shattered glass is a lot more sharp

Sohalia

Not sure what tomorrow brings
Not sure why a caged bird sings

LongNight in Torchline really was an all-night rager, and Sohalia was taking advantage of every moment.

Would she regret it later? Probably. Was there a red alert blaring in the back of her mind, warning her that she was going too far? Definitely. But somewhere along the way, she'd realized that being good and prim and proper had gotten her exactly nowhere - not in life, not in love, not in general - and now she was done. 

She'd raided Flora's closet for an outfit, and she thought she'd nailed it: skin-tight jeans, sky-high heels, and an altogether indecent top that left little to the imagination. Pair that with a dark leather jacket, messy curls, and smokey eyes, and she looked absolutely nothing like herself. And maybe that was a good thing, given that she was pushing every boundary she'd ever set for herself. Maybe it had started a long time ago, really, with her random hookup with Ace. But now it continued with a flirty smile at the bartender and a kicked-back shot that didn't hit nearly as hard as it might have in the distant time before.

Leaning against the bar, Soh looked out over the crowd of dancers. Everyone seemed to have a partner - everyone but her. And stealing someone's man was a line she couldn't bring herself to cross, so she lingered at the fringes, watching, waiting, wondering. She might not be sure what the night held, and she might not remember it tomorrow, but for a short time... she could be free.

Don't ask cause I don't know
No idea just where to go

charlie

Charlie arrives like a comet, all golden hair and bare feet, skin kissed by salt and wind and the memory of dragonflight. Her dress is more suggestion than garment, a slinky, shimmering thing that rides the edge of decency and seems to laugh about it. There’s still a trace of the sky in her; cheeks flushed from altitude, curls wild, the ghost of Kaisel’s grin pressed into the curve of her mouth. The kiss she’d dropped on his cheek a few minutes ago still tastes faintly of mischief.

She darts! onto the counter with the kind of effortlessness that says she’s done it a hundred times before, if only because the world was not necessarily made for those of her height. "Double whiskey, with marachino cherries!" she chirps, voice bright enough to cut through the bass rolling through the bar. The bartender doesn’t even blink—Torchline’s seen weirder than an ancient wanting a drink—and that’s when she notices Soh.

The other woman looks like temptation dipped in rebellion, all dark leather and smudged eyeliner, the kind of outfit that screams I’m done being good. Charlie, of course, loves that for her. Without asking, she leans over and catches one of Sohalia’s wild curls, twirling it around her finger with a delighted hum before flicking it back into place, perfectly coiled.

"Faaaaaaab," she purrs, drawing the word out like it’s honey. A grin flashes across her red lips, bright, fanged, utterly unselfconscious. "Seriously, babe, you look like sin just got promoted."

Her tail flicks in rhythm with the music as the bartender slides her drink across the counter. Charlie catches it one-handed, eyebrows bouncing in a gesture halfway between flirtation and approval. "I’m Charlie," she adds, tipping her glass toward Soh in a toast that glitters as much as her grin. "Please tell me you’re about to do something terribly fun."

I did a double take, triple take
Take me to naked Twister back at your place

Code blatently stolen from queen of codes, Sky!

Sohalia

Not sure what tomorrow brings
Not sure why a caged bird sings

Whatever Soh had been expecting of her evening, it was not for a tiny Ancient to appear on the bar, but at least the change was interesting. She blinked as the stranger twirled a strand of golden curls between her fingers, but she didn't pull away. Instead, she smiled, the gesture an interesting combination of self-conscious shyness and bold rebellion, as though she were caught playing dress-up. And wasn't that exactly what she was doing, really? Pretending to be something she wasn't?

But at the Ancient's toast, Soh laughed, the sound cascading through the thrum of the music that surrounded them. "I'm Soh," she said. "And something terribly fun is exactly what I'm hoping for. I just haven't found it yet."

Realizing suddenly that she'd taken a shot and never ordered another drink, Soh gestured to the bartender. "I'll have what she's having," she said, then turned back to Charlie. The Ancient was lovely, with a mischievous sparkle in her eyes that suggested she knew exactly how to have a good time. Propping her head on one hand, she fluttered her lashes playfully in Charlie's direction. "You seem like you know how to have a good time," she said. "Any suggestions?"

