Fire on the Water

[BlackAkuma]

She was beautiful.

It was a simple thought, not complicated or controversial, but it was the main one that crossed Asp’s mind as she sat cross-legged on the gym floor, watching this voluptuous, gorgeous woman spin before her. She twirled on the pole with a preternatural grace, in total control of her moment, her speed, her weight, as if gravity were only the smallest inconvenience to be ignored. It didn’t look difficult, and that was the wonder in it - so many would have struggled to pull off a single one of these maneuvers, but she flowed from one to the next as if it came to her as naturally as breathing, here and there and there and here, spinning and twirling, her flaming red hair cutting crimson arcs in the air…

Aspasia hadn't come to the gym for this. Really, she hadn't expected to see any other women at this gym at all, let alone ones who would stun her like this. She only ventured to this gym for a change of pace, as much as she enjoyed LAW’s facilities, they could be a touch chaotic even at their best, and with a PPV on the horizon, they tended to turn into a hotspot. Lots of wrestlers there, and with so many in one place, it was a hotbed for backstage ambushes and spontaneous makeout sessions.

She wouldn’t have minded the latter, frankly, but the former made them not worth the risk. Her instincts told her to look elsewhere, and that elsewhere was the Rodriguez Gym, set up not too far away. A smaller facility, more intimate, more private, and willing to let her use the place without a full membership. It suited her needs.

She arrived as the sun was setting, slipped into her

, and hit the floor, running a circuit through the leg machines. It would’ve been an acceptable, if average, way to spend the night.

But then Asp spied her, this woman wrapping herself around the pole, and she found herself entranced. Before she knew it, she was spending too much time at the nearby water fountain. She preferred the weight machines closest to her. Asp was a student of dancing, of choreography, and she found this woman particularly mesmerizing. From one artist to another, she had to spectate.

That all led to where she was now. Sitting. Watching. As if it were a private show she had paid for.

She might still pay, too. There was no way to know how the woman would react to her watching, but she suspected it wouldn’t be taken as a slight. If it was, she was more than prepared to make amends.

[Liesmith]

Someone was watching her.

She always knew.

But Tris was ready to admit that the Rodriguez gym made it a whole lot easier, which was just one of its charms as far as the redhead was concerned. Despite its proximity to LAW, the overwhelming majority of those she’d seen using its facilities were serious gymgoers. There to work out, do their time and go on to whatever took up the rest of their days.

Particularly at the times Tris was prone to darken its doors (early morning or late at night), almost nobody paid any attention to her beyond the basic courtesies. No fans, no gawkers, not even any creepy-crazy stalker-nuns – what wasn’t to like?

Not that she’d signed up for a full membership or anything, Tris liked her freedoms too much to risk tying herself down like that, but the quaint little oasis of calm and tranquility was rapidly becoming her favourite late-night workout spot.

It hadn’t been some great mystery who her nameless watcher might be, either. Tris hadn’t even really been looking, content as ever to let the situation develop, but she’d gradually become aware of the other redhead caught by her spell. At first, it had just been glances. A blaze of red just present in the corner of her eye. But gradually, the other woman had moved closer, ever closer to her present position.

If she’d been fond of stellar metaphors, Tris might have compared her watcher to a comet trapped by a black hole but, given Tris’ personal predilections, she preferred to imagine the other woman as a sailor lured in by the Sirens or snared by Charybdis.

Somewhere along the line, Tris had slipped seamlessly – so much so that not even she knew when – from practice to putting on a show. She might not be pulling out her best tricks but she hit all the fun beats as she spun and twisted, dancing for an audience of one to a beat only she could hear.

At last, she slowed to a stop, sliding down the pole elegantly to land on her feet. Griping the pole with one hand, Tris offered her audience the shadow of a curtsy, dipping her head and flaring her other arm out to the side. Her chest rose and fell with her every breath, a sheen of sweat gracing the skin bared by her black top.

Only then did she raise her gaze to meet her admirer’s amber eyes. The shadow of a smile tugged at her plush lips, the exhilaration of flying still strong in her veins.

“You know,” Tris began, folding her arms, “I don’t normally do free samples…”

[BlackAkuma]

Strictly speaking, it wasn’t polite to stare. But, Asp’s defense, it wasn’t often that you came across so much to stare at.

