Like thunder screaming out for a flash of lightning

[flawed_immortality]

[Cor's not great at this whole party thing, especially as this time it's not just a family gathering but intended for the friends they'd made here as well. The video starts with Cor sitting in a cushy white and grey striped armchair, a stone fireplace beside him glowing warmly. It's a classy set up and far above the townhouses they've been in.]

It's New Years, celebrations are in order. His Majesty, Ignis, and I have obtained a larger space and we'd like to offer our home for the festivities. Feel free to stop in, have some snacks, and await midnight with us.

[Locked from Regis]
[He looks a little paranoid at first, double, then triple checking that he's done this right.]

It's also his Majesty's birthday. He's always eager to sweep it under the New Years celebrations but he has no reason to shy away from any such celebrations here. Don't let him.

[Action - Party Start~]
[The new house is really very nice. It's nothing compared to the Citadel but it is very nice. Clean and homey with the accents of warm wood that, if Cor didn't know better, he'd have thought was reclaimed.

There's a fire in the hearth, hor d'ouerve trays laid out on the kitchen counters. The replicator is of course available to anyone who wants something specific, though you might be surprised to find she responds to voice commands and is distressingly cheerful to talk to. The house is open for examination! Go on, explore folks, mingle away.]

[Action - Midnight]
[As chill as the night is Cor makes a point of slipping through the crowd throughout the evening. There's a number of Lucis Caelums and other magic users as well. So when the time comes near he does his best to usher everyone into the backyard, or at least onto the back porch.

He's certainly not the one to lead the countdown, no someone more energetic can do that, but at the final count a series of spells get fired into the night sky. They may not be traditional fireworks but a few Flares, Thundaras, and spells he has no names for will work well enough, don't you think?]

Comments

[carbungle]

Dance with her? Come on, you know that's a bad idea. I don't know how.

[Besides the one dance, as he'd mentioned, and right now the party is too crowded for a dance that... busy. Plus he can hardly expect her to do a traditional Lucian wedding march with him on the spot like this. In front of everyone??]

It's okay, we live together. She's visiting with the ones we don't see every day, so I've got some time.

[iustaegis]

[ Unfortunately, she doesn't understand why he wouldn't dance that dance. So have a head-tilt. ] You do know a dance....?

[ The second part of what he says-- It's okay, and then so I've got some time-- it's not okay with her, if she's taking up his time. ]

[carbungle]

[Okay, yeah, fair. He hadn't been 100% clear before, because it hadn't really mattered at the time. Let's just... fix that...]

Pyra, um... Lucian royalty dance that at their wedding.

[He can't do it with Luna right now...!]

[iustaegis]

[ She double-takes, nearly dropping his hand. ]

----Then why did you-- with me?!

[ WHAT, EXCUSE, UM, NOCTIS.....

Now this really means that she shouldn't have learned that dance and that he should go right now to Luna! ]

[carbungle]

I- because context!

[Don't look at him like that!!]

You think we just know it automatically? It's okay to do it when you're learning the steps!

[iustaegis]

I'm not even royalty---!

[carbungle]

Uh, yeah? Neither is Ignis, and we did it like a million times when he was trying to show me. And neither was- shoot, what was her name. Serah? I think it was Serah. She filled in when I couldn't do the lift properly. Iggy's too tall.

[What is the problem here.]

[iustaegis]

[ Aaah-- okay. Okay. There is no problem. She appears to calm. ]

It... only seems like... it would be a privilege [ A secret, maybe?

Serah, a new name. ] to learn. [ A beat. Hm. They had already addressed this in their previous conversation. ]

Have you practiced it with Luna yet?

[carbungle]

Mm... I guess. But like I said, the dance is less important than it was before, now that everything's changed. Keeping it hidden would just make it disappear, and that's...

[...kind of shitty? He may not be overly fond of dancing (the stress of all eyes on him is Not Great) but he can acknowledge that it's culturally important. The wall is broken, the kingdom's gone, and he's the last of his line. If sharing the dance keeps a little bit of Lucis, and Insomnia, alive, it's not a bad thing.]

...anyway, you're not really supposed to dance it with your true partner ahead of time. That's part of the test.

[iustaegis]

[ Her lips, parted as if she has a lingering protest, close as she blinks and turns her gaze away from him.

Luna. Luna. Something worrisome happens to her, she knows this from their last conversation. He say she has time but he doesn't, and now he's squandering it away with her. His hesitance will cost him. Out of all the things to fear in the world, from whatever power he's also afraid to acknowledge and claim, dancing with the one he loves should not be among them.

"I've known how I feel for a long time."

There hadn't even been a chance. ]

Then you should dance something else with her.

[carbungle]

I'd probably step all over her toes. I don't actually know any other dances...

[It really wasn't his thing back home, and those who tried to teach him years ago didn't get very far with it.]

[iustaegis]

Ah... [ ....Is this okay for her to offer? But if she doesn't, then he really won't dance with Luna and that's just. Not good. He has to get on that. ]

I know one other dance that I've learned from another here. [ She pauses again. ] It is a waltz. It's simple to learn. If you'd like, I can... guide you through the steps.

