I included more cultural aspects into the party. Parties consisting of boozing alone are drab... So, I spiced it up. Therefore, I would recommend you listen to some of the tracks (even if you only do a blitz sampling of them) on the following album to give you an idea of how I envision Tufani's music and it'll bring more context to the rest of the chapter.
Nyx's quarterstaff joined her morning meditations. She was practicing active meditation by channelling her Ki. She went through the training drills, matching the rhythm of her breathing to the movements. The staff whooshed through the air, runes glowing silver. She was aligning her energies to the surrounding flow of the environment, grounding her magic. She was building up a sweat at the effort, since the ritual provided her time to sort out her thoughts and emotions. Both of which have been upturned by recent events.
Several thoughts and emotions have taken up residence in her being like nesting mice. Frustrating spindles that the more she tries to untangle the more they knot together, both her in mind and her heart. She needed to ask herself some serious questions.
Questions regarding a certain pale elf.
Where do I see this going?
I am unable to give to others the traditional route when it comes to both romance and relationships. My nature renders most of it absurd or outright impossible.
Yet, neither of us are the quote-end-quote conventional type of people, which is likely part of the attraction.
She chewed her lip. It was so much simpler to just discard it entirely.
But now, her developing friendship with Astarion had become something else alarmingly quickly. The box has been opened and she doesn't know whether she can get the lid back on after stuffing those parts of herself back in there.
Would I even want to? What would happen if I didn't? Would it be worth it?
Ridiculous!
Honestly, Nyx? Am I seriously considering this? It is dangerous to say the least...
Well, I’m probably more dangerous, all things being equal.
It's not like I can claim any sort of high ground here. I have inadvertently and knowingly killed people, whether for my own survival or to protect others. That doesn't make it any less than what it is: murder…
However, I do not feed into it. That is a path I refuse to walk. It will literally end in disaster. For everyone. I will not become the thing she made me to be.
The memory of whispered voices touched her mind briefly, I will find you again. I always do.
She shook her head.
I am not a plaything. People are not playthings.
She finished the ritual and straightened. She sighed and rubbed her face while leaning on her staff. Then resigned herself to the fact that she wasn't going to sort all of this out.
Perhaps it is best to let it run its course a bit before overthinking it too much.
Go with the flow a little more, Nyx.
Not that any of it had untangled the nesting mice. She did manage to stabilize her emotions and their muddied waters stilled, allowing her mind to settle - the rest of her soon follows.
---
Per usual, Nyx was waiting for the others to join. Heading out took a little longer seeing as camp had to be pulled up completely. The waiting made invasive thoughts about Astarion drift upwards.
Abyss take him, Nyx set her mouth in a line.
She wilfully shifted her thoughts to the music of Tufani, whistling the higher notes and humming the lower ones. She was going through the dance steps in her mind, tapping along with her foot.
She heard someone sidle next to her. Expecting Karlach, but found Tav with her head tilted towards Nyx, listening to the tune.
Nyx finished and Tav remarked, "Fast tempo, good variation in rhythm.", she scrunched her nose, "Sounds more suited to percussion instruments, I can hear it going well with a lot of drums. From Tufani?"
Nyx nodded amused, "Impressive. Some flutes and strings accompany it too, but more to set the mood rather than drive the music. Makes for better dancing too."
Tav's eyes gleamed with mischievous interest, "I, for one, can't wait to see you all dance at tonight's party. Karlach and Wyll told me about your standing arrangement. I might even feel inspired to join.... Though, I am surprised by you."
Nyx gave her a raised eyebrow, "How so?"
"Didn't have you pegged as a dancer.", Tav admitted and added quickly, "No offense".
Nyx barked a laugh and confessed, "I enjoy dancing very much. Please don't ask me to start singing, or playing music. It will induce brain damage."
Tav chuckled, "The little of what I heard just now didn't make my ears bleed. You clearly have an ear for rhythm. Tonight is going to be fun."
Oh no, Nyx immediately became suspicious when that phrase gets thrown around in this group. She grinned at Tav, and replied with amusement in her voice, "That remains to be seen."
Tav narrowed her eyes at Nyx, returning the grin.
