[Euphenia]

PB · DaFont · Aethereality · rcr · Obsidian Dawn· Beyond Tonight · Dreams Time

Oh, she was going to be so late!

With her arms full of packages, Euphenia rushed down the side of the street. The people along this road seemed as if used to the sight of the frantically running girl, and stepped to the side so they wouldn't get clobbered by her madly flapping wings as she zipped past.

"Sorry! Excuse me! Pardon me! Oh, I'm so sorry!" she wailed, distressed that she'd let time get away from her again. How could she have forgotten to strap on the watch Soren had let her borrow? She only had ten minutes, at least she prayed she had that many, until she had to be onstage for her performance! "Oh Goddess, Soren is going to be so angry!"

Next time, she wouldn't go grocery shopping until after she danced, and no browsing. Not when she had so much to do already. "Xanth, please may the Baron not be in one of his moods today," she pleaded while turning a corner and taking off for a familiar building. "Hold the door, please!" she called to someone who was just then pulling that very door open, "I'm up next!"

Not allowing the staring man time for an explanation, Euphenia squeezed by with a murmured, "Thank-you-excuse-me," and ran the whole way to the communal dressing room. Thank the Goddess she was at least good at dressing in a hurry!

[Dante]

"What a boring day."

Things had been far less interesting ever since his visit to Xanth's Grotto in the previous week. He had kept up with his journal entries though, regardless of the lack of eye-catching happenings or thought provoking words. That was fine, as such was to be expected during the holiday season. It was always the same. People would run around from one part of the city to another, acting as if life itself was in the balance, trying to find gifts for their loved ones. He had never begrudged anyone their frantic actions, though. He simply found it amusing. "I'm happy that my family is easy to buy gifts for," he thought as he wandered aimlessly through the streets of New Alexandria.

A very familiar set of flapping wings had caught his attention as he made his way along an unfamiliar street. They were attached to a woman that he had seen within the grotto, a woman that he had found fascinating and strikingly beautiful. It hadn't taken more than that to make him follow her, though at a reasonable distance. He didn't even have to pick up his pace to more than a jog, as the woman had already neared her destination. She seemed to be in a big hurry, darting through the open gate of what resembled half of a huge brass cage affixed to what appeared to be a two story building of red brick. Now that was something one didn't see every day. Had he even been down that way in recent years? Not remembering, and therefore not knowing just how long the place had been in existence, he advanced, intent on finding answers.

Once he got closer to where the winged woman had so swiftly gone, Dante slowed his pace to a casual walk, gathered himself, and made a quick entry in his journal while crossing the gate and heading for the doors beyond. After notating the sighting of the woman he had hoped to meet again and the brief 'chase', he lowered the journal to his side. His thumb stroked over the wonderful covering that he had received as a gift during his first visit to the grotto, and it was the feel of the embroidered dragon on that fine leather that inspired the faint smile stealing over his face as he entered what a colorful mural framed by the majestic brass bars proclaimed to be "The Birdcage".

As Dante found his way toward a small table located near the back of the main room, he made sure to stop a woman that had the look of a server and request a small drink. Seating himself, Dante took the time to look around. He then placed his journal on the table and made another note.

The Birdcage has a brass gate, one that's very unusual in shape, presumably fashioned to resemble half a birdcage. Once a visitor gets past that obstacle, to get into the building they must enter a pair of brass framed wooden double doors, and past those is a hallway no less than twenty feet long and ten feet wide. Once I had traveled the length of the hall, I was politely ushered through swinging wood lattice doors and into a wide circular chamber with what looks to be a stage at the far end. Not far from the entrance to this room are clusters of small round tables surrounded by comfortable chairs, or so it has been my experience with the latter. Now that I'm in the "Birdcage Proper", as it were, all of the furniture appears to be carved or shaped from wood. It's of a red hue, possibly cherry, and buffed till it shines. The floor is a type of stone. Many stones, actually. Polished river rock, if I'm not mistaken. If I'm reading the atmosphere right, this place is a combination of restaurant and entertainment, and that curtained off stage area is for dancers or musicians. Perhaps even both. Admittedly, I had hoped to see the winged woman again upon entry, but I believe that she may work here as a dancer. I can only hope that I am correct in my assumption. I will wait patiently for her performance, however long it may take.

