Chương 68: Xhez's Night Out
Under the cover of the moonlight, Xhez exited Rin's house and walked down the street feeling so excited her fingertips were tingling. It didn't look like there were many people around, which she figured was good, just in case she ran into any unkind humans. The danger, however, added to the sense of adventure that she was currently feeling.
Every now and then, she'd see someone across the street who looked particularly gloomy or would hear a sudden sound in the distance that would make her flinch, but in the middle of it all, Xhez was smiling.
[Ah,] she thought, inhaling slowly, [where do I go?]
Rin had shown her a small number of locations by now, so she had a few options to choose from. Her first instinct was to head over to the theatre. With that excellent water sprite memory of hers, she retraced her steps from when she and Rin had walked out of the theatre and headed back to the adventurer's home, and soon, she found herself standing just outside the large doors.
There was no one around, however, as opposed to last time when there was a man standing out here. Xhez walked up and tried to open the doors, but found that she couldn't.
"Hm..." Nodding to herself, Xhez walked away and went to inspect her next option.
She was a little disappointed though. She'd wanted to hear that strange singing again. It had been an enlightening experience to learn that one's voice could be used like that.
[Now... Where do I...?]
The answer came as she was walking absent-mindedly, and saw that one building, in particular, was shining brighter than any other at this hour. [Hm?]
She looked down the street and found that the Silver Rose, the location Rin used to work at, was still lively. If anything, there appeared to be more people walking in and out than when she and Rin had gone there.
[Oh... Has something happened?] Xhez wondered, and her feet began taking her there automatically.
The humans walking into the building were dressed in very peculiar ways if what Xhez had seen so far could be considered normal. Gaudy red dresses and grey suits. From what Xhez remembered, they looked like they fit more closely with what people in Libera wore, rather than the citizens of this town.
With her hands behind her back and at a slow pace, Xhez walked in behind a small group of them, and once again, she was back here, looking around, completely astonished.
The music appeared to have gotten even louder since Xhez had left, and the humans walking from one place to another were far more naked than they had been previously. Some weren't wearing clothes at all, actually, which brought a smile to Xhez's face.
[Hmmm... What a joyous atmosphere,] she thought happily.
Seeing some of them like this, without wearing those layers of fabric they insisted on putting on, the humans felt much closer to what Xhez knew her own kind to be.
"By, the, Divine, Rin!?!?" One of those naked women said. One who hadn't been here earlier, from what Xhez remembered. She walked up to Xhez with a shocked look on her face.
"U-..." Xhez was surprised by the sudden approach, but before she could even answer, the girl continued.
"I haven't seen you in ages! What happened? Did some monsters cut your boobs off?"
"Oh, um, no, I am not Rin," Xhez shook her head, smiling at her, and bowing. "My name's Xhez. I am her sister!"
"Ohhh! Wow, hi!" She greeted her then, and Xhez brightened up a bit. "Goodness, you're so cute!" She just about squeaked as Xhez chuckled a little.
"Thank you."
"Oh, uh, sorry, got a little excited there, my name's Delilah, it's nice to meet you!" She said. "So, are you looking for Rin? Cause, I'm sorry, your sister hasn't been here in a while. She's all the way up in Libera right now."
"No, I am here because I wanted to visit this place. I wished to..." She paused. "Get a feel of it, if that makes sense."
"Ah, well, how about I show you around then?" She offered, and Xhez smiled excitedly.
"Yes, I would appreciate that!"
"Alrighty then, come on," she said, gesturing for Xhez to follow her and the sprite did. She took her to the back left corner of the room, where a man was twirling a bottle in his hands as he poured its contents into a few glass mugs in front of him simultaneously. There were four humans sitting on stools there, and each one turned to face the two of them as they got closer.
"Everyone, this is Xhez, Rin's sister!" Delilah announced to them, and they all turned to look at her, astonished.
"Hello," Xhez said, putting her hands together and bowing respectfully.
"Holy shit," one of them said, "she looks just like her! You know, minus the amazing rack, and all."
"I know, right? They're almost identical!" A woman praised her.
It was good to hear that Xhez's disguise was working as intended, but soon, her interest was taken up by the liquid in one of the cups.
"Hm?" One of them, a young boy with a shaved head, somewhat flushed cheeks, and a few hairs on his chin, noticed her. "Ayyy, Rin has a sister? Holy shit!"
