was closing to sink in. When she grasped the idea, she immediately leaped for the door and nearly tripped. "Closed," one person said harshly. Syliss was used to such situations from her experience upon arrival in the city. She had learned money was the key to open all doors in Ahnatep. "I'm willing to pay extra," she huffed. Hopefully today was the last day she would be ruining her financial reserve -- and hopefully some of it would be left after today. A spark lit up in two of the present hairstylists' eyes. One of them said quickly: "Half a gold miza for every chime." The other swiftly counterattacked: "A quarter of a miza for every chime." Syliss got the impression that her money was for auction. What a delightful position to be in, she thought. "Twenty extra gold mizas, no matter how much time it takes," the first one offered, trying a different strategy. "Twenty extra gold mizas, and I'll throw in makeup as a bonus," the second one retorted, outbidding her colleague. "Fine," the first one signed in resignation. "You win. I'm going home." "I'm so good at this game," the victor hairstylist smirked. "I think I'll buy a gold armband with the extra money. Right this way, please, madam." She set a chair in front of a mirror and let Syliss to sit on it. By the time they got started, everyone else in the parlour had crept out. "I won't work for longer than eighty chimes, but I'll do a good job, no less than my usual. So, what did you have in mind?" Syliss let the hairstylist decide what she thought was best for her hair type. "Let's see..." She weighed the possibilities and pondered each option. Then her eyes suddenly lit up wryly and she simply said: "I know," grabbed scissor and comb and started working on Syliss's dry hair. Syliss watched the skilled hairstylist executing her craft faster than she could see in the mirror facing her. She watched as individual strands of hair were straightened at the base and woven into tight braids while others on the side and at the end were handled to make themselves curl up beautifully. The business was over in fifty chimes, and Syliss proudly gazed at the reflection of her transformed hairstyle. Her unkempt mass of luscious curls had become a piece of art: waves on her head sustained a whirling crown of shiny black hair that formed pronounced curls which tumbled gracefully over one shoulder while the other was left bare. It was dazzling. "And you're good to go," the hairdresser said evasively. Syliss was quick to react. She had already experienced a few moments of wonder that day to know that despite the fact that they were distracting, she had to keep her wits about her in dealing with Eypharians. "You sssaid earlier that you'd throw in some makeup," she accused. "Oh," the woman sighed. "I hoped you'd have forgotten with the amazing work I did on your hair. Alright, a deal's a deal. Let's get on with it. I only use the highest quality products, so you can thank me." Quickly but without being sloppy, for the lady seemed to take pride and pleasure in her craft, she painted Syliss's face with cosmetics to enhance her features and erase imperfections, starting by blending foundation on her skin. Then she put a faded shade of dark rouge on her lips and cheeks to ripen her face up. She gently applied kohl to highlight her eyelashes and outline her eyes, giving her look more depth. She was about to pencil out the golden streak on her left eyebrow when Syliss stopped her. That was a feature of her physical appearance she was proud of and a symbol of her heritage, not a defect she wanted to correct. "Let it be," she said, and stood up, brushing off the occasional hair that clung to her satin dress. The Eypharian woman was slightly startled, but if this was going to let her go home earlier, she certainly wasn't going to complain. She announced the price: "That will be a total of YYY gold mizas." It was the first time in the day Syliss had heard an honest price. She figured that it would probably have been higher had she not thrown in the extra mizas for the late appointment. She handed the hairstylist the coins she owed and left the parlour, feeling like a queen. "Perfect," she whispered. The golden streak on her left eyebrow lit up like wildfire in the middle of the night.

[Bethsyliss]

