I hope you dance

Nova

Between antics, Nova is on the hunt for something fun to do, and the fluttering of colorful silk strung between buildings easily draws her attention. She skips between the buildings, the warm lamplight catching the vibrant yellow of her dress as it flaps around her legs. Her magic reaches up to brush against the cloth, watching as it flaps in the breeze, various shades and patterns catching her eyes as she lets out a giggle, spinning carelessly in the middle of the street. 

The young woman doesn't realize what kind of neighborhood she enters, but she feels the shifts in gazes. Whereas most people look to her with a quiet amusement or open exasperation, there's a different, darker feeling that brushes against her skin, like smoke coating the starlight of her smile. It's not uncomfortable, but it certainly makes her curious, and her head spins around to take in the shadowed doorways, her green and blonde hair brushing her shoulders in the movement. A thought crosses her mind that maybe she should be 'cautious' as her mother recommended, but then music is catching her ears. 

Nova lets out a small gasp, her quick feet carrying her to the doorway of a particularly lively bar and dance room. She grins, taking in the space like a girl seeing diamonds for the first time. Without a second thought, she's stepping into the space, her glittering blue eyes immediately looking to find a dance partner, her feet already shuffling to the beat of the music.

There is a certain beauty in chaos,
magnificence in the uncontrollable.

I'm bringin' sexy back
Them other fuckers don't know how to act

Sometimes the stress of dealing with infected sisters and single exes and an invaded city and everything else gets to be too much.

Sometimes even a try-hard idiot like Koa deserves a night off.

The bar wasn't quite as bumping when he'd slid in two hours earlier, but nightfall turns the Silk Houses into a different beast. By the time he's finished third drink the space had filled with nighttime revelers; now it's full enough to burst, and the dancefloor is starting to pop off. Koa watches it with amusement, copper eyes glittering in the pulsing light. Many are the nights that would have found him in the middle of that crowd, dancing with the confident abandon exclusively found in those who are young and hot and relish both.

Nursing his fourth drink and a comfortable buzz, Koa finds himself quite content to enjoy the people-watching from his corner of the bar. And if his gaze is shifting automatically to every blonde head that appears among the milling crowd, it's not because he's looking for anyone in particular. Tonight is not for dwelling on the women who haunt his life like horny, poorly-timed ghosts. It's for relaxing, and having fun, and....

...wait, he knows that blonde.

Koa Carpenter

If that's your girl, better watch your back
'Cause she'll burn it up for me, and that's a fact

Nova

It's not surprising that people notice her when she walks in the bar, considering the fact that she's quite literally glittering. Per her tendency when excited, a light shimmer of illusion magic sparkles around her body like subtle starlight as she bounces onto the dance floor with a delighted giggle. She spins once to the music before she's swept into the arms of a man. He's swaying a little strangely, grabbing her close with stumbling hands over her backside. At first, she laughs to have found a dance partner so quickly, but that doesn't last long. 

Nova's only had alcohol a few times in her life, but she's fairly certain that's what the rank smell on his breath is. She leans back, her face scrunching in disgust as she pushes her hands against his chest to escape the suffocating stench. It doesn't change the fact that he has her firmly against him, palming her roughly in a way that she doesn't particularly understand or like. 

Smacking her hand against his chest, she blasts his face with a gust of air. "Rude! Let go!" He just laughs trying to move her to the music when she'd much rather dance alone at this pont. "Don' be like tha', pretty." She nearly gags, shoving harder against his chest as she begins to consider shifting and tearing the insufferable man to shreds.

There is a certain beauty in chaos,
magnificence in the uncontrollable.

I'm bringin' sexy back
Them other fuckers don't know how to act

The bar doesn't need a disco ball: Nova is doing an excellent job all on her own, light her glittery sparkles absurdly eye-catching as she spins across the dance floor. They certainly catch Koa's attention; he finds himself watching amusedly at her spinning, giggling form, finding her absolute abandon charming, in an almost childish way.

But beneath the amusement there's something else, something sharper and less fun. A soldier's vigilance is a hard thing to shake off, and Koa's seen enough men (and some women, let's be honest) act like absolute fuckwads when drunk to keep an eye on things. Especially when a girl like Nova is involved, all radiance and innocence, the perfect prey for a piece of shit.