Closing his journal, Dante smiled as the server brought him his drink.

... then he almost dropped the glass of juice that he had only just paid for when a loud "Squawk!" sounded off right by his elbow. Turning in his seat, Dante stared at a feature of The Birdcage he couldn't believe he'd missed before. Somehow he'd thought that the rocks, trees, bushes, and other forms of greenery that surrounded the room were just another mural. Sure, the birds that were included in the painting were very lifelike, but no one would keep living specimens in an enclosed place like that when there were refreshments being served, right? Feeling riveted to his chair, Dante watched as the parrot that had announced its opinion of his ignorance hopped from one tree branch to another. They were alive, all of them! But it didn't make sense.

Only then did he make out the clear glass separating the birds' enclosure from the rest of the chamber. Ah, so guests could watch the birds and vice versa, but neither could directly interact with the other. He looked around the room again, just to confirm his suspicion. Yes, the enclosure went all the way around, with only a few notable interruptions, such as the stage area and the way into the place. Interesting.

Flipping open his journal, Dante set to recording this new development, chuckling as the parrot from before made a repeated noise that sounded remarkably like a laugh. He had a feeling that he wasn't the only guest that the bird had surprised.

(( The partial description of The Birdcage was provided by Euphenia, and she is the one who requested it be included in Dante's observations. ))

[Euphenia]

PB · DaFont · Aethereality · rcr · Obsidian Dawn· Beyond Tonight · Dreams Time

Phen had to listen to Soren's scolding all the way down Dancers' Hall, which was accessed by a door to the right in the main hall that wasn't often noticed because it didn't have a green carpet leading the way over to it like the Grove's lattice doors did and it was painted the same color as the walls. She endured the barrage because, honestly, she was late, and she could dress much faster just listening rather than trying to offer up excuses.

"Euphenia, you promised that this wouldn't happen again."

Soren helped Phen lace up her bodice even as she reminded the winged nymph of her promise. Euphenia tugged on a slipper and started criss-crossing its ribbons as Soren tried to tame Phen's hair into a kind of bun, the dryad animal trainer already gathering in another deep breath to further her grumbling.

"How am I going to keep Baron Frost and Lord Snowflake from getting antsy when you aren't even here on time? How do you expect to keep your spot if you're always late?"

It was high time Phen tried to get a word in. "I'm sorry, Soren. I really am. I didn't put on the watch this morning." She tied the ribbons of the one slipper into a double bow, then started on the other. "But I'll get a watch today, after the show. I pro- ."

"You promise. I know." Soren sighed, fluffing the shorter of the ice phoenix feathers that made up the long tail-like skirt of Euphenia's costume. The nyad was one of the best dancers they had, though Soren had been sternly instructed not to tell Euphenia that. If only the girl's perfect timing extended past the dance floor! "Phen-phen, I want to see you succeed, but you worry me. I can't cover for you indefinitely."

"I know, and I don't want you to have to. I'll settle in, Soren, really." Phen smiled up at the dryad while she arranged her costume's headdress, fiddling with hair combs to try and keep her hair from getting in her face at the same time. "I appreciate all that you've done for me. If it hadn't been for you, I wouldn't have gotten my spot at all."

The dear was too nice. Soren smiled despite her anxiety and shook her head. "No more talking, Phen-phen. Go on. You look beautiful, as always. Go and knock 'em dead."

"Thanks, Soren!" Phen chirped, pecking the older woman on the cheek before hurrying out of the room, the other dancers calling out well wishes of "Good luck, Phen!" and "Knock 'em dead, Phen-phen!".

"Please, Xanth," the animal trainer prayed, following after Euphenia in order to get the Baron and Snowflake through their final preparations to be onstage, "Let this be enough."

-------------------- ~+~ --------------------

The curtains that hid the stage of The Birdcage between acts were a thick brocade, their pattern that of a forest with rich green leaves and sturdy brown tree limbs. The upper portion of the curtains looked like a blue sky with white clouds, and the bottom a carpet of shaded green grass with small patches of earth peeking through. That blended the closed curtains with the mural of similar design that ran all around the wide circular room that the dancers of The Birdcage called "The Grove", which was usually the place most visitors to The Birdcage ended up. The Grove was also the dancers proving ground. All of them had to earn their way up the hierarchy to get the best time slots for their performances, higher pay, and of course private dressing rooms. Yet even those near the bottom got to have their shining moments. One of Euphenia's was coming right up.

