PM to join [The Pig's Foot Tavern] Spring Madness (Fiachra)

[Caela Dorin]

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2nd Spring, Evening

Caela carefully applied rouge to her lips in the cracked and dirty mirror in the back room of the Pig's Foot. One finger was well coated and she used it to colour her bottom lip first. She started in the centre, smearing to one side and stretching her mouth open so that she would only coat her lip. The repeated the process on the other side, beginning from the middle again before she coated her top lip in the same way. She pressed them together, gently rubbing them off one another before baring her teeth to look for stains from the rouge. Finding none, the dancer tilted her head from side to side to ensure that the rest of her looked good as well. Satisfied with what she saw, the blonde adjusted the top of her blouse to show the right amount of cleavage, smoothed out her skirt and flounced out to the drinking area of the tavern.

The young woman walked confidently in to the bar, hair flipped back with a toss of her hair that had heads turning as she'd anticipated. There was nothing she did around men that wasn't calculated. She had to admit that they were gloriously stupid; they made it too easy. A slow, rhythmic swinging of her hips drew appreciative whistles and catcalls. Caela effected some level of coyness, keeping her head bent a little so that she couldn't catch any man's eye as easily. A slight glance upwards or off to the side would allow her to choose a target or two to favour with a half smile, a coy look from under her lashes or a wink. At this stage, she knew what men wanted and how to give it, but if they all went on fire now, she wouldn't even spit on them if it would help. They were all lecherous bastards and she was better than a piece of ass that would shake itself obligingly for their benefit. The sooner she could get out of this line of work, the better.

Oh, and what are you fit for outside of dancing? Whoring? Would you like to steep that low, she thought bitterly, suppressing a wince so that it wouldn't shatter the pretty mask that men seemed to like so much. She was definitely better than that and she had every intention of finding a better way out that that. That was no out at all.

The young woman moved to the area of floor that acted as her informal stage, a space always kept clear so that she could ply her trade. More room would be made if she needed it, the regulars to the tavern eager to allow her to move around once they realised that she was starting off. Caela twirled idly on the spot, swishing her skirts a little as she waited for the musicians who'd play a tune to which she could dance. They'd been enjoying themselves as they awaited her appearance but they recollected themselves now, drifting over to their places. They'd already seen to their instruments, tuning them so that they would sing their clear melody. She kept an eye on them as they settled themselves down, her stance remaining casual until they struck up the beginning strains of a familiar bawdy Sunberthian song. It was doing the rounds right now and while its lyrics were obscene and its melody a catchy one, it was good dancing music. People were more willing to see her movements as highly sexual when such words went along with it. It was about a wench in a tavern and while it was more readily interpreted as being a barmaid, it could easily apply to the blonde who had begun to sway her hips in time with the beat.

The gruff voice bawled out the opening lines, the singer not to her taste but he wasn't singing for his talent as much as his loudness and the way he sang the words. He had an amazing ability to put a spin on even the most innocent of phrases to make them sound filthy. His voice was only important to the dancer because it signalled when particular changes to her performance were to take place. She was to start off coy, moving in a way that was enough to tease but not be overly alluring or seductive, not yet. She did her best to make it appealing to those watching without seeming to conscious that she did in fact have an audience. Her hips swung from side to side, her feet beginning to twist and move in place as if she couldn't resist the change that the music was working on her body. The way she held the material of her skirt in a light grip, gently twisting and flicking it out made her look like a girl much younger than the young woman she was. It was to make her seem more innocent prior to the part of the song pertaining to the sexual awakening of the wench in the song.

For now, she hoped that she exuded a girlish delight to anyone watching, but with a figure that spoke of a greater and more attractive maturity, a fact that was shown off when she spun on the spot. If she wanted them to have a good look at her figure as she turned then it was a simple matter of raising herself on her toes and stretching her body upwards before adding enough momentum to allow a slow turn on the balls of her feet. It was easy to drop back on to flat feet, take rhythmic steps to change her orientation so as not to alienate any part of her audience for long. She wondered if anyone would see through her tricks, but from what she could see from the gathered men, they were regarding her body and her half-smiling face with hunger in their eyes.

