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Post by Linyü on Feb 12, 2023 1:28:59 GMT -6
Even knowing that it was a stranger wearing the face of the man she knew, there was just enough likeness that she still had to turn away. The weight of that beseeching gaze sat too heavily upon her.
She didn’t say yes. But when he held out his hand, she took it, and let him lead her further out onto the floor.
Truthfully, she had no idea what he meant for them to do. Even if she knew the steps, which she didn’t, there was still the matter of the difference in size between them. "Just copy what I do for now," he said. The muted air about him hadn’t entirely dissipated, but he was smiling again, as if trying to move past a moment of unexpected awkwardness. "Let’s see if I remember how the lady’s steps went. Bear with me here, I never had to do them, and like I said, it’s been a long time…"
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Post by Linyü on Feb 12, 2023 1:29:21 GMT -6
He let go of her hand to take a few experimental steps on the floor, lifting his arms and setting them one way, and then another. He let the pose lapse, then assumed a different position, and glided across the floor in more hurried motions -- the men’s steps, she thought; the steps he knew. He hummed under his breath as he moved too, once and then again, before saying, "Ah, that’s right, I think this is it. Watch me." This time he lifted his arms with more confidence, and stepped and turned and stepped again, his movements slowed for her benefit.
Then he stopped, and looked at her expectantly. Rei hesitated, but haltingly she copied the motions he had demonstrated as best she could. Seveth brightened in that unsubtle way of his that seemed to buoy his entire frame, and eagerly showed her the next set of steps.
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Post by Linyü on Feb 12, 2023 1:29:31 GMT -6
The animation had returned to his features -- no, that wasn’t quite right. Watching Seveth explain the movements to her, Rei realized that the liveliness with which he carried on most of the time was a show he put on, one that paled in the face of his true enthusiasm. The brightness of his eyes lent a youthful innocence to his face, and when he spoke, joy bled warm and irrepressible into his words.
The sight brought a dull ache to her chest. In all the years she had known him, she had never seen San look like that.
But she couldn’t bear to chase that thought to its conclusion, so she forced herself to focus on his movements, on taking note of all the important details and committing them to memory. This, at least, was familiar; and it gave her something to think about that had nothing to do with San.
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Post by Linyü on Feb 12, 2023 1:30:32 GMT -6
“That’s not bad for a first attempt! You’ve got a knack for this,” Seveth was saying. "Ah, but this is too much at once, isn’t it? Especially without a partner... Come to think of it, we didn't do it like that when I was learning either. Here, forget the arms for now, just focus on the steps." He demonstrated for her again, and with a renewed motivation, Rei mimicked him. It was awkward going; she had to hover to achieve the proper vantage to see what he was doing, and when she settled again to the floor, he had to crouch to watch her. But Seveth didn’t seem to mind, and she soon found that she had to struggle to keep up with his relentless energy. By the time they were done, she had forgotten what she had been thinking about -- or at least she’d almost convinced herself that she had. ----- 20
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Post by Linyü on Feb 12, 2023 1:32:59 GMT -6
Rei was a quick study, which was a pleasant surprise -- but no, maybe it shouldn’t have been so surprising. Seveth just hadn’t given her enough credit, which was his own mistake. She looked small and delicate, but she had worked alongside San at whatever mysterious and terrible job they had before they had come here, so there had to be more to her than that. Still, he could tell that she was tired, so he had called for a break after she had gotten down the basic steps.
That was over now, however, and she had rejoined him on the floor. She waited, probably expecting him to show her something -- the movements with the arm placement, maybe, or more complicated steps. Which he could do, of course, but he figured what he had planned would be more fun.
“It’s showtime,” he declared, rubbing his hands together with a grin. Her eyes narrowed. Really, would it kill her to have a little more faith?
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Post by Linyü on Feb 12, 2023 1:33:17 GMT -6
Seveth clapped twice, and after a beat, the sound of music drifted in. He felt a swell of joy and nostalgia all at once at the familiar sound of strings. The melody wasn’t one he knew, but it was the right rhythm for a waltz, and there was that same stately, romantic quality to it that he had always loved.
Once again, Rei froze, then turned sharply around to seek the source of the music. Seveth used this moment of distraction to cast his spell. By the time Rei turned her attention back to him, Seveth was waving at her from the floor -- much shorter than he had been, and only a little taller than herself.
“Tada! And here you thought I wouldn’t be able to find you a partner.”
She must have been very surprised for it to show so plainly on her face. Fluttering down to the floor, she blinked at him. “How?” she said.
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Post by Linyü on Feb 12, 2023 1:34:09 GMT -6
Raising a finger to his lips, Seveth gave her a wink. “A magician never tells his secrets,” he said.
It was cute, and a little bit funny, that she seemed to genuinely believe he had control over this place. In reality, he was just lucky that the old magic was in a good mood and playing along -- although he had found over the years that audacity went a long way sometimes. Then again, anyone who could create a place like this must have had singularly theatrical sensibilities -- in which case, that was something they had in common.
That same theatrical sensibility swept him into a low bow. "Lovely lady, may I have the honor of this dance?”
He held out his hand, and chose to interpret the slight pause before she took it as the demureness of a shy young lady rather than the reluctance of an unwilling partner. And if that was a lie, well, sometimes life was better for a little healthy self-deception.
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Post by Linyü on Feb 12, 2023 1:35:34 GMT -6
And they moved well together, after the first few awkward steps where they tried to find their rhythm. She was a good dancer, as he had thought she would be. Not that he would have been disappointed even if she wasn’t, of course. He would have been happy even if she had stepped on his feet all night; it was truly so good to be dancing with a partner again at all. But Rei had a certain poise to her, and she had a talent for picking up on subtle cues; she followed his lead smoothly despite having only just learned the steps. Having a partner did her good, as far as learning went. The arms were easy -- much easier, really -- when there was someone to guide you, and everything flowed once you put all the pieces together.