Syliss happily trod her way back to the Pillars of Dust, where Ronin was probably waiting at home. She hovered across the streets of Ahnatep as if she was on a cloud, unperturbed by the surrounding evening bustle brought on by the closing of shops. The twentieth bell was nearing, and, with its strike, the promise of a romantic night. Syliss breathed in the dry air mingled with the moist scent of her sweet perfume and let out a deep sigh of satisfaction. Ronin would be unable to resist her beauty. Her mind went over the possible outcomes of her evening with Ronin. They all ended the same way. Then, our naked bodies one against the other, we will fall asleep and dream dreams more wonderful even than the night we will have spent, she thought to herself; and, as she did, she pictured herself lying in bed aside the man she was in love with. She was aroused by such thoughts, as she had been countless times in the desert when she had witnessed Ronin's bare virility in-between shape shifts. Every time those phantasies crept into her brain, the golden streak on her left eyebrow flickered with light. But with every step she took, her confidence wavered and dissipated into shadows of doubt. "Hey, you!" a woman's voice called as Syliss entered the area commonly referred to as the Pillars of Dust. The woman to whom it belonged approached her. She was very scantily dressed. Syliss's first thought was about how cold she must be with so little clothes on in the middle of the night; then she figured out she must be a prostitute. Syliss didn't know how to greet her, still struggling with the concept. She had never encountered a prostitute before, though she knew them to be common in the area of the Pillars of Dust. They were referred to as Larks in the city of Ahnatep, and it suddenly became clear to Syliss as to why that was. However she was unable to decide whether to ignore her or acknowledge her presence. She pressed on with a mild show of aggressiveness: "I'm covering this zone. Find your own spot." The information had not properly sunk into Syliss's cognitive mind before she continued with a little frown: "I haven't seen you around before. Are you new to the job?" That last word tipped her off to the meaning of the prostitute's words. Her face contorted into an indescribable expression of indignation. Before she said anything, the woman realized her mistake, probably figuring it out by seeing Syliss's grimace of anger. But she did not exactly apologize. "Oh, dear. I sincerely hope you're lost, because a noblewoman definitely doesn't want to be seen around here." The title bestowed upon her by this sex worker did help Syliss feel a little bit better, though. Nevertheless, she was still mad. "No," she retorted, "as a matter of fact, I'm not lossst -- nor am I a Lark." She was met by a puzzled look. "I live here." The confusion in the woman's eyes instantly transformed into incredulity and disbelief. "Alright, fine, I'm no noblewoman either. I'm trying to impresss a man, that's all." The Lark's gaze softened then. Syliss thought she saw actual compassion in her eyes -- though it was probably a trick of the oppressive darkness. "Oh, my poor, poor lady. Dressing like a Lark isn't the way to impress a man unless you don't care about his respect for you. All you'll achieve is submitting yourself to his desires -- and maybe you'll get some sex for it, but that's all." Syliss was rather content with that idea, but she certainly didn't want Ronin to lose all sense of respect for her. She didn't only lust for him, she was also in love; though certainly there was a bit of both. "That look on your face tells me you want more than just a fun night. You know, all the noblewomen dress up as incarnations of men fantasies, but they don't get much out of it when they're outside of the bedroom, and that's more than half of the time." Syliss threw a pained glance at the woman who had become so quickly and unexpectedly her confidante. "But what am I going to do, then?" she pleaded, begging for advice from a women who certainly knew her way around the male portion of the population, judging by her profession as well as the assertiveness she assumed when she spoke about such matters. "Well, now that you've bought the apparel, you might as well use it. Talk to your guy. Don't just go for his private parts. Do something he'll enjoy that won't involve you submitting to his desires. After that you can have all the fun in the world, but you've just got to let him know you're not in just for the sex, even if that's an important component. You want a husband that's not just a sweaty pig? Impress him with who you are. Show him your great personality. Remember if you want to be in this with him long enough, you've got to be true, or else you'll base your relationship on a lie and that certainly isn't going to work out for the both of you. It's not just a fling where you can use your habitual seductive moves. If you want something serious, you've got to be serious about it." What amazed Syliss the most was not the Lark's obvious maturity regarding questions about love, but the way she disclosed her opinion whole and without tiptoeing around the more delicate words. "It's all terribly complicated, isssn't it?" she said, more as a statement than as a question. All her life, she had seen her mother Vvesebeth entice countless men with her dazzling beauty known among all vipers, but never had she considered that a deeper relationship required more than simple seduction. The idea that seduction was not a crude act but a complex art involving many different things dawned upon her for the first time and created a spark in her that would never light out. "Anything worth having is hard to get, my friend," the Lark replied. "I've learned the hard way, but I do recommend you take my advice if you don't want to end up like me." "Oh, no, I've got nothing againssst prostitution, you know, it's jussst --" The Lark interrupted Syliss's poor excuse with a straightforward peal of laughter. "It's alright, dear. Now farewell. You've got a man to win, and I've got some work to do. Until next time," she said, and winked encouragingly at Syliss. She made her way back home pondering her conversation with the kind Lark, hardly even noticing the rude comments and suggestive whistles she received as unwanted attention for her alluring wear. There was definitely more to the world of seduction than she had initially thought. When she got to her home, she took a deep breath and mounted the stairs, paying attention not to trip with her awkward high-heeled shoes. She took the decorated piece of wadj where she had written the poem for Ronin from her backpack. She braced herself, now feeling more nervous than she had ever been, all trace of excitement from the day replaced with dreadful anxiety. Assembling all her courage, she pushed the door open. The golden streak on her left eyebrow was shining like a star in the silence of the night.