Idiots, the lot of them. Can't they see through a woman's tricks? A woman would see what I was doing in a heartbeat, she thought scornfully, something of her feelings leaking into her expression briefly before she could compose her features once more. A small twist of her lips, a change in the position of her eyebrows might be all that gave her away before she regained control. Anyone who was willing to pay attention would see the wry amusement that continued to burn in her eyes.

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[Fiachra]

2 Spring - 516 AV - The Pig's Foot Tavern - Sunberth

It was a rare night indeed. Fiachra was out and about, which was not rare at all. What was, was the fact that she was in human form and fully dressed. Or fully dressed for her in any case. Simple pants and shirt, callused feet needed no shoes. It was certainly true that for a Kelvic one form was as good as the other, but Sunberth was dangerous, a fact that most Sunberthians were particularly proud of. They didn't need no stinkin' knights or anyone else policin' their streets. They were free and they were gonna stay that way. If that meant you were more likely to get mugged or stabbed and left for dead, well so petchin' what? What were you, some kinda foreign pansy? Toughen up, get out or die. So went the usual train of thought anyway. 'Chra largely dealt with this by staying in Raven form. No one tried to mug or rape a Raven, and when things got dicey you just flew away easy. Even swapping between forms was problematic. There was clothes. She either didn't have them or they got in the way and then were lost depending which way she was going.

But the need for contact. To interact and integrate. To meet. To find. Living as a Raven was not correct. It was not what you were meant to do. So 'Chra was out the Pig's Foot, pants and all. After all, the Drunken Fish was out of the question for a while. Hopefully the One-Eyed Ex-Mug-Hurler was either dead, convalescing, or didn't frequent this establishment.

Just in case, the crowd was subjected to extra thorough scrutiny when she first padded in the door. All looked safe though, or as safe as Sunberth got, which was good enough for 'Chra. She didn't even get too much scrutiny beyond the expected from the men in the place. No real surprise. 'Chra did not dress particularly well, she was not overly beautiful, she was vaguely aware of cosmetics as things that existed but was more likely to have a layer of dirt than anything else upon her face. Her hair, for all that it was a glossy back had a passing acquaintance with her comb and was generally cut by, well, 'Chra. All of this added up to a woman who did not usually draw too much attention. Still, a sow in a dress would draw looks from some of the men of Sunberth, either because they were not lookers themselves, or in the case of the sailors, because they'd been on a ship for too long, and as the saying went, any port in a storm.

Another was drawing the attention of most of the men though. A woman who truly was beautiful. Blonde hair, red lips, just enough bust to pull men in without giving everything away and making her seem too attainable. 'Chra felt a brief pang. Of what? Not jealousy. 'Chra was a fairly.. Open, giving creature. She did not begrudge other people for having or knowing what she did not. Longing was too strong a word. A wondering then. A wondering if, if she looked and moved like this woman, if she pulled people in like this woman did, if she would find her person. A just as quickly the wondering was discarded. Hers would know her and she would know hers. That was why they were hers. She did not need to become someone else to find hers. She just had to keep searching.

She moved through the tavern, slipping through the crowds. Quick feet avoiding stomping boots and waving arms. She smiled when the music started, she liked music. She didn't notice immediately when the woman started to dance. What she noticed was the casual attention of the men becoming rapt. And she responded to it as any Raven would. She took advantage.

Now, 'Chra was not a malicious creature. She didn't slit purses, stealing miza. Even if she had that skill she wouldn't have. They might need their money. What did she need it for? She always found enough food. There was always somewhere warm enough to sleep. What more was needed? Still, she couldn't deny her opportunistic nature. A sip from a mug here, a half-eaten pastry there.

And then she looked up and properly noticed the other. And her dancing. Head cocked in a decidedly avian fashion as she watched. She'd seen people dancing before of course, but rarely did she see an actual dancer. And oh there was a difference. It was the difference between a child's drawing and a sunset. She told a story with her body. Or, she told the story of the song, 'Chra realized. Reading body language was important. Especially to a Kelvic. Ravens were vocal. Incredibly so, but which of Caiyhas children did not speak just as loudly or more so with their bodies? It was rare for humans to master this skill intentionally, and this woman was very good.

It was this intense scrutiny, this absolute observation which 'Chra rarely brought to bear on anything unless it captured her full attention that allowed her to notice the change of expression, and to realize that unlike every other obviously intentional movement, this one did not fit the song. She was.. What? Amused?

