VIDEO

[golden_hawke]

-=Hawke's outside today, squaring off with his Lockjaw. They both stare at each other, both unmoving as something unheard by the general public actually sets Hawke off. As the Lockjaw watches, Hawke attempts to practice something like this with the animal as a partner of sorts.=-

I have not had troubles with dance before. -=Hawke doesn't look entirely pleased with this as he tries to work on 'lifting' on the balls of his feet.=- There is little dancing. Not the way I learned it. It is...posturing like great birds do.

-=A turn, holding his arm out, and a :/ expression on his face.=- There truly is nothing more than this to dance? You do not truly touch another. There is no holding one close and sharing with their breath. It is... hopping on feet very slowly.

-=Yeah, that little flutter of his feet for a dance step? He executes it well enough, but he feels silly.=-

There will be other dances at this party, yes? Please?

Comments

[offline]

[golden_hawke]

It is dancing to me. -=Another nibble as his arm winds around Juliet's waist to pull her close.=-

[offline]

[capuletnomore]

[She lets herself be pulled back, lifting a hand and placing it on his shoulder. She slides her other hand along his arm and takes his free hand with her own, threading her fingers through his. As tempting as the distraction is, he has asked for lessons. And she would be a poor teacher were she to give in so easily to distraction.]

If you will indulge me and let me lead for a moment?

[offline]

[golden_hawke]

-=But distracting is a very fun game! He relents, smiling a bit as he looks back to her.=-

Lead.

[offline]

[capuletnomore]

[Oh, she wouldn't deny that it's fun. But it would defeat the purpose of the lesson.]

This is faster than the other dance, I will warn you, but there is more physical contact than the previous dance. Typically, the gentleman leads, but as you do not know the steps yet....

[And she begins, leading with her right foot, taking him round the yard.]

[OOC: Much like some of the dancing here, which is from the French version of the musical.]

[offline]

[golden_hawke]

-=It's definitely livelier, and because of that he has to pay more attention to his footing. There are several times where he asks to repeat something so that he can get the steps right, but in all he's having a great time.=-

[offline]

[capuletnomore]

[She is happy to repeat the steps as many times as he needs. She is dancing, and dancing with one for whom she holds great affection. She is grinning, cheeks flushed, as they go over the dance again and again.]

Would you like to try leading this time?

[offline]

[golden_hawke]

Yes, I would! -=He works slowly, but once he has a little more confidence, he picks up the pace.=-

[offline]

[capuletnomore]

[She feels more confident now that she is not leading the dance herself, and matches her pace and steps to his.]

You seem to have taken to this one much more fully than the previous dance.

[offline]

[golden_hawke]

It is not so caged? -=That and the movement is faster and he can actually touch her.=-

[offline]

[capuletnomore]

Caged? How do you mean, caged?

[offline]

[golden_hawke]

Caged. -=He pauses trying to figure out how to describe it.=-

The first dance only has a certain path. Certain places to move to and you cannot move out of it. The second is free.

[offline]

[capuletnomore]

Ah, I see now. I find the second more enjoyable, myself, because of this. The first is one of Father's favorites. It is a good, comfortable dance, and one which does not require much thought, once the pattern is learned. With the second, the pattern may change, depending on where the one leading wishes to go. It is more capricious.

[offline]

[golden_hawke]

Capricious. -=He has a little trouble pronouncing the word.=-

I like to think. But it is most similar to the dancing in the Mountain. Some would say it does not need thinking. It needs more feeling.

[offline]

[capuletnomore]

[She smiles at this.]

Dancing requires both thinking and feeling, because you must anticipate your partner's steps.

[offline]

[golden_hawke]

That is also something one must do for others they love.

[offline]

[capuletnomore]

Indeed. Nanny has often spoken of such things during lessons, and I have seen such with my Lady Mother, and my father.

[offline]

[golden_hawke]

Your parents care for each other. -=That's a nice thing to hear.=- Is that common? Or is it rare?

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[capuletnomore]

It is not so rare as one might think, when matches are made to cement alliances between families, but it is not as common as it should be. I am glad they do care for one another, but I am sad for them as well, because I do not think they have grown to love one another over time. They are comfortable with each other.

[offline]

[golden_hawke]

Being friends is good. But it is sad that they do not have love.

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[capuletnomore]

I agree. It is why I wished to marry for love, though everyone said such things did not go together.

[offline]

[golden_hawke]

I cannot think of such things. Again, my people do not 'marry.'

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[capuletnomore]

And mine must. It is how we forge alliances and ensure the legitimacy of our children. The Church is most strict on matters of marriage. Marriage is expected, unless one wishes to devote themselves wholly to God. And even then, for the ladies, the idea of marriage persists. Nuns are 'brides of Christ', devoted only to serving God, and may not marry or carry on romances once they have taken their vows. The best a lady may hope for is that her father finds a suitable man for her to marry - one who will treat her with respect, and who will value her opinion on domestic matters. One who will allow her friendship and companionship, which might grow into love.

[offline]

[golden_hawke]

I cannot think of living like that. -=Mostly because he's never been exposed to it.=-

We choose our Firsts, love whom we love, live with whom we wish to live, and pray for children.

[offline]

[capuletnomore]

It is how most humans in my time live. It is what is expected of us. For a lady, her First is her husband, and is her Only as well. A man may have a First before he is wed - it is not our place to question such things. And it is not considered as grievous a sin should he wish other lovers within a marriage, although if he is discovered in his trysts, it is very bad, indeed. If a lady is truly fortunate, she is able to wed one whom she loves, or grow to love her husband. And if she is not, she is trapped.

[She sighs, shaking her head. While she had questioned such practices before, at least on a surface level, they had never truly bothered her. Hearing her own descriptions of such accepted practices now, though. There must be some sort of middle ground between the two types of family structures, must there not?]

[offline]

[golden_hawke]

-=He frowns. It was so unfair.=-

I ... this is confusing. Your father treasures you to the point of keeping you prisoner, only to trap you into this marriage. It is sad.