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Post by vampirechicken on May 19, 2013 4:56:15 GMT -5
"Our next performance is something very special folks." The tall brunette woman addressed the crowd confidently "It'll be her first time on stage tonight... so please give a big round of applause for Aira!" Jessie swept her hands out as the mob of drunk cowboys filling the saloon cheered enthusiastically.
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Post by spiritandsand on May 19, 2013 5:32:18 GMT -5
Dally on the piano hit a few keys and created a laid-back simple melody as Aira - barely recognizable in a blend of nature's ornaments and the revealing attire of a showgirl (a fashion that centuries later would be known as tribal fusion) - entered the room from behind a curtain.
She began to sing in no particular language while her hips worked their way around in the saloon.
Luckily Jessie's gossiping about her new showgirl had spread like wildfire, so the audience were plentiful and expectant. Aira's sequins were chiming softly, and her body and head were swirling like if she was submitting to a greater force.
She teased the men that she passed, stroking their chin or flashing parts of her leg, gracefully avoiding potential hands trying to grab them.
One of the cowboys she got so close with that he could smell the remnants of her cinnamon. Then she snapped playfully at him like a raptor playing with its food, and her attention was elswere once again.
Generally her eyes were discretly roaming the saloon as if she sought someone.
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Post by vampirechicken on May 19, 2013 5:42:36 GMT -5
Henry was sitting a fair way back from the others, smoking and looking somewhat more uneasy than he usually would. He was shooting jealous looks at every man Aira approached, and when she met his eyes across the room he looked back startled and resisted the urge to pull his hat down over his eyes. He pretended to be absorbed in his cigarette instead.
Of course he'd known about her new job, and he'd tried to act aloof about the whole thing, but he couldn't shake the sick feeling in the pit of his stomach every time one of the strangers in the saloon jeered at her.
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Post by spiritandsand on May 19, 2013 6:17:35 GMT -5
It might just have been part of the performance, but as Aira recognized Henry huddling up in a corner her smile went all the way up to her eyes.
Everything went as planned; She completely ignored his presence trying to make him realize that he wanted her attention - as if that wasn't already obvious, and at the end he would finally come clear.
She spotted Sanyi and slowly walked over to him, feathers on her clothes dancing with her as she moved. With an arm around his neck Aira sat on Sanyi's lap, their lips were inches from each other - he was of course fully aware of what she was doing, and just played the role before he sent a cheeky smile in Henry's direction.
Aira followed his eyes, and as if that was the first time she spotted the outlaw she rose and aggresively turned Sanyi's face away. She was still mocking the other costumers on her way over to Henry, but her tense gaze was completely fixed on him.
Still humming her little tune she placed her foot on the chair right next to him standing with a dominant posture right in front of him.
And then.
The music ended, and she rounded off her big finale by simply 'drop dead' at his feet as if he had shot her.
There were a moment of silence when people didn't quite know how to react, but when the dancer got up on her feet again and bowed like a proper lady they cheered. Aira sent Henry a fleeting flirty smile and took his hat before running backstage - then he would have an excuse to come to her if he hadn't already planned that.
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Post by vampirechicken on May 19, 2013 6:29:52 GMT -5
Henry almost got up and punched his friend in the mouth seeing his woman draped over him like that. He's told himself he wouldn't feel this way before he'd come in here.
Eventually the performance was over, leaving Henry looking so uncomfortable that you would think that Roc had crawled up his pant leg. When she bowed and skipped off backstage. He didn't even muster a flirty smile to return her own.
"Ahem..." Henry's voice came from behind Aira, he had followed her backstage after everything had settled down but apart from wanting his hat back, he looked like he didn't have any words for her prepared. "Nice dress..." he commented lamely, scratching the back of his head.
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Post by spiritandsand on May 19, 2013 6:40:31 GMT -5
Speak of the devil, in the dressing room Aira was waering Henry's hat, and petted said microraptor. She turned her head in his direction before the rest of the body followed, walking over to him.
"Yeah?", the hat got placed on top of its rightful owner, "how did you like the show?", her voice was calm and neutral for once.
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Post by vampirechicken on May 19, 2013 6:47:46 GMT -5
"It was.. ahem... Ah mean..." The outlaw's yellow eyes flitted between Aira and the feathers on her dress like he was having trouble keeping them fixed in one place.
Suddenly his expression hardened.
"Ah didn't like the way those men were lookin' at yer." he told her, adopting a serious and commanding tone. "Ye gonna quit this... dancin'... it's not... Ah'm not." Henry cast a look over his shoulder and leaned on the wall by the doorway, avoiding her eyes.
