Post by Solana on Apr 8, 2023 14:50:29 GMT -5
Ladies of the Dance
As much mayhem and mischief as Eziban could cause, no one could deny that he was a man of honor when it was his turn to pay up on a bargain.
Aryn got herself settled into the front row of the Shrine's theater, holding a large tub of popcorn and a bottle of her favorite spiced oil. (She had been banned from making large batches of spicy popcorn in the popcorn maker last year after the oil had started a fire. Eziban had almost screamed at their rent bill for that month.)
Ambrienne settled in beside her, turning down Aryn's offer to share the popcorn with a faint grimace. "Do you have any idea of what we're in for?"
Aryn shrugged as she offered the popcorn behind her to a more appreciative Kalia. "All I know is that Ezi is wearing the costume that I ordered and Solana was helping him. Beyond that, I have no idea."
Ambrienne flipped her invitation card over to read the back. "Solana is dancing first, it seems. To-" She went a little pale.
"What?" Aryn asked anxiously as the mage held up the card for Aryn to read.
Opening act- Solana Kesai dances to 'Gypsy' from 'Lord of the Dance'
Main act- Eziban Caldera dances to 'Fiery Nights' from 'Lord of the Dance'
".....oh, crap...."
Solana picked up a bit more gold eyeshadow on her brush and gently applied it to Eziban's closed eyelid. She compared his eyes carefully before sitting back with a nod of satisfaction. "You're good to go."
Eziban grinned as he examined the result in a mirror. "Not too bad. I make a pretty fine lady," he commented as he fastened on the half veil that came with the Spell Fencer costume. He turned to Solana, a hint of worry in his eyes. "You're sure this is OK? It's not... disrespectful to your home?"
Solana shook her head with a smile. "Not at all. Dance is a language, and it depends on the artist's intention. You're doing this because you love your wife." She tilted her head curiously. "How did you think of this?"
Eziban chuckled nervously. "Spur of the moment thing to cheer Aryn up, honestly." He took another look in the mirror and adjusted his headpiece. He had started growing out his hair to put in tiny braids and had to admit that they worked for him. "But now, whenever anyone brings it up to embarrass us? She'll remember I did it because I love her. That will last longer than any flowers or even bottle of wine."
Solana's eyes softened. Aryn was a lucky woman, and she was so happy that her dear friends had found such happiness together.
Caesar stuck his head into the small dressing room. "You're on in five, Auntie Solana. Shalia has your music ready."
"Thanks, Caesar," Solana replied, getting to her feet and checking her own makeup in the mirror. Everything was fine, so she smiled and squeezed Eziban's shoulder. "Good luck."
"Thanks again for this. I owe you one," Eziban replied, picking up his prop. He sighed grimly to himself, but then remembered Aryn dancing in a cat costume for him. Nodding decisively, he went back to the wings to wait for his turn.
Caesar was also acting as announcer for the event. Aryn was surprised to see him dressed in a long black robe and his pink hair hidden by a smoky gray and purple turban.
"Good evening, fellow Shriners. Tonight we are proud to present the distance a man will go to prove his love for his wife," he began, then smirked. "Personally, I think there are much better ways to-"
"Caesar!" Solana shouted from backstage.
"-but this is what works for these two," Caesar finished smoothly. He winked back to the backstage, and Aryn swore she heard a bit of grumbling. "Without further ado, Auntie Solana is the first of our 'Ladies of the Dance'!"
Polite applause rang out as the lights dimmed in the audience and Caesar dashed off stage. The opening chimes of 'Gypsy' rang out through the theater.
Aryn was holding her breath and waiting on her popcorn, wondering what on Merna her friend had choreographed. When Solana's dancing form appeared on stage, she relaxed.
Solana was dressed in one of her only red costumes, a red halter top and full skirt with a black hip scarf and gold armlets. As usual when she did her Atlantean dances, she was barefoot.
Aryn remembered the Temptress' dance in the show being fast and with lots of jumps in between the Irish jigs. Solana made it her own, adding spins and even level changes during some of the slower parts. The faster parts boasted circling hips and arms and coiling undulations along with hip and arm shimmies.
"I didn't know Auntie Solana could dance like THAT!" Kalia hissed to Aryn.
Aryn grinned. "I think dancing is the only way Solana knows how to flirt."