Yes, 'Chra decided with an internal nod. That was what the look had been. Probably. Who knew precisely what the look had been about, but this did not matter, what mattered, at least to 'Chra was this. The other woman was amused, and it had been a secret amusement, not meant for anyone else. And 'Chra had caught it. That meant that they shared a secret, even if it was an unimportant nebulous one.

Black eyes caught blue for a moment, and a quick grin was shot at the other. She wasn't going to interrupt of course, the song was just starting, and the other likely worked here. Besides, look at all the things people were just leaving lying around!

[Caela Dorin]

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She scanned the crowd idly as she moved to the music. It was partly to ensure that her effects were complete or close to it, but also to allow her to assess if anyone might be easy prey for acquiring a drink or two. A woman was an uncommon sight in the audience so she noticed the one who moved among the watching men. It wasn't that women were infrequent visitors to the tavern--they were as inclined to drink as the next man--but rather that they didn't tend to watch her as much. She might captivate them for a few ticks as they looked on in wonder or curiosity but they typically grew bored quickly. There were those who were just as interested in her as the men, she wasn't naive enough to be unaware of their existence, but ordinarily they weren't so bold about it, especially within a crowd of men. As it was, she gave the other the barest notice, not considering the other worth her attention. She would no doubt move on quickly.

What Caela didn't expect was for a glance to lead to eye contact between them, a look of such knowing in the other's eyes that she actually stopped abruptly, staring for a few ticks before she recollected herself and threw herself back in to her performance. Each movement had to be carefully thought about as her body couldn't get in to a natural and unthinking rhythm, not yet at least. Thankfully, they were moving into a faster part of the song and so her high energy wasn't completely amiss. She could't do anything about the sudden stop but the men weren't likely to take much notice. That woman would of course. That woman probably saw a lot. The way she'd looked at her just then, right after the dancer revealed too much in her face and smiled... she knew! She'd seen something of her real thoughts in that moment and the blonde didn't like that one little bit. But what could she do? What was she going to do, announce to all the men present that the dancer was secretly laughing at them? There was no reason why she couldn't be safe, besides which it would be her word against this stranger's and she had the advantage of being on her own turf so to speak.

The young woman worked to get the tension out of her body, trying to loosen the muscles of her limbs. Her breathing was rapid but she tried to ensure that she was getting plenty of oxygen in to her body by breathing as deeply as she could manage, while still on the move. Her arms were raised, greater swaying movements taking hold of her body. She shimmied downwards, bending at the knees as low she could, her hands sliding down her legs before she straightened once more. Her hands travelled up the backs of her legs on the way back up. Her palms moved over her ass before going up to her hips and the sides of her breasts. There were appreciative whoops and whistles mixed in with the voices of those that were singing along. All pretense of innocence was now gone, the blonde moving in to hypersexual mode as the song reached its peak. The patrons cheered and stamped their feet, watching as the dancer twirled and gyrated on the floor.

When the song reached its end, the blonde struck a final pose with her hand on her hip. The tavern seemed to explode with noise but the girl was already detaching herself from it all. Her eyes sought the woman who had met her gaze earlier, her panting body already yearning for a break before her next dance. She wanted a drink, she wanted to sit but she was still a little on edge at the idea of that woman watching it. Caela made a beeline for the bar, finding herself waylaid by one of the drinkers who seemed willing to try his luck. It happened from time to time that a man thought that he had a chance with her and she had to deal with their unwanted attention.

"How're ya, swee'heart? How about ya come shake that ass over near me?" He attempted to snake his arm around her waist and pull her close. She twisted away from him but he grabbed at her wrist. His grasp wasn't tight but it was firm enough and she froze, glaring at him.

