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 Posted: Sat Dec 12, 2015 9:22 am
══════════════════════════════ Solo ═══Word Count - 1500
❂ Time to mature
She sat staring at the ground as a bandit worked on picking the lock on her shackles. Kalliope was thinking about everything that had happened in such a short amount of time. Everything that had taken place. From major events in her life to the people she had come into contact with. She'd known that her own people had a dark past, and it was something she wanted to work on erasing by being kind to others, yet she hadn't thought the rest of the world would follow in their blackened footsteps. Yet, they had. She had seen a battle and had been taken only to be chained up with the intent to be sold off as a slave. Now she kept the company of bandits. It was an interesting thing. It opened her eyes even more. The world was dangerous and a not so friendly place. For the tiny dancer she knew she would need to become tougher if she wanted to survive. And that was just what she intended to do.
The metallic clink of the shackles hitting the ground brought her back to the present and she looked down at her freed wrists. There was a murmured thanks to the bandit that had taken it upon herself to get Kalli free. Her red eyes looked around at the band of misfits that seemed to get along if only for the sole purpose of gaining the wealth of others. It didn't bother her as much as it clearly should have. The small dancer got to her feet and rotated each wrist, reveling in the freedom of being without the large, clunky metal bracelets. Of course she might just replace them with something else. But at least she would be free to take those off when she wanted.
Moving toward one of the other females Kalliope asked if she would be willing to teach her to use a blade in an effective way. If she wanted to survive and remain uninjured then she would need to learn to defend herself from others. While she did plan on staying with the bandit group and earning coin for them to repay them for rescuing her from the wagon caravan that intended to sell her, she didn't want to have to depend solely on them for protection. Besides, once her debt was paid she was sure she could leave and return home. Kalli just didn't know when that would be. Mostly because she was unsure just how much coinage the bandits would demand for their act of kindness. But that was a thought another day.
When she was given a small dagger to practice with she took it and held it firmly in her hand. Kalli must have been holding it the wrong way since the woman that had given it to her corrected her grip before showing her the motions she'd need in order to use it. This entailed the woman standing behind her and guiding her hand and arm as well as her abdomen. Everything she needed was in her small body she just needed to learn to use it.
After she was confident enough to make the movements on her own the woman pointed her at a tree and went about her own business so that she could help pack up the goods that the group had gained. Kalliope eyed the tree trunk then the weapon in her hand. She wasn't muscular by any means, unless one counted the athletic look she had from dancing, so she knew she would need to come up with better ways to move her body in order to over come those that would attack her. The it dawned on her. She could use her dancing as a means to fight. Most movements and foot positions were similar to dance moves she already knew.
And so it was that while the bandits went about their duty's she danced and twirled and cut at the tree. Each time there was a new niche left behind though she did lose her grip and drop the dagger from time to time. Something that made the young Oban very frustrated. However, each time she was bend down and collect the small blade and begin again. In her mind she was focusing on the bad things that had happened in her short life. Kalli would transform herself into a lethal dancer. A gypsy worthy of the name and reputation.
Her thoughts went toward Saraf for a moment and wondered how he would feel about the choices she had made in recent days. Not that it would matter. He wasn't here and hadn't been there when she'd been taken right out from under the noses of her own people. It wasn't his fault but at the same time Kalli felt a bit of anger toward him. If he had just left the battlefield so that she could tend to his wounds then it wouldn't have ended this way. A sort of resentment started to build up inside of her.
Why? Why hadn't he just come with her to the healers tent? Did he even realize that his young friend was missing? So many questions and each one was causing a wave of emotions to crash into her young heart. Finally it boiled over and she let out a scream as she stabbed the tree with all her might, lodging the blade to the hilt into it's trunk. Kalliope didn't stop there. Unable to get the dagger back out she started to hit the tree while tears spilled over and she continued to scream at nothing. She was so distracted by the emotions within her she didn't realize that she was scraping the skin from her knuckles and palms.
