[b]Some weeks ago…[/b]

Hazel, at great personal risk, studies a foxgirl’s swaying hips.

“And lean-”
“And shift-”
“And relax-”
“And swish-!”

Seli and Keli, at no personal risk, drink in a deerboy’s hesitant hips.

“He’s learning quick, yah?”
“Yah, he’s a natural~”
“Are you sure you want a ball, Master~?”
“We could book you quite the show, Master~”
“Oh, but he so wanted to dance like the Nagi do…”
“Perhaps our Anat would be free?”
“[i]ara ara,[/i] perhaps she would~”
“Only the best for our Maaaaster~”

Hazel, in the grassy plains, puts his foot down. Not rhythmically, of course.

“No! I mean, yes! Yes I am sure! We’re having a ball. And, to be clear, I’d like to learn more than just Crevas dancing. I don’t know how many styles of ballroom dancing there are in Thellamie, but I’d at least like to learn the major ones. 

No! I mean, yes! Yes I am sure! We’re having a ball. A nice, normal ball. Everybody’ll get a chance to see me, nobody’ll burn down half of Vespergift, again, and if anybody tries then we’ll be well within our rights to disqualify them for arson. That’s it. No head-to-head competition. Everyone gets a fair chance. If my sluzhankas want to put on a show, then I can ask Olesya about what goes into a proper sluzhanka performance. I can get Deo to put in a request with Miss Yaz, no trouble at all.”

“But I’d much rather learn whatever dances you can teach me, not just Crevas dancing. I don’t know how many styles of ballroom dancing there are here, but I’d like to learn as many of the big ones as I can. Anyone hunting me is preparing for a ball with the Golden Fawn. The least I can do is make sure I can give them a good dance when their turn comes.”

Keli and Seli, in the grassy plains, drop their lowest curtseys. Not teasingly, of course.

“And here I thought you’d been charmed by a snake”
“When it couldn’t be further from the truth!”
“He’s much too thoughtful”
“He’s much too sweet”
“He’ll be prepared for anyone”
“He’ll be ready to kiss anyone”
“We’ll help, of course”
“Teach you to dance, of course”
“Unless you need other lessons~”
“Wicked sister! He still needs his legs”
“Mmm, we’ll teach you whatever you wish, Master~”
“But you’ll have to figure out the lifts yourself~”

“Wait, figure out the what now?”
 
***********************************************************

[b]Today...[/b]

Well, Hazel?

Did you learn anything from the plantgirl, in this exact building? Or are you going to need three nickels?

Was it too much to ask for you to be normal for one night? For Suli? 

Look at her. Some dance you’ve shown her.

Alas. Not only does Alcideo have to clean up his mess, but he can’t shrink into a hole and disappear forever while he’s being helped to his feet. “Thanks, Deo,” he whisper-mumbles.

“Don’t mention it. It would be a waste to leave your private room unused, wouldn’t it?”

I! You! What! Deo!!!!!

(Squeak. Earflop. Sputter. But there’s a few intelligible words. “Wasn’t!” “Single occupancy!” “Mean to me!!!” Fervent denial, uselessly flustered, but not [i]really[/i] upset. Gets the point across. And Deo’s eyes are smiling. And the moment feels salvageable.)

Thus is the Golden Fawn delivered back into the hands of the Princess of Crevas; red-cheeked and articulationally challenged. But his eyes leap up, and up, and up her body, diving back to hers, graceful and unafraid. He nods (quickly, quickly, keep the rhythm…) far more than he needs to, and it says all that he needs to. As if such a thing could stop a goober of his caliber. “I’d love that. Lead on, [i]your highness.[/i]” It is a proper address. It is [i]so[/i] proper. Don’t come in here and act like it isn’t proper. See? It’s so proper, his eyes are twinkling and not even a giggle escapes his lips. The smile (scrunch the nose, just a little, don’t go full Photo Smile) is non-negotiable.

And so, as the band starts in on a lilting, Crevas melody, they sway together.

Boy, can he sway. Of all the things he can do, swaying is one of them. Even if he requires his whole brain and body to do it, on account of not being a snake. Picture the wave, traveling down Suli’s arms and effortlessly passing to his. Meet at the shoulders, build through his chest, down, down, down, cresting through his hips, his thighs, and flowing out the knees and ankles. Not through a step! Not through a step. The first steps are wrong (wincing, flinching, stupid) even as he keeps them as quiet as possible. 

[i]Thump![/i]

No, no, he steps on the 

[i]Thump![/i]

In time to the wave, on the right moment, you

[i]Thump!
Stamp![/i]

Yesssssssssssssssssss.

It takes all his concentration to sway, and to step. Some of the waves have to hurry up to make room for the next one. Some of the steps freeze in mid-air, hard stop for a half-beat, and [i]then[/i]

[i]Thump!
Stamp![/i]

Always, he watches her face.

(Is she smiling? Is this better? No? Then the next wave will shimmy him [i]extra[/i] wide. Hold him tight, he’s about to be very silly. And see how he lights up when stomp and thump ring out as one. Nothing beats a good beat. Is this better? Are you having fun?)

Except. Except?

Except when she lifts him.

Maybe it could be done. But it’s difficult and awkward to look for her eyes when he’s just been spun, laid atop her, and lifted from the hips in one smooth motion. Or maybe he’s floating, carried away by the swaying, undulating bed beneath him, scales and softness cradling his back. Back, and back they lean, and round, and round they go. A slow, languid comet, with his dress as the tail.

Maybe it could’ve been done. Not now. Not when the only place for his head to rest is her shoulder. The lights above them twinkle like stars. They shine down on his exposed neck. Perhaps there is a draft. Perhaps there is a wash of warm breath over his skin. That faint tingle could be anything. He couldn’t say.

Only when his feet find the ground again does he find his way back to her face. And isn’t it always a surprise to see it’s Suli, Princess Suli, he’s dancing with?

It’s also a surprise when the last lift keeps lifting, and keeps lifting, and keeps lifting. (Later, he’ll think, and he’ll agree that, yeah, the music reaching a crescendo maybe should’ve tipped him off.) There are, in this moment, one million different things he could be doing with his body, and he’s positive that most of them are wrong. But sometimes, the trick to not ruining everything is to just blunder on forward, and sort out the rest later. 

So he freezes. In the position that feels the most natural. Suli holds him up. Her arms are solid. Firm. Unwavering. He has to balance a lot less than he expected to. He doesn’t have to balance at all, really. So. Could he maybe…? 

Suli might feel a tingling in her hands. She might feel a boy tensing, focusing, and then?

She’ll be bathed in starlight, the light from the Golden Fawn radiating above her, and her glittering scales will be yet more indescribable.

Well, your highness?

Do [i]you[/i] like it?

[Rolling for Emotional Support with Radiance: 6 + 4 + 2 + 1 (rhythm games) = 13]