"You let go of my wrist or you will regret it, understand? You touch me in here when I don't want you too and you'll be lucky if Merv's guys don't leave you floating face down at the Docks," she told him, smiling sweetly. It was an empty threat really. She had no idea what Merv's goons would do but it probably wouldn't be that. Then again she couldn't be sure, Merv was an interesting man with surprising connections. His name held enough influence, especially here in his own tavern, for her threat to carry some serious weight. The stupid grin that had been plastered on the man's face fell away and his fingers unwrapped slowly. She pulled her wrist back before he could fully let go, giving him a dirty look as he muttered an apology and stepped back. She was too busy focusing on the sourness of his expression and wasn't looking at where she was going. She bumped in to someone, murmuring an apology as she moved aside, not even deigning to look at the person that she had knocked in to so thoughtlessly. If no one else stopped her, she'd head straight for the bar, perch herself on a stool and wave for her usual post-dance water.
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[Fiachra]

2 Spring - 516 AV - The Pig's Foot Tavern - Sunberth

Haha, the other woman'd not thought anyone would see and share her secret! Ah, that was almost a better joke than the secret itself. Of course she was used to human men, not Ravens, so that was probably to be expected. 'Chra preened internally at that thought. It was of course self-evident in her opinion that Ravens were the smartest, boldest, most observant and most regal of birds. Other people might disagree, but what did they know? She grudgingly admitted that wind eagles were maybe also fairly impressive.

The momentary stumble, the pause did not last long however, before the blonde recovered and took up her dance once more, the song getting much more lively and saucy. It was almost enough to make 'Chra want to dance as well. It was likely for the best she did not though. 'Chra was not a good dancer. It was in some ways enjoyable to watch her simply because of her innate Kelvic grace, but she had quite frankly no idea how to dance. So while when she did it was endearingly committed and uninhibited, it was also generally ridiculous. Just.. just not good and better not talked about.

Attention switched back to the crowd and what could be stuffed in her mouth when no one was looking. Probably the crowning moment of the night was when she found someone who'd been feeling swank and ordered the proper meal. Potatoes, gravy, some vegetables that had been boiled to a uniform yellow and drenched in more gravy and most importantly a large hunk of meat that probably came from a cow. Or at least not something with a name. You know. Spot. Princess. Steve. What? This was Sunberth.

It was not, technically speaking, acceptable to take a fistful of gravy covered meat, but as much as worrying about The Rules took up a fair bit of 'Chras time, meat overruled that. So a fistful of meat is exactly what happened. That one, particularly when the dance ended, got noticed. Of course although arguments about how smart 'Chra was might not have held much weight, she also wasn't stupid. She was canny in her own, very specific way. By the time, angry growls started from that side of the room, she'd already wound her way through several other people, moving to the safety of the other side of the room, shoving the pilfered good into her mouth as quickly as she could chew and swallow.

By the time she wound up in the vicinity of the bar, the meat itself was gone, and she was carefully licking the gravy off her hand and arm, oblivious to the smear of it on her nose. Picture of dignity.

This more important food business seen to, she went back to looking around herself with interest, noting almost immediately the blonde on the bar stool just in front of her.

"That was a good dance, you must practice a lot!"

The words were innocent enough, and sincere, but laughter still danced in her eyes as she said it.

[Caela Dorin]

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The dancer was used to working in a crowded tavern but people tended to give her a little space out of respect, especially when she was at the bar. It was one thing when she was under her employer's watchful eye, but quite another when she was within his earshot. Upsetting one of Merv's employees within his hearing was a sure fire way of getting your ass kicked and getting kicked out of the Pig's Foot would be the least of anyone's worries. However, that didn't mean that men wouldn't try to approach her and get handsy. She'd developed somewhat of a sixth sense for feeling someone's presence behind her and knowing that they were staring at her. It was a tingling in her flesh, as if the hairs stood up on her skin and trembled at the nearness of unwanted attention.

The air behind her stilled as the movement of traffic stopped. The blonde's back stiffened subtly and she took a careful sip of water, every nerve on end as she waited for an encounter to take place. She imagined a man standing too close behind her, practically breathing down her neck. Something churned deep in her belly and she swallowed down a rising lump in her throat as she waited for the air to vibrate in a bass or a baritone above her head. However, the voice that sounded behind her was lower down and higher-pitched than Caela had anticipated. She turned to regard the woman over her shoulder, eyes widening in recognition as she realised that she was the one who had met her gaze before as she'd been dancing. This was the one who'd seen something within the dancer that she shouldn't have. Her surprise was momentary and once it had passed, she found her eyes narrowing as she saw the amusement in them. She eyed her imperiously, a dislike and distrust of the other growing within her.

