First Steps to the Dance (Poison)

[Nissabella Rose]

As soon as the door closed behind her, Nissabella's legs finally gave way completely from under her and she leaned gratefully into Avarys' solicitous arm, delighted by the attention he was lavishing upon her. Now that the euphoria of performing had ebbed away, she felt weary and drained in body and soul. A little envy was mixed into her admiration and fascination as she gazed up at Avarys, who looked as spry and fresh as ever as he called for the next dancer, while it was all she could do to collapse onto the bench. Of course, he was much more skilled and experienced than she was, and she had given the dance her all to impress the judges. Still, it hardly seemed fair that she was reduced to a quivering mass of jelly, while he looked almost exactly the same as when she first saw him in the audition studio. As it happened, the next dancer in line was the arrogant Soraya Orchid, who had been boasting loudly about her aerial dance prowess before Nissabella's audition. Nissabella didn't like the way she ogled and leered at Avarys at all, and she narrowed her eyes belligerently in response when Soraya passed by and glared at her. The door closed behind them both, and Nissabella sighed as she curled up on the bench. She had done her best and she knew she'd put a lot of emotion into her performance. But was it really enough? She frowned at the closed door, suddenly worried about her chances. However, she couldn't help smiling when the two silver-haired girls who had been intently listening at the door rushed toward her, both of them almost vibrating with excited questions. "How was it? How did you do?" one of the girls asked. "Who were the judges? Were they mean or nice?" the other girl added eagerly. "Was Kanasa Curare herself there?" "And..." The first girl glanced back at the door, her eyes bright with curiosity, and giggled. "Was that Avarys? Avarys Anthurium? From the Weft and Warp? Was he one of the judges or something?" At that last question, Nissabella shook her head and smiled. "Oh, no. He was my dance partner." "He's the dance partner for the auditions?" the girls chorused, their eyes growing as wide as saucers. "Ooooh! What was it like? You have to tell us!" Unable to resist their enthusiasm, Nissabella described her dance to both of them. As she continued talking, she noticed that the other two girls in the anteroom were unobtrusively trying to listen in as well. Smiling to herself, she tried to weave as harrowing a narrative as possible about the difficulties of the dance, especially the times when she thought she was about to fall and plunge to her death or get tangled up in the various silks. The two girls gasped at all the right times and their pretty faces took on thoughtful looks, no doubt imagining how they would have to handle the same situation during their auditions. Nissabella couldn't help waxing poetic about Avarys' grace and masterfulness, causing the girls to giggle again and give each other meaningful sidelong looks. "I'm so glad you're willing to talk about your audition with us," the first girl exclaimed, when Nissabella finally ran out of words. "We thought the other dancers would all be so competitive, they wouldn't say a thing because they'd be scared to give anyone an advantage!" "I thought about that a little," Nissabella admitted, "but we have all trained together every day since we were little. We already know how well each of us dances. Whatever I say isn't going to change anything by that much, really!" The two girls nodded. The second one, clearly distracted by another train of thought, broke in with an impertinent grin. "Hey, Nissa. You like Avarys, don't you? You've got a crush on him, haven't you?" "I do not!" Nissabella protested. "Oh, she absolutely does. I can totally tell," the first girl agreed laughingly. She shook her head mock-reproachfully at Nissabella. "You ought to be careful with that one, you know. From what I've heard, Avarys flirts with everyone. He could probably charm all the spiders from their webs if he wanted. But," her voice went soft and conspiratorial, "I heard he only has eyes for his cousin, the head weaver at the Weft and Warp." "Uh-huh," the second girl chimed in, speaking in a low whisper, "I heard that too. My older brother, who trains at the Weft and Warp, says they act a lot closer than two cousins really should." "Oh." Nissabella felt herself deflating, though she did her best not to show it. Some of the glow faded from her dance with Avarys and from the memory of the words he'd whispered to her during and after her audition. He had made her feel so special and wonderful, saying that no one else could compare to her. The thought that perhaps he said such things to everyone, though, and didn't really mean them made Nissabella bite her lip. Trying to hide her disappointment, she said stiffly, "Oh, yes. I knew that." At that point, the door opened again and the first girl was called to audition. Nissabella fell silent after that, leaning her head against the wall and watching as the other aerial dancers were called one by one into the audition studio. Left by herself, she turned her attention to rubbing down the muscles in her arms and legs, as well as stretching her limbs in an attempt to reduce muscle soreness tomorrow. After his audition, the odd young man who showed up to try out for a female role sat down on the bench next to her. He too had black hair and violet eyes, Nissabella couldn't help noticing, while she worked on massaging her shoulders and upper arms. Wearily, she wondered again why he was here and if he'd gotten lost somehow. When the door opened for the last time, though, all of them straightened and snapped to attention. Kanasa Curare stepped through the door, and Nissabella's stomach felt as though it was full of fluttering silk moths as she waited for the dancing mistress to speak. When her gaze settled on Nissabella and she spoke, Nissabella felt as though her heart would jump right out of her chest. "O-of course, Mistress Curare," she stammered, getting to her feet and walking unsteadily toward the door. The blood was pounding in her ears, and her voice sounded thin and nervous as she said politely, "I am at your service."

