Two Eyes Cenote shady oasis [wp]

“@Frolic!” Seal exclaimed when she managed to reach her friend through the crowd of party goers. “You’re here!” She threw her arms around Frolic (but managed to hold onto the fisher cat pelt across her shoulders) and giggled, buzzed and having a great time.

"When did you arrive?" she asked, elated to have her bestie here. "Tha ceremony was gran' wazzinit?"

By now, Frolic had lost all sense of time to the the opulence and splendor of the feast. She hadn’t seen her sister in some time and didn’t care at all. She didn’t think she ever wanted to leave this place, much less go home. Did they live like this all the time?

She also didn’t much mind that she hadn’t found Seal yet. Frolic had momentarily given up the search, stopping to gnaw on a greasy chunk of meat instead. She stared at a group of undulating bodies and felt a strange quiver in her core, though all of that—and her snack—was forgotten when a familiar voice called her name.

SEAL! Frolic cried, flinging away the rest of the meat in favor of opening her arms to her best friend. I’ve been here the whole time! she declared, giggling and not bothering to lower her voice as she said, It was kinda stuffy, wasn’t it? But this, she went on, sweeping an arm toward the revelry, this definitely isn’t boring!

Seal gave her friend a long hug, feeling more amorous than usual because of the cactus spirits that warmed her heart.

“The whole time?!“ Seal exclaimed. Suddenly, two Fellahin appeared and guided the girls towards a seated area filled with fine plush pelts. The next second, opulent food and wine were delivered upon flat platters beside them. Seal moved on autopilot. It was as if she blinked and suddenly she was sipping alcohol again.

She laughed as her friend regarded the festivities! “I ken it!” she agreed wholeheartedly. “You look in your element, Frolic!” It was true, the young ambassador was a natural party-goer, unlike the more stoic Raiyuk.

“I arrived with ambassadors from Moontide,“ she explained. ”Did you see that priest during the ceremony? How handsome he was?” she giggled, leaned towards Frolic, and popped a rum-soaked berry into her mouth.

Frolic wouldn’t usually allow herself to be steered anywhere, though when the fellahin appeared with all manner of creature comforts, she put up no protests. She exchanged an entertained glance with Seal as they were ushered someplace to sit and presented with a veritable smorgasbord of treats.

Her eyes were huge as she looked over the display of foodstuffs, golden ears bent toward Seal to catch everything she said. She hadn’t made a selection yet when her friend said something surprising, causing Frolic to straighten up and look at Seal’s face in amusement.

Ew, what?! the younger girl cried, wrinkling her swarthy nose. No way, they were all so… old, Frolic refuted, laughing under her breath as she leaned back over the buffet.

But she wasn’t hungry anymore, she realized with a loud blink. And anyway, she suddenly couldn’t concentrate on anything as Seal’s words replayed in her head, drowning out the celebratory noises surrounding them.

Frolic balked at the notion of Senmut being handsome, but Seal kept up the act and turned up her nose in faux pretentiousness.

“That’s right, Frolic! He wasnae a wee boy, but a man,” her voice deepened and drawled at a word, as if to say hubba-hubba. Her brows waggled before she burst out laughing and threw her arms around Frolic once again.

Suddenly, she was distracted by the food. “Oh, I love this one!” Seal said as she picked up her favorite hors d'oeuvres: a chunk of salted lamb garnished with cranberry relish.

Gross, Frolic insisted, earning an affronted scowl from the fellahin offering them food.

She was too busy moodily shrugging off Seal’s embrace to notice the misunderstanding, much less apologize or explain. She didn’t even know why she suddenly felt so irked. Her friend didn’t seem to notice, for which Frolic was quietly relieved even as she wondered at her own temper. Since when did she get annoyed, and for no reason?!

Shaking out her shoulders, letting out a breath, Frolic glanced around at all the merrymaking, desperately trying to reclaim her high spirits as she suddenly proposed to Seal, Hey, want to dance? We should dance! C’mon!

Frolic grasped Seal’s nearer elbow, black toes curling as she gently shook her dearest friend’s arm. Her eyes sought Seal’s gaze, spirits raising at the joyous expression on her companion’s features. Her heart leaped in her chest, light again, as she shook Seal’s foreleg insistently a second time.

The mix-up went right over Seal’s tipsy head who missed the exchange completely. Only when the coyote pulled away the tray of food did she react. “Hey!” Seal shouted, cheeks stuffed full of lamb.

However, her attention was fleeting. When Seal felt Frolic’s paw around her elbow she quickly got to her feet.

Dancing!

“You dinnae need tae ask thrice!” Seal assured Frolic with a laugh. “Ah’m a dance master!” She struck a dynamic pose like Powerline from A Goofy’s Movie and then spun towards the dance floor.

