It’s very busy tonight at the cabaret club, thankfully you were able to grab yourself a seat at one of the tables a bit further from the center of the main floor where it tended to be the most crowded because the place certainly filled up very quickly. Leaning back casually in the plush velvet chair, you swirled around the glass in your hand full of the drink you’d gotten from the bar and had been nursing for the past hour or so. It was certainly a nice night to be out at the club, you don’t really come here often enough to be considered one of the regulars. But you loved watching the cabaret performers really put on their best displays, and tonight was certainly one of those nights where they really pulled out all of the stops. Pretty much all of them had been quite exceptional so far, for certain… But there had been some especially notable standouts this evening, and one that you’d had your eye on in particular had been that lynx lady whom you’d last seen disappearing backstage after putting on such a wonderful show tonight.

Kira was her name… A somewhat mysterious girl who’d only just joined the cabaret lineup as a performer a few months ago, a still fairly recent addition to the troupe. She hadn’t exactly had much time in the spotlight when she’d started out. She’d mostly been relegated to the background playing piano or violin as one of the many interchangeable members of the band, or as a backup singer and dancer supporting the main star of the show. You remember seeing her around here and there even outside of the club, walking home with groceries after doing some shopping, sitting in the local coffee shop nursing a drink, and even wandering through the local park when she wanted to be somewhere quieter. She’d always seemed so shy and reserved, keeping mostly to herself and almost never seemed to be accompanied by anyone else. You’d wondered if maybe she was new in town and was nervous being around so many strangers, or if she was just a bit of a lone wolf in general who wasn’t much for socializing. Though as you started seeing her every so often while out and about in town, you would greet her as the two of you were passing by each other. And in return, she would flash you a bashful little smile and give a quiet ‘Hello’ before continuing on her way.

Though when she’d made her huge debut as one of the new main star performers in the cabaret club, you were honestly surprised to see this seemingly completely new side of her… Any trace of her prior shyness seemed to be completely absent as she danced, leapt, and spun around the stage with a daring yet expert grace, singing her heart out to the eager audience watching and even encouraging them to sing along with her. The sheer amount of charisma Kira held while performing in front of a crowd was astounding, to say the least. The deep purple goat-like horns, elongated fangs, and red tipped feathered wings were also certainly new… You couldn’t help but wonder if those were real and actually a part of her, or if they were just elaborate pieces of a costume made specifically for her on-stage persona. Not that you ever saw her like that anywhere else outside of the club, but… admittedly it added on to that beautiful, mysterious aura that she carried with her whenever she was in the spotlight.

Sudden movement out of the corner of your eye catch your attention as you realize you’d zoned out a bit, and… Oh shit, she’s actually walking your way! You quickly straighten yourself and try to regain your composure as she approaches your table with a glass of wine in her hand, the sly grin on her face and roguish twinkle in her eye unmistakable. In a matter of moments, you feel the table shake slightly as Kira slams a fist down atop it with a solid sounding ‘THUNK’, fanning her large feathery wings out behind her as she stands there just across the way from you. “Well hello there, cutie…” her voice comes out in a low, husky sounding purr as she leans in to close the distance between the two of you a bit more, eyes half-lidded in a furtive expression as her bright purple tongue idly runs along her lips, “Fancy seeing you here again~”

As she leans in, the lingering smell of wine hits your nose like an oncoming train, a clear indication that she may be a bit buzzed right now along with the still mostly full glass in her hand. You catch a faint hint of something else there too, an aroma of vanilla, cloves, and a touch of smoke… her perfume? Whatever it may be, it did smell very nice… and seemed quite fitting for her, in a way.

Now that she’s closer to you, you can’t help but take in the sight of just her… The way the hazy golden lights of the club’s lights glint off of those dagger sharp purple horns crowning her head, how soft and silky the feathers of her bird-like wings looked as they idly shifted ever so slightly, and just how imposing, commanding, and confident her presence felt… So much unlike the soft-spoken, demure girl who would always walk around town herself and smile shyly at you in passing... And you had to admit, that red dress looked absolutely lovely on her, no wonder she’d picked it out specially to wear tonight.

All the while, Kira's eyes seemed to be focused on only you, not paying any mind even as her grip on her glass went slack and wine gushed out all over the floor below. You wanted to say something, to at least a simple ‘Hello’ or to maybe bring her attention to the mess she was unintentionally making, but found yourself at a loss for words. The impish grin on her face only widened further as she seemed to notice your anxious demeanor, her violet eyes swirling with a mix of amusement and curiosity. Even if you may not have necessarily been showing it on the outside, she appeared to have picked up on it as if she might be some sort of mind-reader.

“Awww, what’s the matter? Cat got your tongue? Oh my dear, I promise I don’t bite. Not too hard at least, and only if you ask~” she teased with a soft little laugh, tilting her head slightly and sticking her tongue out at you in jest. As the seconds ticked by and silence settled in between you two for a few moments, Kira straightened herself back up a with a hum and gingerly placed her now empty wine glass onto the table with a little flourish.

Her gaze met yours once more, her mischievous expression slowly melting away into something more… inquisitive. “You know… I actually wanted to ask if you were planning on just sitting all by your lonesome and buried in your drink for the rest of the night. Or…”

Leaning forward a bit more, she slowly raised a hand and extended it your way with a small, much more amiable-looking smile on her lips. “If maybe you’d like to live it up a little and share a dance with me, just for tonight…?” The look in her eyes was almost expectant now, as if she was quietly imploring you to accept her little offer. And oh boy, it was quite a tempting offer indeed…

Would you accept this dance?

A bit of an unexpected extra sketch piece done by the wonderful  Gatewayeee who'd really liked my little accompanying story and drew this up as a kind of continuation of the previous piece they'd done of my beautiful girl~ Thank you so much again for such a generous gift!

Kira 'Phoenix' Alistair is © to me