Nilou sighed as she made her way through the Grand Bazaar.

She was…tired.

No, "tired" wasn't the right word for it. No, the weariness didn't affect her as much physically as it did mentally.

She was feeling drained.

Between all of her usual work with the Zubayr Theater Company, her usual habit of picking up favors left and right out of the kindness of her own heart, and The Akademiya putting more pressure on than lately for her troupe, Nilou was starting to feel the strain. Sheikh had wanted her about this of course, told her to take a break, but Nilou just…couldn't say no.

"Look, Nilou," Sheikh had said sternly the other day when she'd uncharacteristically messed up on a basic move, over and over, and over. "I think it's time for that break we talked about. No more practice."

Nilou opened her mouth.

"- and no buts! It's my responsibility to make not only the customers happy, but also my staff." he softened his eyes. "And I'm forever grateful for all the extra work you're putting in. So please, Nilou. For once, can you think about yourself and do something, anything to just forget about everything here?"

And there she had it. A couple days all to herself, denied to work.

But maybe Sheikh was right. Maybe Nilou did have to learn to say no more.

Even now, she didn't know what dragged her through the Grand Bazaar other than habit, something inside her maybe pining to catch the attention of one of the familiar and friendly vendors to give them a helping hand. When really was the last time she thought about herself? To let go of the burden of other people and just enjoyed something by her lonesome?

That was when a glint of gold winked amongst the din, sunlight filtered through the canopy of rainforest catching upon its sheen as it clung around the waist of a mannequin. Nilou's eyes darted to it instantly, curiosity suddenly pulling her feet into the tent it was in before she could stop herself. It was a belly chain, a gorgeous one at that. She fingered the threading of the gold, running the tip of her finger along the pearls that hung below the main gilded rope.

"Beautiful, isn't it?" a voice said behind her. She jolted a bit, turning around to see who it was. It was a man, presumably the merchant who owned and operated this tent. He gave her a charming grin. He definitely wasn't any merchant she'd met before. "Sorry, didn't mean to sneak up on you."

Nilou raised her hands with an apologetic smile.

"N-No it's okay, I was just really um, interested in this belly chain."

"I don't blame you," the man said. "I got that chain from Ixaocan, a while back. Their eye for jewelry is unmatched in an uncountable number of realms."

With that, Nilou's mind suddenly forgot the stress, her bright green eyes lighting up. Such a beautiful chain…with such a beautiful story! She needed to hear more.

"I've never heard of that place before!"

"Few have. But I like to make sure my wares are worth people's mora. And as a traveling merchant, my goods aren't worth anything without a good story behind it."

Nilou beamed.

"I agree! It's why I love the Grand Bazaar so much."

The man chuckled.

"Seems to me you just have good taste." he made his way towards her and the mannequin she stood in front of. At this distance Nilou could see him for the first time. He was handsome. "Befitting of a pretty girl like you.

Nilou flushed at that, the sudden compliment taking her aback. She didn't have time to respond as he took off the chain from the mannequin and gave her another smile. She tried to smile back.

"Listen, why don't we try on the chain in front of a mirror, see how you like it?" he said.

Nilou nodded, and followed his lead deeper into the tent. She gasped.

More than just jewelry, the merchant's tent was full of things she'd never seen before. Table after table, shelf after shelf captured Nilou's imagination. They came to a stop in a corner of the tent, body length mirror leaning against it.

"Here we are," he said, presenting her the chain. "Let me give you a hand."

Nilou gave a shy smile before she lifted her arms, letting the stranger wrap the chain around her thin waist. He stood behind he reached around to close the chain around her. She noticed how fit his arms were as they wrapped around her comparatively-smaller body. She wondered if he was an adventurer.

Finally, the chain shut with a clasp.