It wasn't until the woman that had given her the weapon to begin with came rushing over to stop her that she noticed she was bleeding. Kalli let the bandit take hold of her and pull her away from the tree but she kept crying. Life was unfair and she now knew just how cruel it could be. The woman started to pet her hair and shush her to help her calm down but her body shook with her sobs. She continued like this for another couple of minutes before she was able to reign in her emotions. Her red eyes stared at the tree with her dagger in it and her blood smeared across it's bark. If she could see her tears on the ground she was sure that it would be soaked.
No more, she thought. Kalliope couldn't let her emotions get the better of her again. She was no soldier but she would need to act like one. At least until she found her way back home. Until she found someone strong to take care of her and shield her from the harsh realities of the world. Until then.. Until that day.. she would adopt the mentality of someone who was battle hardened. Kalli couldn't afford to be anything else if she wanted to stay alive, stay sane. She flexed her hands and winced at the pain from the movements. They would be swollen and sore for the next few days. There was a noise of disgust from her. She needed to take better care of her hands.
When the woman bandit saw that she was calm and not in danger of attacking more inanimate objects she let go and turned Kalli so that they were facing each other. Their eyes met and the tiny dancer gave a small nod of her head. It was an unspoken agreement that she was good now. It was out of her system. The hurt and frightened young Oban girl needed to be locked away and hidden from the world. Now she needed to be the beautiful and dangerous dancer that would take the world by storm. That was her goal and she would reach it no matter what. Pulling away from the woman that had held her in her moment of weakness she straightened her shoulders and turned so that she could head back toward the tree. This time she intended to get her dagger out and go about her business.
When she tried it hurt her hands but Kalliope refused to give up. Pushing through the pain she gritted her teeth and put all of her weight into the pull. Of course she didn't weigh all that much but it seemed it was just enough to loosen the blade. Another pull and it was out. With it in hand she lifted her chin and turned to face the group, who had paused in what they were doing to stare at her as though she had three heads when she had started screaming. Knowing she was on the spot she kept her composure and simply walked away, her pride might be hurt but she now had a goal in life. Something more to work toward. That was more than enough or her.
(( This shows a personal growth within Kalli because she now realizes just how harsh the world can be and has become determined to not let it drag her down. She wishes to over come her weaknesses and be something more than what she is. ))
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Posted: Thu Feb 25, 2016 7:51 pm
══════════════════════════════ Solo ═══Word Count - 1150
❂ A night in...
There wasn't much to do in a bandit camp, as she quickly learned. Kalliope had learned that lesson in just a few short hours of being there. It also didn't help that she couldn't really go too far from Ouen or his tent without risking one of the members in the group thinking they could do something untoward. Mostly they saw profit when they looked at her. A price tag was attached to her that made her uncomfortable. Though she did find a friend or two in a few f the members that followed Ouen more so than Talin.
He was the wind leader that she had heard about so often. He killed rather than take hostages since they required constant guarding. A fact that made her more and more thankful that it had been Ouen that had come across her than that barbaric man. It was just another reason that she gave her loyalty to Ouen. Granted she couldn't do much more than that. After all, Kalli was merely a dancer. But it was something at least.
Despite all that, Talin wasn't in the camp and it was a nice night out. The sky was clear and the weather was nice. There was also some revelry going on around a campfire and she made her way toward it so that she could join in. When she approached a few quieted down and looked at her with suspicion or wary but others welcomed her. There was a moment where she looked around unsure but after that she grinned at them all and went to sit next to one of her friends. It was a younger male by the name of Zyan. “Have I missed anything?” Kalli asked cheerily.
Zyan shook his head as he didn't think that anything they did would interest her but others started all talking at once to tell her about what they had been doing. Kalliope didn't go out with them when they left the camp so she had no idea the things they got up to. It was either to raid something or some other activity that she would serve no purpose for. It bothered her at times that she was seen as so useless but at the same time she understood. Plus she liked that Ouen and the others had the decency to at least care about her safety.
“N'awh guys, she don wann' be hearin about all tha'.” Came Zyan's reply to all their banter. He also seemed to want to save her ears from hearing something that would upset her.
Kalli chuckled and shook her head as she looked at her friend. “It's fine, really. I like hearing about their adventures.”
