Chapter Text
"It is a universal law that things begin and end. With subjectivity thrown into this paradigm, the only thing we should be concerned about are what our senses can grasp, namely, the moment where we choose to begin and the moment where "it" ends"
-J.E.P.S
May 8th, 6:23 AM.
Morning, overcast. The day was remarkably, but not unexpectedly gloomy on this part of the archipelago Nefer was fighting so hard to call her home with today’s job.
Her day had begun with a light drizzle flooding her tent, then, little by little, the events of that morning began stripping her of all patience.
It started small, as most tragedies do. Her supplies got lost, so no breakfast. The intel of the stronghold where the gang she was tracking were hiding was also a scam, exposing her even more to peril. She fought across the entire island, questioning everyone she could anywhere she went, razing every den and retreat across the plains and shorelines.
As the day progressed, she felt the rain and its incessant descent on her, on everything the sun couldn’t reach. Nefer was beaten down, hungry, wounded and a victim of the elements. Yet again.
Hope, however, was reignited when her posture faltered, bringing her gaze to the ground, where the mud had given her the best gift she could’ve asked for today.
Footprints. Fresh and unmistakably theirs. The road was otherwise abandoned, so there was no chance anyone but the men she was tracking were the ones responsible for the trail that led her to the den of thieves and crooks that was Nasha Town.
Looking at them, at her cuts and bruises, then at her calloused hands, she proceeded to keep pace despite the pain and the weariness. Only one thought filled her mind, pushing her forward.
It is not anything I have not endured before.
The rest of the day was a sojourn by foot, all across the remaining stretch of land she had yet to cover. Somewhere along the way, she had adapted the ways of the vultures she was hunting; scavenging and taking the things that once belonged to the people she fought in those stray skirmishes near the town. Medicine, clothing, food, gear for the night, anything that could give her another moment alive came to rest in her bag.
And, perhaps some odds and ends that caught her eye too.
Even if her space was limited, she just couldn’t help but take those things. An exquisite green cloak with golden and turquoise frills, a large case with makeup and some jewelry that perhaps was going to end at the hands of some noble up north, and some books, unmarked and empty inside.
Later, she set up camp at a safer area near the coast, stashing everything she picked up into a cave just behind her.
Nefer spent the remaining time of sunlight tending to some of the more prominent wounds, preparing her food and fending off the cold the night was bringing, all the more biting with the sea and the winds that came ashore right through her.
In this juggling, between every constraint that floated around like cold seafoam, she found herself bouncing from peril to peril, satiated with this harshness. A mess of her own, a fight she picked, rather than one she was born into. She clutched her scimitar and felt at ease knowing it was her hand that moved it forward and not the circumstances of her birth.
Or so she told herself. Both this bizarre sense of autonomy and the familiarity of these negative sensations came to coexist in her chest. In the end, she was still choosing to fight due to circumstance. She was still marching forward, strife by strife, intending to get blood in her hands to be able to live.
Even if her intentions were different this time, how different were they truly?
The topic of fate came to her mind as she clutched her vision, holding it against the bonfire, its flame stubbornly sputtering against the wind.
How much of this was her choice, and how much was just the same hand that placed her in that wretched manger, wanting to see her go further in her campaign against fate once again?
The flames failed to gain purchase as Nefer tossed more birchwood at it, reaching for her scimitar and holding it in her right hand, dangling the blade’s end near the fire.
If things at the Akademiya worked out, she wouldn’t be here, hungry, beaten and cold.
She threw them both aside with fury, denting the ground around her as her heartbeat quickened out of control, each exhale from those strained chambers spewing a dense mist that ran feebly out of form when faced with the fire.
If she had just been brave and tried to run from that cellar when she was a child, maybe the gods would have acknowledged her courage and blessed her with a painless death rather than a life of misery and deceit.
If she could not think, not dream, not… feel, if she could just be strong enough to bury the hatchet and find a place to die without caring for a world that never cared for her, maybe she could finally be-
BANG- BANG-BANG
Nefer put out the fire and slithered into the dark, fearing that she had been found.