The redhead - the other redhead - cut such an impressive figure that Aspasia was simply unable to look away, too caught up in the artistry of her movements to do anything else but enjoy the show. And it was a show, she was sure of that. She was making absolutely no effort to hide herself or her attention, and while it was possible that the woman was so wrapped up in her routine that she didn’t notice anything around her, it would’ve been exceptionally hard to notice a woman sitting only a couple yards away from you with blazing red hair. Aspasia was used to standing out in a crowd.

It was hard for her to be sure - again, pole-dancing was not her specialty - but she was reasonable certain that the woman was putting more effort into the display now, too, taking more care to show every angle and giving herself quite the flourish.

It all came to an end soon, too soon for her tastes, as the woman descended and regarded her with a curtsy, putting the bow on her performance. Aspasia happily played into it, giving her a well-deserved round of applause, before she pushed up and stood for the approach.

The comment brought a quick laugh out of her, though she couldn't help but notice the accent behind. A thick and rich brogue, English, savory to the ears. ”I don’t mind compensating you, it would be money well spent. My wallet is in the locker, though, so…”

She happily skipped over to her and nodded the woman’s way as she passed. ”Aspasia El-Shenawy, a pleasure meeting you.” She reached out and grasped the pole, just wanting a feel of it. She could still feel the woman’s heat in the metal. ”You’re exceptionally skilled. Where did you learn?”

[Liesmith]

Knowing next to nothing about her audience as she did, Tris hadn’t known what reaction to expect from the other redhead. Applause was always welcome, though awed silence was also more than acceptable.

Even in her post-dancing high, Scylla’s eyes were still keen, her gaze flitting unashamedly here and there as her not-so-secret admirer unfurled herself and came over. The other woman was about the same height as she was, but built very differently – lean and lithe and leggy with drum-taut abs, all sleek sexy muscle in a way that made Tris guess…

Dancer? Gymnast maybe? Had the grace for either, that was for sure. And it’d explain the interest.

Her voice was intriguing though. What was that accent?

Tris put that by for later though, chuckling in her turn as her remark was taken quite literally.

“Ah, no need,” She waved the idea away, only to quirk her head as a thought occurred to her, “Or, if you prefer, we could just say you owe me?”

Which was most likely a wasted gesture even if the other redhead agreed; in a city the size of Tokyo, what were the odds of her seeing this woman again? Unless of course Fate said otherwise…

Then Aspasia went and introduced herself, tossing any of her vague notions out the nearest window.

“Beatrice Harper,” Tris offered with a lightly flirtatious smile, “And the pleasure’s all mine.”

She turned, watching but not seeing the other woman’s hips as they swayed by, her attention diverted by the name. Her mum would have disowned her if she didn’t recognise it but that didn’t mean she’d expected to hear it in a Tokyo gym of all places. And El-Shenawy? Arabic per chance?

Oh, it was quite the fascinating conundrum she had here, for all that she was sure the explanation would be rather drolly quotidian. They usually were. People, in her experience, often seemed far more exciting on the surface than they actually were, once you got into the guts of their petty little lives.

Though, of course, that didn’t mean it wasn’t worth exploring…

“Here and there,” she admitted with an offhand shrug, acknowledging Aspasia’s praise but clearly taking it as nothing less than the truth, “On the job, from the other dancers. Some classes. Lots of Youtube.”

And plenty of falling on her arse along the way of course. Fortunately, it was well-padded.

[BlackAkuma]

Asp knew when she was being watched.

She always knew.

Of course, it would be odd if Beatrice wasn’t looking at the woman talking to her, but watching was different from watching. In specific, Asp had a good sense when someone was checking out particular parts of her body, a helpful skill in her particular style of dance. Knowing where the gaze was told her what to emphasize, where to draw attention, and where to pull it back. Dancing was just like any other - you had to know your audience, and her audience at the moment was scanning her all over. Approvingly, if she had to guess.

This one was fun, though, Asp could tell that already. She enjoyed a lilting laugh at the prospect of owing her, and decided to keep that play going. ”Perhaps. Though I’ve never liked owing people. It’s stifling.” She moved around the pole and peeked around it, her smile half-covered by the metal. ”I’m sure we could work out a more immediate form of compensation.”

