(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.

you can decide if this is before or after derek leaves \o/

[stillseecracks]

Xanth is already caught in a group dance. He didn't exactly want to attend, but he figured he could learn a thing or two and, just maybe, get his mind off things.

When he spots Chloe, he ducks out of the dance first chance he gets and makes his way over. His cheeks are a little flushed from exertion, and he's looking a bit healthier than he was last time.

(His hair, however, is still much too long. He's tied it back in a low ponytail.)

"H--Hey! I-- I didn't-- th-think I'd see you h-here."

Let's say Derek's hanging back for a minute? Or sulking in a corner? Getting drinks? NO IDEA.

[ghostly_stutter]

Grinning, Chloe can't help the small laugh as Xanth ducks away from the dance to greet her. He does look a bit healthier now, though, and the flush from excursion on his cheeks was probably good for him.

"Hey yourself. I honestly didn't know who would come to this, but I'm glad you're here. There are a few friendly faces, which is nice."

She tilts her head curiously to one side. "Why didn't you think you'd see me here?"

works for me!

[stillseecracks]

He shrugs one shoulder. "O-Oh, I, I--I don't know. I-I guess I just-- d-didn't r-really expect to-- to see a-anybody."

Xanth glances over his shoulder at the crowds dancing, then tucks a loose piece of hair behind one ear. "S--So, do, d-do you... know a-any dances?"

Hahaha! Unless you want him to intrude. You can say when.

[ghostly_stutter]

Smiling slightly, Chloe nods, looking out over the dance floor.

"It took a little bit of persuasion, but we're here."

She looks back at Xanth, a laugh and a head shake escaping her.

"Do I know these dances? No. They seem simple enough to get the hang of, though. The repetition probably helps. Dancing is much different for my age group where I'm from. What about you? Is the dancing relatively similar where you're from?"

will do! \o\

[stillseecracks]

"Y--Yeah," he says with a nod. "Rela--r-relatively. I-I mean, I, I-I don't know a-- all these, b-but they are p-pretty simple."

That's part of why he likes them. Like a repeating chorus of a song, or like a solid drumming beat, the rhythm feels good.

"W-What's-- what's dancing l-like where you're from?"

LOL that tag I wrote. /shakes head at

[ghostly_stutter]

It's with heightened interest that Chloe listens to his words. She didn't know a whole lot about where he was from, but it was so bizarre how so many of the people here were from such different lots in life. They all had such different lives entirely.

She grins. "Hopefully it won't take me too long to learn, then."

Averting her gaze to the floor, Chloe laughs a bit awkwardly. A deep blush covers her face. "L-let's just say people dance a l-lot closer together. Pressed up against each other and--" She cuts herself off. Yeah, she'll stop right there. "O-or they'll jump up and down to loud music. Most slow songs are merely two people swaying."

She looks at Xanth for a minute. Well, it was all in the spirit of learning, right?

"I can show you, if you like."

what! it was fine :D

[stillseecracks]

Dance a lot closer, she says. Pressed up against each other, she says.

Xanth can't help a light blush. He's not thinking about it quite as deeply as Chloe is, but still, that's less like dancing and more like... something more private.

At her offer, he sports a nervous grin.

"Wh-- w-which-- which dance?"

She did name three, after all.

Re: what! it was fine :D

[ghostly_stutter]

Blushing awkwardly, wondering in good humor if Xanth thought her an idiot, Chloe mumbles, "Th-the last one. The swaying. It's--it's hard to describe. I suppose you could say it's close to a dumbed down version of a ballroom dance embrace. Here, I'll show you..."

If you want to back out, now's the time to do it, Xanth.

She takes a step closer, eyes concentrated on his hands.

"The guy wraps his arms around his partner's waist. And the girl's arms go around his shoulders."

[stillseecracks]

Xanth does not back out.

Instead, he steps closer, then puts his arms around Chloe's waist as instructed. It's rather intimate already, but only slightly moreso than the waltz. His blush is a little brighter now, but he's not flustered quite yet.

Her instructions followed, he looks to Chloe for more.

[ghostly_stutter]

Well, he was letting her show him. That was good at least. Chloe relaxed into her teaching mode, moving her hands to Xanth's shoulders. He was tall--like Derek. Chloe never felt so short surrounded by so many tall guys. She was surrounded by them at the keep.

"Right. Like that, good. Now you listen to the music and lift your feet a little, swaying from one side to the other."

Chloe started a light rocking motion from right to left, hoping Xanth would follow and understand what she meant.

"Some girls put there hands here," Chloe trailed her hands down to rest on his shoulders, "Or here." She steps closer still to cross her wrists behind his neck, positioning her body so she was slightly to one side of his. She turns her head towards Xanth's to gauge his confusion.

"Get it?"

[stillseecracks]

Xanth opens his ears to the music. It's a slower song, which is excellent timing. Doing this in time to a quick beat would feel strange.

But his ears are also open to her instructions. The different hand placements make sense, but he's almost surprised she can reach all the way behind his neck. She's so very short! Almost like the people back home...

At her last question, he smiles and he nods. "Y-Yeah, I-- I get it." He sways back and forth, turning them slowly as he went. "It's-- n-not so hard." It's actually sort of... nice.

[ghostly_stutter]

It was definitely a stretch to reach. Chloe was practically flush against Xanth, and it took her a moment to realize that. She was simply teaching him a dance, however, and focused on that--teaching--so things wouldn't suddenly become awkward between friends.

She giggled, glad Xanth seemed to enjoy it.

"See? You're an expert already. Now you'll be able to teach others how to do this dance."

She'll pull away if Xanth does, and grin up at him. Otherwise she's content to dance a little longer so Xanth feels he has the hang of it.

now wouldn't be a bad time for derek to make an appearance!

[stillseecracks]

Xanth returns her grin, but his is just a little more nervous than hers. "W-Well, maybe-- m-maybe not an expert, b-but I'm, I-I'm not too bad." This was such an easy dance, after all. There wasn't even a need to dip her!

Not that Xanth was thinking about such a thing. No, not at all, never.

He does linger a little longer, making sure he's got the swing of things.

/slinks in, latest ever

[sociopathicwolf]

Derek was indeed making an appearance.

Well. In a manner of speaking. He hadn't interfered when he'd come back to find Chloe dancing with Xanth, not even when they'd moved closer. He'd just hung back, trying to look occupied with drinking the drink he'd gotten. Chloe wasn't in any danger, and he wasn't stupid. She was just dancing with a friend. Nothing for him to get upset about.

He still didn't interrupt when their closeness lingers, but his eyes narrowed a bit. And he took a deeper breath of the air, getting Xanth's scent.

Derek wasn't going to do anything stupid. But he was watching, just in case.

XD <333 /all the love

[ghostly_stutter]

Grinning again, Chloe nods.

"Hey. At least you can admit it."

She keeps her arms around Xanth for a little longer, comfortably allowing him to lead her in their sway-dancing.

"So you think you've got the hang of it?"

Chloe's unclasping her hands from around Xanth's neck. Pulling her arms down and she smiles, backing half a step away so they can talk. She glances away for one brief moment--and sees Derek. On a quick, indrawn breath, Chloe's eyes rove over his tense form--the narrowed eyes and his flaring nostrils. She pressed her lips together, heart thundering in her chest as she backs another step away.

They are just friends, Derek. Breathe.

She eyes silently ask for him to calm down. To understand. She turns back to Xanth with a smile, but it falters slightly. She'd just explain things to Derek later, when they were alone. Remind him that she was his girlfriend. Taking a deep breath, she relaxes slightly. Everything would be fine.