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[color=9df7ff]Cordelia Whittaker[/color]
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Cordelia watched Nicole, hand out-stretched. Her words seemed to make the perky redhead second guess herself. However, in a blink any shadow of doubt was replaced by the same qualities Cordelia had initially observed in her new teammate. It wasn’t a second later that Nicole took Cordelia’s offered hand, wrapping their fingers around one another and stood up, as light on her feet as Cordelia had thought.

[color=ec008c]“Dance my socks off, babe."[/color]

Cordelia received an order, and in that moment her mind shifted back to ten years ago. Learning etiquette from the Sidos Heurassein Estate. The Heiress’ birthday was fast approaching and for it, everyone was expected to take place in a great waltz that would be shone to diplomats coming from far and wide. These weren’t the rulers of these lands, nor the tops of any governments. Rather, this was wealthy merchants, civic engineers, and architects. People who, Cordelia was often told, had one foot in the present, and another in our past. People who could reshape this mishappen world and turn it into something that would once more resemble what we had all lost. Or so Cordelia was told. 

The waltz was like her, not freeform, rather it was a complex series of movements that would be so deigned before any dancing had begun. As Cordelia lead Nicole towards the dance floor, she felt her movements begin to change underfoot. She adopted a similar lightness on her feet to that of Nicole, gracefully gliding along the hall’s floor until she reached the inner-most part. Where it would be hard to see anything other than the band who so expertly performed for them as if they were begging for some kind of movement. Cordelia would oblige them. 

[color=9df7ff]“Then, if you’ll permit me this boldness, follow my lead.”[/color] Cordelia quietly spoke to Nicole as she separated from her, bowing deeply beneath her pelvis waiting a second, and then returning to her upright posture. She elegantly scooped Nicole’s lower back, retrieved her hand and held it out just above her right shoulder. She waited for the music to cue her in before she began to move. The waltz was made up primarily of slow movements entwined with fast ones. She guided Nicole around in a circle as she found the others on the dance floor moving in kind. She brought herself closer through her steps to Nicole, until her whispers would land upon the redhead’s cheek. [color=9df7ff]“I apologize, for whatever may have happened to your last teammate,”[/color] she whispered. Before she would give Nicole a chance to respond, she extended her arm, causing Nicole to swing outwards. She gave the girl a tug and just as expected she was pulled in towards her. They were both facing the same direction now, with Cordelia’s words meeting the back of Nicole’s ear now. [color=9df7ff]“But that won’t happen with me. I’m here to stay. Please count on me.”[/color]

She allowed Cordelia to return to her prior posture where they faced one another, continuing to twist and weave between other groups. She felt a gentleman's back graze her own as they barely threaded the needle between two more groups. She felt sweat begin to bead at her forehead as the pace of the music quickened. She had always been taught to smile when you danced, it was a contagious sort of thing. Like a pathogen that infected through the mere sight of another smiling. Her hand on Nicole’s back slid upwards as she pulled her close to avoid bumping into another couple who were performing something of an extravagant move. 

It dawned on Cordelia that this was an opportunity to see how Nicole would act under pressure. She quickly put her theory to the test. Once more pulling Nicole closely until their stomachs were pressed up against one another. [color=9df7ff]“Would you like to try taking the lead, darling?”[/color]