“Ahhh, you be right Zyan! Our lil' Kalli likely wantin to dance.” Another said before he moved his hand to summon one of the others by the fire to start playing some music.
The beat that started up was slow and tempting, certainly something that she would dance to. The lure of the drum made her give a mock glare at them all before she got back up to her feet. Pretty soon she had another instrument to accompany the bang of the drum and she twisted her hips to the rhythm. Once she had that down her feet and hands joined in. Each begging the eyes of those nearby to be glued to their every turn. Kalliope seemed to move in ways that mimicked liquid and the way the fire light danced over her dark skin just made her look that much more tantalizing.
All the practice she had put in to her moves before she had been taken away from home was paying off. Kalliope was able to seduce the eyes and attention of any that watched her with enough interest. Tonight was no different. She had the whole campfire group captivated and she wanted it to stay that way. Slowing her moves even more she forced the musicians to do so as well. Reveling in the attention she chanced getting close to one of her audience members, though she played it safe and only made the move toward Zyan. Kalli knew that the young man wouldn't do anything. He respected her as well as Ouen too much to risk upsetting the balance of the group with a stupid decision. It also helped he was the least drunk of them all.
“Haaaah.. Ouen be a lucky man to 'ave you Kalli.” The man that had started the whole dancing scene said as he relaxed and watched. “He e're treat you badly, you 'ave a home with me.” With a wink he laughed.
She shook her head at his play. “I'm not Ouen's woman.” Kalliope wasn't sure she wanted everyone to think that or not. On the one hand it could provide her with the safety she needed from others but then again.. well, she wasn't even sure that her savior had an interest in her. Certainly she found him good looking. Rugged look and all. The man had his charms that was for sure.
A laugh went up and around the group before one of the females chimed in. “Don't say that too loud, girl, you might get snatched up. Who knows, Talin might even want ye!”
While it had been a playful jest she could feel a cold shiver race down her spine. That was not a situation she wanted to see herself in. Thankfully she didn't need to think on it too much longer because a small brawl had broken out not too far from their campfire that snagged the attention of everyone there, including her. Kalli didn't know what it was about but she suspected that both parties had consumed more than their fair share of booze.
“Best get back to the boss' tent.” Zyan said to her as he got to his feet and made for the two fighters. He wasn't alone since the others were also on their way. All she could do was watch for a moment but when things started to get rather bloody she turned away from the sight and headed quickly for Ouen's tent. Kalliope was careful to avoid the others in the area in case they too had had too much to drink and were capable of behavior that she was unprepared to handle.
Once she was inside the tent she made it over to the bed and sat with her legs curled up under her. The beautiful red colored eyes of hers were glued to the entrance. Kalli was torn between wishing Ouen would come in to keep her safe and wishing that no one even noticed that there was someone inside. If nights were going to be like this then she might ask her sexy shifter to teach her how to better handle herself. Maybe some defensive moves to make her feel a bit more safe.
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Posted: Tue Mar 01, 2016 6:48 pm
══════════════════════════════ Solo ═══Word Count - 755
❂ Being a creeper..
She tossed and turned as she tried to ignore the shouts that were coming from outside the tent. Kalliope was getting more and more used to it all but the noise levels at night still bothered her from time to time. With a frustrated huff she sat up and looked around the dimly lit tent. Her guardian had come back in at some point and was now sleeping. From the sweet smell in the air he was drunk. A roll of her eyes was her instant response to that fact and a small laugh escaped her. Kalli should have known he'd be dead asleep then. Not only was he used to the sounds but he slept heavily after a night of drinking.
She turned her head and looked at the entrance to the tent before she moved closer to him and poked at him. If she was lucky then he'd wake up and she could ask him about all the noise if she were unlucky.. well then he would continue to doze and she would be left wondering about what was going on. When he didn't move she sat back and stared at him for a moment. Kalliope didn't want to shake him or anything else since he would likely think she was attacking him and retaliate. So she was out of luck tonight.
Before she turned to return to bed her eyes landed on his tattoo. The one on his shoulder. Kalli had seen it before, when he had saved her and every day after, but she'd never actually looked at it. Moving her gaze to the shifter's face she checked to see if he was awake one more time then leaned close so that she could see the tattoo better. Of course in the bad lighting she'd have to get super close to him. Placing one hand on the other side of him she hovered over him and took in all the details that were there.