Solana proved it with serpent's arms during a backbend, rising sensuously before going into a four count turn. She even borrowed the original ending to the dance, dropping down to hands and knees and winking at Aryn. Applause rang out, and for some reason Maria was calling, "I knew it! I knew it! No one believes me but I knew it!"
Odd.
Caesar came back on as Solana skipped off of the stage, blowing kisses as she went. "Who saw that coming? And now for our main event, for Auntie Aryn's pleasure and everyone else's hilarity, it's time for 'Fiery Nights'! Hit it, Shalia!"
The slow, sultry notes of a saxophone filled the theater as Eziban made his entrance. While Aryn had promised not to laugh, no one else had.
Eziban wore a gold circlet on his short black braids with a sheer red half-veil covering the lower half of his face. A red and gold bra top obviously stuffed with something was over a matching sheer red skirt and leggings. Gold flashed on his wrists, his ankles, and the black and red hip scarf around his waist. He came in with a veil held high and draped elegantly around his form as he slowly undulated towards the center of the stage.
Aryn found herself leaning forward, captivated by her Ezi's movements and the grin he flashed her under his veil. Her cheeks flushed in response.
Eziban had obviously practiced hard. Graceful, sensual flicks and spins sent the red veil floating around his form. Othertimes it was held in place, framing his hips twining in a figure 8 pattern.
When the music picked up on a powerful sax solo, he let his veil go and really cut loose. Powerful hip bumps. Sinking almost to the floor while circling his hips, then reversing the direction while rising.
When the violins called to each other, he rose up on his toes and undulated from one side of the stage to the other. His eyes never left Aryn's, and his smile never wavered. For you, my firebird. All for the love of you.
Aryn was transfixed. The theater could have been burning down around her and she would have never noticed. Towards the end, he launched into maya hips while bringing his arms up slowly. His arms then snapped downwards, and his face raised up towards the lights in a proud pose.
Applause and ululations exploded from the audience. Eziban bowed proudly, then gestured for Solana to join him on stage. They bowed together, both smiling and heady with success.
Aryn was cheering and whooping while on her feet. "I'm going to have to learn how to make a mem-gem of this," she said to herself.
"Already got that covered," Techno cut in, smiling sneakily. "I recorded the whole thing and will make copies for everyone."
"Awesome," Aryn replied happily. Eziban bowed one more time and blew her kisses as the curtains finally fell.
As much mayhem and mischief as Eziban could cause, no one could deny that he was a man of honor when it was his turn to pay up on a bargain.
Aryn got herself settled into the front row of the Shrine's theater, holding a large tub of popcorn and a bottle of her favorite spiced oil. (She had been banned from making large batches of spicy popcorn in the popcorn maker last year after the oil had started a fire. Eziban had almost screamed at their rent bill for that month.)
Ambrienne settled in beside her, turning down Aryn's offer to share the popcorn with a faint grimace. "Do you have any idea of what we're in for?"
Aryn shrugged as she offered the popcorn behind her to a more appreciative Kalia. "All I know is that Ezi is wearing the costume that I ordered and Solana was helping him. Beyond that, I have no idea."
Ambrienne flipped her invitation card over to read the back. "Solana is dancing first, it seems. To-" She went a little pale.
"What?" Aryn asked anxiously as the mage held up the card for Aryn to read.
Opening act- Solana Kesai dances to 'Gypsy' from 'Lord of the Dance'
Main act- Eziban Caldera dances to 'Fiery Nights' from 'Lord of the Dance'
".....oh, crap...."
Solana picked up a bit more gold eyeshadow on her brush and gently applied it to Eziban's closed eyelid. She compared his eyes carefully before sitting back with a nod of satisfaction. "You're good to go."
Eziban grinned as he examined the result in a mirror. "Not too bad. I make a pretty fine lady," he commented as he fastened on the half veil that came with the Spell Fencer costume. He turned to Solana, a hint of worry in his eyes. "You're sure this is OK? It's not... disrespectful to your home?"
Solana shook her head with a smile. "Not at all. Dance is a language, and it depends on the artist's intention. You're doing this because you love your wife." She tilted her head curiously. "How did you think of this?"
Eziban chuckled nervously. "Spur of the moment thing to cheer Aryn up, honestly." He took another look in the mirror and adjusted his headpiece. He had started growing out his hair to put in tiny braids and had to admit that they worked for him. "But now, whenever anyone brings it up to embarrass us? She'll remember I did it because I love her. That will last longer than any flowers or even bottle of wine."