Her piercing eyes reached outwards from the cave she was hiding in, noticing faint lights in the sky and the moon illuminating the neighboring island.
From there, from beyond the reef, a landmass she hadn’t even noticed due to the mist and dark clouds that loomed above her revealed itself. There, faint trails of light trailed towards the heavens above, accompanied by a buzzing sound that preceded a loud explosion, leaving behind colored patterns that were entirely unfamiliar to her.
Believing them to be a warning or weapon of sorts, Nefer spent a while longer cooped up in her little cave, the thought of these lights being nothing of the sort never crossing her mind once.
And yet, she could not help but look at them. In her current situation, she was the perfect captive audience for the show that was starting in front of her. A front row for a stage that was still miles away.
It was still enough to keep her attention.
Slowly, she withdrew her cautiousness outwards, emboldened by the indulgence that carrying around that case of jewelry from earlier meant to her. There, she began to eat her dinner as the lights in the sky were accompanied by the full moon, reaching its apex little by little.
Then, the animals came around. From the mightiest illuminated beasts to the lowest of vermin, they all moved in that direction, towards the moon. Birds flew around the patterns in the sky, unflinching to the blasts that began to relent with their arrival.
With the animals, Nefer moved towards it too. for the first time since she was a child, a feeling of pure bliss, not coated by ignorance gently swayed her body in the direction of the sea.
It was as if the light of the moon dispelled all the darkness, compelling her to step away from the black as long as she held her gaze towards it.
Cold burrowed into both her ankles. She, somehow, stepped into the sea without noticing. In any other case, Nefer’s instincts would have told her she was bewitched and coerced into nearly drowning herself. But the moon looked so pure and brilliant to her from here, she could not believe it from the bottom of her heart.
The water made her feet feel at ease. Like the exhaustion of walking across all of Lempo isle was fading with each wave that crashed into her shins.
Before long, she was bare, bathing in the moonlight while the water undid the knots in her back, diluting the strain little by little.
She returned ashore when the clouds obscured everything again.
Mind clear, body and spirit mended for now, all thanks to the moon above.
May 8th, 9:00 PM.
Of course, to contrast the spectacle of earlier, the decadent view of nasha town began to fade into view. Grey husks of metal stacked on top of each other, covered in neon signs and searchlights on top of some of the taller structures, the ones that seemed to be built with intent rather than being refurbishments of scrap piled over one another.
Those searchlights were for tonight, aimed at the dark sky, swirling around in unison, as if trying to capture the attention of every living thing nearby.
Nefer slowly approached the town, making sure to not wander into any of the main roads and keeping the element of surprise to herself, believing her opposition had completely relinquished it.
This hypothesis grew firmer in her mind as she got to the inner buildings, where music could be heard from the heart of the town.
Moving between balconies and rooftops, using what little vegetation she could summon with her vision to support herself she stood at the top of one the taller residential buildings, and there she saw it.
How maladjusted and socially stunted was she, so that she couldn’t recognize that a simple block party was taking place?
Nefer crossed her arms and rubbed her fingers against her eyelids, her head shook from side to side trying to figure out how to approach this situation. She wouldn’t be recognized, but distinguishing anyone apart from the crowd would also be impossible with the amount of attendants that grew by the minute. Her info couldn’t be wrong though, Nasha Town, more specifically the building in the middle where everyone was congregating was the gang’s operation hub.
They must be in there.
And with that, she threw herself off the rooftop, using gathered foliage strengthened by her vision to swing into the city, reaching its heart without risking being spotted on the ground.
After a couple of close-calls with the searchlights that aimed upwards, Nefer finally gathered her bearings and got ready for the party. She donned her new cloak and brushed her hair as best as she could while she dodged beggars and dregs, growing keen to their advances by the second.
Over a blacked out window, she used her blade as a ruler for her eyeliner, surprising herself with her own dexterity when all the details came to frame her features on the first attempt.
Before the now shattered glass, a sharp and lethal get-up emerged from the dark. Nefer looked, and felt stunning. It was all she envisioned for her future since she was a child, before life forced her to suppress any desires but the one to live another day.