At one point her hair fell over her shoulder and landed on his chest and she froze thinking that he'd wake up from that. When he didn't she shifted so that she could push it back and away. Kalli let out a soft sigh of relief as she started to move back, then something new caught her eye. Another tattoo. This one on his hip.
Kalliope bit down on her bottom lip as she glanced up at his face again. Curiosity was going to win in the end. So she gently used her fingers to trace over the ink. It was an interesting choice, she thought. At the edge of his pants her fingers were stopped so she did another check to make sure her guardian didn't wake up before she pulled a little on them so that she could see the rest of it. Please don't let him wake up, the words entered her mind quickly. There was no way to explain what she was doing. At least not without seeming odd.
There was something very alluring about a helpless sexy man though. When he was awake and armed he was dangerous. Handsome and dangerous. When he was in a deep sleep like this he was.. well, she had to admit he was more attractive than she liked. “If I could have my way with you... I would.” Words came out as a whisper and while she thought she should be surprised with them she wasn't. Because what she had said was the truth.
Still tracing her fingers along his tattoo Kalli moved her hand so that it laid flat as she slid it up to his shoulder. The definition of the lean muscles clear to her then. “Damn you.”
Leaning closer to him yet again she placed a few kisses to the ink that made it to his chest. By now the noise outside had quieted down and since she could deal with what little there was Kalliope leaned away from him. Still wanting to touch him she only moved enough so that she could literally lay with him, her head on his chest and all. While she figured her sexy shifter might have questions about why they ended up that way she didn't really care. He was warm and attractive, plus he was out cold.
Closing her eyes Kalli gave a small yawn and settled in so that she could cuddle the sleeping shifter. And yes, her hand stayed on or near the tattoo at his hip,more to comfort herself than anything else.
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Posted: Fri Apr 29, 2016 10:24 am
══════════════════════════════ Solo ═══Word Count - 1545
❂ Sewing for bandits..
She had managed to bring it a bit of money for the camp since Ouen had disappeared some time ago. Her dancing paid pretty well and she planned to keep doing it. Not that it was as much as the group was used to getting but at least she was trying to be helpful. Kalliope sighed as she peered out at the others in the area. She could leave. Just up and walk out. The girl really thought that she should, but something in her conscious wouldn’t let her. She owed her freedom to that shifter and Kalli didn’t like being in debt. Not to mention she was rather attracted to him to say the least.
As she stared out at everyone she noticed one of the men fussing over the clothes he was wearing in a strange fashion and cursing whenever he poked himself with a needle that he was using to try and repair them. Kalli had to cover her mouth to stop from laughing aloud but she didn't manage to cover her grin very well. But after watching the hurtful scene for ten minutes or so she got to her feet and walked over to him. Holding her hand out she chuckled. “Hand it over before you end up as a human pin cushion.” It was just too painful to watch this man try to stitch the rip in his shirt. Since she had the skills she might as well put them to use.
He looked up at her then grumbled as he gave her the needle. Kalliope bent over to take hold of the fabric and soon she was pushing the needle in and out of the cloth with ease. Her fingers guided the sharp end and made sure that the man didn’t get pricked again or that she didn't p***k herself. It would have been embarrassing to have made fun of the poor dear for such a thing only to turn around and do so herself. Thankfully her skills prevents that. “Next time just ask someone to do it for you.” Then just like that she was tying a knot in the thread and the rip was almost unnoticeable. “Hmn, not my best work but at least you won’t be stuck to the shirt permanently.” As she straightened up she looked around for scissors with which to cut the extra thread.
Not that she’d find such a useful object around. So instead she rolled her eyes and took the man’s knife from him so that she could cut off the excess string. Kalli even grinned when the man flinched as the blade came close to him. It looked like even she could strike fear in a dangerous bandit if she had a weapon. “Really?” Handing it back to him she shook her head in amusement. “You can keep the knife but I’m taking the needle so you don’t hurt yourself more.” It was a joke that made her giggle and made the man roll his eyes.