Karlach's voice came from behind, "What are we looking at?"
Nyx snorted and Tav laughed.
Tav provided when Karlach and Shadowheart stood between them, "Nyx's reservations at having fun at the party tonight."
Karlach frowned at Nyx, "We're not even there yet, and already you're being a party-pooper."
Nyx gasped with feigned offense, "I didn't do anything! I'm just minding my own business."
Shadowheart countered with a smirk, "That being part of the problem."
Nyx scoffed giving her a side eye.
Karlach said in a serious tone pointing at Nyx, "You're still going to dance, yeah? I'll come find you and drag you out from wherever you’re hiding if I have to."
Shadowheart quipped, "Now that, I'd pay to see."
Wow! I'm feeling ganged up on here.
Nyx snorted and pretended to relent with an incline of her head, "Very well. I'll be sure to meet you on the dance floor."
Karlach nodded with determined satisfaction.
Nyx ventured, "You ready for your engine cool down?".
Karlach's smile became manic, "Fuck yes. And maybe, just maybe, I'll be able to touch things afterwards without worrying about setting it on fire. Including Scratch."
A happy bark sounded at the mention of his name, and he appeared out of nowhere.
Karlach looked down at him, "Yeah, boy. Then you and I can play some proper fetch! Whaddaya say to that?"
Another bark and lolling tongue. Smiles replied.
---
The druids had repossessed supplies and equipment from the goblin camp, including plenty of unspiked alcohol. Nyx had to keep herself from gawking at the number of barrels being rolled into camp during the late afternoon.
It looks like they're ready to host a small visiting nation, Nyx mused and shook her head with a smile. Some things remain the same no matter who or where the people are.
Nyx made herself scarce when people arrived in droves. Music started playing and the camp was filled with the laugher and excited voices.
She emerged from her tent sometime later, greeting smiling faces while she walked towards the campfire. Some quizzical expressions were directed at her attire. She had clothed herself in the traditional colours of Tufani entertainers. It wasn't the bright garishly coloured garb that so many bards in Faerûn wore. The outlandish patterns on her clothes had various shades of gemstones; dark rich greens, blues, purples, and reds rimmed with silver. Around her hips was a muted yellow belt adorned with small beads that caught the light. She wore an off-the-shoulder top with short sleeves, her matching skirt sat snugly around her hips and draped to her ankles. She had simple shoes sporting a supple sole that made it look like her feet were bare. Around her ankles were plain bracelets she only wore for dancing.
She made her way to the heart of the party and surveyed the faces. Mostly tieflings and some druids. She picked out Karlach and Tav closer to the fire between the sea of moving people. Nyx started to make her way towards them, but the motion of the crowd made her loose them. Instead, a familiar voice spoke.
"Hello, beautiful, did you have good dreams last night?"
Nyx rolled her eyes and turned to him smiling, "Astarion. Are you asking about something, or someone in particular?"
"Hmm. Well, my dear. It seems like we'll both be in a state of mortal peril if we keep on dreaming instead of doing."
She crossed her arms and regarded his scheming expression for a moment with an amused narrow gaze.
He smirked slyly and lilted, "I did so enjoy our little adventure last night and I was hoping for a bit more fun tonight."
"Is the party not fun enough for your liking? You could always join us for dancing."
He raised an eyebrow at her and roved his eyes down her body. He lilted with a pointed finger around his wine bottle, "I see. Is this also why you're so decidedly dry, my dear?"
She waited for him to take a sip of his wine before replying, stating plainly, "I don't drink."
He almost chocked. He frowned, huffed, and gestured dramatically, wine sloshing in the bottle, "Gods, you are allergic to fun! Why not?"
She chuckled and answered, "It interferes with my magic and all that. Besides, why are you drinking alcohol anyway?"
"Because I can and I like it.", he lulled at her with a little more attitude than usual.
She shrugged and turned away, then offered looking at him askance over her shoulder, "I'm going to find the others, would you like to join?"
"No, darling. I will find you later.", he said with a wicked grin, his eyes tracing her bare shoulders. She left with a smouldering look of her own.
---
Karlach was gaping at her. Nyx gestured with upturned hands, "So, here I am as agreed. You ready to dance? Where is Wyll?"