Luxurious things, all over her. Jewels and accessories that didn’t force her to relinquish any sense of style and self-expression. Golden bracelets, two pairs of earrings and a headpiece for her hair. All topped off with that green cloak and a scimitar concealed on her hip.
Party on the surface, work underneath. She whispered to herself as she weaved around the outer rings of people.
As she delved deeper into the center, the vibe seemed to go from lively to lavish. There were less people overall, but all of the surrounding patrons seemed more well off than the group further behind.
She swerved out of everyone’s way, moving with a drive that felt out of place for most of the high-class people around her.
This can’t be just a block party, can it?
Just as she realized what this was, Nefer was detained by a towering man wearing a tuxedo that clearly wasn’t his. It just clung wrong all around him.
“Hey you! Stop right there.”
Nefer, stunned, stopped for a second, her eyes flickering to the side and taking in the full scene happening behind him.
The actual party. A cordoned section of the city where most of the fancier installments were in full display. A sign that read "We reserve the right to refuse admission", and a long queue further to the left, where a more well put together guard was letting certain people in.
Her gaze returned to the man, whose badge spelled out the name “Gaudenty”
“Is there a problem, mister… Gaudenty?” Nefer cocked her hip to the side, trying to charm him to the best of her abilities.
He looked down on her before repeating the words on the sign with conviction.
“So, can’t you make an exception for a prestigious lady like me~?
Gaudenty replied with a rant, his rehearsed impassiveness showing itself to be just that, a rehearsal.
“Prestigious!? Yes, this is a party for prestigious people! You’re not one of those! Take a look by yourself! Neither of us could hope to be there with everyone else!”
As Gaudenty began to wallow in his own self pity, trying to drag down Nefer with him, she looked at the guests and saw how flimsy that “prestige” truly was.
Granted, there were some recognizable faces like Starshyna Sigurd who was uncharacteristically tranquil in the crowd, having his elbow held by his partner, Lightkeeper Chicherin as they both drank together in the middle of the place.
But at the same time, there were several students from the Snezhnayan Military Academia who must’ve snuck all the way from the north just to be here. People who were known by no one here, who did nothing for anyone beyond the cordoned area and whose entire reputation hung on names and emblems that meant nothing to any common person nearby.
Slowly, Gaudenty recovered his composure and began to question Nefer.
“Hey… Aren’t you a little too young to try and be here? And that cloak… That’s not yours, isn’t it!?”
Nefer made a break for it when he tried checking the frills. She immediately lost him in the crowd, later using her scimitar to cut an inscription on the inner side of the cloak, one that had its first owner’s information and name.
“How do I get in now?” Her eyes began to move side to side, trying to distract themselves from the sudden halt in her progress, genuine concern slipping off her temple in beads.
In any other moment, she would’ve given up here. But some deep hunger within pushed her forward. Or further down.
She returned to solid ground, snooping around any possible weak spots in the formation of guards.
Nothing.
An inscription Nefer once read appeared in her mind, “the only way out is through”.
A mantra meant to invoke perseverance and relentlessness in the face of adversity, one she found in the depths of an ancient ruin in the desert.
But the desire to survive alone wasn’t going to cut it here.
Every person whose fate brought them to Nod-Krai arrived with lofty dreams of riches and fame, not just a desire to run or build a home like her. Here, ambition was the determining factor in the game she was playing.
Shooting for the ceilings one last time, Nefer went as high as she possibly could. Against the cold, thin air, against the risk of being spotted or falling off the ledges, she kept climbing, reaching ever higher with each uneven breath she drew from around.
Until she reached the top.
The sight of the entire island was reflected in her pupils. A masterpiece of broad blue and pink strokes shining across her. A Blemished heap of iron thoroughly tainted by sin, but beautiful nonetheless. The warmth of the people below and the cold indifference of the moon above, giving form to the elysium that appeared in everyone’s minds when Nod-Krai was mentioned.
The animals nesting and running across the greenery, and the cohabitance of mundane stories in a fantastical world like this.