The crowd moves as the music changing, and Koa finds himself starting up onto his feet as he loses sight of the blonde. Before he can remind himself that this is not his problem and he is not on duty he's pushing into the swarm, moving with practiced authority through the revelers toward where he last spotted the girl. There- he catches a glimpse of glitter beyond the broad backside of a clearly inebriated man, and it doesn't take a professional bouncer's experience to see exactly what's going on.

Koa's hand lands on the drunk man's shoulder, pulling him back far enough to create a space between him and Nova - a space that Koa could easily step into, should the need arise. "I believe it's time for you head home," he says mildly, but his voice, eyes, and body language carry the calm authority of somebody who has done this many times, and has no interest in your shit.

Koa Carpenter

If that's your girl, better watch your back
'Cause she'll burn it up for me, and that's a fact

Nova

Before she could make the very reasonable decision to shred the man to ribbons with her jaguar claws, the man is being pulled away from her. He tries to hang on, but his drunken grip slips as an annoyed look comes over his face. "'Ey! Wha' are you doin'?!" A familiar face stands between them, and Nova brushes an unbothered hand down her dress with a small pout, hoping to rid any of the stench from her. 

Undeterred by the looming Dragoon, the man's posture sways as he moves towards Nova again, as if he might push past Koa despite the stern recommendation. "She wan's to dance! Le' me dance wi' 'er!" Tilting her head up, she flicks the strand of green hair behind her shoulder. "I don't want to dance with you. You stink." Her face scrunches again as she smells the thick alcohol scent still reaching her nose over the distance between them. Even if he didn't reek of sweat, alcohol, and bad decisions, Nova gets the feeling he wouldn't be a very good dancer, and she turns away like she's dismissing him. He seems to take the hint, letting out a low grumble as he shakes Koa's hand from him. "Fine, bu' I'm no' goin' 'ome," he said, then casts a scowl over his shoulder as he moves to find another bottle of something. 

Clasping her hands behind her back, Nova gives Koa a beaming smile. "Do you want to dance?" Nothing in her expression implies that she was nearly assaulted, a nonchalance about her that might be considered naive.

There is a certain beauty in chaos,
magnificence in the uncontrollable.

I'm bringin' sexy back
Them other fuckers don't know how to act

"You heard the lady," Koa smiles easily, though the steel of his grip on the stranger belies the mild tone. But he isn't working today,  so he lets the guy shake him off, satisfied Nova is going to be left alone. Let the bouncers do their jobs and get him off the floor. Koa isn't in the mood to start a backstreet brawl.

He watches the retreating back, only letting his guard fully drop when he's satisfied the guy won't immediately circle back and make Koa put him in his place. Flexing out his fingers, he turns back around and is immediately bemused to find Nova not only unfazed, but asking him to dance. "Sorry about that- that dude was a piece of shit. You sure you're okay?" Koa raises an eyebrow, wondering if Nova is too drunk or too naive to realize the position she was in. And while he really hadn't planned on dancing tonight, who could say no to that face?

So he shrugs, shifting his grip on the glass in his hand. "Sure, why not?" He'd basically invited her out, after all, and now that they're here he might as well lean into having a good time. So he lets his body start to move,  not reaching for Nova but syncing to her beat, happy to give her a chance to take the lead after her last partner had tried to revoke that right.

Koa Carpenter

If that's your girl, better watch your back
'Cause she'll burn it up for me, and that's a fact

Nova

She barely watches the man leave, and when Koa asks after her wellbeing, it takes a second for her to think of why he might be concerned. Her head tilts innocently. "Hm? Oh yeah. I'm fine. I'm just glad I didn't have to get my paws dirty." She lets out a soft giggle, dismissing the worries with a flippant wave of her hand. Because if he hadn't stepped in, she might be the one getting escorted out as she ripped her claws into the man (or covered head to toe in permanent glitter). He got off easy in comparison.