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Post by spiritandsand on May 19, 2013 7:01:25 GMT -5
Aira smiled on the inside when he stated his jealousy, but then it dissapeared and got replaced with confusement and a little sadness. It only took her a while to figure out why he'd chosen those words though, and the smile returned.
"Henry. You do know I am yours whenever you want me", it was not the way she had thought it to be, but apparently she couldn't drag the words out of him, so she had to drag out hers instead, "to those out there I am just a coquette that they can't touche."
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Post by vampirechicken on May 19, 2013 7:13:08 GMT -5
"Right... ahem... okay..."
it's likely that Aira was the only one who ever saw him look so awkward as he did just then.
Somehow she had just pointed out exactly what he was thinking and from her mouth it sounded like he was being ridiculous and stupid.
"I got something for yer..." he admitted, fumbling in his jacket pocket. Actually he had been holding onto this thing for weeks and weeks now, but he was sure that it couldn't wait any longer. After much more fumbling than really should have been necessery, he pulled out a tiny box and handed it to her with his hands visibly shaking.
Inside the box was a small ring, it looked plated gold, nothing fancy... Henry looked like he was about to faint by this point but he managed to get the words he wanted out.
"Aira, will yer marry me? Ah mean... if yer want to..." he ended lamely, staring at her forehead.
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Post by spiritandsand on May 19, 2013 7:30:03 GMT -5
Aira's shoulder rose and her eyes and mouth widened when she saw the box and what was in it, and Henry just managed to finish his sentence before she suddenly started to jump around in circles making bird-like laughing excited sounds. Roc got all confused and startled by the hubbub, and began to screech along and raise his neck-feathers.
She had by now learned what it meant to be married, and understood that this was Henry's way of saying what she had just said before. In an explosion of joy she jumped into him and gave him a hug as if she never wanted to let go. Every muscle in her body was tense because of the adrenaline his question had created in her.
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Post by vampirechicken on May 19, 2013 7:39:21 GMT -5
"Is that...Ah'll take that as a yes?" The outlaw said uncertainly, as she jumped around in a circle. After a moment he began to laugh with her, feeling the worries slip away finally, she looked happy and that was a good sign.
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Post by spiritandsand on May 19, 2013 7:52:49 GMT -5
"Yes, yese!", Aira was laughing over his shoulder desperately trying to calm herself down a bit, but still giggling "are we married now thene?"
Just because she knew the meaning of the word Aira didn't know about what to do in order to get married other than the man gave the woman a ring and asked her. Hadn't had the time or patience or opportunity to go into details with the ceremony - or figuring out that there even was a ceremony. People had just told her that it was a beautiful thing.
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Post by vampirechicken on May 20, 2013 6:52:14 GMT -5
"No, no..." Henry chuckled, then he paused realizing he was the worst person to explain weddings to her. He barely knew more than she did about the whole process. "I think we need the sheriff to say some fancy words or somefin..." he added uncertainly although he sounded giddy that she had reacted so positively.
He pulled away to look at her properly in the eyes now, the faint sound of frantic footsteps from behind the door signaled that Jessie had indeed been eavesdropping and was about to run off to tell the whole town. Henry didn't care, she could go ahead and let the town know that Aira was his, then those men would think twice before they took a shot at grabbing her ass.
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Post by spiritandsand on May 20, 2013 7:06:21 GMT -5
Aira looked happily naive back at him, "okay, we go ask if he will say some fancy words for use", she said, clearly relieved that Henry knew what to do, of course he knew that.
"Should I change? I should change, the feathers are ticklinge", she still had a lot of energy and excitement floating about inside her, so she needed to get it out somehow. She fluttered about in the room looking for her clothes and taking off the assecories. Then she stopped up.
"Henry, I'm glade. I forgot to tell you thate", she said holding a skirt between her hands, almost embarrassed that she had just leaped around and confusing him.
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Post by vampirechicken on May 20, 2013 7:15:01 GMT -5
"It's a little late right now..." Henry stuttered, as she started flitting around dropping bits of her costume all over her room. "We should wait until the sun comes up at least." he continued, starting to look a bit more calm than he had before. "Ah'm glad you're glad." He watched her for a few minutes and then laughed
"Here let me help you with that." the outlaw grinned wolfishly, sweeping up behind Aira and kissing her neck while he 'Helped' her undo the corset strings on her back.
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