[Avain Manor] Spinning Form and Dancing Fans (Shai)

[Iliana]

41st of Winter, 511 AV Iliana stretched her arms high over her head, breathing deep the chilled winter air. A cold breeze swept across her exposed mid-drift, sending shivers tracing up her spine. Letting out a content sigh she lowered her arms and bent at her waist to touch her toes, laying her palms flat on the ground as her hair tumbled over her face. Breathing in Iliana straightened, holding her arms out at her side and bending sideways, first one way and then the other, keeping her feet locked. Tilting backwards Iliana stretched her arms over her head until they touched the ground behind her, lifting her abdomen up and stretching out her muscles. Kicking her feet into the air Iliana repositioned her weight so that she balanced on her hands alone. Breathing deeply Iliana let her arms fold and she tumbled forward, using her momentum to propel herself back onto her feet and into a simple front flip, landing a bit shakily with her arms extended out at her sides. Exhaling her held breath, Iliana giggled and patted her arms, "At least I did not fall on my head this time." Hopping several times on the balls of her feet, Iliana closed her eyes and sent a silent prayer to the Goddess Makutsi, a plea for inspiration. It had come to Iliana's attention that the variety in her dances was all but nonexistent, and it was her intention to, here and now, amend this. Opening her eyes Iliana looked up at the clear blue sky, a smile touching her lips at the prospect of a new dance for Makutsi. Firs things first, Iliana thought, I need an idea! Iliana's smile faded for a moment, but then she giggled and shook her head, [color=white]Maybe it wont be as easy as I thought... Tapping her cheek, Iliana let her eyes roam over the the empty courtyard for a minute, her mind a buzz with possible ideas. After a few chimes she sighed and shook her head, brushing a hand through her blond hair. A breeze wafted through and blew a stray hair that tickled her knows, making her giggle. Then, as if hit by a sudden realization, Iliana's eyes lit up and she laughed, caught up in a sudden idea. Spinning in a circle, Iliana spread her arms and summoned her res, transforming it into a gaseous form and coating her hands. That done, Iliana stopped and clapped her hands together, spinning her res around her clasped hands. In a sudden fluid moment Iliana whipped her hands apart and scattered her res in a wide sweep in front of her, transforming it into air as she did and causing a sudden gust to sweep over the courtyard. For a moment Iliana simply stood with her arms apart, her breathing a little heavier from the exertion of her res. Finally she straightend and brushed a stray hair behind her ear, Well... It would make a good finish at least but... Iliana giggled, I kinda need a dance to go before it.

[Shai]

Shai was trying to return home, or more specifically the housing she and her companions had been provided by the Alvadas officials. Her intentions, as per usual, didn’t seem to matter to the city in the least. She was acutely aware that she was not making any progress towards the apartments; in fact the city was beginning to repeat locations. Like it was running out of ideas or something. But the spider kept on walking, the very next corner could be the way back.

Instead as she turned the corner she was greeted with a familiar sight. The first time she encountered the manor it had been tucked in between other buildings on one side of the street, discrete for such a large complex. The second time it had been at the end of the road with only a small alley letting her get around it. This time was only slightly different. Trotting towards it Shai assumed there would be another small outlet from the road so that she could keep walking. This time, she was wrong. There was no turn off, only the old mansion. Spinning around to the return the way she had come. . . It was gone, cobblestone path had turned itself into a cul-de-sac. “Alright, I hear you! Petching city. . .” she muttered the last under her breath. If it was sentient , the last thing the Symenestra wanted was to actually agitate Alvadas.

Turning back again she stalked up the manner. From afar, it looked abandoned but as she got closer signs of inhabitation were obvious. As she passed into the courtyard Shai gave one last glance behind her to see if the city may have changed it’s prerogative and placed her residence right outside. Of course not. Before Shai could continue further into the courtyard a gust over took her and tossed her forward. Reacting instinctively like someone with delicate bones ought to; the thief turned it into a forward tumble, pulling out her indigo and silver war fan as she popped back up. Flicking the delicate and deadly fan open, heralded by the loud clanks of cold iron struts clicking into position. Turning the fan sideways Shai spun on her toes to see where the wind had come from. Ever paranoid the woman suspected it was magic. Normal wind didn’t just appear out of nowhere and disappear just as quickly.