From the entrance to The Grove stepped lightly a young woman of spritely countenance. Her red-gold curls bounced as she skipped along, occasionally kicking a rolling green carpet to keep it moving before her. Her outfit could have reminded viewers of a macaw, with its scarlet red feathers forming a devilishly short skirt with a brief tail of bright blue and canary yellow intermixed. Blue and yellow repeated up above to partly hide an ample bosom, and still more feathers were arranged in her hair. As the chandeliers and other lights dimmed, a spotlight came from out of nowhere to pinpoint the prancing girl. As if summoned by that spotlight, heavy curtains slowly began to cover the bird enclosures, hiding them from view. When the young lady at long last had fully unrolled the carpet, its edge just touching the suggestion of the stage's steps, she stopped and spun around, waving to the gathered patrons with evident exuberance. "Greetings one and all!" she declared, her voice a pleasant, if a tad sugary, soprano, "It is my pleasure to bring your attention to The Birdcage's main stage as we present a special performance for your enjoyment. Dancing with two of our faithful feathered friends ... Euphenia Vallas as the Ice Phoenix!"

With a final grand wave of the announcer's red gloved hands, the stage's curtains parted and continued to open, revealing a backdrop of a moonlit pond, with the stage's floor shimmering with blues and greens, as if it were the surface of the depicted pond. In the center of the stage was a large brass cage, its shape a smaller yet complete version of the half a cage the club used for its gate. Within that cage the audience could likely see the back of a winged woman. Her wings were outspread, their feathers dove gray and yet shining as if dewdrops had settled upon them. Her outfit was white with touches of light blue, and ice phoenix feathers trailed from it, obscuring the outline of the back of her legs. The same type of feathers tufted up from her hair, and they as well as the ones below sparkled as if frosted. She held a fan in each hand, and these had identical ice phoenix feathers which also had that frosted effect. At that moment they were closed and kept at her sides.

The fans snapped open with a flick of the woman's wrists, and with that a slow, sultry song began to ripple its way throughout The Grove. There was the low thumping of hand drums accompanied by woodwinds. Soft notes seemed to guide the cage up off of the stage, their pace quickening as the cage rose. The fans fluttered, also seeming to be guided by the music, and in a graceful move the woman turned, one leg sweeping in a low half circle. Angling the fans so they hid most of her body, the dancer tilted her head, arching her body back to regard her audience with a subtle smile. Hints of white and blue glinted above her eyes, her face made exotic with her choice of makeup. Keeping one fan carefully in place, the other teased along her extended leg, caressing it before spinning slowly in the air. Gradually she undulated up from the floor, rolling her then revealed hips and swaying, turning around as her fans took turns hiding her midsection from those watching. However, on brief occasions, a peek was granted, the fans sliding away to show off a little more flesh, maybe a flash of crystal beaded bodice, before they resumed enhancing the motions of their wielder.

Funny how the announcer had seemed to disappear once the show had gotten started. Maybe there was a side exit near the stage itself? Or perhaps a trap door?

[Dante]

Dante had hoped that the woman who skipped toward the stage was the winged dancer from the grotto, but he found himself disappointed. It was another young lady entirely, likely an announcer of sorts. The beauty of the newcomer had never been in question, for in it he found no flaw, he just couldn't ignore his curiosity about the winged one. He had to see her. He just had to.

He cleared his thoughts long enough to open his journal again and make a brief entry describing the girl who was then making her entrance into The Birdcage proper. The outfit that adorned her was amazingly colorful, and had been very successful in gaining the attention of many of the patrons visiting the club. The kicking of the carpet was cute, if nothing else. After he made his notations, he considered closing the journal, but decided against it. He believed that the upcoming performance would be a good opportunity to make a record of some of the entertainments to be found at the establishment. He also hoped that his elusive beauty would make her appearance on that very stage, on that very night.