[Poison]

Kanasa closed the door behind Nissabella so that the other dancers who were still waiting outside wouldn't be able to hear what they were talking about. Once she had done that, she gestured for her to take a seat.

Nissabella could see that the woman from the Acacia Web and Avarys were there as well. The weaver looked a little bit exhausted now, and his cheeks were flushed, but as his gaze fell on Nissabella, he smiled, that brilliant smile that had made her feel so special before.

It was as if all the rumours surrounding him were exactly that - rumours.

"Nissabella Rose", Kanasa began. She sounded rather formal. "We have come to a decision. We have chosen you for the role. There will be three rehearsals, the last one with costumes. I expect you to continue to give your best. If you keep up the good work, you will eventually receive a promotion and be able to dance here regularly."

It was then that the Acacia woman whispered something to Kanasa. "Yes, I think we should find a role for the boy as well. Even though I still don't understand why he auditioned for a female role, he danced rather well. I don't want the Orchid girl here though."

"No matter how much promise she shows, her attitude leaves something to be desired. Avarys, could you go outside and talk to her? She seems to be quite fond of you."

Avarys made a face.

"She is insane, Kanasa. I did everything I could to discourage her, but she seems convinced that I'm going to be her husband and the father of her children. She intends to survive their birth of course. I don't think I can stand being near her again so soon."

He shuddered visibly.

Avarys usually loved women, but this woman, this woman he could definitely do without.

Why, she'd even told him that she would visit him in the Weft and Warp and kiss him in front of all the weavers so that they would knew they were together!

He didn't want to think of what his cousin would say.

[Nissabella Rose]

