Dancing.

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Meet me at dawn, we begin tomorrow.
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Dancing had always come naturally to Mu. The subtle shake of the hips, taking advantage of the eyes and gracefully controlling them with every move you can muster. It was thrilling to Mu, powerful and graceful. Of course, though, Mu learned about the dainty art in a mud-ridden Circus. To her crew, it was showy and unrefined. It took Mu's certain learned tastes to reign in the talent and glorify the group as a whole. She took to the trapeze, flying and soaring through the air as the routine movements comforted her. Her hair wasn't a ratty mess then, oh no. It was twisted and woven into a crown that ordained her hair like royalty, not a hair out of place. Nevertheless, dancing on the ground or in the skies was where Mu felt at home.

That is to say, Mu did not feel at home in Regalia.

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​

Dawn had come, peeking through the blinders of Mu's home. It was practically a rundown shack, but Mu could take ease inside its walls. The light that pierced the covering of her windows danced against the dust that sheltered the room, indicating the arrival of sunrise Shrugging the blankets off herself, Mu rubbed at her eyes. Lessons, she remembered. She had to go and give Soryn lessons.

Still weary and tired, Mu grabbed at shoes and an overcoat for her dress, hastily pulling herself out the door to go fulfill her promise to a man she barely knew. In order for business to roar, though, Mu needed customers. Soryn seemed to be popular, and so Mu followed. Business would come to her, sooner or later. More for her to manipulate, you could guess.

Sunshine streaked through the air, spreading around and blanketing the growing grass. Early birds chirped and chipped at the ground, finding food for their newborns or just terrorizing the worms for fun. Mu didn't judge. Instead, she briskly jogged through the comforting stillness of a still dewey-fresh morning.

The sun had barely risen when Mu had reached the agreed area, a clearing just beyond the city. It was quiet, even with newly leafed trees that shook with the slightest breeze. A nice padded dirt ground commonly used during the winter festivals was left open and abandoned, perfectly clear. An almost dejected Soryn stood among the plant life farther along, seemingly bored, given his affinity for kicking at stones, though the decision to meet the crazy woman alone brought some entertainment to his mind.

"I'm glad you could make it, Sore. I fell a bit behind," Mu trailed off, excusing herself.​

"No, no, it's fine. I set more time aside for this-- let's just hope we don't cut into the morning workout," Soryn remarked, though a smile still graced his features. The Silven seemed content, which was a rare sight; his visage was an exalted sight for emotions, and happiness was the most elusive of them all.​

Solemnly nodding, Mu moved forward and took a funny looking stance. She balanced herself, one foot forward and a hand lowered in front of her.

"Mirror me," She motioned. "One hand on my shoulder, one on my waist."​

After the slight awkwardness and fumble of trying to match her position, Soryn inverted his stance. The two weren't quite two perfect puzzle pieces, but they worked temporarily together. Mu felt around for a beat, lifting up the hand she had originally placed on his shoulder to set a slow tempo with a snap.

"First, you place your foot to your left. The male always goes first," Mu muttered, placing her own foot to the right. "We count in six beats, and I will begin by snapping. Soon, you'll feel it in your soul."​

Beat One.​

Mu urged Soryn back, practically biting her lip. She wasn't a great teacher, was she? Soryn stumbled, having no warning as Mu just tried to go ahead with a dance partner who knew nothing about it.

"Sorry, sorry. I jumped ahead. We have to move forward- You move back. Then to the side…"​

Trailing off once more, Mu muttered along her mantra for the salsa. She could feel Soryn stiffen up at just how stupid this was, dancing in a wet field with many Regalians sleeping in a nice cozy bed. It didn't seem to detract from anything he felt about it, though. He still felt graceful, what with the warm glow of morning light bouncing off of the mildew and through the gaps in the forest trees.

Beat Two.​

"Move to the side now. The male always takes the lead."​

They shifted their weight in unison, finally getting the hang of it. Sort of. A high whistle sounded from Soryn's lips, breaking the awkward silence. It almost sounded like a bird sang back, as the crack of dawn brought with it the chorus of birds chirping around them.

"See? Not so hard, right? I.. uh. I hope I'm not messing up, here."​

Beat Three.​

"No, no. This is much more for fun, anyway. Move to the other side now."​

Keeping with time, they switched over again. Mu chuckled, setting aside a bit of the weirdness.

Beat Five.​

Mu gave Soryn a spin, suddenly catching his hand and twirling him around. Soryn managed a stunned sputter as he daintily spun around, tumbling down with Mu as her weight couldn't catch him. It ended up in such a way that he was on top of her, both of his gloved hands planted firmly into the earth on either side of her. His fringe was out of place, now, and his expression seemed pained or awkward; either way, it certainly wasn't his intention. The smell of the mildew filled their lungs, and the light seemed just a little darker, now.

Beat Six.​

"I got swept up in remembering, sorry- Oh, everything is all smudged now with plants."​

"Remembering... What, exactly?" Soryn probed, twisting around to get up and off the woman. Despite that, he remained sat next to her, his head swivelling towards her to get a better view.​

Mu lied there, holding a hand to her heart. The memories danced around vividly, dangling right in front of her. Stunts played out in magnificent ways, dazzling the crowd with every swing and bear paw. She stayed silent, looking silly in her stupor.

"Mu," He gently reminded, bringing her back to reality.​

"Oh, just my days in the Circus."​

Mu sat up straight, giving a sneeze. A spider danced over her lap, and Mu decided very quickly to get up after she brushed it off quickly. Was she disturbed more by the creature than her own tormented past? Or did she miss it? No, not the spider. Regardless, Mu knew she needed to leave.

"Anyway, that's the basics for dancing. Was that fun?"​

"Come rest, Mu. That's fun," Soryn called out, patting the spot next to him.​

He appeared to be watching the clouds, how funny. He was a serious man, but he seemed to know how to let loose, even just for a small bit. The question was if Mu would join him. Only time will tell. Perhaps just a few more free lessons!

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Tags: @Icaruscien @Lumiess @Dardy