Steph Megary

appear(ed)

Our lesson on hand signals and wordless calls was soon cut off when a nest of sharks encircled us, quickly shifting to Iletta teaching us how to redirect sharks if they were coming straight for us. Just grab their snout and point them in a new direction—“Ideally toward one of the men in the water.” Though they appeared to be formidable, they were actually quite friendly. One of them kept returning to me for pets, which was an impulse I was pleased to indulge. 

circle

And, for the first time since we returned from viewing the ruins of the [the ship], she reached between us and clasped my hand. Though her fingers were trembling, her grip was firm as she lead me away from the faintly glowing garden and into the courtyard where the other dancers had already formed two concentric rings. The music slowed as Solera hurried us toward them, and room was made for us before the song truly began.  I kept my attention on Solera all throughout, mirroring her motions as best I could, even when the rings shifted and our partners changed. The rhythm of the music was so odd that, if I had had any feet and had this been on land, I surely would have tripped multiple times in the effort of keeping up with it. By the second revolution, I was feeling as though I almost had the hang of it, but then the music changed again, and with it, the motions. My confusion must have shown on my face because when Solera looked up at me, she burst out laughing.  Now, there was a melody I knew by heart.  I couldn’t help but grin, too, as she clutched my arm and pressed her brow briefly to my shoulder in her amusement before the song swept her away again, and then, eventually, back into my arms as the music slowed. Even when the time the music ebbed completely so that the maids with the coral flutes deliberated which tune to play next, I still held her. Watched her. Willed her to look at me, so I could… Slowly, she tilted her head up, her gaze unwavering as she stared into my eyes.  For a moment, I held my breath as I simply stared back, a flash of panic strangling my voice.  But, she was waiting for me to say it, wasn’t she?  I let my breath out slowly, then whispered as the circle was beginning to reform around us, “Can we talk?” 

limit(ed)

He slipped out of bed, fiddling with the tie at the waist of his robe as he made his way toward me. I stepped back to let him through just as his robe fell open. It took everything in me not to flinch at the sight of that…thing, but when my gaze darted up to look at the Diamo’s face, he was smiling at me. And handing me his robe, which I jerkily took. “Solera,” he said as he stopped beside me, his bare form uncomfortably close to my exposed shoulder as he turned to face me as he looked back at her. “Get my robes ready. Thala will wash me today.” She nodded as she set the tray down, and he moved past me. I was still watching her helplessly as two splashes sounded behind me, but, blessedly, she hurried for me. The Diamo was submerged in his bath up to his beard when she reached me and I turned around to follow her back to the cabinet. She pulled a few jars down, opening one and pointing to her hair, then the other, which was also, somehow for hair, but…after? I was confused but she could only convey so much with my limited comprehension of the hand language amidst the Diamo’s increasingly impatient throat clearing. After a fleeting, sympathetic look, she left me to him.

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