As he heard the colorfully dressed woman speak he cracked another smile. She had a good voice, perfectly suited for the task that she had been given. Yet it was the name that she mentioned that truly caught his attention, that of "Euphenia Vallas". His heart began to race in his chest. He wasn't sure why, but he had a feeling that this "Euphenia" would be the one.

His thoughts ceased as the curtains began their retreat to the far sides of the stage. His heart pounded harder in his chest. He sat straighter in his chair, eyes glued on the scene unfolding before him. He had no idea what the other patrons were thinking. He didn't care, as they didn't exist in his world. Not that night. They didn't matter. His eyes immediately fixated on the cage appearing beyond the curtains, finally seeing what he'd been waiting to see - the dove gray wings of the woman that he had briefly observed dancing in the grotto. He was unable to look away or even think any coherent thoughts. He was watching, hoping that she would truly be the one. The feeling that swelled within his gut, and the pounding in his chest, led him to believe that he was right. Yet in that moment, he was wanting more than just a feeling.

There was movement, the snapping open of fans. Music had begun to play, yet his mind only tuned in to it because it seemed to fit the scene so well. The cage lifted in time with the song, and the fans fluttered. Finally his eyes were granted the proof that he craved. Her movements were so graceful, so beautiful. He watched her, unwilling to look elsewhere, as she arched her body and smiled to the audience. He was captivated, lost in her dance and her smile. His world faded, and hers slowly began to envelope all around him. Soon there was only him and her. Dante and Euphenia. He felt as though he were dreaming. If he were, he didn't want to wake. The "dream" held the promise of peace and happiness, and he made no effort to try and understand the feelings that flowed within him. His eyes followed her every move. He simply wasn't able to focus on anything more than her. Even his journal was forgotten.

[Euphenia]

PB · DaFont · Aethereality · rcr · Obsidian Dawn· Beyond Tonight · Dreams Time

When offstage, Euphenia kept her body hidden unless she was alone. Layers of clothing were her protection against those who would single her out and prey upon her secret fear of being treated differently than everyone else. However, she'd learned that when onstage, being unique got you noticed in a positive way. So she'd played up her unusual attributes. Her mostly white costume made her seem even paler. Her wings' feathers were treated with stick-on dewdrop opals. The changing colors of her eyes, her heart shaped face, and her naturally rosy full lips were all enhanced by outlandish makeup. Phen didn't just dress like an ice phoenix when preparing to perform, she felt like she became one. In such garb, her usually careful mannerisms were set aside. She was the Ice Phoenix, a creature to be admired and desired. Powerful and alluring, she could entice without being afraid. No one would hurt her in The Birdcage. It was her domain. Her world. Her sanctuary.

So it was with the utmost of confidence that the costumed nymph tantalized her audience. She'd learned the art of fan dancing from her mother. While provocative, the style was more about illusion and grace than the revealing of flesh. Phen glided through the steps, slowly getting closer to the edge of the blue and green lit stage, as white lights danced like stars across the backdrop's sky.

As far as her patrons were concerned, the winged nymph wasn't wearing much beyond an ice phoenix tail and headdress beneath those fans, and they would be only partly correct. All of her "necessities" were covered, but since her skin was powdered to be as close to white as possible, her outfit blended in quite nicely when under the bright stage lights. She was happy to let them indulge in her perceived nakedness. It helped to hold her audience's attention, regardless of gender.

Keeping her "peepshow" to a minimum, Phen drifted across the boards of the stage, almost seeming to float as she swished the fans in motions harmonious with the comely swiveling of her body. One dainty slippered foot stepped over the lip of the stage, soon followed by its twin. She was heading into the audience, though at a carefully measured pace. She smiled winningly at those she came near, sometimes teasing with a flick of a fan. Euphenia never stopped dancing. She was constantly in motion. Even her eyes were busy, darting glances from face to face, searching for the right person to include in her performance.

Every time she danced at The Birdcage, the Ice Phoenix would choose someone from the audience to brush with her feathers and generally try to drive them out of their minds before escaping back to the safety of her "pond". There were many beautiful people attending that evening, but Phen could never bring herself to judge by aesthetic alone. Surely there was someone who would appeal ...