She put just enough allure into that tone to hint at something sensual, but not outright propose it. Maybe she was teasing? Maybe she was serious? Beatrice could take it however she liked.

Without thinking, Asp casually swung around the pole, a light imitation of Beatrice’s own moves. She was sure it wouldn’t impress even a novice, but Asp felt she already had a better feel for it than most would’ve.

”Beatrice Harper. A lovely little arrangement of syllables.” She was earnest, loving how the name flowed off her tongue. ”You can shorten mine to Asp, if you like.”

Beatrice’s final comments drew the most attention, as Asp dared to pick up a little speed in her circling, though she wasn’t daring to let her feet leave the floor just yet. Getting a feel for the motions, the rhythm, the balance. ”I’m a dancer myself, but I’ve yet to try this kind. I always found it fascinating to watch, though. The hand placement, the movements. The way you master centri…centri…” She snapped the finger on her free hand for a rotation as she tried to spit out. ”I cannot say this…centrifugal force. That. It’s such a unique, striking way of dancing.”

She came to a stop behind the pole and took a moment whip her neck about, unraveling her braid, which had curled around her throat like her namesake, from her throat. She could see that this sort of dancing was a problem for her, and she might have to commit the ultimate sacrilege: putting it in a bun. ”But your job, you said? Other dancers? You’re a professional, exotic?”

She hoped that wasn’t too presumptuous, and there wasn’t a hint of disdain in her voice. Some would look down on that particular form of expression, but Asp would never be one of them.

[Liesmith]

Tris wasn’t being shy about looking – and it was, if not approvingly, then at least with distinct interest. But then her new friend hadn’t exactly been shy either, neither in the looking nor in the flaunting her body to best effect. It was inclining her further towards ‘dancer’ in the occupational stakes. Not that gymnasts didn’t have that level of body control, most of them just used it for other things.

Less fun things, if you asked Tris, but then she liked breaking men’s minds with a roll of her hips.

It was her turn to laugh though, as Aspasia revealed her dislike for being indebted to people. Tris could relate to that.

“A woman after my own heart,” she observed, keeping her tone casual as she watched the lithe redhead play peek-a-boo around the pole. It was cute, she suspected deliberately so, but two could play that game.

“Not wanting to be tied down by people’s expectations,” Tris went on, nodding thoughtfully, “I can respect that…”

Her lips curled slyly, her hair hiding one bright eye in darkest shadow.

“Perhaps you should make me an offer I can’t refuse?”

If their dance had been merely verbal up till then, Aspasia – Asp, Tris decided, was just too mundane for this beauty – felt the need to make it more… literal. She took a hold of the pole, swung herself around it with no little confidence.

Tris’ fingers twitched as she watched, eager to correct the other woman’s grip, but she held back. Mostly because having that body slammed into hers was not how she wanted to explore it. And clearly Aspasia had – if not a clue – at least some awareness of how far not to go. She just kept her orbit going, letting her momentum carry her along…

The braid was going to be an issue though, she thought absently, tapping her fingers against her thigh to give them something to do… Luckily, Aspasia stopped before she was in serious danger of hanging herself, flicking the offending length of hair back into place with a clearly practiced toss of her head.

Only to ask a seemingly innocent question.

Tris paused, partly considering and partly looking for that subtle hint of scorn. Was it there? She wasn’t seeing it, wasn’t hearing it but she’d known Asp for all of sixty seconds. And that accent, increasingly growing on her, could be hiding a healthy dose of bitchiness.

Was it? Guess she’d see.

“Guess you could say that,” the British redhead said after a beat, “Or I was at least. I got into it when I went to uni, it’s a great way of paying the bills.”

Well, it was for someone with her looks and talent at least – she’d never had a problem raking in the tips.

[BlackAkuma]

She was already smiling - usually smiling when she met a new person, just by default - but her smile grew wider at the sound, and her eyes widened. It took real effort not to join in the laughing, and she partially failed. A few giggles slipped out. ”Like an invisible leash, yes.”