Karlach searched the crowd too, "Tav saw him sneak out and went to go fetch him.", she turned back to Nyx, "You really look the part. What's that?"
Nyx looked down at Karlach's motion. Strapped to Nyx's belt were two set of wooden shell-shaped percussion instruments.
"Oh", she said gathering them up to show Karlach, "These are concavellas. You strike the hollow parts against each other, one in each hand, like so", she laced her fingers into the twine keeping them together, "And they help you create rhythm while dancing." Nyx made a few pops and pats to illustrate the concept.
Karlach's eyebrows rose into her hairline, "Woah, now this I'll have to see in action first."
Nyx gave her a dubious look, "I thought we were all dancing together."
"This was before you brought your, thing-a-ma-jigs. Also, Wyll and Tav aren't here yet.", Karlach grinned widely while Nyx listened to her weak excuses.
Nyx sighed defeated, raising a finger, "Fine. I'll do one dance, but then you're going to join me afterwards." She narrowed her eyes at a now shit-eating-grin-faced Karlach.
Nyx scanned the area. Fortunately, many of the druids and tieflings had found places to sit or stand, opening space on the side of the campfire that lead to the lake. Nyx could feel herself quivering with anticipation, it's been a while since she danced, especially in front of people. She took position, turning to find Tav and Wyll with Karlach. Karlach pointed towards Nyx and the other two whipped their heads around wide-eyed, lips parted. Nyx gestured to Tav with a concavella and made a twirling hand signal towards it. She hoped Tav understood that she was asking her to amplify its sound. Tav frowned at first, then smirked giving her a curt amused nod. Her concavellas shimmered. Nyx inclined her head towards Tav then she gathered her nerves.
Six, Seven, Eight, Nyx struck the concavellas together in a succession of rolling pops. They echoed across the din of the camp. The voices settled down and the music stopped. Nyx turned to the direction of the lake, closed her eyes, took a deep breath then struck her starting pose. Karlach whooped and Wyll whistled. Nyx snorted and smiled to herself.
The dances performed by the members of Tufani are not prim and proper like the courtly dances of the cities. They were more concerned with the celebration of the act, the interesting movements of the dancer and the story the dance could tell. The focus on beat and rhythm made the dance more striking, fast paced, expressive and exotic. The Tufani caravan was well known for its entertainers by the towns and cities they frequented. Nyx performed with them on occasion, but never as the lead dancer, since she didn't like to 'engage' with the audience in the way the other dancers did. She mostly took on a supporting role in the groups, which gave her the opportunity to lose herself in the dance rather than worry about how well the audience was receiving the performance (and by extension how much money would be collected afterwards).
Nyx had decided on a favourite routine of hers; The River Spirit.
She bent her knees sitting on her haunches, her arms making sinuous motions to illustrate the subtle flow of water while contained within a vessel. Along with the motion, she struck on her left concavella the underlying beat of the music. Her right hand flourishing with a slow rhythm. The other instruments filled her mind.
In this moment, she was a spirit born from the Elemental Planes into the spring of the river, its source, and her origin. She swept her arms upwards above her head, keeping the music going with her concavellas, quickening the pace. The spirit was rising towards the surface, and she rolled her shoulders sideways. The sway of her shoulders followed down her body, mapping a sinuous motion to her waist and into her hips. She rose from her haunches, moving from side-to-side. Her feet stepping out, toes first, adding additional emphasis.
She opened her eyes and turned around towards the audience. She swept her eyes over the enraptured faces, but she didn't focus on anyone specific. She struck a new beat, the rhythm changing into a cascade of light pats and one-or-two pops to capture the sound of running gurgling water. The water spirit (she) was ready to explore her river.
Her arm movements became more circular as she broke away from the confines of her vessel. She started to move across the floor, her arms leading the movements of her legs followed by rolling shoulders. She shimmied past the rocks, lifting and dropping her hips while she journeyed down her river. Light danced off her ankle bracelets and the beads on her belt, complementing her movements. She danced around the seated and standing onlookers alike, incorporating them into the river's path, not making eye contact, focusing on her dance instead. She increased and decreased the rhythm depending on how fast the river flowed, smooth and soothing laps juxtaposed by racing rapids. She repeated the previous rhythms with different movements while her dance took her around the campfire. Notes from Tav's lyre joined her concavellas. Nyx made brief eye contact with Tav across the fire and smiled.