Solana's eyes softened. Aryn was a lucky woman, and she was so happy that her dear friends had found such happiness together.
Caesar stuck his head into the small dressing room. "You're on in five, Auntie Solana. Shalia has your music ready."
"Thanks, Caesar," Solana replied, getting to her feet and checking her own makeup in the mirror. Everything was fine, so she smiled and squeezed Eziban's shoulder. "Good luck."
"Thanks again for this. I owe you one," Eziban replied, picking up his prop. He sighed grimly to himself, but then remembered Aryn dancing in a cat costume for him. Nodding decisively, he went back to the wings to wait for his turn.
Caesar was also acting as announcer for the event. Aryn was surprised to see him dressed in a long black robe and his pink hair hidden by a smoky gray and purple turban.
"Good evening, fellow Shriners. Tonight we are proud to present the distance a man will go to prove his love for his wife," he began, then smirked. "Personally, I think there are much better ways to-"
"Caesar!" Solana shouted from backstage.
"-but this is what works for these two," Caesar finished smoothly. He winked back to the backstage, and Aryn swore she heard a bit of grumbling. "Without further ado, Auntie Solana is the first of our 'Ladies of the Dance'!"
Polite applause rang out as the lights dimmed in the audience and Caesar dashed off stage. The opening chimes of 'Gypsy' rang out through the theater.
Aryn was holding her breath and waiting on her popcorn, wondering what on Merna her friend had choreographed. When Solana's dancing form appeared on stage, she relaxed.
Solana was dressed in one of her only red costumes, a red halter top and full skirt with a black hip scarf and gold armlets. As usual when she did her Atlantean dances, she was barefoot.
Aryn remembered the Temptress' dance in the show being fast and with lots of jumps in between the Irish jigs. Solana made it her own, adding spins and even level changes during some of the slower parts. The faster parts boasted circling hips and arms and coiling undulations along with hip and arm shimmies.
"I didn't know Auntie Solana could dance like THAT!" Kalia hissed to Aryn.
Aryn grinned. "I think dancing is the only way Solana knows how to flirt."
Solana proved it with serpent's arms during a backbend, rising sensuously before going into a four count turn. She even borrowed the original ending to the dance, dropping down to hands and knees and winking at Aryn. Applause rang out, and for some reason Maria was calling, "I knew it! I knew it! No one believes me but I knew it!"
Odd.
Caesar came back on as Solana skipped off of the stage, blowing kisses as she went. "Who saw that coming? And now for our main event, for Auntie Aryn's pleasure and everyone else's hilarity, it's time for 'Fiery Nights'! Hit it, Shalia!"
The slow, sultry notes of a saxophone filled the theater as Eziban made his entrance. While Aryn had promised not to laugh, no one else had.
Eziban wore a gold circlet on his short black braids with a sheer red half-veil covering the lower half of his face. A red and gold bra top obviously stuffed with something was over a matching sheer red skirt and leggings. Gold flashed on his wrists, his ankles, and the black and red hip scarf around his waist. He came in with a veil held high and draped elegantly around his form as he slowly undulated towards the center of the stage.
Aryn found herself leaning forward, captivated by her Ezi's movements and the grin he flashed her under his veil. Her cheeks flushed in response.
Eziban had obviously practiced hard. Graceful, sensual flicks and spins sent the red veil floating around his form. Othertimes it was held in place, framing his hips twining in a figure 8 pattern.
When the music picked up on a powerful sax solo, he let his veil go and really cut loose. Powerful hip bumps. Sinking almost to the floor while circling his hips, then reversing the direction while rising.
When the violins called to each other, he rose up on his toes and undulated from one side of the stage to the other. His eyes never left Aryn's, and his smile never wavered. For you, my firebird. All for the love of you.
Aryn was transfixed. The theater could have been burning down around her and she would have never noticed. Towards the end, he launched into maya hips while bringing his arms up slowly. His arms then snapped downwards, and his face raised up towards the lights in a proud pose.
Applause and ululations exploded from the audience. Eziban bowed proudly, then gestured for Solana to join him on stage. They bowed together, both smiling and heady with success.
Aryn was cheering and whooping while on her feet. "I'm going to have to learn how to make a mem-gem of this," she said to herself.
"Already got that covered," Techno cut in, smiling sneakily. "I recorded the whole thing and will make copies for everyone."
"Awesome," Aryn replied happily. Eziban bowed one more time and blew her kisses as the curtains finally fell.