Instead, she gets to hang out with the one kind enough to step in when he thought she was in danger. Smiling, she joins Koa in moving her feet and hips to the music, carefree and completely entranced by the music. Starlit illusions form around her as she twirls alone, letting the notes guide her in a graceful dance that she hums along to, her yellow dress flaring in a way that makes it easier to see the bumble bees stitched into the hem. There's a lightness to her movements, like she's never had to worry about a single thing in life. 

Despite how much fun she's having, it doesn't take long for her to want someone to guide and spin her around the dance floor. But when she looks up at Koa, Nova can't help but laugh. "What kind of moves are those?!" It's not insulting, but playful in a way that makes her blue eyes sparkle.

There is a certain beauty in chaos,
magnificence in the uncontrollable.

I'm bringin' sexy back
Them other fuckers don't know how to act

Paws? Koa's confusion is carried away by Nova's bubbly giggle - or maybe he's too pleasantly bemused to be phased anymore. The combination of his buzz and Nova's buoyant nature make for an intoxicating combo, and he's finding it hard to feel anything but the beat of the music and the warmth of the room as they fall into a comfortable pattern of movement.

Her playful teasing may make a less self-assured man quail, but even in the wake of his recent rejections Koa's ego is enough to take such a gently lobbed insult. "What, these moves? he laughs back warmly, raising his arms to perform a classically cheesy interpretation of The Sprinkler and somehow still managing to make it look good.

Taking a step closer to Nova, he tilts his head, a playful challenge in his copper eyes. "Why, what kind of moves did you have in mind?" She doesn't seem like the kind to hesitate when it comes to asking for what she wants, and if that's to grab his hands and really get this party started, who is Koa to deny her that?

Koa Carpenter

If that's your girl, better watch your back
'Cause she'll burn it up for me, and that's a fact

Nova

His laughter and subsequent display of 'moves' has her laughing more. Instead of his good looks or strong muscles that bulge with the flexing of his arms, Nova pays attention to his confidence, the easy way he teases and shows off in the middle of the dance floor. It almost makes him sparkle in her eyes, although not nearly to her level, but there's a twinkle there.

Not one for 'personal space,' Nova barely notices as Koa makes his way closer. She also doesn't recognize the challenge in his eyes, more excited at the chance to show him exactly what she means. "Well, my sister and I usually dance together. Like this." Her delicate hand reaches for his and pulls in closer, tilting her head up to giggle. He's close enough to smell the ocean breeze in her green and blonde hair, the sweet scent of flowers and peach lip gloss. Nova flashes him a bright smile, the freckled stars on her cheeks stretching with the motion as she reaches her other hand up to his shoulder then she begins to move to the music again, light and carefree, not needing any alcohol in her veins to enjoy the feeling.

There is a certain beauty in chaos,
magnificence in the uncontrollable.

I'm bringin' sexy back
Them other fuckers don't know how to act

Her hands are small in his and butterfly-soft, the glitter she radiates creating a halo effect as she looks up with that effortless grin. Koa, of course, smiles back boldly, one hand shifting easily to her hip. "Alright, I got you. Follow my lead!" And then he's pushing her back, her hand in his, before pulling her into him again with a flourish and a laugh. His feet move with the music, keeping a six-beat pattern constant as he repeats the step, this time spinning Nova around before they reunite. He'd taken swing classes for a while when he was younger (mostly as a way to pick up girls), and while he may be a little rusty, it doesn't take much for him to get back into the swing of things (eh, eh?).

There is literally nothing flirtatious in Nova's manner, as far as he can tell (and he can usually tell), making this experience that much odder while simultaneously that much more free. It's more like dancing with his sister than a stranger in a nightclub, fun and friendly and without all the tension of are we gonna go to your place next, or mine? "So where are you from?" he asks as they once again come together, Koa's hand returning to her hip as he leads her in a triple step. He'd guess Torchline, from the sun-kissed freckles and the faint scent of salt spray she carries around, but it's never polite to assume.