She looked up into her reflection, smiling at what she saw. She was dressed in her usual dancer's garb: the elaborate horned headdress with a veil, the detached sleeves with the golden bands holding them in place, her tight top cupping her breasts held up by a neck ring, the long dark blue dancer's skirt, the golden thighlet clad around her left thigh. Her hair, red and lustrous, was done up in twin ponytails behind her, contrasting the cool blues of her silks, and the green of her eyes. Even with these other things, the belly chain stood out and blended in perfectly with her usual clothes; It girded her skinny body perfectly, resting at the top of her hips, dipping below her belly button, its gold complementing her creamy skin.

"A perfect fit, I'd say." the stranger said, backing off, letting her twirl a bit in the mirror, giving a few shakes of her hip. "Those things really do look best on dancers. Especially ones as stellar as you."

Nilou flushed again, a bashful grin on her lips. She turned towards him.

"So you saw one of our shows, I assume?"

The stranger nodded.

"I couldn't take my eyes off of you. I've seen many a dancer in my day, trust me. But you're really something special."

Nilou must have been as red as her hair. He gave her a look that made her chest tighten.

"Thank you…"

"...and, um. Sweeter than I imagined you'd be, no offense." he added with a chuckle. "I was so entranced by your skill, but also that look on your face…you seemed um. How do I say it-"

Nilou managed a roll of her eyes, grinning.

"More cold and aloof? I get that a lot."

"Well, maybe a little." he said. They shared a smile.

She got a better look at him now. He was a tall man, at least three heads taller than her. He didn't look from around here, his skin weathered and dark. He was older, not middle-aged by any means, but old enough to justify the lines around his eyes; he looked in his prime. It showed in the way his fit body strained against his shirt.

She'd made note of it earlier but it was growing more apparent to her the more she looked at him: he was handsome. A girl her age was bound to have crushes of course; he wasn't the first handsome man who'd captured her fancy as they passed through.

But something was different about him. She was feeling something intense just in the first few minutes of meeting this stranger, and she started to wonder if it had anything to do with all the "stress" Sheikh was talking about.

Not to mention, all of amazing wares he had on display were started to steal attention away from the belly chain she was trying on.

As if reading her mind, the stranger suddenly proposed an idea.

"Say, if you have nothing better to do, how about I show you around my wares?"

Nilou gave him an enthusiastic nod. Her blue eyes sparkled with enthusiasm.

"Of course!"

Before she knew it Nilou was swept away by this stranger to every corner of his shop, hanging on his every word as he told her story after story, letting her handle knickknack after knicknack. This was what she loved about talking to people in the bazaar, just with a lot more variety. Though the merchant's tent fit nicely in the cramped spaces in the bazaar, it seemed almost impossibly big on the inside.

Nilou lost track of time as the man kept enthusiastically feeding into her curiosity. She'd always loved hearing merchants tell of their tall tales, of their adventures in distant lands, of the stories behind every ware, and today she was getting her fix It didn't take long until the awkwardness and bashfulness she felt at the beginning melted away completely, and Nilou was her natural self. She laughed at his jokes, even started to crack a few of hers. She was an easily trusting person as it was, moreso with a man as charming as this.

And she noticed his eyes too. The way they glanced out of their corners at her, how they would linger on tight curves on her body for just a millisecond too long. Nilou might have been naive, but she wasn't stupid. Living in a bazaar as a dancer like her pretty much ensured she learned very early on the warning signs of a lecherous look in a man's eyes.

But again, this time it was different. His looks didn't bother her, not when they made her feel…whatever she was feeling now, her palms clammy, a lump in her throat, her pulse doubling whenever his hand would brush against her skin. It felt like all those crushes she'd had but even more intense , a forbidden attraction that Nilou felt growing stronger as the hour flew by. She was looking at him the way he was looking at her now.

Nilou found herself spacing out when he would talk about the umpteenth gizmo from his travels, staring at his perfect jawline, his broad shoulders. She felt stirrings inside of her she'd only dared to explore in the privacy of her room late, late at night, stirrings only kindled with every flirt he made towards her, every brazen look.

