(Untitled)

[aegisofsilk]

Who: Open. Please tag yourselves.
What: Medieval and period dance instruction
When: After dinner!
Where: The dance hall in The Bower.

Comments

All the tags!

[ghostly_stutter]

Well, if there was going to be a party, Chloe wanted to know how to dance for it. Never mind part of her wanted to mentally do research for a film. She can see it now: a medieval Keep, a night of horrors--this could prove to be fun!

And there's no way Chloe would let Derek get out of attending this. She wanted to be able to dance with him. Truth be told, she was more than eager to commiserate with him on the dance floor. The teasing spark in her eyes would be ceaseless.

So Chloe arrives to the bower, Derek with her, and her expression lights up when she sees some familiar faces.

"See? This won't be so bad."

Then she makes her way fully into the room.

83

[stillseecracks]

"Y-Yeah, I-- I think so."

As Chloe pulls back, Xanth does the same. It's a dance he'll keep in his repertoire, and one that he'll not easily forget - it's so very simple, after all. He's about to open his mouth to suggest they try a group dance, but he sees Chloe's gaze shift to the side, sees that wilting smile of hers.

He shoots a glance in the direction he thinks she was looking, but he doesn't see anything.

His own smile vanished, he asks, "Wh-- what's-- w-what's wrong?"

>D

[ghostly_stutter]

Paling slightly when Xanth looks in Derek's vague direction, Chloe silently hopes he doesn't notice her boyfriend is currently glaring holes through his skull. She forces a brighter, more energetic smile at his question.

"N-nothing's wrong."

More smiling and deep breaths.

"So, Xanth. What kind of dancing do you know?"

Maybe you could teach me? It was on the edge of her lips. She didn't want to push Derek into becoming any angrier, however, so she held her tongue.

[stillseecracks]

Something's wrong, Xanth is sure, but he doesn't press it. He's seized by the urge to look again, to see what's making Chloe nervous enough to stutter, but he fights it off.

Instead, he smiles. "U-Um-- m-more like-- what they're doing o-out here." Xanth gestures towards the group dances. "A-And, uh, a-- another dance, b-but it's... k-kind of close, too."

[ghostly_stutter]

When Xanth doesn't press her for answers, Chloe almost sags from relief. Her attention and curiosity is captured almost immediately a second later, though, after hearing Xanth's words.

"Another dance?" Not that she knew the dance many were currently moving to, either. "What do you mean?" Trying to think up dances Chloe had heard about or seen in old films, she couldn't come up with any that had a close-embrace. Maybe tango, but for some reason she wasn't certain that's at all what Xanth was talking about.

[stillseecracks]

"Y-Yeah, it's, uh. I-I don't remember the name, b-but it's-- it's r-really simple. I-It's like..."

Feeling only slightly foolish, Xanth mimes putting his left hand on a partner's waist and holding their hand in his right. Then, he steps right, back, left, and forward. Though he doesn't realize it, Xanth is portraying very basic rendition of the waltz.

After the first circle of steps, Xanth drops his hands and grins, sheepish. "It's-- l-like that."

[ghostly_stutter]

Chloe follows his movements, and it's only a matter of time as the triple-steps his feet create forms a name.

"A waltz."

Chloe had never danced a waltz herself--thankfully--being one to always strive for stage manager and later as director. She had seen enough plays and old films to know what a waltz was, however, even if all the dances she'd seen had most likely been choreographed.

Feeling more bold and daring than Chloe ever had in the past--before Lyle house and finding out she was a necromancer--Chloe smiles up at Xanth and tries not to allow her insecurities to show.

"Teach me?"

[stillseecracks]

"S--Sure!"

Xanth, of course, thinks nothing of the jealous boyfriend watching over his shoulder; all he knows is that he enjoys dancing with Chloe, and he has a chance to actually teach her something.

"Y-You, uh, you've-- s-seen this before?" he asks, stepping closer to her. He holds up his hand, waiting to take Chloe's.

[ghostly_stutter]

Well, if she was going to prove to Derek that everything was fine, what better way than to act normally and not show any guilt or regret? Besides, Chloe had plans. She was certain Derek wouldn't want to dance with strangers in the room, so what better way to teach him than to first learn herself? She could teach him herself later, away from prying eyes.

Nodding, Chloe stepped closer to Xanth, lifting her arms and hesitating with where to place her hands.

"I--I've never danced it before, but I've seen it a couple of times."

She was blushing already, feeling awkward and dumb. Seeing his hand, she thankfully slipped her own into it, heaving a small sigh as she placed her hand on his shoulder.

"Like--like this?"

[stillseecracks]

"Y--Yeah," he replied, taking Chloe's hand and setting his hand on her waist. "Like-- like that."

Then, picking up the music, which had slowed, Xanth took one step back. Maybe Chloe would catch on quickly, since it was such a simple dance, but he would take it at her pace no matter what.

[ghostly_stutter]

Ducking her head to awkwardly watch their feet, Chloe sighed once again with relief when he said she was doing it right. When Xanth stepped backwards, Chloe hesitated, then took one step in his direction, eyes darting up in question as she bit her lip and waited to see if she had been mistaken. She waited to see what else he would do.

[stillseecracks]

Where Chloe might have expected correction, there was only affirmation and a smile. "A-And then, l-like this..." With that, Xanth took a careful step to the left.

[ghostly_stutter]

Feeling emboldened, Chloe ducks her head once more to watch their feet and moves with more certainty--to her right this time.

She grinned up at Xanth. "Maybe this won't be so difficult..."

[stillseecracks]

"Y-Yeah, i-it's not-- it's not hard." And then he takes another step forward, guiding Chloe with him.

"D-Do you-- want to s-speed up, a-a little?"

[ghostly_stutter]

Chloe should have been expecting Xanth to step toward her with his next movement. As it was, she was so focused on her own feet she forgot to watch his. A squeak escaped and her body seized up, and her legs refused to cooperate. Her center of balance shifted, and she felt her body slowly fall backwards and quickly reached around Xanth to grasp him with her left arm, her right hand tightening its hold on his.

Eyes wide, Chloe managed to move her feet back finally, hoping it wouldn't be too late to stay a major catastrophe. Her face burned a deep hue of red at her blunder.

[stillseecracks]

"W--Woah!"

As Chloe teetered, Xanth slipped his arm around her waist to catch her. The motion very nearly took him down, too, but his balance remained intact.

After a moment, Xanth pulled back, breaking from the waltz formation. "A--A-Are you-- o-okay?" he asked, sheepishly grinning and faintly blushing.