"Rin!" One girl proclaimed to Xhez's right. She had a smile on her face and cheeks just as red as the boy's own. "That girl is a treasure, you know? Gosh, I remember the first time I had a female client and I didn't know what the heck I was supposed to do, and Felix told me I could ask her for help. So, I did and she pulled me aside and took me to a bed and said, 'this is what you have to do,' with that super sultry voice of hers and, after that, oh, goodness, I haven't cum that hard in months!"
...
[Hm,] Xhez smiled, as the girl finished her story. [These people love her that much?]
"Anyway, darlin', you want a drink?" The same girl asked.
"Oh, sure," Xhez replied, without really finding a reason to decline. She took the cup and put the drink up to her lips.
"Wow," Xhez said, looking down at it. "That tastes awful."
"Ah, not a big drinker are ya?" Delilah asked beside her. "Come on, people, it's Rin's sister and the first thing y'all do is try to get her drunk?"
"I mean, Delilah, that was hard liquor and she looks just fine. She seems like she can hold a drink pretty well," the boy argued. "I mean, look at her. Are you drunk at all?" He suddenly asked Xhez, and the sprite blinked.
"Drunk?" She tilted her head.
"Yeah, drunk."
"What does that mean?"
"... What?"
[Oh, no,] Xhez thought, [did I ask something strange?]
The group all shot her a few strange looks and Xhez tried to think quickly, to divert them from this.
"U-Um, no, I am not drunk, I am a completely normal human."
Again, they all looked at her strangely.
Before anyone could say anything else, however, Xhez heard something and her eyes widened.
It came from the opposite corner, where the music was coming from. Before, it had been only those strange, machine-made sounds that came from the contraptions each of them was holding. However, just as Xhez was trying to act normal here, one piece was added to it.
A woman's voice.
Xhez turned toward them, and she found a lady standing in front of a metallic grey object on a chest-height stand of some sort. With crimson hair that swirled into a braid thrown over her shoulder, the woman took up the middle of the space wearing a brilliant red dress and gloves of the same color, and with her lips kept close to the item as she sang.
Xhez walked over there immediately, as the woman's voice spread out across the room, and Xhez was absolutely enthralled.
Standing in front of the small group of musicians, with workers and outsiders walking all over the place behind her, Xhez just watched in awe as the woman kept going.
This thing, this act, was something Xhez was desperate to know more about.
[How can someone use their voice like this? Could I do it!?] She wondered, as the woman finally noticed her.
She looked back at Xhez, raising a brow, but the sprite didn't move. Instead, she remained there for a solid two minutes, just watching in awe until the woman stopped.
Throwing a small nod at the others behind her, and then, she walked off the small stage and approached Xhez.
"Do you need anything, sweetheart, or are you just a fan looking for an autograph?" She asked with a sly smile.
"U-Uh..." Xhez blinked. In a hurry, she replied. "C-Could you teach me how to do that?"
That, apparently, was the one answer the woman hadn't been expecting to hear.
"... What?" She asked, surprised, putting a hand on her hip.
"Um, I-I would like to learn how to sing like you!" Xhez tried to explain herself.
The woman looked even more surprised. There was a brief silence between them, and one of the musicians stopped as well, though the others kept going.
"Hey, do we need to call security? Leave her alone," he told Xhez, and the sprite was taken aback, but then, the woman started laughing.
[Huh?]
She put a hand on Xhez's shoulder.
"Oh my," she giggled again, "you are adorable! But, hun," she said, and Xhez wondered if those were kind, or pitying eyes that she was looking back at her with. "You shouldn't be aspiring to sing like anyone else, you know? You have to find your own voice. Find your own harmonies, and when you do, you sing your heart out!"
"I-I..." Xhez got a little closer to her. "I am sorry if I, uhm, am unclear," the sprite started, "I have been singing for a while, it is just that, I only discovered your style of singing recently. I wonder if it is something I could do as well. Does that make sense?"
"Aw, ain't you just the cutest!" The woman added, looking back at her for a few seconds with a smile.
She looked away then as if pondering something, and then, she shrugged.
"You know what? You've positively swayed my delicate little heart. So, okay, I'll show you something."
At that, Xhez beamed at her.
"Really!?"
"Yeah!" The woman replied. "Just a few little tips and tricks to get you started on your singing journey. How's that sound?"
"Y-Yes, I would like that," she bowed and nearly hit the woman as they were standing so near to each other.