[ Here and now, to see if he might actually like trying to properly learn it. ]

[carbungle]

[Noctis pauses, glancing over to the designated dancing area, then down at her feet.]

...How durable are your boots?

[He's not going to make any promises on how they'll survive this experience.]

[iustaegis]

[ She might be wearing this thin tunic but her shoes are the same as ever. Definitely not suited for a party, but they are solid in material.

She quirks a brow, smiling. ] You believe you’ll be that bad, mm?

[ Softly, ] We don’t need to practice here, where everyone might see you... if you want.

[carbungle]

[He pauses at that, looking almost guilty- because it's true, the temptation to bail is predictably there. He looks out across the collection of guests again, seeking a face that is absent for the moment.]

...She... might like it. If I surprised her.

[They've never shared a dance. Before their reunion in this place, it'd been 12 long years, and last they met he hadn't been able to walk. Since then, he'd never had much cause or interest in learning. But, maybe...]

[iustaegis]

[ Quietly, she offers her arm. ]

When you are ready...

[ He can lead them to this open floor, or they can go somewhere private to practice and then he can return to dance with Luna in front of his family. ]

[carbungle]

[He takes her arm, and there's that same temptation again. A secret spot where no one else is hanging out, to fumble privately. But he's trying, okay? He's trying.

....He's not trying that, hard, though, so he finds a middle ground- a tucked away corner near but not part of the main floor, so they're not hiding but not immediately visible.]

It, uh. Wouldn't be much of a surprise if she saw it first.

[THE PERFECT EXCUSE...!]

[iustaegis]

[ Once led to their semi-private spot, her arm unlinks from his to take his hand into hers. ] This is the only other dance I've learned from someone here. It's called a waltz, and...

[ Her other hand guides his to her waist before lifting hers back to place it upon his shoulder. Pyra instructs him further that he can move that hand upon her waist to her back, if he wishes. Properly, a waltz should be done with his hand placed at the middle of her upper back, but she does not know this.

After all this, Pyra raises her gaze to meet his, her expression patient. ] It starts by holding each other like this.

[ She pauses here, watching him to make sure he's comfortable with this much. ]

[carbungle]

[He may surprise her; when his hands are guided he instinctively shifts his hand up nearer to the proper spot, brows furrowed as he considers the pose and posture. They've danced once already, so holding her at least isn't uncomfortable. ]

This feels familiar. Specs might've tried to show me one kinda like this before, but I couldn't hold the poses.

[The dance had been too stiff, too much posturing. If he had to learn a dance like that it ought to be the one that would be necessary in his future. (At least, it had been at the time.)]

How's it go?

[iustaegis]

[ Properly in position now to begin the dance, she begins with a step outwards. ] In counts of three and...

[ And here are the instructions of the dance, her gently guiding him along for the first few steps slowly. She allows them space between them so that he might look down between them at his feet if needed. If they ever get to actually performing the dance, she will step up close to him. For now, however--

It's after repeating the first turn that she smiles at him, her hand still holding his to keep their leading arms in position. ] It's not... too difficult, isn't it? [ Basically a series of turns, counted in three-fourths time. ]

[carbungle]

[He is indeed looking down at his feet, wary of stepping on her or losing his footing. At her question, he briefly looks up, his expression very serious, like it's taking all his focus not to stumble through it.]

No, it's... well, kind of. It isn't that complicated, but... will you believe it's harder because it's so slow? I'm used to going a lot faster, like in a fight. Dancing's hard because it's all specific steps, and delicate.

[He can't just fling around his partner the same way he dances through the air in battle.]

[iustaegis]

[ Like in a fight-- ] Fighting can be considering like dancing, or so I've heard others say of certain styles...

[ Especially with more fluid ones. It provides for a very intimate experience. Yet in a dance, there is no threat of death or harm-- or shouldn't be; it should be stress-less, without the high-stakes of an actual battle.

She thinks that, but he looks like he's having a tough time already! Pyra smiles, her tone encouraging. ] Maybe you'd enjoy a more improvised dance? [ They don't have to do this one. ] One that... follows the music, but is not so strict.

[carbungle]

[don't @ him, it's how he was raised. Warrior prince! Very good at daemon-slaying. Not so much on the formalities of state.]

Like... freestyle? Can't guarantee I'll be much good at that either, I'm not sure I'd know where to start.

[See why people had so much trouble teaching him, Pyra? Do you regret yet?]

[iustaegis]

[ As if she knows how to be a dance teacher—

And in any case, she wants him to have fun. If not with her, then with Luna. If Luna would prefer a formal waltz over her king gettin’ his natural groove on, she doesn’t know but she hopes to provide him with a little bit of both. ] Like fighting, I would think it would take a good amount of improvisation...

[ She guides him into the next steps of the waltz, and then the look in her eyes turns mildly devious. Let’s see how good his reflexes are! ]

Like this—

[ She’s going to twirl him. Don’t worry, she’ll catch him if he stumbles! ]

[carbungle]

[Whoa, twirl! He's not expecting it, so he does fumble it a little, but thanks to his training his reflexes at least are solid, and he doesn't need an assist to avoid falling.]

Hah- never been on the receiving end of one of those. That's one way to shake it up.

[He shifts closer, trying to playfully return to favour. Like it's a game, now.]