A scent trailed across her path. It was pungent, soaking into her nostrils unbidden. For a moment, her nose wrinkled in disgust. Then she was breathing it in deeper. Deeper. She turned, the fragrance spiraling within her lungs changing as slowly as she moved. The Ice Phoenix looked as though she'd entered a trance. Twilight eyes had gone half-lidded, her lavish lips slightly open as she followed the scent to its source. Thankfully her body remembered that it was supposed to be entertaining those around her, and therefore kept up with its dancing, though at a much more languid pace.

The aroma had become like a pheromone to her, drawing her in, making her crave more of it. Euphenia wanted to find whatever or whomever was secreting that beguiling balm and bury her nose in it/them. She owed the music for keeping her nerves from becoming frantic, and her training for the graceful movements that might have come close to those of a hungry animal. So instead she seemed as if in bliss, which wasn't a far toss from the truth.

[Dante]

His eyes remained trained on Euphenia as she danced across the stage. He was completely in awe of her grace and beauty. There was something about her that he found difficult to explain. All he knew how to do was write down his particular feelings and try to understand them as best he could. However, he had little success even with that, especially during that particular evening. His journal lay open on the small table in front of him, untouched for several moments and completely forgotten. The feathered dancer. The Ice Phoenix was all that held his attention.

As she moved off of the stage Dante felt his heart race even faster within his chest. He never expected that she would actually move down to the floor, closer to where he was. He had always assumed that the dancers would remain onstage instead of allowing their dance to cause them to drift to where their audience was watching. He was more than a little thrilled by this, though. THIS particular dancer was unlike any he had ever watched before. THIS dancer held his attention. She captivated him and held him as if he were a willing prisoner. He never wanted this "blissful" feeling to end.

He noticed her nose wrinkle. Immediately his heart sank, though only briefly. He assumed that she had noticed his scent. Despite his efforts to disguise it for his visit to The Birdcage he had apparently been unsuccessful. It was her actions after that caused his eyes to widen. Her mannerisms seemed to change, if only slightly. He noticed her moving toward him, eyes half lidded, her rosy lips. His heart raced unchecked, feeling as though it would beat out of his chest if not dealt with soon. He took in a deep breath, eyes locked on hers as she danced toward him. He was completely unsure how to react. He wanted to speak with her. He wanted to see her. But, he never expected this. He never thought that she would actually dance to him during her performance. It seemed as though their shared world would collapse, but it managed to hold together as he calmed himself little by little, watching and waiting for the winged beauty to make her way to an ever excited and nervous half-vari.

[Euphenia]

PB · DaFont · Aethereality · rcr · Obsidian Dawn· Beyond Tonight · Dreams Time

The odor was her guide, and she followed it faithfully. Phen didn't deviate from its course, and the stronger it became the more convincingly she danced. The nyad had a natural talent, it was true, but her performances had always possessed more art than raw sexuality. Phen had looked too innocent, too perfect, and was far too naive in the ways of romance to pull off such a thing. Yet that aroma changed all that. It charged her in ways she'd never experienced, bringing her nerve endings to life and stoking an inner heat that seeped into her heart and sought to remain. Subtly, oh so subtly, it had altered her. It had sculpted what bits of her had remained unfinished. The way she moved while questing for the scent's source was as a woman, no longer a girl, would move. A woman on a mission.

She'd never fully understood desire before, at least not when applied to another person. When her nearly closed eyes fixed upon the face of the one she knew down to her very bones was the one emitting that intoxicating smell, something zinged within her blood. A soft gasp escaped her lips as her eyes locked with his. "Like ice," she thought, intrigued at once, "Like pure, exquisite ice."

The steps that continued her path to the man took far too long by her reckoning, but she had to honor her commitment to the dance. He was Dracovari, that much was obvious by the serpentine shape of his pupils. "Goddess, he's so handsome," she sighed inside her head. Why did she want to touch him so badly? Even just to stroke his cheek would do much to satisfy the strong demand.

She couldn't, as it would ruin her performance. Not yet, anyway. She had always rewarded those she'd teased in the past with some light caresses, sometimes even a soft kiss on the forehead or cheek. For him, she could ... "N-no! What am I thinking?! I can't possibly kiss him!" What in the worlds was wrong with her to want her first kiss to be with a total stranger?