Her inspections of the courtyard found a young woman. The little mage didn’t look malicious, in fact she was giggling. It wasn’t enough proof for Shai to put away her weapon but she did lower it as she approached the girl. She made sure to keep only the cloth side towards the stranger just in case, perhaps the element of surprise wasn’t completely lost. Few seemed to actually know her fan was deadly. The best way to indentify it was more than an accessory were the silvery metal struts that came together at its base; which Shai’s hands covered sufficiently. “Was that your trick or is the city still out to get me?” the spider inquired as she closed the distance, she had to raise her voice and it was incredibly impolite to shout a conversation across a courtyard when they could simply talk face to face.

Shai's words struck her for a moment, What if the woman is really an illusion of the city? Narrowing her purple eyes she inspected Iliana, not sure how to tell a illusion from reality but trying nonetheless.

[Iliana]

Iliana looked up at the sky, brushing a stray hair behind her ear and humming softly under her breath. Turning slowly in a circle Iliana spread her arms out at her side and closed her eyes, calling to Makutsi once more, Please... Please send me inspiration... Then, as if in answer to her prayer, Iliana heard a voice. Blinking, Iliana tilted her head and searched the sky, "Dear Goddess, what do you mean by trick?" It was then that she noticed the footsteps, and Iliana lowered her gaze to the woman whose voice had answered her call. Giggling, she lowered her arms and looked over the woman, noting the dark cloak and... fan?... in her hand. Shaking her head Iliana giggled at herself, wondering that she could have been so foolish, Perhaps mother was right, and I should have studied harder... This thought, however, did not amuse Iliana, and she quickly shifted her mind to the topic at hand. Her attention turned in full to the woman, and with the closer proximity Iliana could indeed see that it was a fan that she held in her pale hand. A bright smile touched her lips and Iliana skipped the rest of the way, closing the distance between them in a matter of seconds. Stopping just out of arms reach, Iliana was struck with a sudden realization. Blinking, Iliana leaned forward and stared at Shai intently, her blue eyes gazed at the Symenestra with an intense and concentration that bordered on unnerving. Straightenign suddenly, Iliana pointed a finger at Shai, "I am taller than you." She spoke this one sentence in a matter of fact tone, without a hint of mocking or sarcasm of any kind. With a giggle, Iliana held her hand over the top of her head, and moved it so that it was about partway between Shai and herself, as if she were measuring the woman against her own height. Suddenly growing bored of this act, Iliana's attention fell to the fan in Shai's hand. With a single step Iliana came within a few inches of Shai and squatted down, holding her knees with her hands as she tilted her head and examined the fan, "Oh, is that a fan? What do you use it for in the middle of winter? Is it not too cold to be hot enough for one?" Iliana paused and giggled at her own word phrasing, extending a single finger as if to touch the fan, but suddenly shifting her weight and rolling backwards into a handstand and slowly lowering her feet back to the ground and straightening. Iliana then spun to the side in a neat twirl, her hair dancing around her shoulders as she came to a stop a few paces behind Shai, inspecting her from behind a moment before half skipping half spinning in the other direction to return once more to her original spot just out of arms reach. Clasping her hands behind her back and leaning forward, Iliana looked at Shai with sparkling blue eyes, "Soooo... who are you and why have you come to the Manor?"

[Shai]

Carefully inspecting the young woman; noting key characteristics. Shai was almost surprised when the girl spoke and the Goddess remark certainly elicited a quizzically raised brow. The woman’s curiosity regarding the fans seemed fair; it was an unorthodox choice to begin with and the greatest perk was that it was difficult to recognize as a weapon. For all that Shai could praise curiosity the blatant comparing of their heights brought her humor immediately darker. “Yes, you and every other sentient in the city can claim the same.” Which wasn’t entirely true, Bob Barton was much shorter than the spider but he was an outlier at best. The girl’s remark shifted Shai’s estimation of her lower; a child, but that could be to Iliana’s advantage the thief was no so harsh on the young.

