The air in the room seemed to shift as Celeste calmed down. Whatever this girl’s power was, it seemed turbulent. Eupraxia’s power was, in the grand scheme of things, really basic. This girl was changing temperature, keeping small objects in her orbit, and had skin like space. She was something different.

They were finally on a better foot than where they started, and Celeste thought her name was pretty. Some of the American mansion kids thought her name was unique because Atlantean names were not common on the surface. Being told it was pretty though? Well, Praxi might have felt her temperature rise a degree or two, not accustomed to compliments. ”It’s a name,” she deflected nervously. ”I don’t mind it. Thank you, though.”

The galaxy girl gestured for Praxi to follow her lead, so the young woman watched as Celeste started to get into the music, seeming to let the music start at the top and work its way down. She thought for sure you started from the bottom up, but Praxi liked this way better; she did not always have legs, but she tended to have a head.

Praxi bobbed her head as the music started up, giving her an easy, peppy beat to follow. When she found the rest of her body, there was a bouncy sway to her. She did her best to keep hips like Celeste’s which made it easier to shift her body from left to right, all the while keeping the bounce in her “step.”

Celeste was my no means an expert but she had been taught early on in the palace about movement and rhythm. Of course the dancing in Atlantis was more structured, more tame. It allowed for things to be predictable and served as a grading skill for those slaves that could be put to more entertaining use. Celeste hated it but she did what was necessary to survive, even if it meant putting herself on display.

But not anymore. Though she knew that it could be viewed poorly, Celeste really did like to dance. And so she started to do it when she was alone here in the mansion. It was a secret that she kept to herself, no one else knew about it, that is until now.

Praxi was a little angry but she seemed to understand that Celeste wasn’t part of that old regime. She suffered too. And the fact that she tried to calm her down, instead of throwing it back into her face meant a lot to void-filled demi-god. So she would give her a chance.

Celeste didn’t catch any of the uncomfortableness that the slime gorgon may, or may not, have had. It was common practice for her to complimentary towards others. Not that she didn’t think that Praxi was a pretty name. It was just something that she automatically slipped into whenever she was trying to be “nice”. The denizens at the palace, they always liked it when the slaves were nice. Some habits were hard to break.

She didn’t contemplate it. Instead she focused on the dancing. Standing before Praxi she began to move in time with the beat, starting with her head to give the other girl a sense of finding the beat there first. She then moved lower, her shoulders moving in time, then her hips. Though Praxi didn’t have the same kind of body that Celeste had, she seemingly was keeping up quite well. Enough to make the space goddess smile.

She nodded her head, indicating that she was doing a good job. She then reached out, her hands hovering to where Praxi’s hips should and tried to guide her without touching her. After a few minor adjusts, Celeste started to dance more energetically to the song and gave the slime girl a wide, sweet smile.

Good. She was doing good.

A big deal was made by Miss Grey and Mister/Miss Morris about letting Xavier’s be a fresh start. Everyone knew the gorgon kids had crappy lives and that was not something you easily walked away from mentally, but they were adamant that it was important to try. They were not just fighting to survive anymore; they were allowed to live.

And living included dancing, based on everything Eupraxia heard from pop culture. She could not imagine dancing alone in her room, let alone the living room. In her head, it sounded silly and awkward to flail around without knowing what she was doing.

Dancing with Celeste was fine though, because it helped fix the mood Praxi almost ruined. The galactic girl was clearly comfortable moving to the music, even in public, so maybe this could be a good way for Praxi to learn how to do the same. Praxi did not try to copy Celeste, but her timing fell in pace with her new potential friend.

Praxi maintained her form, but her motions were obviously more… well, fluid.the circles her hips moved in took her wobbly waist along for the ride more than a normal flesh and bone waist might. Still, this was fun! She was starting to feel like she got it; the music felt better like this, like it was part of how she was moving.

When Celeste’s hand brushed Praxi’s hips to help guide them, a small ripple shivered across her body, but the goop girl said nothing and focused on how good it felt. The music. Felt really good.