Despite her internal struggles, Phen didn't pause the dance. Keeping one fan strategically in front of her body as she was taught, she slowly twirled the other over her head and shook it, her signal to the crowd that she had chosen. To confirm just who she'd selected, and to appease the mysterious craving that had bubbled up within her, she gently swept that same fan down in an attempt to tickle Dante's left cheek with the tips of its feathers. She kept her eyes on his as she did so, fluttering her "cover fan" as her hips rolled side to side to draw the attention of those who could view her from behind.

[Dante]

The nervous feelings remained during her slow and hypnotizing journey toward him. Despite these feelings he remained entranced by her sensuous dance. He felt a change in the mood, and in her mannerisms. That's part of what made him so nervous that night. If he had not been so caught up in what she was doing, he would have likely been writing in his journal, trying his very best to describe what he was feeling. However, there was little doubt that he would be unsatisfied with any attempt to use words to describe those feelings.

The look in her eyes caused him to gulp and his heart to flutter. As she pointed her fan toward him, he arched a brow and nervously looked from side to side. He was curious if there was another person nearby that she might have been pointing to, but of course there was only he. Only Dante. "Oh boy.. Um.. what do I do? How should I be reacting to this? I-I can't even seem to understand my own feelings here..!"

The brush of her fan against his cheek somehow managed to calm him, even if only slightly. Dante straightened in his chair, taking in a deep breath in an effort to force his nerves to calm just a little more. She had his attention for sure now, there was no doubt about that. As Dante's eyes were staring into hers, a sense of longing suddenly came over him. He very nearly lost himself entirely in those twin twilight oceans, yet he managed to keep his mind focused on what was happening. Dante waited for her to make the next move. After all, he was entirely unsure what this was all about, and he had no idea exactly what he should have been doing. He only knew that their world had begun to reform back into seclusion from the rest of the club's patrons.

[Euphenia]

PB · DaFont · Aethereality · rcr · Obsidian Dawn· Beyond Tonight · Dreams Time

"He's nervous," Phen thought as she practically floated across what space had remained between her and her "target". By body language alone, the nyad had discerned that this was one member of her audience that had never counted on the Ice Phoenix choosing him.

The urge to comfort and reassure the handsome stranger fought against her training, drawing Phen ever physically closer to where the man sat. Shelving the temptation to push him away from the table and gracefully sit on his lap, the nyad instead slowly turned in circles around the back of his chair, her fans taking turns in teasing what was exposed of his neck and hair. Once she had gotten to where she could face him again, but on the opposite side from before, she propped a slippered foot on the seat of an empty chair nearby, exposing her mostly bare pale leg and its admirable muscle tone.

It wasn't part of her act to sing when she danced. Phen had always intended to ask Soren if she could try it before actually doing so. Yet right then, asking permission was the furthest thing from Phen's mind.

"Where do you come from?
Who do you know?
Why do I see you
Wherever I go?"

Her wings fluffed out as Phen sang in a voice made sultry by her recent introduction to desire. It wasn't too hard of a transition, really, since as the Ice Phoenix she'd gone through the motions. Letting the chair momentarily support her weight, Phen stepped up and onto the tabletop, artfully avoiding knocking over the man's drink. She continued her dance from there, though it had become more fluid and seductive since she'd first smelled that intoxicating aroma. She made it more than obvious that the target of her attention was the one she'd chosen, but the club's patrons seemed to be enjoying the spectacle anyway. There were a couple of catcalls amidst the polite applause, one asking for her to, "Come over to my table, baby, and I'll tell you where I'm from!". The Birdcage's security made their presence known at that point, though they didn't escort the gentleman out yet. They just stood around and gave him sharp glares. He seemed to get the message and swallowed the next suggestive statement that was almost past his lips.

"Why am I missing
You when you're gone?
Why do you inspire
Every little song?"

Phen lowered herself eventually sit on the table, tucking one of her fans into the back of her costume and keeping the other for the illusion of coverage. She leaned forward, crooning to the likely stunned man she was so interested in.

"Who can you be, now?
Why do I feel
Like I should know you,
With a love so real?

Where do you come from?
Who do you know?
Why do I see you
Wherever I go?

What is it you want?
What should I say?
If I danced with you
Would you never stray?"