With that done she turned her head to look around at the other members of the camp. Were the rest of them this bad at sewing? She certainly hoped not or there would be a lot of sore bandits with pin-holes in them. Ah well, she turned and headed back to where she had been before. The relative safety of her tent. Until she knew she could walk around without risk to her body or freedom then she would stay hidden away. Unless Zyan was with her, then she could go where she wanted. Something she liked.
Kalliope was just sitting back down when she noticed another one of the bandit men approaching her, a torn pair of trousers in his hands and an embarrassed look on his face. The Oban girl blinked a few times as she noticed that he seemed to be avoiding her eyes as well. So she lifted a brow at him before asking, “Did you want me to sew that?” Her answer was a nod and she smiled as she held her hand out to receive the pants. Well at least she found something she could do to help out. With a thoughtful sound she examined the trousers then looked up at the bandit. “I need thread and some scissors.” She already had the needle that she had confiscated from the other man.
And with that she suddenly had the supplies she needed and others were asking her to fix small rips and big holes in their clothes or blankets. Some even asked if she could fix a net that they used to trap small game. Not that she minded. It gave her something else to do when she wasn’t dancing and she was able to contribute something else to the bandits. Maybe that would make them less likely to try and sell her to the highest bidder if the chance ever presented itself. Plus it made her happy to know that she wasn't just sitting idle and taking up space and precious resources that they might otherwise deem worthy of someone else. Humming to herself she threaded her needle and started to repair the first pair of trousers that she had been given. Her foot tapped out a beat that she was able to keep pace with and soon she was signing along softly.
Since she couldn’t dance while sewing she needed to do something else to keep her busy. Her jewelry jingled along to the song and it made her smile. When she was finished with the trousers she cut the thread and made a knot to secure it in place. Thankfully the bandits had brought her some scissors rather than a knife. Kalli held the pants up to admire her work and make sure she hadn't missed anything then folded them and set them aside so she could start on the next item that had been brought to her. This would be her time waster as she waited for Zyan to come and escort her to the Inn she was to dance at later that evening.
It was her hope that she could make more coin than ever before this time around so that the members that were loyal to Ouen wouldn’t be left without some type of reward for keeping her safe all this time. Though she did wonder where that shifter had gone off to. Not that it was really any of her business; she was just curious. Where would he have snuck off to when he had people to lead? Did he even want to lead? Did he go willingly? Kalli frowned at the thought that someone would have done something to him. Then again, knowing him in what little way she did she didn't think it possible that someone could make the shifter do anything against his will.
Clearing her throat Kalliope pushed those thoughts from her mind. She was only going to stick around long enough to repay him for saving her then that was that. It wasn't like she owed him more than that, right? Staring at her hand as it went through the motions of stitching together a rip in a blanket she noticed that she actually felt happy here. Kalli could help out in small ways but her dancing also brought in something. It was oddly like she belonged. A home away from home of sorts. So her humming and singing grew more confident as the minutes passed by. Maybe she could ask Ouen if he would mind her staying around?
The blanket was repaired almost as quickly as the trousers had been and she cut the string after tying a knot. Folding the blanket she set it aside and dug through the pile of things that had been given to her to be fixed. Kalliope had expected to see things from the men but when she found one of the women’s things in there she looked up and around to find the owner. Who had brought it over? When no one seemed to acknowledge that she was looking for the owner of the shirt she shrugged and selected it to be sewn next. The small dancer would work on it until the sky grew dark and her eyes strained to see. Eventually she’d end up falling asleep sitting there with a needle in one hand and the shirt clutched in the other. So when Zyan came to collect her she was startled from her slight slumber. The man laughed at her reaction but made sure she was alright before telling her that it was time to go.
She looked around and blinked several times before blushing and doing her best to make up for the moment of forgetfulness. Kalli had forgotten all about her engagement to dance. So she brushed her lap off and set her sewing aside to be tended to later. After that was done she got to her feet and stretched a little to make sure her muscles were loose enough to dance. Once she was done with that she looped her arm with Zyan's and motioned for him to lead the way to the inn. She was looking forward to dancing as well as the money she would get from her performance.