[Ronin Invictus]

It had been a pretty uneventful day for Ronin so far. He had returned to his and Bethsyliss's shared dwelling after a quite satisfying hunt just outside Ahnatep. He had found a few interesting creatures he hadn't encountered before out in the desert. Although he didn't have any luck in catching anything, it just felt good to get out and stretch his legs in the desert sands. He had to avoid taking turns too quickly, as the sand didn't allow his claws to get much traction. He had hidden his clothes near the city limits for when he returned. As he made his way back to the small apartment in the Pillars of Dust, he was able to pick a few pockets in the crowded streets. It was quite delicate work, he had just come into the craft of picking pockets, so he didn't get over zealous just yet.

Ronin was sitting on the bed, leaning against the wall behind it opposite of the only door into the apartment for a while, he was slightly tired now, and considered taking a nap perhaps. He pondered for a few moments where Bethsyliss was at, she was usually home earlier then this. After a while, Ronin having taken a small nap now, he heard the sound of steps coming of the stairs, they didn't seem familiar though. Each step made a loud clacking sound against the smooth stone stairs, Ronin leaned forward from where he leaned against the wall now as they reached the top of the steps. He didn't know what to expect now on the other side of the door.

It was now darker outside, from what Ronin could tell from the crack under the door. The figure seemed to pause in front of the door before opening it quickly. There was was a characteristic gold glint that shined in the darkness as usual, but as Ronin's eyes adjusted, his mouth nearly dropped open, in the door way stood Bethsyliss, in all her beauty. Ronin had seemed to stare for a few long moments, almost entranced. When he caught himself staring though he quickly looked away for a few moments, as if embarrassed, even though he had worked up the courage to actually kiss her before. Ronin knew that she had dressed as she did for a reason though, as he noted the piece of wadj. He smiled slighty then, he could tell they both were nervous at this point, "You look nice..." he said simply, almost dreamily. He couldn't seem to find the perfect words to say at moment, he hoped he hadn't disappointed her, and maybe it would break the tension.

[Bethsyliss]

All of Syliss's courage vanished when she saw Ronin. They stared at each other for a lingering moment. It was at the same time very sweet and incredibly tense. Her mind went blank as they bore into each other's eyes, all trace of thought fading from her. But her gaze spoke volumes of lust, love and a desperate longing. An image raced through her head. She remembered the time when Ronin had kissed her several days ago. Nothing of the sort had happened since. Tonight they were going to make up for that. Ronin broke the uneasy yet dreamlike silence with a mild compliment on her appearance. Wordlessly, and perhaps because her voice had somehow decided to extinguish itself, she walked towards him with regal allure, and handed him the sheet of wadj with her poem on it, artfully written in calligraphy and decorated with the two shiny peacock feathers. Her golden eyes burned with desire, and so did the golden streak on her left eyebrow.

[Ronin Invictus]

ooc: Sorry for delay, had to get some things done ^.^

Bethsyliss started walking towards him then, not saying a word. Ronin's heart started beating even faster and harder in his chest now, as she approached him. He carefully accepted the ornate piece of wadj that she seemed to carry so carefully, turning it over slowly in his hands for a few moments, marveling at the delicate lettering and colorful feathers of a creature he didn't recognize.

Ronin stared at the the fancy calligraphy now for a few long moments, before glancing up at Bethsyliss briefly, she looked on expectantly now and Ronin felt a little embarrassed at that moment, looking back down at the piece of wadj, desperately trying to decipher the words. After a few long moments he looked up, slightly embarrassed, not being able to read had never bothered him before, why was he so apprehensive now? "Can you read it to me?" he asked.

[Bethsyliss]

Syliss had regained partial control over her thoughts and actions, but she found herself totally unable to utter a single word. She peered intently at Ronin while he read the poem on the sheet of wadj for a few lingering moments, imagining the feeling welling up inside of him as he was faced with the declaration of her love. So it was that his words came as a surprise to her, for she had not expected to be met with such a reaction. Ronin couldn't read. It made sense. He had been a slave. But thinking of him in this light was highly disturbing for Syliss. That was probably the reason she had omitted his illiteracy in her otherwise perfectly-planned evening. They stared at each other for several additional uneasy moments. But in that gaze, something very different from embarrassment came up inside of Syliss. She wasn't getting any less nervous, but other, more pleasant feelings were creeping up in all parts of her body. Her limbs became slightly numb as all the muscles in her body relaxed. Her skin flushed and her ears and cheeks became bright red. She suddenly felt very hot. A sensation she had already experienced before in her lower stomach gently crept down her abdomen. Her breathing accelerated, and her heartbeat began to drum away with the song of passion. She let out a suggestive sigh. Then, possessed by some demon of love, she snatched the sheet of wadj from Ronin's hands, threw it behind her, and said: "Ssscrew the poem." The golden streak on her left eyebrow burning with excitement, she closed her eyes and soundly kissed Ronin full on the lips. She did not pull back anytime soon.