Legend of Ransera

There were rare occasions that found Nnerka on the street for work. Or, well, thinking about work in any capacity outside of the walls of the Velvet Cabaret. It was not that she did not enjoy her job; being a courtesan provided one with the opportunity to encounter a wide variety of people. An interesting assortment of tastes that sometimes aligned with her own, and seemed almost trivial to her. Brow raising, to be sure.

But of late, she’d found it not robbery to attempt to understand what it was that made people seemed so enamoured with having only two legs. From her understanding, they afford limited speed and hunting with them was a lot different. Less...precise. To her, at least. She fanned herself where she sat, lounging easily.

There had been an assortment of gazes on her. Eyes lingered before glancing away to return to their tasks just before her eyes could meet them. Not that she minded much. Nnerka — even with only two legs and secondary arms tucked away for the most part (currently, crossed under her under her chest) — was still an oddity. An interesting creature to observe with the way the pink of her hair shone and black of her eyes seemed to swallow the light.

But — the insufferable heat.

She scooted to touch closer to the shade, spreading further out on the bench. She hadn’t heard complaints about her taking up practically all of it yet, cheek resting in the palm of her hand as her eyes drooped lazily closed. One set watched as spiders in a tree made their webs, a sort of respect in her observance of them. And then, with a bit of a start, she realized something: she was bored. Bored, and warm. Two things that made for a recipe for napping, and she was pulled once more to her tiny spiderling days of quiet afternoon naps in cool places. Holes dug and lined with webs to be more comfortable. She couldn’t exactly do that in the middle of the street and she suspected she would need to do a lot of digging to make a hole she would fit in.

With a sigh, she let her eyes close. At least, six of them. Sprawled out over a bench, she looked picturesque, gaze far off and expression almost wistful.

It was the darkening of the sun’s path to its rays reaching her skin that caused her to look up. A figure shrouded in the darkness of the angle. A moment’s irritation passed as her brows furrowed, a hand lifted to block the rest of the sun the other had missed in an attempt to see him properly. Squinting further, she sat up slightly. Her hair fell over her shoulder as she shifted her weight to her elbow. A single dark brow rose at his inquiry. This was what he’d walked up to her for? Her other eyes opened, one after the other, to stare him down a moment.

“There’s room enough for two.” An automatic accommodation followed, limbs being rearranged to allow him space. He seemed jittery, and when he moved he clinked. The other brow rose.

She was used to the sort of staring that Charlie seemed to do without trying to hide it. Or maybe he wasn’t doing it consciously at all. The stirring of something other than curiosity and far from hunger hit her as she sat up. Drawing herself to sit upright on the bench — she towered over her. As she did most people. An inclination of her head, a cock of her hip to rest a bit more of her weight on one hand.

Without the impeding of the sun and shade and angles she didn’t care for, she could fully take the man in. Just as his gaze had drifted over her figure, so too did hers. Somewhat; she allowed two or four eyes to slide down his frame and back up to his face. Not without noting the coin purse at his hip, of course. And how dark his attire was. Her brows rose higher. There were always signs for a fool, and this man was one of them.

Brushing hair from her shoulder, tucking strands carefully behind her ears she turned her attention back to the crowd. Watched the way the people move, as if oblivious to the other’s presence or simply ignoring him. Either option worked, really. A singular eye would turn his way, the faintest of smiles on her lips.

“Do you intend to sit with me in silence, or did you have a conversation planned when you walked up to me?”

Her smile spread slow as he spoke. Bold; she liked it. Indeed a contrast from the client she had taken before, skittish and unsure. A rare occurrence for one to be sure of themselves. Enjoyable, usually as well. But he moved fast, almost jumpy. Attitude and movement contrasted, creating an interesting reaction that she wasn’t entirely used to. A blink, a calculated delay of the action across all eyes creating a ripple, as she turned her full attention to Charlie.

“Not exactly, no. I haven’t had many asking me for a drink. I think I may look a little too frightening for most.” She wasn’t one to play coy, usually. The act itself was something she didn’t think suited her much. And yet, there she was, tucking more hair behind her ear and feigning some level of bashfulness. Terribly. But she suspected that the other wouldn’t care much. “But I would love a drink. It’s rather hot today, isn’t it?”