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Posted: Thu Jan 12, 2017 9:50 am
══════════════════════════════ Solo ═══Word Count - 1069
❂ Discomfort ahoy..
It had all started with her not feeling too hot in the morning one day and escalated from there in the short span of a week. Kalliope had gone to the healer to make sure there was nothing seriously wrong only to learn that she was with child. And not just any old child, mind you, she was carrying Ouen's child. It was an interesting thing to think about since she had always assumed that when she did have children of her own she would be married and madly in love like her parents were. Or at the very least be in a committed relationship. However, that wasn't the case. At most she had lust with the shifter leader of the "bandit" group she stayed with. They definitely shared a friendship. A connection of sorts. But she wasn't so sure she could call the man hers.
That had all been several months ago now and here she was with a slightly larger belly than before and unable to dance as she had in the past. Or at least it wasn't advised. With her baby bump showing it was hard to get Tavern owners to agree to let her dance and then there was her general worry about the movements she would be doing. Could they hurt the baby within? Not to mention Zyan and a few of the females at the camp didn't want her to exert herself. So now she was, quite literally, a pretty thing that sat around the camp all day doing nothing. With a huff she looked around trying to find at least one thing she could do to ease the boredom that plagued her.
Nothing. Not a single thing to do. Or rather, nothing that others would let her do.
Everyone had already done the little chores so as to keep her off her feet and the more strenuous things she couldn't do even if she wanted to. So that left Kalli sitting there, staring, as everyone walked by and went about their business. Every so often one of the women would come by and ask to rub her belly in the hopes that they would feel the little one move. They never did. It seemed that the baby was a shy performer when it came to the others. Kalliope, on the other hand, knew just how powerful the babe was. Her ribs often got kicked and made it uncomfortable for her to sit certain ways. Heck she was even having trouble with laying down sometimes since the position of the baby often made it hard to.
She was starting to worry that perhaps being as small of a person that she was there might not be enough room in there for he baby. A fear she took to the healer only to be told that everything was fine then sent back home to rest. Giving a huff she once more moved just a little to make things a bit easier on her. Kalli also assumed it made things easier on the baby. Had she any idea as to where Ouen was exactly she'd have sent someone to find him and tell him the news. Sadly she wasn't privy to that information so she would simply have to wait until he came home to share the news of their upcoming parenthood.
She had had plenty of time to think and while it wasn't a planned thing to be sure it was an exciting thing. Her main concern was letting Ouen know, beyond that she had no plans. It was mostly a play by ear type of thing. Did she get things now or wait? Was it a girl or boy? Should she name it now or wait until it was born? So many things and until she confided in the baby's father she wasn't so sure she could address the other things as yet. The down side to that being that she didn't know when the shifter would be back. Or if he really planned to be back at all. A line of thinking that made things even more uncomfortable. Kalli didn't want to have the child and then be like "Oh by the way" the next time she saw the man.
As the sun sank behind the horizon she gave a deep, long yawn, tired from doing nothing, and decided that it was time for her to turn in. She was clearly not going to be able to do anything except grow a baby. Rest was something that could do her good though so she accepted that at least. The Oban dancer moved from her perch and headed to the tent she claimed as hers now that she was the sole occupant and got ready to turn in for the night. If she had the cooperation of her child on her side then she would hopefully get a decent night's rest. Not that Kalli was going to hold her breath or anything. So far a restful sleep had eluded her since she had begun to feel the movements of little feet. She had even tried laying on a pillow to help ease the weight but even that didn't seem to do much to dissuade the kicking.
Smoothing a hand over the stretched skin she did her best to comfort the little one. Maybe if she could get them to sleep, or settle down a bit, then she would be able to sleep a bit better. Kalliope had no idea if it would work but it was better than doing nothing in her opinion. And certainly much better than just dealing with the mild pain. Though the pain she felt was more of an ache. Like something that throbbed over and over but went no where.
She smiled at the thought. Her ache would last for some months more and then she would have something altogether more painful. It would be worth it though. She was sure of that. Her fingers worked at the spot nearest her ribs and gently massaged. At first there was only more movement that she was met with before it seemed to settle down. When it felt like she might be able to finally relax she leaned back and closed her eyes. Sleep would come easily since she was half deprived of it for so long. A smile formed as the thought of a decent sleep tempted her.