“Betcha can’t do this move!” she challenged her friend as she waltzed to the rhythm of the percussion.

Seal struck a pose and laughter bubbled up from deep inside Frolic’s chest. A beat later, her friend had slipped out of her grasp and sashayed toward the makeshift dance floor, where many bodies swayed and undulated to various rhythms.

Frolic pressed close to Seal, lest they be forced apart by all the movement. Her hot breath gushed over her friend’s face as she giggled. They moved apart only so Seal could commence doing a jig of some sort. It was a sight to see, silly but also something else.

Her dark eyes went wide as she watched her best friend’s curvy body moving, surprisingly sinuous. Frolic yearned to be so graceful, though she was always covered in a variety of scabs in various stages of healing. She stood there, watching Seal with envy and something deeper, clutching at her own elbows self-consciously now even as she beamed wonderingly at her greatest friend.

Seal felt wild and free! She tossed her head to and fro, full of good vibrations (and fermented cactus juice) because of Frolic’s presence. Others in the crowd danced this way, as well, though the young woman was not aware of the debauchery taking place in Muat-Riya’s deeper halls.

Nor was she aware of Frolic’s subtle changes. Only the tightening of her elbows against her body alluded to… something… Seal did not know.

So Seal reigned herself in a little. At that moment, the music’s tempo decelerated. “Ah!” Seal gasped, out of breath as if to say thank goodness.

She could feel her heart beating in her chest, pounding to the rhythm of the song. Frolic suddenly caught herself wondering just how they made such lovely music. She meant to turn her head to look for the source of such melodic sounds, though she couldn’t tear her eyes off Seal.

And then her friend slumped a bit, clearly out of breath, and the notes dwindled into the backdrop. Frolic found herself scooting closer to her nimble friend, realizing that Seal was as exquisite as this party they were attending. She felt a great rush of affection wash through her and slung her arms around Seal’s neck.

Bending her mouth to Seal’s ear, Frolic whispered loudly, You’re so beautiful, did you know that?

When Frolic’s arms wrapped around her like a necklace, Seal clutched them with her paws and pulled them tighter, as if to make Frolic squeeze her even more. Seal giggled. Then, she laughed! Together, Seal rocked them back and forth, as if she had trapped Frolic in a neverending hug.

She felt safe to express herself in any way. Perhaps it was the cactus juice that knocked down the walls of inhibition. Seal was on top of the world, full of confidence and vigor.

But when Frolic said she was beautiful, a shock of very real adrenaline ran right up Seal’s spine. She didn't know why! A flash of sobriety made her brown eyes meet her friend’s.

“Och, this party is what’s beautiful!” she deflected as if to test the meaning behind Frolic’s words.

Both things can be true, Frolic replied with a good-natured chuckle, giving into another whim now and rubbing their noses together in the platonic imitation of a kiss. You know what else?

I love you! Frolic was about to shout for all the world to hear, at which time she would draw Seal into another hug, the embrace of a pair of best friends. That was the plan, anyway, until her entire body flushed with a second, stronger spate of uncharacteristic self-consciousness.

Cheeks warm, she tucked one against her friend’s shoulder and murmured instead, I’m so happy I’m here with you, which was also true.

Frolic’s natural forthrightness expertly steered the conversation in a way that calmed the rush Seal had suddenly felt. Then, they pressed their noses together (and Seal smushed hers with a wiggle of her head).

“What?” the young woman quipped with a breathy giggle.

Frolic laid her head in the nook of her neck, against a shoulder. Seal felt her sincere energy and rested her ear against Frolic’s shoulder, as well.

I’m so happy I’m here with you.

Seal began to shift her weight back and forth as they rocked to the rhythm of the slow song. “I’m happy to be here with you, too,” she said quietly. “You’re my very best friend, Frolic.”

You’re mine too, Frolic said quickly and a little breathlessly, even though she hadn’t been the one dancing.

(In her defense, Seal was breathtaking, okay?)

They did a little bit of that—dancing, clinging to each other and swaying back and forth—for a while. Frolic’s head remained pressed to Seal’s shoulder, even after it started to tingle and go numb. She pushed her chest a little closer to her friend’s, ignoring the low flutter in her belly.

She didn’t know how long they stayed that way, though the clash of an upbeat tempo caused Frolic and Seal to spring apart. The former laughed as cool air rushed in between them and bodies began jostling against them on every side. It seemed this was going to be a fast number!

Brimming with her joy at being here, sharing these moments with her dearest friend, Frolic let go of her misgivings and gave expression to her glee. She reared onto her hind legs and twirled, then came down hard onto all fours only to begin wildly shaking her rump. She aimed her butt at Seal, laughing shrilly as she twerked on her bestie.