Solo Not Bad at All... Hopefully

[Eldain Dogma]

7th of Spring, 515 AV

Fingers entangled in both hand, Eldain stretched his arm up high following Leon's instruction. They stood by their fingers as the professor counting "One... two... three... four... five... six... seven... eight...". His underused biceps began to twitch under his plain white shirt. The sleeves fell down to his elbow, showing scars that permanently embedded to his arm. He didn't bother to cover it as he knew that everyone was too busy following Leon's warm up to notice.

"Your body is the most precious instrument in dancing. A good warm up can reduce the chance of unnecessary injuries." Eldain recognized the emphasis on the word "unnecessary" poked his curiosity. But he forget it as soon as they changed into different position, both hand at his back and they bowed as deep as they can without bending their knee. Eldain watched in horror as Leon did it with ease, there was no sign of struggle in his face. "I'll never make it..." Eldain grumbled but he tried it anyway.

"One... Two... Three..." the count went on as he hold the position. He bowed as much as he could but ended up in somewhat awkward floating position. Sighed in silent, he focused his mind around the countdown and not the pain. It didn't quite work though... Time seemed to pass slower, and every count seems endless. At the of the warm up session sweat was already rises from his forehead, rolling down to his cheeks, sliding down his neck and disappeared in his shirt. That's quite a warm up... He took a moment and inhale a deep breath to calm his body. The lack of physical education in his father series of education was a drawback. A disappointing start. He need to find a way to get in shape. I'll add that to the list.

The student paused and look toward his professor that looked eager as usual. The same smile that attached to his face was forever wide and full of joy. Whether he didn't realize the demotivated look from certain student or he chose to ignore him, Eldain didn't sure.

"Now, dancing is about how you move your body. Upper body, lower body... even finger and eyes are important. Every dances have patterns unique to their own and you need to memorize... But!... It's also about how to breath passion into the dances." It wasn't the first time Leon words has make him rise a brow, yet the professor once again succeed to snatch his attention. He thought dance class would be easy... yet at that point he started to consider if he has made a mistake.

[Eldain Dogma]

"Follow me!" The professor shouted to the class and turned around his back facing the students. Standing upright, he lift his right foot and in a very delicate way place it in front of his body, performing a graceful step followed by the rest half of him. Then he pulled his left foot back and immediately followed with another step, as delicate as before. The Professor kept doing the footwork as if he was guided by an unheard melody. It was indeed more than just an usual stepping back and forth to Eldain eyes. Scratching his head in wonder, he shrugged and tried to step in Leon's move.

"That was a really really simple footwork, I guess. Give it a try! Work it out!"

Eldain was already trying even without Leon's instruction. Step... and back... and step... and back.... To move one's foot and performing a step back and forth was easy to Eldain. He managed to lift his foot and stepped, but he wondering if he was doing it the same way as Leon did. He didn't felt like dancing at all. More like a men who drank too much to stood straight. What was Leon's words to dance? The words flashed his mind only to disappeared in a fog of hazy memories. He looked toward the professor hoping to get some clues. Only to find him eyed his students with wide smile and blatant laughter in his eyes. Well I'll figure it out my self then...

"Avery, keep it down! You're hopping... More gently now... That's it! I knew you can do it." He could heard the professor among the knicks and knacks of shoe hitting the stone floor. "C'mon! It's easy... I wont let you rest before everybody is dancing today." He really made them repeat the footwork for next chime before told the class to stop. "That's one aspect essential to dances, footwork. It's the way to move that leg of yours. There are dance that mostly about footwork. There are even exist dances that is all about footwork. Now, next move!"

Once again Eldain watched Leon stood upright and perform the same stepping back and forth. One... two... three... four time before he changed direction into stepping sideways, right and left. Eldain tried to keep an eye of how he moves, trying to figure it out for himself. It just like singing class all over again, the difference is instead pitching tones with his voice, now he need to sing with another limbs. Singing was different as he was growing up with music and songs. He did attend several ball and party with his family before, but he was too young to dance then. Once again, the young man tried to figure as many details as possible from how Leon moves. From swaying sideways, Leon started to stepping around. Eldain wondered how could he move in such a smooth manner and place his leg accurately without getting trampled into each other. "You can count in your head to adjust your tempo. One-two-three. One-two-three. C'mon! Follow me!"

[Eldain Dogma]

He bagan to mimic Leon's moves as hard as he can. One-two-three he went forth and back, one-two-three he swept sideways and spin. It felt weird like something has gone wrong. He knew something was wrong thought he had no idea. The worst thing was he didn't know where he did it wrong thus he had no chance to correct it. A phantom linger behind his head began to moan as the drops of frustation trickling down. No... No... I can do this... He was just started. It was too early to give up. He needed to prove to everyone else that he could survive on his own. He picked up his lessons with his father for years. Moreover, he did learn under pressure or torment and agony. He could yet imagine anything worse, but dancing lesson definitely was not going to be one of it. He'll make it through.

He pictured his father in his mind, the frightening ghost that haunted his past and pictured him with broken expression as his son was going to be anything but what he wanted him to be. Much to his surprise, it was easy and incredibly calming. It was so relieving that he could taste the sweet sensation in his mouth. What was it? Revenge? Whatever it was very hepful. Like someone being in drugs, he felt his head lighten up and every muscle in his body trembled in joy. Tick passed and he barely able to control himself,drowned in an utopic fantasy of a probability. Probability? Yes... it was possible to happen, no?. No... it would happen... A sneer dawned in his face as if engulf in an unreal temptation. Anyone would rise a brow to see that distinct expression in his face, it was lucky everyone was busy trying to figure it out how to work their foot. I'll make sure it happen. So he started to dance.

He danced. It suddenly didn't matter to him anymore if he did it the wrong way. The temptation just urged him to to move and sway. He knew he wasn't good. But the momentum was too precious to be wasted. He stepped forth lighty adding a sway of unnecessary hand gesture as he switch back, then sideways and around. Finally he added a spin and coincidental bow. Right there, the moment was gone. He found him self dragged back into the hall of reality, gasping for air he forgot to let in.

"Now that's what I call spirited!" a voice suddenly rang with a slow clap somewhere. He looked up, gray eyes locked to the professor who was smiling to him and shaking his head at the same time. Still gasping for air, he replied with nothing but a grin. A blush of embarresment arose in his face. Leon was watching the whole time. Why was he smiling? Is he really did it that bad? Yet he just called him spirited, what was that supposed to means? It just hard for him to took the compliment as he couldn't remember the last time he got an honest one.