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Posted: Thu Jan 12, 2017 10:59 am
══════════════════════════════ Solo ═══Word Count - 1000
❂ Reflecting
Kalli finished putting on her new dress and smoothed it down with the palms of her hands to make sure it fit right. It was stunning. Something she was not expecting but something that she loved either way. She had been fairly uncertain how well the dress would look on her when she first got it. As she looked at the reflection of herself in the looking glass she couldn't help but wonder just who it was she was looking at. Not to say that she wasn't pretty, she just looked so different from her old self. If the Kalliope from two or three years ago had been asked to identify the woman in the mirror she would not have said that it was herself. This woman was just that. A woman. Full figured. Mature. Beautiful. Things had changed.
A lot had changed actually.
In the time since she had come to the bandit camp with Ouen she had learned more about herself than she had in her whole life. For one she had spunk and determination. That alone would have shocked her. But there was more! Secondly she was a lot stronger than she thought she was. Of course not physically. She still couldn't fight off an attacker if there ever was one, not to say she couldn't hurt them though. Mentally, however, she was strong. She had managed to take a bad situation that would likely have ruined a weaker mind and turn it into something great. The mercenaries were her family now. Ouen was her family. And more importantly, the two sons she had with the handsome shifter were her family.
Sons! Kalli had been blessed with two of the most adorable little boys! At first she had thought that was a bad thing since she knew nothing about how to raise boys but she was finding out that it wasn't so hard. Of course there were things she had to get used to, such as the bugs and rodents. Then there was the dangerous activities that boys did. One or the other always had a new cut or scratch from playing too rough. There were days where she was sure that Ouen was going to tell her to leave the camp simply for panicking too much over the sight of blood on their boys.
She reached up and took the yellow ribbon from her hair. The same yellow ribbon that held it up. The ribbon that she had gotten on a shopping trip in Sulburi with another shifter. She had wanted to have a hair ribbon like a friend of hers and she had been so excited about it. However, that chapter of her life was over. Kalli hadn't seen the man in some time so she wasn't sure she could still call him a friend. As she held the fabric in her hand she stared at it for a long moment then moved to put it inside her small trinket box. There was no way she could bring herself to get rid of it so it would rest there for safe keeping.
With a new dress she needed a new look. Her hair had always been pulled up in a ponytail for as long as she could remember. Her mother had put it that way when she was a youngling and since the hairstyle was so easy she had never bothered to change it. Not to mention it kept her hair out of her face when she danced. So perhaps she could wear it down? Or in a different way? Something that would compliment her age and growth as well as her new status as a mother. It was actually her crossing into parenthood that had prompted her buying a new dress. Yes, she was a dancer by trade, but she didn't need to show off so much skin. Or at least not in a tasteless way. She was sure the new look she had going would be more appropriate. And she didn't want her sons to be ashamed to claim her as their mother.
She moved her hands back to her hair and started to mess with it some before she settled on a look. Kalli was pleased with how it seemed to go well with everything. Now she could worry about the rest. Accessories. A dancer needed to have them. They brought the onlooker's eyes to the right places after all.
The small dancer took some of the trinkets from her box and began to put them on one at a time. She made sure they went well with her new look and how she felt before moving on to the next thing. Finally she worried about her make-up. Kalli had never bothered with such things before because she didn't think it was needed but this time she wanted just a little bit around her eyes to make them stand out just a little more. If she could capture her audience with them then all the better. She didn't bother with rouge though, she thought that would be just a little too much. Besides her cheeks were flush enough when she danced. A little color to her lips was alright too but she made sure it wasn't too dark a color.
When there was a knock on the door to the room she was in she set everything down on the small table and gave herself another look. Another once over and smoothing of her dress. Everything looked amazing to her. She just hoped it looked equally good to those who would watch her perform. Kalliope took a deep breath and nodded at herself before turning and heading out of her small dressing room. It was time to dance. Maybe this new and improved her would dance even better as well.