As the woman spoke, Asp’s attention drifted down, down, down, taking in her full form. Not just to admire her body - though her body was certainly admirable - but to consider the purpose behind. The legs in particular were impressive, reminding her of a certain Frenchwoman’s. The kind of legs that didn’t come about through happenstance or even a regular exercise routine, but through rigorous focus and discipline.

The list of questions she wanted to ask Beatrice was getting long by the second.

The idea of compensation was interesting, though. ”Perhaps I should. I think I will. In a moment.” She would let that answer hang for a moment. Not too long. She already knew where she was going; there was no rush, and the confirmation of her suspicions piqued her interest first.

”Was?” She pouted and swung around again, daring to move a little faster, before she returned to her position with the pole between them. ”That is a shame. I would’ve loved to see you perform, truly perform. On the stage, in your element.” The sadness wasn’t faked, either, not even a little. Dancing was art, and the idea of art beyond her reach always saddened Asp. It was like knowing there was a book out there she would’ve loved to read but could never get her hands on.

Asp stopped for a moment, content to stand by the pole and lean against it, lazily running her bare leg over the metal. ”Myself, I danced with a traveling troupe, though I’ve been away from them for a while, too. Raqs Sharqi. ‘Bellydancing’.”

Asp ran a lazy hand across her stomach and said the name with a little mirth, always finding the common name amusing to say out loud. She hoped it wasn’t presumptuous to assume Beatrice didn’t know the style’s true name. In her experience, few did outside of her own culture. Not too many in her culture, either.

[Liesmith]

Speaking of people looking, that was a look Tris never got tired of – a pair of eyes drifting subtly (sometimes more so than others) down until they got caught. Hooked. No prizes for guessing where either.

Aspasia had been doing a good job too. But as the saying went, the thighs had it.

Casually, as though she’d not noticed, Tris stretched, arching her back like a cat. Twisted at the waist, letting Aspasia get a good long look at the shorts-stretching weight of her hips and haunches. Like any good dancer, she made a show of it, using her finely-honed control of her own body to put herself on display for her new friend’s appreciation.

Not just the more obviously appealing aspect but also the coiled strength in the smooth muscles hidden beneath the curves.

“Mmm,” She came out of the stretch with a soft groan of appreciation, ”Take your time.”

There was a playful edge to her grin, it was clear repayment wasn’t the only thing on her mind.

“Not too long though,” Tris went on lightly, stepping past her fellow redhead to where she’d left her things, her broad hip brushing lightly against Aspasia’s as she went, “Or you might not be able to handle me.”

Aspasia’s admission was met with a sympathetic nod, albeit one that was more performative than truly bothered. Much as she loved to dance and always would, Tris had put that part of her life behind her, just another stepping stone on the road to tomorrow – wherever she might take it.

“Maybe you will,” she said, and left it at that. Though, if Aspasia did see her on a stage, it wouldn’t be the one she’d imagined.

As the conversation turned, the other redhead continued to find ways to intrigue Tris. It hadn’t been much of a revelation when Aspasia had noted she’d been a dancer herself, merely confirmation of what the Brit had already guessed.

Belly dancing hadn’t been on her bingo card but, once Aspasia had translated the Arabic (which predictable had Tris raising her brows enquiringly), she thought it fit the other woman perfectly.

“Fascinating,” Tris nodded, absently brushing a mirroring hand across the few inches of her own toned tummy exposed by her top. Unlike so often, she genuinely meant it – her own exposure to the art was limited to lifting a few tricks from Youtube videos but even that had left her with no little respect for its practitioners.

“Maybe you can show me sometime,” She went on lazily, ”One performer to another.”

In other words, not counting against what Aspasia might owe for Tris’ dance earlier.

[BlackAkuma]

Perhaps it was her upbringing combined with her current profession, but Asp sometimes forgot that not everyone appreciates being blatantly looked over from head to toe. It had gotten her into small spots of trouble from time to time when someone caught her staring a step too long and ventured into awkward territory. Not serious, but she’d made a handful of apologies.

For some reason, she had a sense that Beatrice wouldn't be so offended. Maybe it was the way she carried herself, the easygoing air she had about her. Or maybe it was the way she was stretching now, unapologetically putting her body on display, presenting herself as if she didn’t have a single thing to be ashamed of.