"Obviously. I didn't just wander in off the street and get a job here doing what I do," she responded coldly, giving the other a lazy up and down with her gaze as she weighed her up. Would she be trouble? Could she dismiss her without consequence? The dancer raised an eyebrow questioningly.

"Was there something you wanted? I don't have time to deal with... fans," she added disdainfully, her lips curling in a sneer. "So why don't you just petch off and let me relax before I have to go back to work? Oh and by the way, you've got something on your nose. Right there." She tapped the tip of her own nose to indicate the smear on the other woman's. Her piece said, Caela turned away from her tossing her blonde locks back in a haughty manner. That one was an insolent wench to approach her like that, to try to start a conversation by flattering her when it was clear that she merely wanted to take a dig at her. The moment when their eyes had met and understanding had flown between them, the dancer had been afraid and now her fear had followed her from the dance floor. This couldn't be good and she could only hope that her uptight manner would send the woman on her way, although it was entirely possible that she would linger on.

OOCSorry it's a bit on a short side. I'm suffering from a bit of a writer's block
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[Fiachra]

2 Spring - 516 AV - The Pig's Foot Tavern - Sunberth

Oh this one had her feathers proper ruffled. 'Chra was for the most part hard to insult, because she just didn't care. This one wasn't her person, so while The Rules said you had to operate at least mostly like a human would, she didn't really feel the need to pander to or please the blonde. Besides, she knew a territorial dispute when she saw one, and the Pigs Foot fell within what she considered to be her territory. This little dove might draw the eye, but she wouldn't be chasing off this Raven. Of course a Ravens first response wasn't necessarily to fight, they were about the mouthiest birds out there, and you could generally jeer a rival away.

"Really? That must have been a bother."

'Chra commented, inspecting a rather dirty fingernail

"Having to do all that work for people to think you're good enough. I always just wander in off the street."

This was largely true. To be fair, it wasn't as if she was some famous dancer or whatever, but she did a task and people gave her money. It wasn't on her back and it met her needs so, there you were. She knew almost instinctively that suggesting this one wasn't good enough, that she had to prove her worth to men, to ingratiate and worm her way in would get under her skin. That wasn't Raven instinct speacking, that was pure woman. Gyroscopic and meandering as 'Chras moods and state of mind tended to be, every now and again things aligned and she was razor sharp. For a short time at least.

"And y'got nothin' t'worry about, not a fan anyway. Just 'cause a person says you done a good job don't mean they're all that taken. Honesty and bein' leth-eyed ain't the same. Can't imagine you need to deal with any fans twice at the least."

Was she laying the street urchin, dirty beggar act on a bit thick? Perhaps, but this too was a dig. It said, sure I see how well put together you are, sure I hear your perfect clipped tones, sure I see how straight you're sitting, and it doesn't phase me in the least.

"Can't imagine any amount of petching, on or off would relax you from what I've seen though."

She casually gave her nose a swipe with the back of one freshly licked clean hand. While some women would be mortified at such a discrepancy in their appearance, 'Chra was quite pointedly not one of them. Her posture was pointedly, almost offensively relaxed, or so it appeared. This however, was kelvic games. Her body, loose and relaxed, was in fact that way firstly because she was communicating how unimpressed and unthreatened she was and secondly because she was ready to move, to dart away if needed.

It was less that she was worried about the blonde and more that she was worried about everyone else. Humans tended to band together, and though she looked human, 'Chra knew she was not. In some ways, she was very, very alone. So while she refused to be pushed around, she also didn't intend to get mobbed by any of the blondes actual 'fans'.

[Caela Dorin]

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OOCSorry for the delay!

The blonde didn't care what the other woman did as long as she just went away and left her in peace. She was sick of dealing with people in this tavern. Either someone wanted to fawn over her or they wanted to strip pieces off her although it was typically the former. She'd had women in here before getting protective over their men, women that she'd had to fight with tooth and nail until Merv's heavies could step in and save her ass. It was either that or some guy who thought that had every right to what was between her legs and tried to convince her that she wanted it or else tried to take what wasn't his by force. She was sick of it and she hated the fact that someone always had to come to her aid. The sooner Caela could look after herself the better. If she could look after herself then maybe she could get out of here. Getting in to one of the gangs was an option although she could see some possible drawbacks to it as well. She just needed something better than this on shyke.