By the gods, he really was handsome. Nilou wondered if that thought had ever occurred to her before.

In time, Nilou found herself opening up about her recent dilemma.

"-and that's why I'm here," Nilou sighed, fiddling with what looked to be a large turtle shell apparently stuffed with gold coins. "Away from the company."

"Ah, well maybe he's right." he said, leaning against a bookshelf. "It's obvious you work hard."

"But what about-"

"Didn't this manager of yours say no 'buts' about it?"

Nilou conceded with a little pout.

"Fine."

"Look, all I'm saying is when was the last time you really spent some time to really let loose?" the stranger said, letting the question hang in the air. Nilou thought about it. He continued, "Just forget about the merchants here in the bazaar, forget about drills and practice for once. Just really have some time to let go of your inhibitions. Be free of it, if even for a day."

A silence persisted for a few seconds as Nilou sincerely thought about it.

"...never." Nilou finally said. "I just…there's always something-"

"Ah!" the stranger interjected, a finger pointing at her. "There it is. There is always something. No matter who you are, there's always going to be things to busy yourself with if you can find it. People who always need help, tasks for your job, mundane chores, the list goes on."

"Well, exactly. If I can help them, then why can't I?"

"I'm not saying you shouldn't! But how are you going to help other people when you're too tired or too sick. Not much use then, are you?"

Nilou sighed. Yes, yes, Sheikh had already lectured her like this. She was about to say something when the stranger continued.

"Say yes to yourself for once. Think of something you want, maybe something don't think is necessarily the best for you, but something you just want in the moment. Live in that moment."

"Like…dancing." Nilou said almost subconsciously, the connection outpacing her conscious thought.

The stranger smirked.

"Exactly. Feel it out. Ride through any of your urges to their conclusion." he winked, then gave her a look that made her skin tingle. "You never know where you'll end up."

The words stuck to Nilou as they continued, growing more comfortable with each other. Nilou's thoughts were fixated almost solely on him now. They kept talking, but something in the air between them had shifted. The looks were more persistent.

She asked about his travels, if he was staying long. Apparently after this he would pack everything up the next morning; he was planning to head north a bit further, deeper into the rainforest. The detail made Nilou almost want to ask him to stay just a bit longer. She looked at him from behind as he kept leading her down yet another row of his wares, looked at his broad shoulders, the way his large hands handled another treasure.

Inside her chest, the yearning for this stranger grew. His charm, his mystery, his experience…they all were making Nilou's desire grow. His physical appearance didn't help matters either, her staring getting worse. This was all wrong, of course. She'd just met the man and didn't even know his name. She shouldn't be thinking such…such indecent things.

Sheikh's words suddenly rang out in her head.

"For once, can you think about yourself and do something, anything to just forget about everything here? "

With that, she suddenly shot out her hand to grab the stranger's. Her face turned red at the contact. She couldn't believe she was doing this.

He looked at her bemused.

"Would you…want to see a private dance?" NIlou managed to spit out. She couldn't look him in the eye. "I-I thought maybe you'd want to see me perform up close, since you liked my performance earlier so much. Take it as thanks for taking all this time to show me around."

This was so brazen, but she tried to remain standing tall, as if she offered this all the time. Even if it was unspoken, she knew what they both were thinking. He was so close now that she could smell his musk. Hear his breathing. She gulped, digging her painted nails into her palm.

She let go of his hand.

He let a moment of silence pass before grinning that charming grin.

"I wouldn't pass it up for the world."

Nilou smiled back at him, equal parts bashful and excited. Her heart pounded in her chest.

"You sure you don't have to sell...tend to your wares or anything?"

"It's lunchtime. They can wait. This moment can't." the stranger said, reaching out to grasp her shoulder. Nilou but her lip at the contact, and she knew she was making the right choice. "I'd rather see you dance."

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