The more experienced dancer picked up her pace and let loose, encouraging Praxi to be more liberal with her movements, particularly with her arms. Waving them out to her sides, then raising one over her head. The arm dropped back down and she placed her “hand” on Celeste’s “shoulder.”

And then the obvious occurred to Praxi, whose “eyes” widened and she quickly withdrew her touch while maintaining her nervous dance. ”Um, sorry, is it-- er, is it bad for me to touch you?”

She liked dancing. She was beginning to learn that it was one of the most joyous things she could engage in now that she was free from her slavery. The truest form of freedom, Celeste threw herself into the music, moving, twirling, and dancing with every beat. This was the essence of freedom and it was something that she was going to partake in as vigorously as possible.

One new interesting development was that despite how embarrassed she was about dancing in view of others, there was something more interesting about helping teach another to dance. Celeste had never been told she was “good” at something, at least not something that she could take pride in. and dancing was certainly something she wanted to take pride in.

Though things had started out shaky, now she was smiling just a little more softly for Praxi. The gorgon had every right to be upset towards those in the palace but it wasn’t as if Celeste had led a blessed life. Sure she was fed, and yes there were some things easier for her than those who lived in the streets, but they both had their trials. She was only glad that they were finding some sort of common ground.

Her hands hovered near where Praxi’s hips should be, being careful to not fully touch her as she didn’t know what the consistency of her slime-like body would be like. Though a touch or two was impossible to avoid, she didn’t outright feel them as they happened. Rather she just continued on, nodded agreeably to Praxi’s attempts. They weren’t perfect but she was finding her own way of discovering the beat; and that was exactly what freedom was supposed to be, right?

And speaking of, it was time to let those conscious movements go and focus on feeling where the music wanted to take her. Celeste grinned as she shook her head, her hair whipped to the left and right. Her arms moved more wildly and she encouraged Praxi to do the same! Even her little planetoids began to spin and twirl about her body, orbiting at a strangely familiar rhythm.

She nodded, silently giggling as Praxi began to cut loose. Arms out, she shook and quivered until a hand was placed on Celeste’s shoulder. Instantly she froze, her starlit eyes blinking in confusion, unsure of what to make of the development. Praxi was soon to catch onto this afterward, stopped, instantly apologizing. Her dance slowed, a little conservative and nervous once more as she retracted, Celeste watching her the whole time.

Touching was something she could do and she could feel. But it wasn’t always attached to the best memories. Awkwardly she shifted, her eyes lowering as she danced slowly again, merely turning her hips and shoulders, but not meeting Praxi’s eyes. Reaching to the side, she plucked up her phone and typed in a response while the music played.

”Touch okay. No hurt. Unless sad or angry. She paused, struggling with what to say next. ”Not below shoulder. Okay?” Afterwards, she steeled herself up and beckoned Praxi closer. If she needed a guide, she could provide that, so long as she was okay with it.

It was a lot easier to annoy and upset people than it was to make them happy. Everyone was very good at annoying or upsetting Eupraxia, and she in turn was good at doing the same to others. Right now, dancing with Celeste, they were both making each other happier, which was rarer. It also meant being careful not to mess things up again.

That meant being conscious of ways she might make Celeste uncomfortable, specifically by touching her. The way Celeste reacted to the limb on her hip tipped Praxi off, helping her realize she might not feel comfortable being touched by someone, especially when they were basically a stranger.

Even without knowing the exact reasons for her hesitance, Praxi immediately chose to respect Celeste’s boundaries. Her arms receded into her and reformed out from her shoulder area to rest “hands” on Celeste’s shoulders. It was times like these when she was glad she could not blush, though there was some notable swirling inside her and bubbling on the top of her head. ”I can do that.”

Anchored to Celeste’s shoulders as a guide, she rejoined her in reclaiming the rhythm. One hand would occasionally lift off from Celeste to be raised over Praxi’s head when it felt right, but she always kept one hand anchored with Celeste, feeling her rhythm. Praxi could still see the celestial patterns of Celeste’s shoulders through her own hand. ”It’s really cool, by the way. Your mutation. All I’ve seen, at least.” There could be more she did not know, but so far, it was eye-catching. Almost mesmerizing, frankly. ”If I could look like a galaxy over just being… well, green, I’d totally pick galaxies.”