It opened Nefer’s eyes. Like a patina of blood and grief had been lifted off of them. She felt thoroughly sure of her actions, not moved by the hurt of what she put behind, but by the unrelenting desire to seize what was ahead of her. This land was an inconceivable jewel, stranded amidst a place that no poet, no storyteller or bard could ever imagine, let alone see any value in it.
No one but her. She would cast her hand above it, and make it hers. Tonight.
And with one loose motion, she willingly relented balance and slipped off.
With that, a contrail of tears and ecstatic laughter was imprinted on the very air around the building. Her entire body took in the pull of gravity, the cold air whistling against her ears and how she was, just as she once dreamed, cutting through every constraint before, or this time, below her.
It was all so clear. Her goal, from now on, would be to preserve these shadeful sights, the same ones that had shown her the truth seconds ago.
In seconds that felt like a whole night, she composed herself enough to halt her fall, grinding her feet against the brittle concrete that made up the building’s right side, digging onto it with roots summoned by her vision.
Slowly, she slid down the remaining floors, leaving a wide gash to the side of the building.
From there, things didn't get easier, but she was too caught up in the moment to get discouraged like before. The back of the cordoned area had no security. Still, everyone would see her if she just crossed given how out in the open it was.
She waited. Present in the moment, cradled by the darkness and the comfort of seeing without being seen.
Minutes later, a group of students passed right around that area. It was big enough so that she could at least hide behind them until she was inside.
And there she was. The floor tiles changed colors with the music, throbbing along a rhythm she had never heard before, yet wasn't entirely unwelcome in her body.
Slowly, Nefer began to weave her own movement into the music, breathing life into the otherwise stale crowd with each step.
It was first a simple bounce of her stepping, at first. Then a slow bobbing of her head. In seconds, however, her hips began to move with grace and confidence, like a language no one there but her could speak as fluently.
Movement was something Nefer was well versed in. She had to run and fight from a young age, having all manners of “instructors” during her time in the desert.
However, dancing was a skill she built for herself and prided herself in, derived from the jinni of legend.
In contrast to the culture of other nations, dancing was also a part of combat. It was one of the few pieces of her homeland she chose to carry into the future. This process of learning everything related to staying on the move culminated into a fluidity that made her near untouchable at any given moment, enhanced by the acquisition of her vision half a year before.
Her body halted with a screech when the music changed. It was a slow waltz, probably of Fontainian origin to feign distinction and a cultural highstanding coming from the hosts.
The slow tempo and loose notes came off as aggressively idyllic for her liking, filling the space with an unearned stillness that clashed against the strobing floor and the now emptying bar.
This sentiment was echoed by some of the people outside the velvet string, now barely dragging their feet to the cellos that gave shape to the melody.
To make matters worse, Nefer couldn’t identify her targets. Her invigorated confidence kept telling her she would know who they were when she saw them, but her mind discouraged her at every step, that paired with the adrenaline leaving her body, came to still her footsteps, walking by pure inertia once again. There, a faltering step was all she could muster, born from apprehension that she could do nothing but be patient at the moment.
The red line that delimited the area came into view as her gaze was put off in the now distant crowd. It was a fitting allegory for the Nod-Krai that was. Segregated and controlled by a few faceless fiends.
Like a gentle breeze, an otherwise impossible-to-reach flicker of moonlight ran across her gaze, pulling Nefer out of her rumination.
Someone settled at the bar, chatting with the bartender before being brushed off by her. This made the sitting woman’s posture falter, holding her head with her elbow, a bored and slightly pained expression cracking through the otherwise elegant and alluring vibe this woman radiated.
Nefer walked slowly, taking in the appearance of this unfamiliar face. Despite the elegant clothing that she ported, it didn’t resemble the usual flare and lavishness of nobility. She looked important by showing with her looks she was, not by trying to make a statement with them.
She settled beside her, still staring, still studying her features with interest.
“Excuse me, could you get me two drinks? One for the lady over here.” Nefer said to the bartender who gave her a simple nod, not before throwing a glare at the “lady over there”.