Nissabella had felt like dancing many times during her life. The first time she had been taken to the Cobweb and shown what aerial dancers could do, she yearned to dance just as beautifully and airily as they did. The terrible moment when she heard about the death of the Benshira surrogate girl who had taught her the dances of her people, Nissabella was overwhelmed with the desire to tell the girl's story and keep her memory alive through with dance. Like a weaver with a tapestry or an artist with a canvas, dance was the means through which she expressed her deepest emotions and shared her inspiration with others. Just now, as Kanasa Curare told her she was chosen for the role in the production, Nissabella felt like dancing for sheer joy. She wanted to leap up onto walls and swing along silken veils and perhaps even cartwheel across the ground to show her elation. She wanted to jump straight up into the air and clap her hands like a child. She had gotten the part! She would get to show off her skills in the biggest and grandest production she'd ever seen, and if she did well, she would receive even better, showier parts in further productions and even earn her place as a Spiderling. And maybe, just maybe, I'll get to dance with Avarys Anthurium onstage for real, a tiny voice whispered wistfully in the back of her mind. Under the level gazes of Kanasa, the woman from the Acacia Web, and Avarys, however, Nissabella restrained herself from dancing, jumping, or squealing with delight. Her arms trembled slightly with the effort. However, she managed to return Avarys' radiant smile without making a fool of herself, even if she did have to remind herself about his cousin at the Weft and Warp. She opened her mouth to give her acceptance, but then the Acacia woman whispered in Kanasa's ear. Nissabella fell silent to listen to their discussion, fascinated. Avarys' complaints about Soraya caused a giggle to escape her, despite her best efforts at self-control. Apparently, Avarys had had the same effect on more than just her, though Nissabella was sure she'd handled it far better than the Orchid girl had. Avarys probably hadn't noticed her feelings at all. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to suggest the situation was funny," she said instantly, to explain her giggle. The last thing she needed was for Kanasa to upbraid her for discourteous behavior! "It's only that...well, we all know what Soraya Orchid is like. I heard a story that the last boy she was infatuated with, finally had to marry another girl, even though he wasn't really ready for marriage yet, just to escape her attentions! She's that relentless." She coughed self-consciously. "But, well, I would be honored to take the role," she interjected at last, trying to turn the subject back to the audition and away from Soraya Orchid. "Thank you very much for choosing me! I shall do my best to meet...no, to surpass your expectations, Mistress Curare." Nissabella gave a deep, respectful bow to the aerial dance mistress. "Just tell me when the rehearsals are being held, and I will be there every time. And I will practice hard to make sure I have perfected this dance. And," a sly smile quirked the corner of her lips, "I promise to stay far, far away from alcohol and drunken bets made at the Hunters' Gather." The aspiring dancer looked from face to face, hoping her small touch of humor would be appreciated, or at least tolerated. It seemed that, as her body couldn't dance with joy, her tongue was determined to run away with her in its stead. She simply couldn't resist asking, though. "If it's not too presumptuous of me, why was that boy here? Was he really auditioning for the same role? Perhaps he could be one of the male lovers in the same dance sequence, though I haven't heard any of those dancers are absent or injured..." The question she had been wondering about ever since she first saw him slipped out before she could stop it. "Who is he? I didn't recognize him, even though he's a dancer. Is he someone new here?"

[Poison]

„Oh my“, Avarys murmurred as Nissabella told him what she’d heard about Soraya. He didn’t share her good mood. He just looked extremely uncomfortable. „I’m not sure if I want to get married just to be rid of her. Maybe I’ll have a word with her parents and persuade them to find her a husband. Although I’m not sure if marriage would stop her. She might just decide that one man isn’t enough for her.“

He was glad when she changed the topic. There was only so much talk about Soraya Orchid he could bear at the same time. As Kanasa said something about how she was looking forward to Nissabella surpassing her expectations, he smirked. He had no doubt that she would.

„The first rehearsal will be in seven days“, Kanasa replied. „The second one will be five days from that, and the last rehearsal will be on the day before the performance.“ She didn’t say anything as Nissabella promised to stay away from alcohol and drunken bets. Avarys on the other hand remarked, „You must promise me to celebrate if the dance goes well though – if Soraya hasn’t abducted me and killed me with her ‚love‘ until then.“

„He really was, as strange as that seems“, Avarys answered the question for Kanasa. „Maybe he thinks he is a better dancer than all the girls combined? Maybe he thinks men should be allowed to dance female roles and vice versa? Or maybe he occasionally feels the need to be feminine? I don’t know. Neither of us thought of asking him. Maybe we should.“

He glanced at Kanasa who nodded.

