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

[vineleaves]

"Okay then!" Maybe something less hip-involved, to give a break from that for now. "What about belly rolls?" He demonstrates as he asks.

[quote_gentle_unquote]

How is Susan to be expected to focus on her own dancing when Bacchus is such an appealing dancer! "I expect you shall have to talk me through that," she says, watching very closely indeed.

[vineleaves]

"Don't worry," he says with a laugh. "I was planning on it. First," he puts a hand at the upper part of his abdomen, "Try to tighten the muscles right here, but not the lower ones."

[quote_gentle_unquote]

This, too, proves difficult. Susan tries, but succeeds only in tightening all of the muscles in her stomach instead.

[vineleaves]

He gently places a hand on her upper abdomen and presses lightly. "Juuust up here."

[quote_gentle_unquote]

Susan glances down at the hand, and then up at Bacchus's face. Determinedly, she tries to isolate those muscles.

[vineleaves]

"See? You're getting the hang of it."¹


1. Notably, he says this whether or not she is actually showing any improvement.

[quote_gentle_unquote]

Susan truly deserves a reward for remaining on-task. She tightens her upper-belly muscles again, to better effect this time.

[vineleaves]

After it seems like Susan has that part under control, Dionysus lowers his hand a bit. "Alright, now try to tighten and release just the lower part."

[quote_gentle_unquote]

This, at least, is tremendously easy, and Susan does it several times before trying to alternate her upper and lower belly muscles.

[vineleaves]

"Wonderful! So, kind of like before, it's really just a matter of getting the hang of that, and working on building up speed without sacrificing the rhythm of it."

[quote_gentle_unquote]

She gives Bacchus what can really only be described as a playful look. "Perhaps if you touched whichever muscles I ought to be contracting when I ought to contract them, it might be easier."

[vineleaves]

He catches that look and smiles. "That does sound like a good idea." He gently places his hand back near the top of her abdomen, then slowly lets it drift down, maybe going a liiiittle lower than is strictly necessary.

[quote_gentle_unquote]

That playful look grows very warm indeed! To her credit, with Bacchus's touch, Susan is able to control her muscles more effectively, and she executes a credible belly roll.

[vineleaves]

"Ooh perfect, dear!" He says, giving her a round of applause for it. "Good job!"

[quote_gentle_unquote]

The applause is nice, but not as nice as being touched. Still, Susan attempts another belly roll, which is successful, and then she tries the hip thing again - less successfully, but still better than her earliest attempts.

[vineleaves]

He gives her a celebratory (???) kiss on the cheek!

[quote_gentle_unquote]

Susan is torn. She wants to learn this dance so she can delight her lovers with it, but... she should also very much like to kiss Bacchus properly, even though that will, hopefully, lead to further distraction.

She settles for giving Bacchus a bright, hopeful smile, and attempting the sequence of moves once more.

[vineleaves]

"You can add arm movements in with it too, if you want," he says as he demonstrates slowly raising both of his arms up over his head then back down again, in a fluid motion, all the while doing more of the hip shimmying.

[quote_gentle_unquote]

"Bacchus, you make it look so effortless!"

[vineleaves]

"Aww, thank you, dear. Years of practice, you know."

'Years' is a bit of an understatement.

[quote_gentle_unquote]

"Hundreds of years, I imagine."

[vineleaves]

"Calling me out for being old, I see," he says, pretending to take offense.

[quote_gentle_unquote]

"Bacchus," she says, playfully putting a hand on his chest, as if to soothe him... and leaving it there. "That's not what I meant at all."

[vineleaves]

"Oh, it wasn't?" He casually lifts one of his hands to cover Susan's. Casually. "That's good, I suppose. I am, after all, positively youthful compared to a lot of gods."