As if on cue, the other made a casual remark. It sounded harmless except for something subtle in the way she said it and the words she chose. The dancer turned her head back in her direction, one eyebrows raised. She expected some sort of attack and she got one, although the words didn't hit home as well as the other had hoped. She'd thought that she'd chosen sharp words to hurt, as casual as she was trying to appear, but she was in for a shock.

Caela rolled her eyes, sighing as if what she was about to say was the most obvious thing in the world, which to her it certainly was. "Oh please, as if I need anybody else's opinion about what's good enough. I'm well aware that I'm too good for this place, but a girl has to make money somehow, doesn't she?" she told her briskly, before giving a meaningful look to the dirty fingernail that Fiachra was inspecting. "And yes, it's very obvious where you wandered in from so you don't have to state what's plain for anyone with eyes to see." She kept her eyes on the coal haired woman as she took another sip of water to slack her thirst. She could feel that her body was almost ready to go back to work although she imagined that if she hung around too much longer, she'd have a word in her ear to get back to it anyway.

She wasn't all that interested in what else the other had to say until she brought up 'petching'. The blonde stiffened, her facial expression freezing in place even as her eyes grew wild. Was this woman suggesting--seriously suggesting--that Caela had sex with customers? The way she phrased it made her sound like a whore and by the gods, she was no goddamn whore! The last of her water was downed and the tankard was slammed on to the counter top as she swung herself off the bar stool in one swift and elegant movement. The two women were almost at a height although this stranger was taller than her. A small difference in stature wasn't going to throw her off. Besides, this skinny little urchin wouldn't have her weight as she looked like she'd missed more than a few good meals. She met the almost black eyes, which reminded her somewhat of Kechaiya, although there the similarity ended. In terms of personality, they were nothing alike; this woman was a bitch.

"I'm going to make something very clear to you. You can wander in off the streets, you can take up some of the same air space as me but you will not insult me. I'm not some petching whore with no self-respect, got that? All I have to do is tell Merv that you haven't bought anything, that you're a total waste of space and I'm sure you'd end up out on your ear for the night. If you do decide to buy something... well, I just have to say that you've been harassing me and you'll end up out on your ear for the forseeable future and with a lot more bruises. Do you understand that or are you as stupid as you are dirty?" She gave the other a hard look before moving to step past her. "If you'll excuse me, I've got better things to do than talk to filth."

The blonde made a move around her, angling her elbow to strike the other at the right moment. She aimed for the other's stomach, attempting a vicious dig to knock the wind out of her. Whether it succeeded or not, Caela did have other things to be doing. She moved back to her stage, ready to dance out her frustration and rage. There was no sense in starting a fight here and now with that skinny wench. There was always the chance that she'd lose after all. She indicated that she wanted something very fast paced with the use of a hand gesture that had been pre-arranged between herself and the musicians and they quickly worked themselves up in to full swing. There were cheers and shouts as the men--for that was what the crowd was predominantly made up of--hammered tankards on tables, pounded their feet on the floor and seemed to pick up on her mood on some level. If it turned in to a brawl in here then she wouldn't be surprised. Blood was boiling, tempers rising and she was sure that they'd be more than happy to rip shreds out of one another. If it happened, she hoped that that bitch got caught in the crush and that someone smashed her skull open.

She gyrated wildly, enjoying the rhythm of the song as the sound of the instruments seemed to vibrate through her very bones. Her hair was becoming tousled, her skirt was flying wildly as she swung it this way and that with the help of her hands and her hips. She didn't even care and the men were clearly enjoying it so what did it matter? She let out a whoop as she danced a spontaneous jig on the spot before sending herself spinning around the place. For once, her disdain for the crowd wasn't as high as normal as she was distracted by someone else who she disliked more. They were in for a real treat as the blonde grabbed a man here, hands sliding down the lapels of his coat before spinning out of reach or giving another a playful slap on the cheek. She even grabbed one by the lapels and in one rapid movement deposited the marks of her lips on his a cheek as the lip pomade left a stark impression. The crowd were alive and so was she. None too soon it was over and the blonde was left panting and sweating, stumbling towards the bar for a much needed rest before her next set.

She'd managed to forget about Fiachra by the time the dance was true and so if she happened to encounter her it would come as a great surprise.
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