Sliding off the table, Phen's feet found the floor and she just kept moving. Going around her chosen's chair much as before, she whisked the fan she'd stowed so she had one in each hand once more. On impluse, she stopped where she could bend over him, and tried to press a lingering kiss on his cheek. Her audience giggled, clapped, and some hooted. The last got looks from security and calmed some.

Phen stood back up and winked at the 'vari who had captured all of her attention. She had to stay playful and aloof, or the crowd might have noticed that her song was being fueled, at least in part, by truth.

For the last few verses, Phen barely danced at all. She wanted to focus on the music, and on making each note be filled with the longing that had taken possession of her.

"Where are you going?
Can I go, too?
I have realized,
That I was waiting ...

I was waiting ...

Yes, I've been waiting for you."

As she sang the final verse, drawing out the last word, Phen drifted back towards the stage. She kept her eyes on the man she'd created and sang a song for as she went.

[Dante]

He began to breathe easier as she worked her way around him, closing his eyes and enjoying the feeling of his neck being teased, even if it was only a fan doing so. That it was Euphenia's fan that was doing it was what mattered. If it had been anyone else, he likely would have given them wary glances, as he had never been truly comfortable with too much physical contact. There had been handshakes, of course, and hugs for his family, but beyond that, nothing. He had always been far more accepting of watching others and learning about them. He'd practice his study habits observing people as they went about their business, or while he sat on a park bench and watched mothers chase after their unruly children in vain. That always managed to bring a smile to his face. Yet the desire and longing that had begun to overwhelm his entire being was something that he never expected. Something far more, and far different, from anything he had experienced in his life.

When she faced him again he glanced over, noticing that her foot was now propped on a chair next to his own. His eyes briefly focused on a nicely toned leg, though they worked their way up toward her face at a pace more rapid than they guessed most other patrons may have chosen. He loved looking into her eyes, studying her face, and seeing the various angles of her beauty. However, it was her voice that he had never had the pleasure of hearing before. So when she sang, his feelings began to resonate within him, becoming all the more imposing. He lost himself for a time as he listened to her words, words that stayed with him. Words that he understood on some level. Deep within he felt something within the song, something that made it seem as though this song was indeed about them, Dante and Euphenia. He didn't try to understand why he believed so, he just accepted it and listened to her. He watched her lips mouth the words, and appreciated the warmth rising within him.

The hoots and suggestive calls of other patrons went unheard by the 'Vari as he listened to the beautiful song, completely enraptured by her lovely voice and the look in her eyes. He felt as though he could lean in and kiss her when she sat down on the table and started her crooning. He wanted to. The desire was nearly overwhelming, but he managed to push it back. It left him slightly confused, though he refused to allow himself to focus on that right then. He logged it away in his mind and returned his full attention to the winged woman before him.

He felt a little disappointed when she lowered herself to the floor, assuming that to be the sign that the act was coming to an end. He had found himself hoping that it would last for just a little while longer, though he was certain such was a forlorn hope. It was the kiss that truly caught him off guard. The pressing of her lips to his cheek caused his desire for lip-to-lip contact to surge to the surface. He battered it down, but his cheeks flushed with a mix of embarrassment and passion. Freezing for a brief moment, he simply wished that he could do more. Yet, when she winked, his body again somehow relaxed. He read a small promise in that wink, even though he figured it was all part of the act. He managed a polite yet interested smile for her before she began to make her way back to the stage, led Dante to believe her performance was coming to a close. That time, though, he didn't feel disappointed. He found himself wishing that the show would end, and that the two of them would finally have an opportunity to talk with one another. He wanted to know the real Euphenia Vallas.

[Euphenia]

PB · DaFont · Aethereality · rcr · Obsidian Dawn· Beyond Tonight · Dreams Time

It was time, time for the grand finale.

Phen's insides were vibrating, full of adrenaline and spiritual energy, feelings that always came when she neared the grandest part of her performance. There was also something new. It was exciting and different, but at the same time, frightening. Ice blue eyes filled her vision, and Phen gulped down the knot that sought to possess her throat. She was nervous, more so than ever. Phen found herself wanting to impress a man she'd never before met. He had smiled at her, and that had made her day, but what did he think of her?

