[C][AU] The Travelling Show

Near the castle, a new ship had made camp during the night.

Now, in the mid-morning signs of life were beginning to appear around the ship.

No less than a dozen people had set begun to set up a camp, and set out long benches in a U formation.

Now the people, mostly female, were practising an expressive dance.

It turned out being a defender of the universe was pretty boring. Sure it was nice to relax after the wild twenty-four hours he had the other day. But it turned out that all there was to do on that ship was to train or to fix things. He would rather lie around a chat to his new team mates, which earned him a "can you please just go outside?!" So that is exactly what he ended doing. Exploring the surrounding area.

He noticed a camp not too far ahead. He frowned. That was definitely not there a few days ago.

Did the others know about this?

He made his way over, a soft "wow" uttered under his breath. It was a group of alien dancers - moving in ways totally different from what he has seen at home. Bodies bending and curving to a beat.

He hoovered on the outskirts, not wanting to disturb them. But the longer he stood her, the wider his grin got. He was starting to feel like a creep.

Time to be diplomatic, he supposed.

"Hello there!" He called, making his way into the camp.

At Amr's greeting, everyone stopped what they were doing an turned to him.

It was the eldest of the women, a tall green-skinned woman with three eyes who had an elderly appearance, that stepped forwards to greet him.

"Come, come." She reached for him. "Come, sit, and enjoy the show. Our girls will entertain you well." She ushered him to the U shaped bench. "Sit. We shall get Tibor. She is the best young dancer we have for you. Sit, sit!"

Just a few minutes later the area had cleared besides the elderly woman, a few men with instruments in their laps and another young woman. Her blonde hair was long, brushing her curvy waist. Her skin was a pale blue, and her eyes a more vibrant shade of the same blue. Her neck and wrists were adorned in gold jewellery, and a long flowing skirt sat on her hips.

The woman walked towards Amr, her steps graceful as she walked on the balls of her feet.

The music began, and her hips began to move, shaking the golden ornaments that hung from them.

He was suprised by how eager they were to greet him. With how hostile all the other aliens have been, he was comeing to expect it. It was nice to be greeted with the same warmth.

"Thank you," he said, fascinated by the third eye. As he was sat down his attention was quickly diverted.

The dancer presented in front of him could only be described with one word: alluring. From her long blond hair to her blue skin decorated with gold jewellery.

His eyes roamed freely over her body as she danced, heat rising to his cheeks. The older woman who greeted him didn't lie. She really did move more gracefully and beautifully then the other dancers he watched secretly.

Tibor looked up at Amr through her lashes as she danced for him.

She was fairly new to this ring of dancers, but she had swept people away with her skill.

And she enjoyed looks just like the one Amr was giving her.

She moved towards Amr on the walls of her feet, hips moving in tight circles to make the golden ornaments dance.

He you take his eyes off her. Especially her hips. How they moved so effortlessly. He drew his brown eyes up towards her stunning bright blue ones.

"You're mesmerising."

He wasn't embarrassed by what we said. It was the truth. And he wasn't going to hold back on compliments when a compliment was due.

A little smile quirked Ti's lips at the compliment.

This was why she enjoyed entertaining people. because they enjoyed it. She could create such a strong reaction in them, just by doing what she loved doing.

She turned her back to him, looking back at him over her shoulder and smiling again.

Then the tempo of the music changed, becoming more fierce and upbeat. That had her moving in a whole new way.

And this went on for over half an hour before the music came to an end and, panting heavily, Tibor dropped to her knees in the centre of the stage area. Her smile was still in place. Despite how exhausting it was, she had thoroughly enjoyed dancing like that.

"Well done, my girl. Well done." The elderly woman stood and held her hands out to help Tibor up. "Now, you go talk with him while we get you something to drink."

Tibor nodded and moved forwards in the same graceful strides she'd entered the stage with, and sat next to Amr. Close enough that her warm thigh brushed against his.

"I am Tibor." her voice was deep, with a husky quality to it that made it quite androgynous.

Amr stayed seated. Hands and feet tapping to the beat. Shoulders swaying side to side time to time. His brown eyes never left Tibor, focusing on the effortless movements of her waist then up to her blue eyes.

With a smile like that he he wasn't even disappointed when she stopped. Especially if it meant she could sit and talk to him.

"Amr."

He became hyper aware of her thigh against his. There was an urge to rest his hand on her thigh, but he kept them firmly on his own. That could come across a little forward, and he didn't want to scare her off. Not while he didn't know enough about their culture.

"Where did you learn to dance like that?"

In hindsight, it was a pretty dumb question.

"My mother mostly." Her mother had taught her most of what she knew. The rest she had pucked up or made up herself.

"You enjoyed the show?"

Her head tipped to the side and a long strand of hair caressed her face

Okay, not as dumb as a question he originally thought. That was an answer he could relate to. He was expecting her to say some far off place he wouldn't know off.

He nodded enthusiastically to her question.

"Yes! You were... amazing."

Pushing someone's hair behind their ear wasn't too forward - right? He wondered, as he did just then. Back of his fingers brushing against her cheeks.

She smiled a little bashfully when he complimented her again, and a purple shade bled into her blue cheeks. The sudden darkness to her skin showed off the pale blue freckles that were difficult to see against her blue skin.

The wig she wore shifted slightly when Amr tucked a lock of it behind her ear; an ear that had prongs of cartilage connected by thin webs of skin.

The hair underneath her wig was the same brilliant blond shade, but much shorter. With the little shift of the wig, you couldn't see much bar the little feathery strands around her ear.

"I'm glad you enjoyed it." Her bright blue eyes glittered. "Would you see another dance, after I've rested?"

