Dreadlords Manners To Teach || Part II

[Perrine Urahil]

There had been dinner parties, wine tasting, food pairing, and greeting etiquette. The discussion of formal attire, proper etiquette of calling a visit to a home. Etiquette of drinking tea, and how to organise any function found in Vel Anir.

Many listened, and a lot more participated begrudgingly. Initiates only had to take the class for a year, but they would be the more knowledgeable going out into society if their orders deigned them so.

Today's lesson would take part in the larger room attached to the class room, the room bare save for the piano tucked into the far corner. Proctor Urahil stood between the two rooms and ushered in the class, waiting until she knew most of them were in attendance before moving towards the center of the room. "As promised, this is the first lesson of ten what will teach you the various dances seen at many Anirian events. I ask that those of you well versed in their combinations to help your peers." She then strode to the far wall, pulling back the heavy curtain to reveal the mirrors that stretched across the wall. "Today we shall start with the common waltz, and then the Anirian waltz. Get yourselves into pairs and spread out, please."

Perrine strayed from the mirror and took a moment to watch as the Initiates began to pair off, some finding another easily, some bargaining, and some struggling to find someone that was not already paired. She had hoped there was an even number...

---

Initiates!
Time to put on your dancing shoes and learn how to dance, etiquette style!
Either have a partner, or NPC one if you prefer.
This thread is to span over ONE lesson.

Turn orders may mix arounnd, but we will get to that when needed.

 

[Fennec]

Fennec had attended every etiquette class she'd been present on Academy grounds for. Though well versed in much of these lessons already thanks in part to private tutoring arranged by Harkenov, it behooved her to learn under another mentor in order to ensure she had all her bases covered. Perrine had offered knowledge of smaller-known practices and varieties, many of which had already come in useful for her current mission, so she assumed the dance lessons would be no different.

She did, in fact, know the common and Anirian waltz, though she was rather out of practice on both.

Upon her attendance to the first etiquette class it had been suggested that she forgo the painting of her face, so it was with this class and every other class thereafter that she attended with the horrific scarring and corruption of her face on full display for all to see. It wasn't any less distracting than her usual appearance, but it did free up time to find more appropriate wardrobe other than her usual leather and bone body armor.

Today she had selected a fitted, long-cut tunic of black that would allow her to move freely and comfortably with boots that featured a small heel to add to her height. Being the shortest Initiate in the class had its advantages on the sparring grounds, but it was more or less an irksome thing to manage when it came to dancing.

But no more irksome than finding a willing partner.

 

[Orchid]

Red crushed velvet shirt, check.
Trim slacks, check.
Knee high boots of fine Imperial Leather... not check.
Those were soundly destroyed when he transformed in front of Fennec, so his dress shoes and stockings would have to do. Crocodile skin, of course.
Gloves of vole. Only the best and softest.
Pale makeup, rouge on cheeks and just a hint of painted lips, blood red of course.
When Orchid Galleus walked, nay strutted into the class for etiquette he was every image an utter fop.

He found the looks of the other Initiates an absolute delight especially... HER!
His eyes widened as he saw her.
This was the most welcome of impossibilities.
Fennec, sans armour, sans makeup.
Seeing it twice he knew now how privileged he had been to see it at all. Her face was a tapestry of ruin.
He could have looked at it for hours.

 

[Perrine Urahil]

Perrine watched in the reflection as the Initiate Galleus locked sight on that of Vel Olera. The Proctor's brows furrowed slightly, curious to the interactions of unlikely friends.

How odd...She thought to herself. Clearing her throat, she raised her voice slightly to be heard over the commotion of partnering up.

"Are we paired yet? I will give you one more minute to sort yourselves out before we make a start on our lesson." She turned to look over her shoulder, looking to the Initiates over her waterfall of blonde hair that cascaded in effortless waves down her back. "Choose wisely. This will be the pairings for every lesson on dance etiquette." She warned.

 

[Fennec]

Well, no surprise that the other Initiates had quickly paired themselves off to avoid being paired with her. If Fennec could complete the task on her own, she would have. Perhaps the Proctor would offer to fill the spot since the class was at an odd number-

The door opened and Fen's face immediately when stone-sour. She'd been preoccupied with calculating who was the potentially worst partner in the room to have and overlooked his approach to the classroom, but the moment that door cracked open she could sense him. The mute Initiate bristled.

NO.

Not again.

"Choose wisely. This will be the pairings for every lesson on dance etiquette." She warned.

Some fate had a very horrible sense of humor and Fennec vowed to find them and debride their figure inch by inch. She stood from her seat at the bench, slowly swallowing the disgust of her current predicament, and turned a grave and annoyed stare upon his grinning self. The scars of her face twisted into her grimace as she shut her eyes, took a long, slow, deep breath, and decided to just get on with it.

A true Dreadlord would overcome any setback, obstacle, or challenge without a second thought.

When her dark eyes opened again, she silently gestured with a curt nod of her head to the dancefloor and moved to take up an open spot.