The nyad added a couple of extra seconds to her dance routine, facing away from her audience as she waved her fans about behind her. She took some deep breaths and then slowly let them out again. It wouldn't do for her to get anxious, especially when she had yet to start the more challenging part of her show.

She felt it, the running water that was cunningly hidden from view along the inside of the raised edge of the stage. Phen Called to it, sending ripples of her spiritual bond with the element toward the captive current. The water gradually began to bubble as a sign of her effort. Phen had to hold the connection, only upon the moment of the Shaping could she release it.

"Please Xanth, let Soren have calmed down the Baron and Snowflake," she prayed, starting a slow spin over to the front-right of the stage. Sweeping a fan away from her body while the other kept her "covered", she swished frosty feathers just over the stage's edge, momentarily hiding the elevation of the Baron's own brass cage through a trap door. As she drew her fan back, she executed a trick only someone of her mixed heritage could achieve. Simultaneously, both fans snapped back as the music took a dramatic turn, both mimicking a sudden flurry of snow that threatened to become a blizzard. Her wings swept forward to replace her fans in keeping her supposed nakedness hidden, their jewels catching the light and shining like precious gems. She had fallen to her knees, tucking her fans behind her into a part of her costume designed to keep them open and as steady as her sense of balance would allow.

The Baron put his tail up on display. He was quite the sight, for the water Euphenia had Shaped had made his cage into a glistening prison of ice, with large icicles in the shape of snowflakes spiking out from its sides. Phen almost seemed to float to her feet. Her costume now had a double tail, the one below and the short one above. The ice about the Baron's cage melted and its door opened, so as one she and the bird could strut to center stage. Keeping her arms crossed behind her back, Phen stuck to the simple routine that had been worked out between her, Soren, and the birds. The Baron was the more talented dancer of the two ice phoenixes. He certainly was aware of it, but wasn't showing any of his primadonna tendencies that night, much to Phen's relief. He allowed her to share the spotlight with him, and followed the twists and turns that guided the pair in a figure eight that repeated to place Euphenia at the left-front of the stage.

She repeated her display of before, decorating Snowflake's cage with the same frost, the same snowflakes. They performed an identical dance as she had with the Baron, though the first ice phoenix stayed in the background to allow Snowflake his due, much to the Baron's displeasure. Snowflake wasn't as graceful or attentive to detail as the Baron, so he missed some steps. Luckily for the bird, Phen could adapt fast enough to make it seem as though such changes were meant to be. Soren, waiting in the wings and whispering cues to the birds, knew otherwise and vowed to spend more time with the feathered dancer and the ice phoenixes after the show to drill more techniques into Snowflake's stubborn brain.

When Phen and Snowflake's duet was done, they shuffled toward the back of the stage to be beside the Baron. Then, as the music swelled into a crescendo, all three pranced together to be washed with blue and white lights at center stage. Water fountained up from the edge of the stage, Called into movement by the winged nymph who frolicked beneath the resulting mist.

It was when each droplet froze in midair that Phen grabbed her fans and enthusiastically began to dance in earnest, the two ice phoenixes strutting in the background. The shards of ice glittered like diamonds as they fell, tinkling as they bounced across the wooden boards of the stage floor. The music rose higher and higher, with Phen moving as if it were surrounding her, her wings rising and falling as if in flight. The song was carrying her away. Closing her eyes, Phen imagined her final pose, the reward to her patrons for so patiently watching and listening to her show. She did a final spin, then flung out her arms, her wings fully unfurled and dazzling in the lights. Her costume was fully revealed for the scant covering that it was, and her body shimmered wherever the soft beaded material of her outfit touched.

The music trilled softly, and Phen smiled as she opened her eyes to the loudest applause she had ever received while working at The Birdcage. They liked it! No, they loved it! Excited, she curtsied as Soren had taught her, then back up some to gesture to each of her feathered friends to allow them a bow apiece. She took another when the applause kept up, and beamed when it got loud again when she did. Blowing her wonderful audience a kiss, Phen then clucked her tongue at the ice phoenixes and turned as the curtains came sweeping across to hide the stage from the audience's eyes once more.

Phen's last thought as she nodded to Soren before fleeing for the dressing room was, "Soren doesn't look too mad. That's good. Hm. I wonder if I'll ever see him again?"