Open: it's time now to sing out though the story never ends

[vineleaves]

[This is being posted early, but it is meant to be occurring on the one year anniversary of Dionysus arriving at the mansion.]

There's a room in the mansion Dionysus discovered somewhat recently that is, for lack of anything better to call it, a dance studio. Shiny hardwood floors, one long wall of mirror, the opposite wall featuring a mounted barre. If anyone happens to be walking by it today, the open door might catch their attention, as Dionysus has his cd player set up playing music, which he is dancing to at the moment. He's wearing a pair of gauzy, loose pants that sit low on his hips, complete with a gold belt with dangling chains that serve to help emphasize his movements. His hair is pulled up into a messy bun, finally long enough that he can get all of it up with only a minimum of strands sticking out oddly.

He has been here for a whole year. To be fair, he's only slightly certain he's got the date correct, but even if it hasn't been a full year to the exact minute or whatever, it's close enough. A whole year. A year trapped, held prisoner for some unknown reason, unable to break out, kept away from all of his friends and family. A year in which he has been given the wonderful opportunity to meet people he couldn't possibly imagine living without now, in a place where anything, even stopping death, is possible.

Dionysus is fairly zoned out as he dances, so if anyone decides to duck in and say hello, it might take him a while before he notices.

Comments

[futaille]

He straightens a bit until his knees are bent to the correct angle before trying to work out how tucking his butt under his hips works exactly.

[vineleaves]

Dionysus, always wanting to be as helpful as possible, places one hand on Grantaire's butt and the other on his thigh, and gently nudges until Grantaire's hips sort of roll into the correct position. "There. So, imagine you've got a line from your hips straight up to your ribcage. Straighten your left knee -- try not to let your ribcage move though -- straighten your knee and as you do that it should push that hip up, like it's going to join with your ribs. Then bend that knee again to lower the hip back down."

[futaille]

He nods, at least being comfortable enough, between his more active hobbies, with the basics of movement to follow the instructions fairly readily. He promptly does so, straightening and bending the knee in question.

[vineleaves]

"Now the other side," he says, placing his hands on Grantaire's shoulders to help keep the upper part of his body stationary while all the hip motions are going on. "And you just alternate."

[futaille]

He promptly does so, starting slow to be sure he gets into a rhythm before picking up speed. "It's easier than it looks."

[vineleaves]

"It is. That's part of why the outfits are so important," he says, walking around from behind Grantaire while simultaneously doing the hip movements as well¹. "Makes everything look better."


1. He's showing off. It's a lot harder to do it while also walking, obviously.

[futaille]

"You forget that you can't possibly look better, though."

[vineleaves]

He doubts that, but, "I was talking about the dance moves looking better, silly. Want to try a belly roll?" He demonstrates, his soft stomach undulating from top to bottom in rapid succession.

[futaille]

"Of course I do."

[vineleaves]

“Okay, so it’s basically just — just, sort of, tightening and releasing muscles, but independent of the other muscles nearby? That’s a terrible explanation. Um.” He pauses, then places a hand on the upper part of Grantaire’s belly. “Okay, tighten, then release just right here.” This is a very hands-on dance lesson.

[futaille]

Hands-on dance lessons really are the best kind of dance lessons. As tempting as it is to get distracted by the touch, Grantaire manages to focus on tightening the muscles in question.

[vineleaves]

"Alright, now," he lowers his hand a bit to just below Grantaire's belly button, "Do the same, but down here, instead."

[futaille]

"I think you might need to monitor this for a while, just to make sure I've gotten it right," he says as he works on the next spot.

[vineleaves]

"Oh, I should?" he says, and kisses Grantaire's cheek. "Well, I do want to make sure I'm giving an effective lesson."

[futaille]

"It's very important that I have the form correct."

[vineleaves]

"How studious of you," he kisses Grantaire's cheek again. "I do think you're ready to put the two parts together though."

[futaille]

"Alternate, I'm supposing? Doing them together wouldn't be very interesting."

[vineleaves]

"Yeah. So tighten up here," his hand moves back up, "then down here," his hand moves back down, "then relax," back up, "and relax here," back down. "And just sort of do that over and over as fast as you can."

[futaille]

As tempting as it might be to just lean into Dionysus's hand, instead he concentrates on flexing and relaxing in the right order. There's not much quite yet in the way of speed or smoothness, but he's getting the pattern down.

[vineleaves]

Dionysus is not quite as strong-willed in this moment, and starts leaving little kisses along Grantaire's exposed shoulders and neck.

[futaille]

That's just a cue to lean into Dionysus, then. Obviously it's time for a lesson break.

[vineleaves]

Dionysus presses up against him, leaving a few more kisses before he rests his head on Grantaire's shoulder, arms wrapped around his waist. "Y'know, I think it's our anniversary."

[futaille]

Grantaire blinks. "Already?" He slips his own arms around Dionysus. "Happy anniversary, in that case."

[vineleaves]

"I mean, if we're going by my first day here, and not some other arbitrary date."

[futaille]

"I don't see why it wouldn't be your first day here. So again, happy anniversary."