She had admittedly been a little thrown off when Praxi’s hands had innocent grazed her hips in an attempt to match the dance movements they were sharing. It reminded her too much of those teasing, lecherous grazes that those sick politicians in Atlantis gifted upon her. It was enough to make her stomach turn. But while the act itself made her skin crawl, the fact that it was Praxi contradicted her initial feeling. There was confusion and uncertainty, both feelings that she didn’t have the capacity to unpack just yet.

Relief filled her eyes when Praxi said that she could do as requested, keeping her hands up on her shoulders as opposed to any lower. It wasn’t that Celeste didn’t trust the mutant (though should she trust her having just met?), it was more that there was muscle memory associated with being touched any lower. But Praxi seemed to respect that and instead kept her hands upon the galaxy mutant’s arms.

That was one tick in the trust box. Maybe the aggressive gorgon wasn’t so bad after all.

Her own dancing continued, slower and more timed in order to help Praxi find the beat. It seemed she was doing well, even extending an arm back in an attempt to find her own beat with the music. It was truly a gorgeous sight that Celeste could only smile. Her own fears calming, she nodded encouragement to the slime mutant as they continued their dance.

However, what she hadn’t noticed was that the song choice had shifted. She had a litany of music available to her and wanted to listen to all of it so she often had her library shuffled. In this particular instance, the music shifted to something softer. It was still rhythmic, with a beat to follow, but this song didn’t require as much movement...nor as much space.

The color of galaxies and stars deepened into a shade of rosy red once again when both the random music choice and Praxi’s words seemed to conspire against her. She looked down, her starlight eyes dimmed behind her squinting eyelids before she turned her attention back to meet the other girl’s gaze.

Once she recovered a little, she snorted a bit. She had heard similar things before from a lowly poet who had been infatuated with her to Atlantean senators who wanted a plaything once she was ready. In all cases, Celeste had been uncomfortable, hating those honeyed words every time they were uttered. But she wasn’t in Atlantis anymore. She didn’t need to be so guarded and if she allowed herself to, the slime woman’s words actually felt...nice.

Still with a blush, she bit her lip before replying. ”Th...ank...y-yoouu…” she choked out. After swallowing again, she grumbled out another reply. ”G-Gree...n…fa..vor...ite...c-color…”

After almost spoiling their friendly shared dance with an accidental touch, Eupraxia seemed to save things by being considerate. There was a first time for everything. Thankfully, that meant a return to the dancing, which the slime gorgon was enjoying.

One song ended and there was a pause in the movement before a more mellow guitar chord came in. This was a different beat, but Praxi could follow this by following Celeste. There was even a way where two quick strums were followed by a rest before returning, and her makeshift hips rolled to meet the strumming.

She wanted to focus on the dancing, particularly after giving Celeste the compliment she blurted out. The way Celeste’s coloration changed, she worried it might have bothered the other young woman. She was not expecting a weak but vocalized reply. Thanks, and… was that a compliment in return?

And what were those lyrics Praxi was suddenly aware of?

All the pretty girls in the world and I’m in this place with you…

The surface of Praxi’s shoulders and hair were bubbling like she was a pot starting to simmer. Within her, swirls of green moved quickly and visibly beneath her surface. ”Um, good, because it’s k-kinda my only color,” she replied weakly, probably as a joke, but she got the tone all wrong.

Focus on the dancing. The soft, mellow rhythm, encouraging her to lean in closer, though Praxi made a more conscious effort not to get so close they touched. She learned a lesson. ”You make dancing nice. I could do this again,” she admitted clumsily.

Since coming to the surface, dancing had been a private affair for Celeste. She found freedom in the movements, allowing herself to be as open as possible. It was definitely something that she would rather do alone. A well of embarrassment formed in her chest at the idea of dancing in front of another -- or, that was what she used to believe. Now she was struggling to understand why it felt so different right now. It felt so, so much better.