Her smile wasn’t wide enough to pull at the seams of her mouth and reveal the teeth that lurked beneath, but it wasn’t small enough to fall up her attempts at being coy. Not that she needed it. “Charlie.” She let the name roll off her tongue, head dipped in a nod as if to confirm she’d heard it right. Her gaze on him was intent, mostly on his face. Mostly. Two pairs of eyes strayed down to the coin purse at his hip again.

The fae could say that she thought he knew if anyone asked. If he tried to raise a fuss later. It was entirely his fault for walking up to her with money on his hip and a dopey smile on his face.

“You can call me Nnerka.” She leaned forward, glancing down at her legs. “You wouldn’t mind helping me up, would you? I know a place we could go to.” The slightest inflection of her tone, a tip of her head; she was just shy of puppy dog eyes that she had never quite figured out how to get to work on all her eyes.

She wouldn’t have said she was posed that way on purpose. Merely that it had been more comfortable a position with her extra limbs and larger frame. But — as he spoke, his voice did a thing. A slip of an accent that she couldn’t place. Probably somewhere from the surrounding area of Kalsazi she had never ventured to before. It grew thicker the more he talked. She might say that it was even endearing.

It became more endearing when paired with his enthusiasm to do as she asked. He stood before her with speed that could only come from someone eager to please. He’d even nearly tripped. A pathetic display, one that might have been a cry for attention and adoration from someone he clearly deemed attractive enough. Adorable. To be so completely enamoured with someone and only have their name — Charlie made excellent prey. If this were outside the boundaries of the city and she were hungry enough, he would have made for an easy meal. In a way, he still was.

While it had been evident that she was taller than him while seated, it would be more so as they stood side by side. There would be the uncomfortable angle needed to hold her hand, one she took pity on him for. “It might be better if you were to hold my other hand.” At first, it would not be clear what she meant, until one of secondary arms slipped out from her clothes. Her kimono slipped down partly with the movement.

On this rare moment of walking among the crowd in a less than “monstrous” appearance, Nnerka’s second arms were much like the first — easily mistaken for the appendages of a humanoid creature. Five slender fingers edged in long nails. She traded the upper for the lower, passing Charlie’s hand down to the lower. A much better angle for a walk, and one that allowed him to be closer.
And much easier to lead.

She had not gone far from her place of employ to begin with. Already, she could see the crimson arches and dark tiled roof of the cabaret coming into view. “Anything you fancy drinking?”

She could work with wine. Her favorite was one that had become more popular within the lower areas of the city, considered uncouth by higher circles. Or, it was a matter that they were simply cowards. She’d seen plenty of faces pale at the sight of the bottle. Nnerka wondered if this would be the case with Charlie. Her smile widened partly, a delight in the prospect. “Very well.” The words might as well have been sung as she lead him closer to the cabaret.

The familiar grounds she lived on were upon them soon enough. Her grip on his hand tightened as she took to the stairs, her steps slow but not uncertain. Careful. There was a difference in balance when there were only two legs to work with rather than six. As they approached, the guards of the cabaret stepped aside from the door. They cast almost piteous glances Charlie’s way.

“Apologies; I’m not used to walking like this.” It was followed by a sigh as she pulled him further inside. The inner trappings of the cabaret were decadent. As they should have been. Patron and courtesan alike crossed their paths as the made it to the theater. The fae noted that there were a few more people within today at this time than days passed. She wondered if there might have been a performance she hadn’t heard happening.

As she approached the bar, she noted that the bartender was not one she was very familiar with. Probably a newbie; they didn’t gape at her, but they did stare between serving patrons. Nnerka gestured for Charlie to sit by the bar, taking a seat herself as she leaned up against the counter.

Her lips quirked up into a smile different from the one she’d shown Charlie thus far. “The Suzumebachi, if you please.”

The bartender nodded, lips pursed. They, personally, weren’t much a fan of the drink. For one, it had bits of hornets swirling around it. Some, still whole. The bottle itself was large, the liquid within a deep brown, tainted further by the floating insects inside. Until their shells caught the light and they seemed to glow. Two glasses were placed before them, the bottle slid their way.

“Have you ever tried this?”