Don't ask cause I don't know
No idea just where to go

charlie

Charlie wrinkles her nose in that impossibly cute way that turns mischief into art, curls bouncing as she leans in. "I'm Charlie," she hums with mock seriousness that lasts all of two seconds before her grin blooms back into place; devilish, bright, and absolutely certain the night’s about to get interesting. "And lucky for you, Soh, I’m an excellent finder of terribly fun things."

The delight that lights her face when Soh orders a whiskey could probably power the whole bar. "Atta girl," she cheers, plucking the tiny umbrella from her own glass. With feline precision she spears a cherry, dangles it teasingly between her fangs, and bites down with a satisfied hum that pops red sweetness against her lips.

When Soh asks about having a good time, Charlie’s expression goes positively radiant. "Obviously," she says, like it’s the most natural truth in the world. Her tail flicks lazily as she leans closer, one small hand darting up to catch another of Soh’s curls, winding it slowly around her finger. She hums low and approvingly, blue eyes dancing over the Luminary’s face with a curiosity that’s half flirtation, half appraisal. "But fun can mean a lotta things."

She straightens in a whirl of movement, the hem of her barely-there dress catching the firelight like liquid gold. Taking a sip of whiskey, she lets it burn down her throat before adding with a wicked grin, "We could dance. We could skinny dip. We could, oh—I dunno—jump through the fire? We could steal an entire bottle of whiskey and go somewhere alone. Or I could turn into a dragon again, and we could chase couples up and down the beach until someone screams."

The suggestion lands with an airy shrug, like she’s offering to fetch another round instead of light up Torchline’s entire shoreline. "Depends what kind of night you’re in the mood for," she says, voice lilting, daring, full of invitation.

I did a double take, triple take
Take me to naked Twister back at your place

Code blatently stolen from queen of codes, Sky!

Sohalia

Not sure what tomorrow brings
Not sure why a caged bird sings

Well, at least the night was getting more and more interesting by the minute. It might not be the endless dancing or flirting or whatever else the Luminary might have had in mind (in truth, she wasn't quite sure what that was), but Soh wasn't sure that she cared.

Music reverberated in the space as dancers continued to sway and dip behind her; her whiskey arrived right on cue, adorable with a little umbrella and cherries, one of which Soh promptly plucked from the glass to pop between her lips. She considered her options, propping her chin thoughtfully on one hand. Dancing was always fun. She had no desire to jump through fire, but skinny dipping was promising - although it might get a little chilly. The thought of stealing a bottle of whiskey and going somewhere alone had Soh sizing Charlie up from beneath her lashes, wondering just what the Ancient had in mind for such a plan. But the offer to chase couples on the beach from dragon back had Soh tilting her head back to laugh.

"As fun as all that sounds..." she mused aloud. "I don't know how I'd ever decide. But how about this: I'm a novice when it comes to having a good time, buuuuut you could teach me. You pick where we go and what we do, and I'll bring the enthusiasm." She flashed a winning smile. What could go wrong?

Don't ask cause I don't know
No idea just where to go

charlie

The rest of the night unfurls in a blur of laughter and glittering temptation. Charlie takes to the task of corrupting Sohalia with all the dedication of a priestess to her calling, which, in a way, she is. Drinks appear in their hands as if conjured, their little umbrellas wilting in the humid heat while they twirl through the sand, barefoot and brilliant beneath the flicker of firelight.

Together they bait a handful of handsome, sunburned men with the promise of attention, all wide smiles and teasing glances until the poor souls are leaning in, and then the girls are gone, cackling as they vanish into the dark.

Moments later, the night splits with the rush of wings. Charlie’s laughter echoes across the shoreline as she takes to the sky in her dragon form, scales gleaming like molten gold, Sohalia clinging to her back and shouting her delight into the wind. Below them, the bonfires shrink to pinpricks of orange and violet, and the two of them rise into the LongNight sky; wild, bright, and beautifully untamed.

~FIN

I did a double take, triple take
Take me to naked Twister back at your place

Code blatently stolen from queen of codes, Sky!