There was just one problem: she wouldn’t look at him.
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Post by Linyü on Feb 12, 2023 1:35:56 GMT -6
At this distance, where the space between them was almost nothing, it was impossible to ignore. He knew she didn’t like eye contact -- with anyone, not just him -- but the quality of the avoidance felt different now. This close, too, he could see the subtle flush on her cheeks; her ears were canted low and back, and the hand he held was just a little too warm.
Too late, Seveth considered the possibility that this might not have been a good idea after all. He hadn’t meant it as an unkindness to her -- much the opposite -- but now he could see the cruelty of it.
He considered his options, and settled on the most daring. At the next available opportunity, he swept her into an unexpected dip, then laughed as she tensed, staring wide-eyed at him. He pulled her up quickly, before she could get too angry with him.
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Post by Linyü on Feb 12, 2023 1:36:08 GMT -6
“Let’s do a spin next. Follow my lead.” True to his word, he led her into a spin -- and then spun himself after. As he did, he heard a soft sigh of exasperation, and the knot in his gut began to ease a little. That was what he had been aiming for, to remind her that it was just him -- foolish, frivolous Seveth. The music wound down not long after that, and they drifted to a halt. Seveth held both of her hands as he took a step back, widening the distance between them again. “Thank you,” he said. Rei, who was looking at the floor again, only nodded. Seveth had wanted to say more, to joke or effuse about her poise and talent, but somehow the words stuck in his throat. He opened his mouth, but in the end, all he could manage was the same thing again: “Really. Thank you.” ----- 26
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Post by Linyü on Feb 12, 2023 1:38:13 GMT -6
“Thank you… Really. Thank you.”
The dance was over, but Seveth still held her hands in his. He was smiling at her, softly, in a way that didn’t seem like himself at all. If she allowed herself to forget, for a moment she could half imagine -- but no, she would not. She had no desire to torment herself by wishing for things that were not true. She had learned that lesson too many times for her to forget it now.
But then Seveth let go with a startled yelp, and Rei’s gaze snapped back up to see him falling backwards, barely catching himself with his arms. In the time it took for her to blink, he was his normal size again, towering over her even as he lay propped up on his elbows on the floor. For a moment, neither of them spoke. Then, helplessly, Seveth began to laugh, as if he had been overtaken by it.
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Post by Linyü on Feb 12, 2023 1:42:47 GMT -6
He gave up and collapsed fully onto the floor, giggles spilling into breathless gasping laughter, through which he attempted to speak, without much success. “That was--” he said. "That... That was the best. Oh, I didn’t think... The spell... I didn’t think it would..."
"The spell?" Rei said.
At her words, Seveth sat back up and tried to draw himself together. "The shrinking spell," he explained. "I knew there was a limit to how long it would last, but I didn’t think it would end so abruptly." Here he broke into another burst of giggles, then shook his head. "I can’t cast it again anyway, at least not today. But if you ever want to practice again..." She could tell that he had tried to say it lightly, but the way he looked at her was still too unguardedly hopeful.
"Maybe," she said.
Seveth smiled, and pursued it no further than that.
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Post by Linyü on Feb 12, 2023 1:44:27 GMT -6
Rising, he dusted himself off. "I owe you for today," he said. "What are you in the mood for? Takeout? My treat. Wait, no, I’ve got a better idea. I’ll give you three questions -- you know, like the fae in those old stories. I solemnly swear that I will answer three questions, in truth and to the fullest of my ability." He closed his eyes and held up a hand as he spoke, mimicking a vow.
Rei had to resist the urge to sigh again. She hadn’t intended on asking anything of him, and would have been content to let this go as yet another of his escapades that she had been dragged into. But she had seen an unexpected facet of Seveth today, both in the strange melancholy way he had spoken of his past and in the self-possessed finesse that he had carried himself with when he danced.
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Post by Linyü on Feb 12, 2023 1:49:35 GMT -6
She hadn't thought him capable of it, but even when he had just been demonstrating steps for her, there had been an elegance to him that was wholly different from San's quick, efficient grace. It was like watching someone else -- or like seeing someone with their veneer pulled away for the first time.
Finding that she had underestimated him was an unhappy revelation, if only for the fact that she should have known better. But there was no sense dwelling on it. Uneasy as she might have been in his company, he was right that they could stand to get to know one another more, and he was offering her the opportunity to probe him without prying into her affairs in return.
“... You don’t have to think that hard about it,” said Seveth, laughing a little nervously. “We could just get the takeout. Or you could ask me later--”
“Where did you learn that dance?” she said.
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Post by Linyü on Feb 18, 2023 22:26:46 GMT -6
"Oh. Wow, I guess we’re doing this, huh? I--" Seveth stopped, blinking, as if just registering something about what Rei had asked. "Wait, that’s your first question? Really?"
"Should I ask something else?" Rei replied.
"No! No, er... Well, you can ask anything you want. That's the point. But, you know, I thought it would be a little more along the lines of... Why can't you get your act together? Why are you always buying clothes?" He adopted a deep, surly tone as he tossed out this hypothetical line of questioning, which sounded not at all like Rei's own voice. At least, she hoped his intent hadn't been to impersonate her; if it had, he was objectively doing a terrible job.
Something of it must have shown on her face, as Seveth laughed again, uneasily. "Or," he said, light and painstakingly offhand, "maybe why I'd... ended up like this. Done this? Whatever it is you think I..."
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