Koa Carpenter

If that's your girl, better watch your back
'Cause she'll burn it up for me, and that's a fact

Nova

She lets him guide her, soaking in the proximity like an extension of the music, her body shifting and twirling like it's second nature to spin through the notes and into his arms. A light laugh follows her movements, punctuated with a flicker of sparkles. "This is much better." Not just his impressive dancing skills, but the way they move together, like petals falling gracefully into a pool of moonlit water. 

Considering the fact that Nova doesn't know how to flirt - for any reason other than getting guys to do what she wants - it's not surprising that Koa doesn't see any hints of interest. She lives too much in the moment, unconcerned by subtleties or hidden meanings. It's why she usually misses sarcasm or disguised cunning. She likes to think that's one of her many positive attributes. 

When she spins in close again, her eyes are fully focused on Koa and his question. She doesn't try to be mysterious or complicated, just answering truthfully as she flashes him a smile as bright as starlight. "The stars, but I live in Torchline now." As if that's not the strangest answer that might elicit a grocery list of questions, Nova tilts her head innocently. "What about you?"

There is a certain beauty in chaos,
magnificence in the uncontrollable.

I'm bringin' sexy back
Them other fuckers don't know how to act

It is much better, Koa agrees. He's glad (if slightly alarmed) to see how unfazed Nova is by the encounter with Grubby Hands McGee; it further solidifies his assessment of her as a bubbly and perhaps concerningly airheaded literal ray of sunshine. She twirls like a top beneath his arm, her dress flaring out prettily across the dancefloor. What would have happened if someone less malodorous but just as malicious had gotten to her, first?

The memory of what Sohalia told him - I was attacked - flashes through his mind, and he feels his elation dim.

But only for a moment. Koa's eyebrows raise in confusion at her answer, because it truly makes no sense. "The stars?" he repeats, tilting his head curiously and inspecting her more closely. The freckles on her face do look like stardust, and she is incredibly naive, and Nova will have the amusement of watching Koa's expressions as the pieces click into place, until he's left standing still with eyes wide open, his mouth a little bit agape. "Wait, are you Safrin's kid?!" He'd heard rumors of the triplet children, but he hadn't expected to run into one in the seedier side of Stormbreak and oh gods he basically told her to come here and then she almost got assaulted, Safrin is going to fry him alive.

Koa Carpenter

If that's your girl, better watch your back
'Cause she'll burn it up for me, and that's a fact

Nova

Nova might prefer the comparison to a ray of rainbows or maybe a supernova, but she'll take 'ray of sunshine' any day. She certainly looks like one when her dress catches the light, bright yellow and full of life that seems to shimmer if you don't look too close. 

His question is met with a nod of her head as she continues to bask in the music, used to the surprised response. She only slows when Koa stops, his shock more dramatic than most people who make the connection. His open mouth is especially goofy looking, and she has half a thought to close it for him. Nova giggles a little, trying to guide his limbs into moving again as she blinks innocently up at him. "Mhm! Do you know my mom?" As if her mom is just a common housewife that lives in Torchline, and not the best goddess in all of Caido.

There is a certain beauty in chaos,
magnificence in the uncontrollable.

I'm bringin' sexy back
Them other fuckers don't know how to act

Okay, fine- she's the scintillating tail of a comet, crystalline facets refracting light through the dark dance hall. Better?

Unspoken hypothetical compliments aside, Koa's having a great time - until, of course, he figures out who her damn mom is. Swallowing, Koa finds he's grateful for the way the low light hides his flush. "Know her?" he repeats, because saying oh yeah, I know Safrin! feels absurdly casual and not even remotely adequate to encompass his relationship with the goddess. "I, uh... yes?" They're moving again, Nova's gentle nudging pushing Koa back into automatic motion; he twirls her away then pulls her back, looking down to meet her eyes. Eyes which are obviously Safrin's, now that he looks closely: the blue is dark as a midnight sky, with tiny stars refracted within.

"She's been my patroness," Koa explains, his smile growing soft and warm with adoration for his goddess. "I owe her- shit, so much." He laughs brightly, shaking his head. "It's so cool she's your mom! What's that like?" It's an innocent question. Totally not weird. Koa's not jealous. Definitely not.

Koa Carpenter

If that's your girl, better watch your back
'Cause she'll burn it up for me, and that's a fact