“Gods, what did you do to her?”
The woman fully turned her head, her eyes tired and looking like she had been slapped around all night. “I’ve no clue. I just asked her for a drink just like you.”
“That doesn’t seem right. But I wouldn’t make a scene if I were you. She still has to serve you, right?” That got a small, repressed giggle out of her.
“So, what’s your name?”. Nefer asked, eager to put a name to the face she was holding with her eyes.
“Lauma.” She replied to Nefer’s question, finally finding her eyes in their contact. This brief moment of acknowledgement startled them both, standing silent for a second before exchanging a polite laugh.
“That’s a name I've never heard. Are you also not from around?” Nefer’s arm came to rest at the bar, leaning into the wood and outstretching her arm from beyond the concealment of her cloak, revealing her tan and tone to Lauma.
“I’m as ‘from around’ as one can get in Nod-Krai.” Lauma answered while looking up at her antlers, both offering an explanation and avoiding a physical reaction to Nefer’s forearm peeking through the cloth.
Nefer looked up and couldn’t help but be entranced for a second by the articles. Two antlers, with golden designs at the base and a cold but soft lilac color to them.
They were as beautiful as the moon she saw hours ago. From then, all the dots in her mind were connected, the conclusion taking her out of her daydream as quick as Lauma’s horns pulled her into it.
“Are you one of those… Frostmoon Scions I heard about when I got here?”
“You say it like it’s a mystery to be solved. But yes, I am a member of the Frostmoon Scions.” She couldn’t help it. Some bits of exasperation escaped her lips in that last statement
Nefer picked up the tone, and steered the conversation away from this blunder. “Really? And what leads one of you so far from their home?”
“I…”-Lauma hesitated, wondering if it was truly worth it to speak so plainly with this stranger-” I became of age a couple of months ago, but we held the celebration today.”
Nefer looked at her and listened intently, apprehension towards her own day passing through her mind-”I asked my parents to allow me to visit Nasha Town as my gift, and they agreed. Not after months of persuasion, of course.” Lauma chuckled and twisted around a strand of her hair, letting out a heavy but satisfied sigh afterwards.
“T-That’s an interesting story... I remember seeing explosions at Hiisi Island earlier. Was that them?”
Lauma, on her end, grew smaller by this simple inquiry, her heel scratching her ankle beneath the chair. She didn’t want to just reveal the true extent of the ceremony, let alone her status in her own community.
Two glasses settled to their side. Drinks are here.
“Great, she was already taking some time.”
“By the way, I never told you my name.” She sipped from the cup, then held it in her fingertips with her palm above, looking straight into Lauma’s meek expression.
“I’m Nefer.” She stretched her hand out to her, fully revealing her defined, tanned arm to Lauma, who stilled a gasp at the sight.
Lauma slowly wrapped her hand around Nefer’s, greeting her with a stiff up and down.
“Ok… It’s a pleasure to meet you, regardless.” Nefer gave out a chuckle with her lips sealed, impassive to all weirdness on the outside, but making note of every shift in their wind.
“I’d say that’s not a familiar name either. But there’s people from all nations in Nod-krai already, so I’d rather not make any assumptions.”
Nefer was pushed out of her element. This woman made an accurate assessment of her origins while remaining curt and polite at it.
“Yeah, I suppose. No point in hiding it, then. I’m from sumeru, but I came here recently to look for… A more prosperous venture, so to speak.”
Lauma’s interest was piqued when she registered those words. The most outsider someone could be for her was right in front.
“From sumeru? That sounds beautiful,”-Excitement was transparent and sincere in her voice. In no time, she began to accost Nefer with one question after the other-”I’ve heard the rainforest is huge- So full of life, of animals and plants wherever you look! Is that true? I mean it must be-”
Nefer leaned away from the bar and stood there, glaring at the other woman with that cold, tired gaze of hers.
“Sorry, but I’m from the desert. That place doesn’t appear as often in the books the Akademiya exports, so I understand your assumption.” Her tone was sharp, almost vindictive.