[Oh, wait, I have not introduced myself,] Xhez realized.
"My name is Xhez," she stated. "What is yours?"
"... What?" At that, the woman looked surprised again. "Y-You don't know me?"
"Um, no, I am new to this place!" Xhez improvised an explanation.
"Well, so am I, sweetheart," she said, chuckling. "But I've been all over the world. Sorry, I was sure you were a fan."
"A fan?" Xhez asked, confused.
"Never mind," the woman said, chuckling a little. She looked away, with a contemplative look on her face. "Wow... You really don't know me? Are you joking or something?"
"No, I do not."
[Is she important to humanity?] Xhez wondered. She appeared to be making a fairly big deal out of this.
"... Goodness," she said, sounding almost breathless, shaking her head. "Sorry, it's been a while since this has happened. It's a little refreshing. Well, anyway, Xhez, my name is June. It's a pleasure to meet such a sweet girl. How about we find a little privacy?"
"Sure!" Excited to get on with the lessons, Xhez agreed and June gestured for Xhez to follow her.
"Boys," she called out to the others, "I'll be back in a bit."
One of them rolled his eyes but the others all nodded, and as the lady began moving away, Xhez followed, and the two walked out of the building.
June stood outside, turning toward Xhez and putting her hands on her hips. Others walked past them, into the building, but not before letting their eyes linger on her for a few seconds.
[She must be important somehow,] Xhez thought as June spoke up.
"Okay, can you still hear the music?" She asked, and Xhez nodded.
"Yes."
"Good," June clapped her hands. "Alright, so, first thing, let's do some warming up exercises. Repeat after me."
Xhez nodded, putting on a determined face and lifting a pair of fists up.
"I am ready!"
"Good!" June chuckled. "Alright, now. La, la, la, la, la, la, la, la~" She sang, and Xhez noticed how her tone changed, going from a deep pitch to a high one.
[Okay, I can do this!] Xhez thought, preparing herself and taking a deep breath. Then, after a moment, with her hands almost trembling from excitement, she closed her eyes and began.
"La, la, la, la, la, la, laaaa~"
Xhez sang in a moderate volume. She hadn't done this in a while, so she felt a little rusty, but a sense of enjoyment filled her up, and Xhez grinned as she opened her eyes and looked back at June.
"How did I do?" She asked.
Strangely, June's cheeks had turned red, as a blush appeared on her face.
"Good! Oh, goodness," June put a hand up to her forehead. "Sorry, I-I feel... A little warm all of a sudden. You're totally a natural though."
"I have been singing for a very long time," Xhez stated proudly then.
"I can tell!"
"How long have you been singing for?" Xhez asked, curious.
"Since I was little," June replied. "Back when I was younger, up in Cradle, just watching the train go in and out of the city every day, I used to sing to pass the time."
"I was similar," Xhez said.
"Aw, well ain't we just kindred spirits then?"
[Kindred spirits?]
Xhez tilted her head as June waved a hand.
"Okay, now, let's maintain these tones. One at a time. Ready? We'll start low and get higher from there."
"Understood!" Xhez replied, and June took a deep breath.
"Oooooh~" she sang, in a surprisingly deep voice. "Now, you try. I want you to go the absolute lowest pitch that you can, understand?"
The sprite nodded.
"..." Xhez took a deep breath. "Oooooh~"
And, suddenly, June nearly fell down.
"Huh?" Xhez held onto her. The woman looked up at Xhez and was going to say something, but a yawn interrupted her.
"Oh, goodness, I feel... I feel so tired, all of a sudden. I-I'm sorry, but could we sit down for a little bit?"
"Of course," Xhez nodded.
The two of them sat down nearby, at the edge of the sidewalk, and June yawned again as Xhez curled her knees up to her chest. As they remained in silence for a few seconds, Xhez wondered what was happening.
[Wait...] She suddenly realized. [Could my voice have done this?]
Obviously, Xhez knew her singing could affect the Spirits of others, as she'd used it to defend herself from monsters before, but her voice had never had this specific effect on anyone.
[Did I make her sleepy?]
"I'm sorry about this, dear," June said. "I guess... All of this traveling's taken a toll on me."
"Hm? What do you mean?"
"... Right," she chuckled, looking up at Xhez with kind eyes. "I keep forgetting you don't actually know me. It's gonna take me some getting used to. But, yeah, anyway," she started explaining, "my full name's June Daliah. I'm part of a musical troupe of sorts called Silk Touch. Me and my friends, inside," she gestured at the brothel.