Her journey was halfway, the music in her head didn't quite match Tav's so she adjusted her movements to harmonize with Tav's music instead, bringing the different elements into alignment. Both the music and the flow of her entire being were in sync and together they told the story of the river spirit. Her shoulders and hips accented different percussive hits while her arms and legs flowed with Tav's lyre notes. The music repeated two more times and she finished the lap around the campfire, moving back towards her original position.
Her river glided into the sea, where she twirled around on her toes, joining her sisters as they leap through the waves and the open waters. Tav adjusted her lyre accordingly to match the slower rhythms Nyx made with her concavellas and her body. She had reached the bottom of the ocean, concluding her journey and finding respite - perhaps to even be reborn at the top of the river source, to start the journey anew. She turned away from the audience and took up her starting pose. Along with Tav, they brought the music to its closing. A final flaring of pops from her concavellas signalled the end of her dance, and she let out a slow deep breath.
Nyx startled at the loud cheering of the crowd. She did her flourishing dancer's curtsy and she gestured with an outstretched hand to Maestro Tav, who also received applause and hoots. Tav inclined her head to Nyx in return.
Nyx made a show of pointing to Karlach and Wyll then beckoning for them to join her. Wyll laughed and walked over. Karlach seemed a little reluctant, but Tav followed after Wyll. Tav strummed a new tune on her lyre, turned to Karlach, and invited her with a motion of her head. Three others joined them, including Alfira, the tiefling bard with her lute. Nyx stowed her concavellas and danced leisurely with the others while Tav and Alfira both danced and played off one another's instruments - Nyx was more than willing to hand over the rest of the evening's performance to them.
More people joined the dancing, spurred on by the courage of drink. When the dancing became drunk stumbling, Nyx discreetly disappeared from the crowd. She dropped off her dancing gear; the belt, bracelets and concavellas, then retreated to the lake side.
---
Nyx watched the gleaming waters, lit up by the moon overhead. The forest’s sounds were drained out by the music and laughter coming from behind.
It is strange being here again. So much has happened since.
"Fancying a midnight swim darling?"
She looked over her shoulder to find him leaning against the tree, partly obscured in the shadows.
Nyx turned crossing her arms, she placed one foot in front of the other, inching forward. He watched with interest, and she asked, "I thought you had more refined tastes?"
She stopped waiting for his reply, the smoulder building inside of her under his gaze. He straightened and stalked towards her, "You have your charms."
She raised her eyebrows, "Oh? I thought you're the charming dashing rogue here."
He stopped just out of reach, "You are aware, my dear, that half of the people in the audience wanted to bed you after you finished dancing."
She threw her head back and laughed as though that were completely outrageous. She recovered and quipped with a smile, "I'm sure that's an exaggeration, or rather the alcohol. Besides," she paused taking a step forward, "There is only one charming and beautiful person's attention that I'm interested in."
She looked up at him though hooded eyes, heat creeping onto her cheeks and the tips of her ears. His eyes flited between her blushing and her neck. He took a step closer.
Her eyes settled onto his lips then she looked back to his rubies, "Astarion, I would like to kiss you again."
"Can't get enough of me? I can't blame you."
She wanted to strangle him again.
She gave him an amused smirk then brought her lips to his, standing on her toes, her hands on his chest. She gave him a light kiss, gauging his response, he tasted faintly of wine.
He cupped her face, hooking thumb around her chin and turned her head to the side. He brushed his lips along her flushed cheek and kissed her there. His hand slid around her waist and he leaned into her, moving his lips to her neck. She gripped his shoulder with one hand and curled her other arm around the back of his head, combing her fingers into this hair. He dragged his fangs slowly along her neck, tasting her with brief flicks of his tongue.