Soon, silence wedged itself between them. Not the slow music or the decaying chatter being able to ease the tension back. They stood like that for just one discordant beat, enough to feel the buzzing sizzle in Nefer’s… well, everything.
“Hahahahahaha! You looked like you killed someone!”
Nefer laughed. Unguarded and sincere. No smirks, no ill-willed gestures. A hearty, almost mocking laugh that shattered the stillness from moments before.
“So much for not making any assumptions.”
Lauma looked back at her in relief, her ears and shoulders burning, their warmth dispelling the tension away from her.
“S-sorry. I got carried away. It’s just that I've never met someone from so far away.” Lauma spoke, still with hints of nervousness but ultimately at ease once more.
“Well, If my reading of the situation is accurate, I must be quite the shock to you.” Nefer replied back, stilling her timbre with her drink.
“Look, I’m from the desert, so there’s not much ‘life’ in there. Quite the opposite.”
“And… I don’t like to talk about my past either. Just admitting I’m from sumeru is tiring enough, so how about this?”
Lauma looked at her, still trying to make sense of everything Nefer was saying, and everything she was omitting with her words.
“I’ll answer one question, and you’ll tell me what brought you here tonight. Within reason, of course. I’d hate to be too nosy for my own good.” Nefer trailed off, swirling her glass and what was left of her drink.
“...Deal.”
Nefer smirked again, letting her frown dissipate.”Well, what do you want to know?”
The question lingered in the air, like a threat that wouldn’t even be real until she opened her mouth, leaving her unable to retract herself if she made the wrong call.
“How’s… the rainforest? Have you ever seen it?” Lauma hesitated, tethering between a stutter and a squeal.
“I’ve seen it.”-Nefer spoke, detached from her own words-”Lived in the rainforest for a while. It’s objectively beautiful, filled with life as you mentioned. There’s plenty of opportunities there, but peril is everywhere if you look closely.”
“Still, not my kind of environment…And things didn’t really work out there for me.”
Lauma remained silent, burying the disappointment deep beneath her skin. An outlander who didn’t want to talk about the experience of being one.
And yet, that final statement shed some light on Nefer’s own motives. Just enough to still her curiosity for the time being.
“Well, there’s my answer. Sorry if it’s not what you expected.”
“Still, I’d like to hear your side of the story.”
“Y-yes. Just… let me find it. It’s not easy for me either.” Lauma gulped her drink, immediately regretting it when the liquor seared her throat on the way down
“H-hey-, take it easy!” Nefer immediately reached out to support Lauma, fingers brushing against her nape.
“W-Who do you think you are to drink like that?”
Slowly, Lauma stood again, looking at her with something akin to gratitude. “...I think I found it…” She said weakly, barely containing a cough.
“Hope you don’t find more of anything at the bottom of a glass, for your own good.”
“Alright. I’m… the Moonchanter of the Frostmoon Scions.” Lauma’s eyes returned to normal, reflecting a conditioned conviction when it pertained to her role.
“Sounds… Important.”
“It is. I’m the new leader of my flock, effective immediate when the moon reaches its apex tonight.”
Nefer kept to herself, tying every bit of information together despite her not knowing what a Moonchanter was or what she did exactly-”So, was this a recent development?”
“Yes. The ceremony was held today. Those fireworks were part of the celebration.”
Everything began to make more sense and become more complex as this explanation settled in Nefer’s mind. Still, she did her best to not make any premature assumptions until Lauma finished. Nefer was stunned, to say the least. It didn’t fully down on her until now just who she was speaking with.
“I see.” It was all she could muster as a reply.
Silence settled in the air again. Heavy and blunt unlike before.
Still, Nefer held her ground and reached out, brushing aside any conjectures or escape routes her mind was dangling in front of her eyes.
After all, there was something far more precious just next to her.
“So, what do you want to do?”
Those words were enough to lift the weight off of Lauma’s shoulders. Enough of an acknowledgment of her own feelings she wasn’t even sure she needed.
“I… I’d like to dance. Just tonight will be enough.”
Nefer blinked, then stood up from her chair, offering her arm to the sitting woman.
