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"This is how it goes yes? Rivia isn't too sure." Gripping his shoulder and hand with her own with a surprisingly, or perhaps unsurprisingly, amount of grip strength the wolf demi-girl looked up at him almost expectantly. She was looking to him to lead the way, at least at first, seeing as she wasn’t familiar with this form of dancing.
The fact that the wolf girl looked…well like a wolf, helped some but now that he was so close, Fer could not help but notice that she was indeed…well a girl. Her strong hands rested on his shoulder and he gingerly placed his own on her waist, the other holding her other hand. He noticed how there seemed to be a small fuzz covering the top of her hands and the sharp nails as her hand (paw?) curled over his own.
He was thankful for the Catholic sisters that ran his rural school back on Earth that taught him how to dance for the Quinceaneras. Otherwise, his threat of having two left feet would have become very real. As it was, he was having trouble concentrating. He was an inch or two taller than Rivia so he looked down at her, the twitching furry ears of hers making him look and stare. The fluffy tail would swish and wag over his hand.
“Yeah, I think so. You learn quickly.” The hand around her waist tightened when she started to lag behind just a smidge. Realizing that made him gulp nervously.
Rivia was too inexperienced in such dances to know if Fer was any good at them or not anyway, but she could sense the tension within him. Though she knew not what was putting the man on edge, one could tell by the way he gripped, the way he breathed, the slight stiffness to how he moved. Was Rivia the cause of putting him on edge? She wasn’t sure. It wasn’t the first time, nor would it ever be the last time if it was indeed the case.
Of course, she was thinking this for entirely different reasons than the one Fer was currently subjected to. Blissfully ignorant, she swayed somewhat out of time with him, her brows furrowing in annoyance. She was out of sync with him and out of tempo with the music. She at least understood this much, but she was also confused why this dance was so…slow? It was putting her off as she tried to go slow, but she could feel by Fers grip she was going a little too slow…wait could this dance be purposefully slow to allow one to train their timing? After all, not everything needed to be at a faster pace.
“Rivia always has been quick to learn.” Nodding to herself as she seemed to work out how to do this ‘training’ in her mind. She stepped in a little closer now, her eyes training onto his moving limbs as she continued to try to match him.
“If you don’t learn quick, then you’ll die fast. That’s what Father always said.”Her speech actually made Fer relax. The young Shield Hero did not know how old Rivia was exactly but when she spoke she sounded so innocent that he could not help but think of her as a little sister. This helped him relax and it actually helped with their tempo as he began to also become more fluid as they swayed and twirled. He chuckled at her example of death to those who did not adapt. The same was true in social situations. These sort of dances were how high class nobles also did battle.
“Well, I can say that you will learn the party dynamics pretty quick. You will certainly be of much use…unlike me.” He chided but there was a hint of truth. He felt that he did not apport much to the party. His quick gloom had caused him to misjudge the distance between them and another couple. In order to avoid a collision, he pulled Rivia hard against him using his strength to stop their momentum. He was not a hulking man but the enhanced strength given to him by the Shield would definitely be felt by the wolf girl as she was forcefully pulled.
“Sorry about that Rivia. I was not paying attention.” Fer used this as a signal that perhaps it would be best if the two of them took a break.
“I think you have suffered my company enough. I am sure Cole will perhaps be a better partner.” In truth, he was more embarrassed about his private thoughts regarding his role in the party than the dancing. Still, he hoped that he and the demi human had bonded enough.
“If you still feel adventurous, I may dance one or two more songs after you give Cole a try.” He smiled kindly at her. Yes, thinking of her as a little sister did help.
The movements she had no problem following, as she seemed to be light on her feet as they moved in their circular motion around the dance floor. It was really just a matter of the timing, which she was slowly getting a handle on as Fer seemed to relax more. At his comments, her ear twitched for a moment. She went to say something but at that moment, she was dragged in close to him.
It was so sudden she hadn’t even realised it had happened till her face was being smothered into his chest. Her attention had sorely been on the rhythm of their dance, long had she forgotten about the other dancers. So she hadn’t even realised they were about to collide and instead thought that this was part of the dance. Was she meant to pull on him back? Just as that thought entered her mind, he suggested they stop.
Her ears seemed to drop at such a suggestion but nonetheless, she nodded as she looked back up at him. Nodding as if agreeing with the words that followed, she began to speak.
“It’s fine. Fer is good at dancing, Rivia can tell.” She wasn’t really one for flattery, so she meant it. At least she could convey that properly even without words. As they made their way back to the others, she felt the need to pipe up about one thing, however, having been cut off before.
“Fer is useful. Fer is strong, Rivia knows. Rivia can tell. Keep at it.”The young hero did notice the drooping of her ears at having to stop. In her eyes, he could see that this was a challenge she meant to conquer. The wolf girl did indeed have much drive. Fer was certain that translated very easily into courage in the battle field. All of Rivia’s comments regarding battle and skill meant that she was a good warrior. So he did indeed feel bad about making her stop.
“Thank you Rivia. It is kind of you to not berate my dancing skills. I would be glad to share another dance once you are done with Cole.”He hoped that this invitation would make up for his abrupt stop of their current session. As they walked back, he could not help but notice again how regal both Cole and Auriel looked. They almost complemented each other. He would not say that Rivia and he were more alike. The wolf girl had an air of leadership. After all, she did say her father was the tribe’s leader. Humble she may be but she was as noble as any here. Only he did not truly fit in.
The hero was brought out of his musings by her encouragement. He chuckled and smiled at thankful for her praise.
“Again, thank you Rivia. That is high praise coming from a warrior such as yourself. Dont worry, I will not cry myself to sleep over my shortcomings. I actually hope that I can learn some things from you.” Again he gave her a smile one would give a younger sibling.
The pair approached their other friends.
“Well Cole, I guess it is your turn to share the floor with Rivia. I hope her feet are still in good use after suffering my two left ones.” He chided looking sideways at her and winking. Turning to Auriel he bowed and extended his hand.
“Do you dare to rise up to such a challenge Auriel? We can see if your battle training has prepared you for this.” The mood was light. Few would think that the four of them would soon face the dreaded waves.
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