Whatever the case, Kalli new she was a new person. Made better for everything that had happened to her her up until now and she wanted to continue to get better.
(( Kalli is reflecting on all the things that have made her into a better person. She has changed quite a bit since she arrived at the bandit camp with Ouen and now she is embracing life and everything it has to offer.))
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Posted: Thu May 11, 2017 6:14 am
══════════════════════════════ Solo ═══Word Count - 908
❂ Snake Dancing
It had been a while since she had danced outside as she usually managed to get gigs that allowed for her to be inside and on a stage. Now she was performing for a street vendor to help their sales. Which meant that Kalliope was wearing one of their outfits to help promote them. It was every bit as revealing as her own dress but this one had more dangly things and felt heavier. In truth Kalli wouldn't wear such a thing to dance in all the time since it would make her overheat but she was being paid to dance not critique the clothing. And since the vendor wanted that extra pizzazz to it she had her familiar Lissa with her.
Kalli was still a bit.. skeptical of snakes but she had a relationship with her Keldari that allowed her to be okay with the small performance. As musicians played their song the Oban dancer moved her hips in sync and lifted her hands to form simple symbols. As she did this her pet wound her way up Kalliope's arms so that she could peek out between the dancer's fingers. Essentially it was a snake coming out of a lotus bloom. The woman turned and moved her ankles and feet to give more to mesmerize the eye but once she was once again facing forward the snake had found it's way onto her shoulders.
Draped over her like a boa the Keldari shook the end of her tail and flickered her tongue. The light caught the crystal tip of her tail and glittered with the rest of Kalli's outfit. There were a collective "oooo" and "ahhhhs" from the crowd and some of the women who were looking at the stall seemed to agree that they liked the combination. The colors, the shinys, and the revealing nature of the outfit made them want one for their own. That was all Kalli was hoping to accomplish so she was pleased with that.
She raised up onto her toes and lifted one leg so that she could position herself into another pose, this one allowing for Lissa to slither down and wind around her calf. With her leg in the air she leaned backward, balancing delicately on her one foot, and her Keldari moved up to her foot so that she could coil up on the sole. Kalliope did this mostly to show that even though the outfit had a lot of accessories one could still move in it. From there she stretched her arms out and moved them to the beat of the music as her fingers took on many shapes. However, this was the easy part. What came next was the hard part of the trick.
Her body started to slant so that her legs moved closer to the ground, though they stayed straight, and she leaned her upper body back even farther to keep her balance. By now her back was a perfect curve and her hands could almost touch the ground as she looked at the world in an upside down view. Clapping came from most of the people while others gasped and swore she was going to fall. Kalli paid them little mind as she continued to move until she finally made it to the ground in a perfect split and Lissa was arched up on her knee. The display was an amazing one with the two moving together in harmony.
But she was not done yet. Her upper body swayed to the tune and eventually she was contorting her body once again. This time bringing her back leg up so that she could grab her foot over her head and roll backward. The leg that her Keldari was on was up in the air once more and this time the beast moved down to her waist where it seemed to tangle itself in the dangly things. Kalli used her hands to push up off the ground, putting her into a hand stand before lowering her leg back to the ground. Her stomach undulated and her arms started to wave around, the signal for Lissa to move up the woman's chest in a sensual manner. As the Oban dancer continued to bring herself up into a standing position the snake had moved back to her shoulders. With the last of the musical notes being sang out Kalli stopped her dance in a flourish so that she was left standing with her Keldari.
An applause sounded from everyone nearby and then the stall was flooded with young women who wanted the outfits so that they could look as good as Kalliope had. If only the clothes could make one a good dancer. With her dance done she made her way to change out of the outfit she'd been lent. It might look pretty but it was a tad uncomfortable for her.
Once she was back in her own dress she returned the shiny outfit and received her payment Kalliope was pleased to see that there was a bonus added in since business had picked up and thanked the vendor. With her money in hand Kalliope headed home to the mercenary camp. She wanted to wash up and spend the rest of the day with her boys. It would make her feel warm and fuzzy inside, plus she really enjoyed watching her sons play. Jax and Djego were the best part of her days.
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