„If any of the male dancers can’t be there for some reason, he’ll get the role“, she decided. „And maybe he’ll be able to dance in our next production as well. As for who he is, he is from the Ivy Web. His people are fisherman and hunters for the most part. That old man who constantly sits in his boat in the Rose Cavern is his grandfather.“

„No other member of his family has ever displayed a significant skill as a dancer.“

[Nissabella Rose]

OOCSorry for taking so long for such a simple response. Thanks so much for modding this for me! Nissabella tried her best not to light up when Avarys invited her to celebrate with him after the debut of the dance production, of which her new role was only a small part. He's probably only being kind, she told herself, reminding herself about Avarys' cousin and his reputation for flirting for any woman who wasn't Soraya. And he'll ask a dozen other girls to come too. I'll nod and say yes for now, but I mustn't believe I'll be the center of attention, let alone his attention. To stop herself from daydreaming or brooding overlong over either possibility, she focused instead on Avarys' next words, a response to her curious query about the young man who showed up to audition. His motives were a mystery to her. All her life, Nissabella had been told so often what a curse it was to be born a female Symenestra -- doomed to either die young during childbirth or grow old without ever raising a child of her own blood -- that she couldn't understand why the young man would ever choose to be one, even if only for a performance. He must really want a role in this production, she decided somewhat ungraciously, and I guess he earned one, from what Mistress Curare is saying. Oh, well, so have I! How about that? Buoyed by this thought, Nissabella nodded attentively to Kanasa Curare. "I shall do my best to be there at every one and stay until the very end," she promised solemnly. "You can't imagine how grateful I am for this chance, Mistress Curare. I'll show everyone what I'm capable of doing, and hopefully by the time the season is over, everyone will know my name." She said the last part with a rather cheeky air, to show that she knew full well what an unrealistic and unlikely ambition it was for a mere Egg in the Cobweb dancing school to gain more than a few moments of fame in Kalinor. It was hard enough for young dancers to get noticed in a small production. When surrounded by the school's finest performers, all attempting to tell a grand story fill with romance and tragedy through their choreography and acrobatics, getting any kind of recognition was nigh impossible. Still, a young girl could dream. "Is there anything else you need from me, then?" she asked, wrenching her thoughts away from the distant, unknowable future back to the present. "Do I need to be fitted for my costume or anything? I have never done anything like this before. I may not be like the boy from the Ivy Web," she added, "but only one or two from my family have ever been true dancers. I simply don't have much experience with dancing in anything more than a recital or two." Her pale hands fluttered moth-like in the air, betraying the nervousness that lay behind her questions. It was all beginning to sink in now. Nissabella would get her chance to make her debut on Kalinor's stage soon. She had better make sure she knew what she was doing, or else she could end up falling hard, in more ways than one.

[Poison]

Kanasa smiled slightly as Nissabella promised to do her best. „I expect nothing less from you, Nissabella Rose“, she replied. „I have high expectations. If you continue like that, your hope that everybody will know your name might eventually come true.“

She looked at the woman who sat next to her, and her colleague nodded. Before the audtion Nissabella had just been another young woman who dreamed of being a dancer, but her performance had impressed them both.

„There’s nothing else we need from you right now“, Kanasa continued. „Go home and rest a bit. You will be fitted for your costume the day after tomorrow so that we can make sure that everything is ready for the fance.“

With that Nissabella’s meeting with Kanasa ended, and Avarys extended his hand to guide her out of the room.

The End.

[Poison]

THREAD AWARD!

Skills: Dancing 5, Acrobatics 5, Seduction 3

Lores: Acquaintance: Avarys of the Anthurium Web, Acquaintance: Soraya of the Orchid Web, Acquaintance: Kanasa of the Curare Web

Notes: It should be obvious why I gave you points in Acrobats and Dancing. I gave you the maximum amount of points because your posts were extremely detailled and well written.

I also gave you some points in Seduction because the dance was all about love. I really enjoyed the interaction between Avarys and Nissabella.

The lores are for the NPCs you interacted with the most. Giving you lores for all the NPCs you met would have been a bit too much.

The new thread I promised you should be up within the next couple of days.