"Oh, what is a troupe?" Xhez asked. "What do you do?"
"Well," June, said, leaning back on her hand as she placed it down on the stones they were sitting on, "we go from one place to another, singing and collecting tips from anyone who feels like donating. We started off about five years ago, in Cradle, but since then, we've gone everywhere. Every random village, every city... Well, except for Cardana," She stated.
[Cardana... Rin has not told me much about that place.]
"At first, it was hard to make ends meet. A lot of people, people in the villages, especially, don't wanna give random passing musicians their hard-earned money, you know? Over the last few years, we've managed to make a name for ourselves, but... I dunno, it's hard. I feel for the rookies like you," she said, looking at Xhez with a warm face. "That's honestly part of why I agreed to help you out just now. Cause, I've been there. It's hard to get started on this journey, but I promise, it does get better if you put your all into it."
Nodding, Xhez wasn't sure she fully understood, but it felt like she was being told that she could improve the quality of her singing, something she was very interested in doing.
"I am eager to learn!" Xhez replied and the woman laughed a little.
"That's good to hear," June said. "With that attitude, I'm sure you'll get even better down the line. But..." June trailed off, "enough about me, what about you? Who is this cute, doe-eyed girl who's come to learn from me, huh?"
"Oh... Well, I-I new to, uhm, these sorts of places. I-I was raised in a forest, actually."
"What? Really?" June asked, looking intrigued.
"Y-Yes," Xhez replied. "But, along the way, I met someone, this wonderful, beautiful person who took me to Libera. From there, I... Well," she decided at this point she could just be honest, "I have been looking to learn as much as I can. There are many aspects of civilization that are strange, and I want to know about them!"
"... And, is the realm of middle-class musical entertainment something you include in that list?" She asked, with a smirk.
"Uh, yes," Xhez nodded. "If that means singing, I suppose."
June chuckled a little.
"You are... A very interesting girl, Xhez, you know that?"
"Thank you," Xhez smiled. "But I assure you, you are far more intriguing than I am."
"Oh? Is that so?" June asked, and her expression changed slightly.
"Of course!"
"Pfft, nah, I'm nothin' special, hun."
At that, Xhez shrugged.
"You are special to me," Xhez said. "With such a great level of talent, I knew as soon as I saw you that you were unique."
"By the Divine, stop it," June waved a hand, grinning at her. "I didn't take you for a sweet talker like that."
[Sweet talker?] Xhez repeated in her mind, confused as to what that meant. [How can talking be sweet?]
"So, how about we get back to those lessons?"
"Right!"
June shifted her position a little, getting closer to Xhez.
"Now," she said, "I want you to sing a little higher than what you did last time. Like this, ooohhh~"
"Okay."
Xhez prepared herself. She worried, however, that her singing would put the woman next to her to sleep though, as there were clearly dimensions to her singing that Xhez didn't quite understand.
Still, the only way to find out what her voice could do was to use it, and this was a perfect situation for that.
So, Xhez began to sing again, as June had instructed.
"Oooohhh~"
She kept going for a few seconds until a hand fell on her thigh, and Xhez paused, turning toward June.
The sprite was shocked. June's cheeks were absolutely flushed. Her eyes were half-lidded, and Xhez swore she heard the woman let out a shuddering breath as she looked back at her. Their eyes remained connected for a few seconds, but neither of them said anything. Xhez couldn't because she was wondering what exactly was happening to June.
Eventually, however, June cleared her throat and said:
"G-Great job!" The musician stated, with her hand still on Xhez's thigh. The sprite felt her give it a gentle squeeze, and she also noticed June was breathing heavily.
"Thank you," Xhez replied with a smile. "But, uhm, are you okay?" She asked.
"What? Yeah, yeah," June nodded, and she took her hand off of Xhez as though it had been burned, "I just... Oh, dear," she lifted a fair hand and placed it against her chest. "Goodness... I was a bit obvious, wasn't I?" She asked. "If a little moment like this has me feeling this way, I suppose it's been a while."
"Hm?"
"Um..." June looked away, embarrassed. "Nothin', nothin'. Just, you know, like I said, I do a lot of traveling and..." She looked back at Xhez with red cheeks and shy eyes. "I guess I've been a little touch-starved. Maybe this place brought it out of me!" She said, laughing as she pointed back at the building. "It ain't every day you get to see gorgeous ladies just walking around so brazenly and all."