 

[Orchid]

Orchid stepped towards Fennec slowly and gave a curt nod as as he took position with her.
He could still smell that smell, the one he thought was make up. It must be something else.
More mysteries, charming.
"The make up really does you no justice."
He said in utter sincerity knowing she'd loath hearing it all the more since it was.
She didn't look at him any different. She had seen him, more of him than most and she still held the same look of utter contempt as she did the first night on the lake.
It was nice, an acceptance in its own way.

 

[Fennec]

She stared for a beat then lifted her hands.

[Focus.]

As others in the class moved into position with their own partners, Fen's black gloved hands then shifted to assume proper waltz stance as well; one held aloft for Orchid to take in his own hand while the other settled at just above his elbow. She'd always known him to be quite tall and lanky of build, but it was never so obvious in how much taller he was than her until just now. Were it up to Fennec, there would never have been an opportunity for such ... close and intimate socialization with him as this.

Ever.

Her shorter legs and reach did not allow for as much distance between them as she would have preferred. Curses. The look of displeasure remain implanted within her scars.

When Proctor Urahil began off the count for the steps, Fennec lead.

 

[Perrine Urahil]

"Alright, simple steps today. Master this and the Anirian Waltz will come naturally."

Perrine lifted her arms and put them into position, as if she had a dance partner to work with. She began the counts without music, until she knew they all got the steps somewhat memorised. As one, the room followed the Proctor's instruction, and her periwinkle eyes looked to the Initiates behind her in the mirror's reflection.

She made note of who needed assistance after these first initial steps, and was glad to see most could keep up. Livia and Rhidian had paired, the former forcibly helping her dance partner move as it seemed the steady rhythm was too slow for him to comprehend. She knew Quinnick would handle teaching Vaughn, and so her eyes flicked to the next couple.

Fennec, perhaps her top student out of the entire Academy, was working with what she had. Of course, she was leading, but Perrine did not mind that, not when the Anirian Waltz was female lead.

"No need to pick your feet up too much, Initiates. Think of a glide instead of a step."

After that tip, she saw the room flow nicely than it had before.

 

[Orchid]

It smiled.
Focus?
It had been given dance lessons since it was... smaller and was versed in many.
Mother had told it that it would help in its, rise to power.
The memory made it scoff.
"Did you know, in Elbion the Waltz is led by men?"
It allowed itself to be lead, perfectly. Its body able to keep up with the relaxed pace. The small talk was two fold, one to keep up appearances and two to prickle at Fennec.
"Can you imagine? Up is down out there, I swear."
As Urahil looked at them, it smiled as if this was the most wondrous dance it'd ever had, knowing that Fennec looked a scowling ghast.

Fennec
Perrine Urahil

 

[Fennec]

Small talk.

The bane of any serious Dreadlord's existence and no less annoying than a gnat in the ear for Fennec. She ignored it, though her nose did wrinkle at the very idea of being lead by anyone. At the very least Orchid seemed to have prior tutelage in the art of the waltz, which was perhaps the only silver lining to this that could be found. As a pair, they skated quite seamlessly around the dance floor while many others in the class were trodding upon their partners or tripping over their own feet.

Blessed by the presence of the idiot named Garick, it took only five minutes for the bullark to cause a stir as he stamped upon his partner, a girl named Elorie, for the third time.

"YOU FUCKING ASS!" Elorie exploded, shoving Garick away and into Livia and Rhidian, "Do you not even know how to count to four?! ONE. TWO. THREE. FOUR. NOT FOUR-FOUR-FOUR!"

Fennec paused their strides, maintaining the waltz stance as her senses prickled at the rising tension. The classroom was on the fourth floor... what a wonderful opportunity for Garick to accidentally find himself throw out of a window.

 

[Perrine Urahil]

"Excellent, continue as you are."

Perrine crossed to the piano in the corner of the room and readied herself. A gentle melody began, a speed that slowed enough for the inept Initiates to follow somewhat. "Get used to the timing, before we speed things up a little." From here, she could peer over the top of the large instrument and keep an eye of the couples moving.

Rhidian had corrected his steps, no longer walking into Quinnick. Garrick and Elorie were red in the face with annoyance, but although it was obvious that he knew the steps, he was baiting Elorie to yell at him again.

Her brows deepened, staring at them to ensure they would not disrupt others again. She could see both Rhidian and Livia, who were collided with the outburst, cast annoyed glances their way. Some words unheard by the Proctor were said, and Garrick abandoned Elorie to face Livia.

"Mind your own business, Quinnick." Rhidian had to spin them around so that his best friend's girl was not in the firing line. "Out of the way, fuckhead!"

Perrine dropped her hands from the ivories.

"That is enough. Would you rather learn the dance or give me a whole report on the history of dancing etiquette for every dance seen at an Anirian ball?" It was a dull punishment but she knew the Initiates picked the easier route.

 

[Orchid]

The room had all but stopped, It was smiling, perhaps the only one smiling. Calmly it moved its head closer to her, feigning intimacy and slithered words from the side of its mouth for only Fennec to hear.
"Which one do you want? I'll take the big one if you have no preference. He'll keep me fed for a week."
A low chuckle left it's lips as it tilted its head back and as if it said nothing immediately engaged with the wider situation.
"Proctor Urahil?
Perhaps Garrick and Elorie are just shy, why, all these people around. Maybe they'd benefit from more, private instruction?"