Amr noticed her freakles as she blushed. They were cute. But his attention was quickly diverted when he realised that her ears weren't very... Ear-like. Or human-like. They reminded him a little bit of fish fins. He didn't even notice that her hair was a wig - helped by the fact that it blended seamlessly in with her hair.

"Would love to."

He dropped his hand on the seat and leaned on it heavily. She was a fair bit shorter then him and he had to look down.

"Maybe you can teach me?"

"You're too skinny."

Her hand pressed to his stomach, pushing his shirt up. "You need meat to dance like I do." Amr was toned but noticeably skinny. He wouldn't do well with this style of dancing.

"You're better to just enjoy."

Her fingers slipped over his stomach slowly as she pulled her hand away.

Fleck inhaled sharply as he felt Tibor's hand slide unexpectedly up under his shirt. His muscles tensed.

Well, now he knew resting his hand on her thigh wasn't going to be a big deal at all.

"I - right. Sure."

It was his turn for a little bit of colour to rise to his cheeks. Muscles jumping as her hand slid back down and away.

"I am very happy to just sit here and enjoy."

She'd made him nervous. Or aroused. The two were difficult to tell apart sometimes.

Her lips parted, but closed again when the elderly woman approached carrying two glasses.

"Thank you, Baba," Ti thanked as the glass was handed to her. Within the glass was a hot tea, a translucent red-brown colour.

"You two are getting along well, my boy. I hope you won't be stealing my best dancer away," the old woman cackled as she held out the second glass to Amr.

"Thank you." He took the hot glass from her hand. "I will try not too," he laughed. Even though, right now, he would really love to. Maybe show the others what a fantastic dancer Tibor was.

The tea smelt and looked familar to Amr. He took a sip and a warm smile followed.

"It is like the tea from home."

"You be sure not to. We like our Ti here with us." She gave Ti's bare shoulder a rough pat then disappeared again, giggling to herself.

"It's made with flowers from my planet. I grow them here on the ship." It was one of the few things she had from home. Her little 'garden' area in the ship was her haven.

She drained the tea quickly, and set the glass down by her ankle.

"Wow, really? That is cool."

He paused in thought, stewing over his tea.

"If you have enough, you won't mind if I take, or buy, some? My brother and I will really appricate it."

It will be a hell of a lot better the the food and drink the Alteans have. And it will be nice, having a little something that will remind him of home from time to time.

"Ah, yes." She stood and held her hand out to him.

She didn't give him a chance to reach out for it. She had already leaned down to grab his hand and pull him up. "Come. I have some stored."

She pulled Amr along, up into the ship and through numerous hallways, until she came to a door that she opened with a read of her palm.

When they were inside, she pushed Amr to sit on her bed, and went about pulling a chair from her desk over to stand in front of her door. She pulled her skirt up and climbed up onto the chair so she could reach for a small metal tea tin on a high shelf.

The room was fairly large. Large enough that it held a fine double bed, a large wardrobe, a small desk and two large bookcases without it seeming cluttered. It was neat, bar a few scattered pieces of jewellery. The only thing that seemed strange about the room was the line of featureless metal heads lined up at the back of the desk. Most of them had varying coloured long wigs. One was sans wig.

She jumped from the chair and sat on it, facing Amr. She held the tin in her lap, then held it out to him. "This is a good batch."

Amr had to be dragged. He found himself constantly being distracted and looking around as they made their way through the ship.

Entering Tibor's room and pushed down on the bed he continued to look round in fascination. Neat but homely. He liked it. Much more then the empty room back at the castle.

"Cute room," he commented. His eyes landed on the row of wigs. Following them along until he landed on the empty metal head. His eyes were on Tibor again as she settled down in front of him, her long blond hair floating about. Oh.

His smiled as he took it, opening it up to smell inside. His smile grew wider.

"Thank you!" He closed the lid and settled the tin in his lap. "Can I repay you in some way? I mean, I don't have any money... Although that is probably useless out here anyway."

He let out a laugh again and wondered: Did aliens have their own currency, or was there a universal currency? It was something he had to find out some other time.

She opened her mouth at his question, and her cheeks coloured purple. her pale freckles stood out in stark contrast again.

She averted her eyes and cleared her throat.

"No. Just enjoy the tea. I like doing things for others. If the tea reminds you of home, take it. I know how important being reminded of home is."

Her fingers toyed with each other in her lap, and she began picking at the golden ornaments attached to the skirt.

Heat rose to his own cheeks when he realised what he said and where he was and what it implied. And by the looks of it, so did Tibor. Although he wasn't opposed to that type of repayment.

"Thank you, again. It is sweet of you."

Although he had a feeling Tik will appreciate a little something to remind him of home than him.

"This whole welcome has been super nice. Everyone I have met so far have been kind of hostile."

He leaned forwards, resting his elbows on his knees.

"Between you and me, I have only been in space for a few days."

"We abhor hostility." Their entire band was dedicated to entertaining and making people happy. She hated seeing people unhappy. There was too much unhappiness in the world. She wanted to take it away if she could.

"I hope you dont dislike space if you met with hostile people."

She continued playing with the golden ornaments on her skirt.

"Glad to hear that. The whole world - well, universe - will be better with more people like you."

He really did mean that. Amr and his brother were pretty accustomed hostility. A vast amount of people just didn't like where they came from or left uncomfortable when they were chatting to each other. All because of some stereotype they had.

Amr tries to fight back with a smile and thick skin.

"Honestly, I don't. I think this is all super exciting! Nothing like I imagined, but still!"

Being the defender of the universe and having to destroy an evil universal ruler came as a surprise.

"That's why we travel." Her smile brightened. "To spread the acceptance and to lift the spirits of all."

Her arm spread as she talked, as if she was gesturing to 'all.'

"I'm glad. This world is too great to dislike over a few people." Tibor genuinely loved the universe and you could tell with the sheer amount of passion she spoke with.