“It is a bit cold for a fan that is true, but…” She added, spinning with the girl; young or not she wasn’t allowing someone to get behind her. “Fans can be useful for more than abating hea.” Shai smiled not entirely sure why she indulged the girl, perhaps some strange maternal instinct resurfacing. “Have you ever seen a fan dancer?” Loosening her grip upon the fan, she tossed it into the air right above herself. Adding a twist in the throw so that the fan flipped vertically a few times before returning to her palm. Shai had spent hours dropping the weapon before she ever managed to even catch it after the small, simple flourish.

Trying to not to grumble as she answered the inquisitive stranger’s final question, “Alvadas apparently desires my presence. Or maybe I do? I do not know anymore with this ridiculous city, all I know is I am here. And my name is Shaisha.” Until she was certain the girl wasn’t a threat all she would be getting was the alias. “And yourself?”

[Iliana]

Iliana's eyes widened as she heared the words "Fan Dancer." "People dance with fans? Oh I have never heard of such a wonder!" Iliana spun in place, sending a cascade of blond hair tumbling over her shoulder. Giggling happily Iliana looked at Shai with shining blue eyes, "I am Iliana, and this is the Avian Mannor! It is owned by a dear friend of mine." The girls eyes misted over and a slight blush rose to her cheeks as Iliana's mind trailed over the man who had taken her in. Iliana hummed softly under her breath, her hand twirling a strand of hair absently as her mind was lost in thought for nearly a full minute. Blinking, Iliana shook her head and laughed nervously, quickly turning so that her red face could not be seen and skipping a short distance away, "Then... Are you a fan dancer?" Iliana looked over her shoulder at Shai, locking her dazzling blue eyes on the Symenestra's violet ones. "And if you are, why do your fans clink when they open?" The girls eyes almost seemed to flash as the djed pored from them, the light of hypnotic magic scorching its way across the short distance into Shai's. With it was carried a suggestion, or rather a simplistic impression: "There is no harm in telling her..." This was Iliana's first time using Hypnosis without direct contact, and as such the suggestion was more powerful than she intended. A single red tear fell from the corner of Iliana's eye, and a feeling of floating on air blurred her vision for a moment. Shaking her head Iliana turned to wipe away the read streak, rubbing her eyes in order to clear them as well. In an attempt to play off her failure, Iliana spun and giggled, clasping her hands behind her back and leaning forward. A look of innocents crossed her features, and she was once more the giggling youth who appearend no more threatening than the average house cat, "If they have metal on them does that not make them hard to dance with?"

[Shai]

The influence took to Shai’s psyche easily, she had no intention of lying to the girl at least not regarding such benign questions. The girl, Iliana, had made a mistake in her suggestion though; she had left wiggle room for the spider who would naturally exploit such a loop hole regardless. Thieves are resourceful like that. “Dancers wear bells sometimes too? To make noise and draw attention? The same can be said for complicated costumes and bright colors.” The spider flicked the fan open and closed once more revealing the audible clatter as punctuation. She indulged further, “Metal, in some cases, applies a new weight. Allowing for different tricks and” She chuckled genially, “and further flash in the right settings.”

Something about Iliana drew Shai to her, probably her childlike curiosity. Unfortunately the Symenestra woman had a soft spot for children and she was inclined to further indulge the girl. With her free hand she reached into her cloak and withdrew the smaller blue, wooden, practice fan. Not nearly as ornate, or valuable, as her own fans the wood and cloth was still passible for illustrating what Shai was trying to explain. Keeping ahold of her weapon she offered it’s less dangerous cousin, “Would you like to see for yourself? You do not seem to mean harm and a bit of exercise cannot hurt.”

[Iliana]

Iliana smiled broadly, showing teeth in a smile that might light up an entire room, "Oh may I?" Iliana had never heard of such a thing. To dance with fans sounded so... Fun! Thus she giggled, stepping a bit closer to Shai and tilting her head form side to side to examine the fan further. When her shining blue eyes met the Symenestra's once more she spoke, "But you only have one fan? I would not wish to take it from you, despite how much fun it could be..." Leaning back once more, the girl spin in a small circle, hands clasped over her head. Comming to a stop, Iliana absently pulled on a strand of blond hair, "Would you mind, then, showing me how it is done?"