And by Asp’s opinion, she absolutely did not. She could already tell that Beatrice had a fine body; she would have to be literally blind not to see that, but the stretching told a more impressive tale. Beneath the curves, true power was bubbling, hints of unyielding muscle, like monsters roaming beneath the calm water’s surface.

Asp wanted to touch her. That was a body made to be touched.

But she kept lust and longing in check, not wanting to scare a potential friend away. She found herself hoping this was what it could be, too, even more than she did by default with people she met. Though, if the way Beatrice brushed against her as they passed was anything to go by, perhaps she wasn’t the only one with such notions. ”Oh, I don’t know.” She hummed asBeatrice passed and tilted her head, getting an alternate angle on those infinite curves. ”I can handle more than most people think.”

She made a mental note when Beatrice left the idea of her performance open - she wouldn’t press the woman on it, no matter what happened, but she wasn’t apt to forget that, either. She finally pulled away from the pole and strolled over to Beatrice’s side, stretching a little as she went as well - arms up high, torso torqued, neck rolling as she stepped. She lacked Beatrice’s rolling curves, but that made it easier to see what was going on under the skin. The sinews in her arms, the twisting muscles.

The abs, of course. Always, the abs.

‘Fascinating’ was a word she’d heard often whenever this subject came up, but unlike most, she could tell from Beatrice’s tenor that there was genuine intrigue there. A hook. That, she could work with. It gave her ideas.

She looked left. Right. Others were around, but most were far away. They were as private as you could expect in a public gym. Idly, she put hand on her hip and lazily swung her braids about, as she wrestled with her words. Only for a moment.

”Now is ‘sometime’, isn’t it?” Her default smile gained a playful edge, sharp enough to cut. ”A demonstration. To the music of your liking.” She leaned forward and kept her voice low, a conspiratorial whisper. “You have given me three shows so far. It’s only fair.”

[Liesmith]

Well, this was turning into an unexpected delight.

Normally, Tris found she preferred solitude at the gym, having the freedom to just be without having to deal with other people’s expectations.

Aspasia was proving to be the exception, even if the other redhead was ogling her every bit as much as the thirstier individuals of her acquaintance. If anything, she was more brazen about it, which Tris could appreciate.

Not that she minded; it just showed Aspasia had excellent taste in beauty as well as in dance.

Walking over to get her things, Tris made a point of rolling her hips that little bit extra as she went, only to pause at Aspasia’s comment. She didn’t turn precisely, just flicked a meltingly sultry glance back over her shoulder.

“Maybe we should put that to the test sometime.”

Certainly, if she was reading the signals correctly, she wasn’t the only one so inclined. Tris liked to think she had a fairly good ear for people and, if Aspasia wasn’t flirting right back, she’d eat a hat.

Which led to all sorts of questions about where this might go, but the paler redhead was content to see how things spun out without trying to push too hard one way or another.

Aside from anything else, Tris found herself wondering what it’d be like to roll with Aspasia. Not that she’d bring it up without prompting, but there was something about the play of sleek muscles under that beautifully tanned skin that intrigued her regardless of the other woman’s skill or lack thereof. How that firm physique would feel like against her own, pinned under her own.

It was an intriguing thought, not uncommon when Tris met someone with a body she liked. Most of them she’d had her wicked way with eventually, one way or another. And she certainly liked Aspasia’s body; trim and toned, strong she imagined but without the bulging bits that she found so distasteful about bodybuilders.

And, if nothing came of it, she’d have had a pleasant conversation and perhaps a new friend. Hardly a bad haul for a morning’s play.

Her curiosity was further aroused though by the subversive glances the other woman cast up and down the gym, like something out of a spy film.

“It certainly is,” Tris agreed, matching Aspasia’s smile with one of her own, “And how could I turn down such a generous offer from such a beauty.”

She paused, tapping a finger thoughtfully against her pursed lips. Tris had a good memory for music, could list many pieces. But she’d never picked one for a belly dancer before, plus she wanted something… a little challenging.

Got it.

After naming her track, Tris stepped back, took a seat on the floor where Aspasia had been only minutes before.