The fire in her ignited, making her breath hitch and her body shuddered. He snarled and pressed himself into her neck, digging his fangs and teeth into her skin. The almost bite did not draw any blood. She kept still, yet relaxed, wondering whether tempting him like this was testing the limits of his restraint too much. She wanted to calmly whisper at his ear -
Rambunctious laughter startled them both. They froze for a moment in each other’s arms then he retrieved his fangs. Several tieflings were jumping into the lake further up its shore, screaming and yelling at one another. He turned his head in her hand to scowl at them viscously. She snorted when he groaned in frustration and turned his head back to sigh dramatically into her collar bone. She rubbed his shoulder, and they released one another.
She asked tentatively, "You alright?"
Momentary annoyance touched his face then he grinned at her, "I was getting a little lost in your neck, my dear, it’s true. However, privacy has become more of a premium." He glared back at the tieflings who squealed, attempting to dunk one another.
She snickered and he gave her a raised eyebrow. He leaned in to purr past her ear, "You wander off, I'll find you again."
She returned the raised eyebrow while he stalked away. She puffed out her cheeks, removing her shoes and dipped her feet into the water. Not long after, Nyx had to literally flee from the lake side. The three drunk wet tieflings got it into their heads to dunk her in the lake as well. It was child's play to evade them, and she was laughing just as much as they were while she gave them a splashing run around.
---
She strolled into the forest, smiling at the partygoers singing along to whatever Tav was playing in the distance. She stopped at a small clearing, there was a slight decline in the ground that rolled into the level area sprouting more grass than trees. She propped herself against the grassy incline, staring up at the stars.
What am I doing?, she asked herself.
I've no idea, she replied to herself then prompted, Do we care?
Well, we should.
So, we don't then?
Hmm, no.
She snorted at herself and sighed. She closed her eyes and listened to the rest of the forest noises instead. It was very comfortable, she laced her hands over her stomach, almost drifting into sleep.
“Hardly a challenge, my dear.”, his voice lilted from the shadows. He glided towards her from her shoulder, coming to a stop and settled down to sit next to her. She pried open an eye and his amused expression melted into that sly grin of his.
“Now, darling. Where were we before we were so rudely interrupted?”, he asked and without any hesitation he rolled onto his side, leaning over her. His one hand sliding under her waist and the other gripping the front of her leg, just below her knee. Heat flooded her again.
He's being very forward in comparison to the lake side .
She wanted to ease herself into it, There is no rush. She rose, sliding her hands across his shirt, up his chest and around his bare neck. He had wonderfully smooth skin, luxurious like velvet. He met her eyes with a knowing smirk. Her heart was practically beating out of her chest and the result was in full bloom on her cheeks. He captured her lips with his. He smelled of citrus undertones and something else her preoccupied mind can't quite identify. His kisses were enough to make her whither inside and he guided her back to the ground. She brushed her hands alongside his face and jaw. He gathered her skirt, slipping his hand under the fabric. The hand wrapping around her leg made her take in a sharp breath, but his lips pulled away before she could discover how sharp those fangs truly were. He leaned back, looking at her the same way he did the previous night, admiring his handiwork.
“I do rather like you in a skirt, my dear.”, he purred and slid his hand further down her thigh. He watched her reaction while she arched her back and reached out to him. She wanted those lips again, wanted to run her tongue along his fangs while he stoked every fire within her. She also entertained the notion of running her teeth along his ears.
He was holding back, frustratingly keeping himself out of her reach unless she sat up fully. His hand touched her throwing knives, and he stopped blinking at her in the dark. That deliciously wicked grin split his lips, revealing fangs.
“Still fully armed, are you? Planning on using these?”, his demeanour became more predatory, hooking a finger between a strap and her skin. Tracing the strap towards the inside of her thigh did all kinds of things to her and she closed her eyes, trying not to squirm. She had no interest in anything else except him. No tricks or props, just him.
“Not particularly, no.”, she replied, and his hand stopped. Her eyes fluttered open and he regarded her with a tilted head.
She quipped, “Besides, you're still fully armed as well.”
He chuckled darkly. He unhooked his finger and continued to brush the inside of her thigh with the back of his hand. Heat and tension pooled in her core while his hand continued downwards. She was enjoying the touching and kissing. Another sharp breath filled her lungs when he pressed his thumb into the junction between her thigh and her hip.
So much for no rush, although her body would disagree.