[Shai]

Shai tossed the fan towards the girl, letting it flip end over end. The smaller cousin fan was much lighter which gave it a definite benefit for learning. Taking two steps further back from lliana the Symenestra tugged off her cloak and let it settle into a pile on the ground beside her with audible clinking from the unknown contents it hid. What she intended to pass on with the fans was the practice stances, which when smoothly transitioned looked much like a dance. The girl need not know the true purpose of her fans; subtle weaponry.

Normally, Shai would loosen up before practicing but she didn’t plan to teach anything too strenuous so she let her stretches slid this once. She flicked her fun shut and stood quietly with her feet shoulder width apart. Holding the fan vertically at her chest she aligned it with her spine. Closing her eyes she began her lesson carefully. “A fan dance is less of a dance and more story telling. A story told with your body and your fan.”

Slowly, following a beat only she could hear; her heart beat, the spider curled up her right leg forcing her knee to touch her chest. Her right arm extended and the fan opened near her face. Waiting three more beats before she made a wide circle and planted the foot back on the ground, sliding into a crouch as she did. As her right leg went down her right hand, holding the fan, followed with it closing it again to make a sharper form. The spider’s mental image was leaves, her fan, following the current, her leg. She wasn’t an expert it and so perhaps the meaning wouldn’t be conveyed but hopefully it still looked nice. Opening her eyes abruptly she looked at Iliana, “Copy me, I will get more complicated as times goes on until we find a point where you cannot no longer follow.” She suspected the dancer had rhythm so the very easiest maneuvers would not give her any trouble.

[Iliana]

The suddenness of the throw surprised Iliana, and she only just caught the fan before it fell to the ground. When she felt its weight the girl noticed that it was not as heavy as she expected, and in fact it was made of wood! A quick glance at Shai told her that the metal fan was something that Iliana would not be holding this day, and perhaps it was for the best, for as she watched Shai in her movements the girl began to question her own grace while holding such an object. For the moment Iliana simply watched, taking in Shai's each and every movement. The girl's eyes shown with excitement, and her features spoke of wonder as she observed the beautiful forms, the almost absentminded grace of the Symenestra. Absently she began opening and closing the fan, running her fingers along the wooden handle as she tried to to mentally picture what it was she must do. Finally, when the rhythm of Shai's movements seemed to become clear, Iliana began her own dance, following closely to the Shai's motions as she possibly could. It was like following the tide, but the tide kept sweeping off in different directions at sudden moments. The girl would follow Shai for a moment, matching the Sym step for step when, suddenly, the motion and beat of the dance would alter and Iliana would be left to pause and observe once more. More than once the girl simply stood back, waiting patiently for the chance to step once more as the flow of the stances was once more within her range of abilities. For the moment Iliana simply followed the Sym's instructions, following Shai step for step as closely as she could. Her movements with the fan would at times arch a bit more than necessary, and of course her hips would say and the girl's bends held a bit more flourish, but then this was to be expected of one who lived from their dance. When Shai paused Illiana followed suit, halting in the same position as Shai, though a few moments after the Sym. To her statement Iliana replied, "If you lead, I will follow. In her mind Iliana was already thinking of so many fascinating additions do this dance, ways of adding in her act to these motions. Quietly to her self, Iliana set her mind to try a few of these ideas out in the next round of forms.

[Fallacy]

XP Award! Name:Shai XP Award: Acrobatics- 2 Weapon- Fan- 2 Teaching- 1 Lore: Fan Dancing Notes: Name:Iliana XP Award: Dance- 2 Reimancy- 2 Hypnosis- 1 Acrobatics- 2 Investigation- 1 Lore: Fan Dancing Notes: I gave you one more point in both your fan weapon and Acrobatics because you have those skills instead of just introducing another skill: Dancing. If you want that changed, please tell me. Any questions or concerns about the rewards gained please send a PM