“I suppose I can indulge you again.”
Lauma coiled hers around Nefer’s, feeling the vibrations of her entire body even as she feinted calm.
Slowly, they detached themselves from the bar, together. Their heartbeats synchronizing in their frantic, excited rhythm.
Hand in hand, they did their best to dance to the classical music, guiding each other through the friction of their own inexperience
“Do you not know how to dance?” Lauma pointed out.
“Not this kind of music, specifically.”
“Neither do I…”
“What?!”
“I told you I don’t go out often-Ow!”
“Sorry.”
The next minutes took them both all around the dance floor, catching the eye of nearly every guest present.
In due time, they carved comfort within this forced slowness, finding themselves time and time again through each mis-timed move, every stepping in each other’s feet and each laugh that followed after every mistake they made, sighing with relief when those blunders were answered with patience and the kind of looseness that came from accepting who they were at this very moment, regardless of any labels, judgemental looks, troubled presents or uncertain futures.
“I want to try something.”
Lauma looked at Nefer, landing her gaze straight to her eye. From there, her voice transmitted more of a demand and less of a plea.
Nefer had no time to feel the heat rush to her ears by herself before Lauma melted into her body, revealing just how deceptively firm her grip was when she held Nefer’s hands in hers.
“Let’s do a spin. I know you can do it.” Lauma looked up at her, jaw perched in the curve of Nefer’s shoulder.
“H-How am I supposed to-Whoa!”
In a swift motion, Nefer’s own arm was wrapped around herself, guided by Lauma’s imperious pull. Her back lied not-so flat against her chest, riding the excitement of being held out of view as it slid up and down her chest, just past her diaphragm then rebounding to her throat, tangling itself with her vocal chords
And just as quickly, the hand that drew her in pulled back, guiding her spin fully out of the little pocket they had just shared.
From there, the half second they spent with their arms stretched out into the other’s palm, the sight of their entire bodies, standing tall and connected by their hands and the defiance that made them get close to each other and away from their presents would endure in both their hearts for the rest of their lives, even if this proved to be nothing but a chance encounter, they both knew they made history for themselves today.
A beat passed. The same pull from before drew Nefer back into Lauma. This time, however, she put one foot before the other, turning to wrap herself around Lauma once again, letting her arms envelop her torso, reaching to her hand just a heartbeat too late to make the perfect maneuver.
“Hahahahaha-! I-I didn’t think you had it in you!” Nefer looked up at her, still reeling, now leaning fully into Lauma’s shoulder, her gaze darting through each and every one of her features
Lauma looked down left through the bridge of her nose, an unguarded and brilliant smile raising her cheeks like curtains revealing the full moon through a window, baring her pearly whites through the sill of her lower lip.
“That’s not even what I wanted to try yet!”
“What!?”
“I wanted to spin too! I just guided you through it”
Nefer looked down in embarrassment for half a second. Then, her fierce eyes climbed back up to Lauma’s, challenge rousing through them.
Immediately, she flipped through Lauma’s arms, pressing her chest against her back this time around.
With a little less grace than her partner, she let go of her hand, executing the maneuver despite the sudden jerk she had to bring, blinded by her desire to thrive in the moment.
Lauma took it all in, feeling the world revolve around her. It was as if the wind was getting everything off of her entire body. Nothing but Nefer’s hand and her own inertia existed at the moment, not eve-
A loud crash drew onlookers further into the scene, their faces changing from amusement to fear as the aftershocks of the loud clattering of pale glasses fell through the air.
Lauma, on the ground, held her head in pain, feeling a bump forming just by the back of her skull.
Just before she opened her eyes, a feeling deep within her gut clawed up all the way to her nape, as a warning that there was something dangerous outside of her own head, in the visible world.
A pair of legs stood uncomfortably close to her, pinning the skirt of her dress to the ground with its foot.
And above her, two eyes plunged into her brow like blades, their scleras reddened to the sides outlining a mad rage that was set upon her like a wild animal who saw no point in hiding anymore, having its prey just where it wanted it to be.