Noticing that something was up, Xhez did as Rin sometimes would do, whenever Xhez was feeling nervous, and Xhez placed her right hand over June's left. The woman's eyes widened just a little as Xhez leaned in and said:
"Could I help?"
"What?" June asked, stunned.
"If something is wrong, I would like to assist you," Xhez put it differently, in case she hadn't understood.
"But... Are you sure?" June asked. "You... You understand what I mean, right?" June asked, tilting her head.
"Yes," Xhez replied quickly.
[Touch-starved... I would assume that means she wants a hug, right? Or, to hold hands?]
"... I'm sorry. Tonight, we're going to leave as soon as we finish up here. Me and my troupe, I mean," June said, speaking without meeting Xhez's eyes. "I wish I could take you up on that offer, but... It's impossible."
Xhez then stood up, continuing to hold onto June's hand. The other woman stood up as well.
"Do not worry!" Xhez told her with a smile. "Even if you are leaving later, can I not help you right now? It is the least I could do for you since you offered to teach me like this."
"What!?" At that, June looked scandalized. "B-But, this wasn't that sort of thing, I just wanted to give you a few lessons, I didn't want anything in return, especially not..."
"I see," Xhez nodded sagely. "But, I am offering assistance because I want to. I like you," Xhez stated. "It is simple, is it not?"
"..." June gulped. Slowly, she placed her hand back on Xhez's leg and leaned a little closer. Her voice dropped in volume a little as she said: "but, we can't do anything tonight. If you 'helped' in any way, well, it wouldn't be enough, I'm sure, ya understand, sweetheart? I don't want to lead you on."
[What does that mean?] Xhez wondered, having not heard that phrase before.
"It is okay," she replied, however. "I understand."
"You do?" June took a deep breath. With her cheeks still flushed, she nodded and looked down, embarrassed. "Alright then... Um... In that case, I..."
And then, June put her hands on Xhez's cheeks.
[Huh?]
And the woman leaned her head down, pressing their lips together.
Xhez froze.
This had been one of the things she'd experienced from Rin's perspective when she showed her that memory. She had been so curious to know about it, and here she was, suddenly living it out herself.
[What do I do?] She wondered, but as she felt the woman's lips moving against hers, she figured she should do what Rin did back then, and suddenly, it felt like they were moving in unison with each other.
At a point, June's tongue entered her mouth and Xhez felt herself getting so warm, her body was nearly burning.
[What... This is...!]
However, June separated, before Xhez could savor this sensation for any longer.
"Oh my..." June said. "Did I catch you off-guard? You were kinda still for a little bit."
"Y-Yes, but, I would like to do it again!" Xhez declared, and June laughed.
"So would I, but, if we do, I'm pretty sure I'm gonna end up ditching my friends. Sorry, we'll have to leave it at this, sweetheart."
Xhez was instantly disappointed to hear that, and the woman chuckled.
"Well, I warned you!" June stated. "But... Do... Are you interested in staying in touch?"
"What does that mean?" Xhez asked.
"Uh, just, keep talking to each other, basically."
"Oh. Yes!" Xhez nodded.
"Okay, then, feel free to send me a letter or two, whenever," June said.
"How?"
"Just use Essence Messengers. I'll try to respond whenever I get some free time, alright? You said you were from Libera, right?"
"Uh, yes."
"Then, who knows, maybe I can pay you a visit if we're ever in the city at the same time. Sound good? We can coordinate through letters."
"Sure."
Xhez didn't really know what she was talking about, but she figured she'd ask Rin about it later.
"And, if ever we do meet up again, whether it's in Libera or Cradle or whatever," she said, putting a hand on Xhez's cheek and giving her a warm look. "We'll pick up right where we left off."
---
One of the side-effects of having near-perfect memory was that Xhez could remember how things felt long after things happened. And, right now, as she walked back to Rin's house, she knew she'd remember the feeling of that human's lips on hers for a long, long time.
As Xhez entered the home, she closed the door behind her and made her way back to Rin's room. Here, Xhez took off the clothes she'd borrowed, let her disguise fade, and then jumped back into her bowl.
As she sank to the bottom of the glass container, she remembered June's kind eyes looking back at her.
[Cradle...] Xhez thought. [Maybe, someday I will go there.]
And, with that, she closed her eyes, trying to find some quick rest before the next day.
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