The gorgon respected her wishes, trying to keep her hands at her shoulders and away from any lower spots. Initially Celeste had felt wary about that as it reminded her too much of lustful groping and grazes that she and many of the other palace slaves received during their time there. But this felt entirely different. As the song swirled around them, plucking those sweet tones in her ears, she almost wished that Praxi would hold her closer.

A smile adorned her lips at Praxi reminding her that green was her only color. She couldn’t argue with that. Smirking, and still blushing, she nodded her head softly in understanding, dipping her gaze down towards the floor again. The dance didn’t break however. No matter confused or fluttery she may feel, that didn’t seem to be an option right now; and she was fine with that.

Her hands were warm now, not the unearthly cold or the unbearable hot they could be. Instead they were flush, fully of pinkish stars and galaxies as she reached down, her hands hovering near where Praxi’s hips should be. After a moment she considered whether or not this was okay so, looking into the slime mutant’s eyes, she whispered in a voice that was barely audible, but just enough for Praxi to hear.

”T-Tou...ch...O...kay?” she asked softly, her hands still hovering until she got permission. The song was winding down by this point but there was still enough left for Celeste to enjoy her time with her newfound “friend”. And at her admission that she could do this longer, Celeste bit her lip and whispered. ”Y...yes…” she croaked. ”...f-f-fun…”

Other students talked about dancing. They were curious about how different it was growing up in Atlantis, and Praxi tried not to be a total downer by going into painful details. They asked about things she did and did not have, and when a few of them found out she had not danced before, they were shocked. Some joked about making her try it, but Praxi never expected anyone to follow through.

They always talked about how much fun it was to dance with someone, and now Praxi understood what they meant. It was a tingle throughout her body, like an electric spark was bouncing between her and Celeste.

There was so much to distract Praxi, it took her a moment to understood what Celeste’s weak voice meant with her question. She glanced down and noticed the hands hovering close. ”Oh. Um, yes. That’s fine. I don’t have anything that… yes, please go ahead.” She was going to mention not having hangups about touch, but that seemed insensitive.

As they moved to the music, Praxi felt herself gravitating closer like the galaxy girl had her own pull (ironically.) Her front almost got close enough to press Celeste’s “front” without the slime girl realizing the proximity. It was only when the song ended that she recognized how close she was and felt her insides swirling.

Cautiously, with the end of the song, she pulled away. ”This was nice, Celeste. Really nice. And I should get going to,” what did she even have to do today? ”A thing. But… maybe we can do this again? Or… keep doing it. Friday dancing?” By the next Friday, she would feel less awkward about this, right? Or maybe the Friday after that. It would be normal by then, and she did want to dance with Celeste again. Today was just… well, it was an overwhelming one for her for a few reasons.

It felt nice. That was something that Celeste was steadily getting used to. Things in this world, they just felt...nice. Being in Atlantis, especially in the palace, meant suffering and pain and fear. But here, all those feelings were ones that she carried with her. But “Nice” was so alien and distant that it still took some getting used to. Maybe that was why she shied away from Praxi’s touch at first. Thoughts for another day.

Instead, her hands hovering near where the slime mutant’s hips were, she very, very gently asked if it was okay for her hands to be there. She was respecting her space, therefore she was going to reciprocate that generosity.

Only when she got the okay did place her hands a bit closer. She wasn’t going to dip her hands into the woman’s wobbly slime, but she carefully placed them against the places she saw the closest undulation to hips. She followed them, correcting them where she could and smiled while peering at Praxi’s face. This really was nice.

They continued like this, the stars and galaxies swirling and pulsating just a bit faster as the seconds ticked on and the song continued. The gap between them began to shrink further until they were close, but not to the point of touching any further than they already were. Surprisingly, that felt almost...regrettable.

But as all things, their dance eventually came to an end. Praxi pulled away, going on about how this was nice and she wouldn’t mind doing it again. Celeste blushed, the stars turning a deep shade of pink as she smiled. Biting her bottom lip, after a few seconds she nodded her head.

”F-Fr-idays...good,” she affirmed. She liked the idea of a standing appointment with Praxi. That is something that friends do, isn’t it? Until then, she would turn Praxi loose and, well, she would wait until next Friday.