“Astarion, wait.”, she managed, and his hand rested at the top of her thigh.
“Yes, darling?", he paused then cooed, "I was under the impression that you were here for more fun as well.”
She propped herself up on her elbows to face him better, his hand beckoning promises to her body as he slowly rubbed a line back and forth with his thumb at the junction. She wrestled the lid onto her boiling pot, trying to ignore the more salacious things her body was telling her brain.
“And I do mean sex to be clear”, he added.
Her three factions were at war again. She wasn't going to lie to herself or to him, her body definitely wants that, but she is not like that.
“Eventually”, she attempted. A frown touched his forehead.
“Then why wait? I am offering you this. Just as you offered me your blood. More than once I might add.”
She felt as though she had been hit with cold mountain water, snuffing out all the fires within her at once.
No, no, no. That is not how this is going to go. Not for me, and not for you.
She sat up abruptly, looking him straight on. His smirk fell from his face. She gathered her thoughts through the interference from her body.
“I do appreciate your candour Astarion, but I don't do 'just sex'. I'm not, inclined that way.”
His expression grew annoyed, “Then why are you wasting my time?”, he removed his hand from her leg and straightened to sit. Her body protested at the absence, but her brain was released from the lingering effects of desire.
What is that supposed to mean?
She tried to keep her voice steady, “Look, you don't owe me anything, not for giving you my blood or anything else for that matter. What I give, I give freely.”
His expression switched to a sly smirk again. He placed a hand to either side of her on the ground and his eyes travelled down the length of her body, “So, let me give this freely to you then.”
Now he's turning my words back on me? I clearly misread something here, this feels disturbingly transactional all of a sudden.
“I am not a prostitute, and neither are you”, the words just blurted from her.
By the Abyss Nyx!, she mentally gasped at herself. She wanted to clamp her hands over her mouth. It is one thing for her to maintain such ruthless honesty as one of her core principles, but her graceless truths cleave mercilessly into the hearts of other people. And it inevitably betrays her.
Unsurprisingly, the statement shocked him. She grimaced at herself while he stared at her. She gave him a weak empathetic smile and said, “I have too much respect for you and myself to treat either of us in that way.”
She searched his face; his expression was unreadable, not meeting her eyes. His mouth moved once, yet he remained uncharacteristically silent. Then he looked away from her. A part of her regretted being so blunt, but she isn't going to have some casual tryst with him. She can't do ‘temporary amusements’ like Shadowheart puts it. That works for some people, but she’d rather do entirely without it.
He rose up gracefully and stalked away. He halted a few feet away, his back towards her. She remained where she was, watching him. She expected anger or an outburst of some sort. The same old venomous accusations.
Nothing happened. He just stood there. Silent as the grave.
She took a deep breath and released it slowly. She didn't know what else to do, or say, or how she even felt about all of it. She considered retreating to her tent, but she won't sleep. She didn't want to give the impression that she was running away either.
Abyss take it.
This is my spot, she decided defiantly.
She straightened out her skirt all the way to her the top of her feet and lied back down again, crossing her legs at the ankles. She re-laced her hands over her stomach, shifted and closed her eyes.
After a while she heard him moving, but for some unexpected reason he wandered in her direction. He sat down on the grass a little distance away from her. She sneaked a peek at him. They were watching the stars together, although the silence was more pronounced this time. Nonetheless, Nyx was more relieved than she’d like to admit. Previous lovers always said she thought too much, did too little. Detailing whatever else she lacked or how it had affronted them - leaving 'because of her'.
Now I've gone and made a mess of things, again...
Footnote:
Inspiration for the dance, music and instruments included:
Concavellas: Tufani version of castanets. They can provide the 'drum beats', created by the dancer while they dance.
Music: Tribal and ethnic rhythms, but think very diverse and interwoven - not any specific culture. Hence the Deskant Clawing link.
Dance styles: Think of a blend of 'modern Polynesian', 'tribal fusion' and 'Spanish flamenco dance'. YouTube has a few videos for these keywords sets. I would highlight that although these dances can be interpreted in very provocative ways by the individual dancers, for Nyx's character they won't be - for reasons described in the chapter: its about the dance and its story.
