[PRP] Dance Steps (Demise, Swansong)

[Scaramouche Fandango]

A flash of hooves, a trill of birdsong, the glint of a precious stone set in a pendant. The roar of the singing, the gleaming of shimmering scales on bodies in motion- and then the dance was over, with a mighty thud of stomped hooves and a shouted "Ia!" in unison. Near the front, a doe's eyes shone, enraptured with the beauty before her. As the audience rose to its feet, stamping their hooves and giving raucous voice to their applause, she found herself whooping in ecstasy- and then just as suddenly, hushed and swept aside as the crowd rushed forwards to congratulate the performers.

Swansong stood nervously off to the side as the crowd mingled and minced, heaping praise upon the acha troupe that had just completed its performance. The quiet doe adored watching the dances; she'd been attended dozens of performances by a handful of troupes, and this one had been simply marvelous. Their lead dancer, a gorgeous doe with flamboyant purple hair and dainty hooves, had been a force of nature as she flung herself through the air, and she was waiting for the crowd to thin out so that she could go offer a quiet, stammered accolade or two. What she would give to dance like that! But she knew she'd never be able to- even though she loved dancing and acrobatics, she was timid- surely the attention the dancers received would be intimidating at best and completely unbearable at worst. No, she'd be happy to dance alone and for herself. The crowd seemed to get even denser as the minutes passed; many of the audience were acha themselves, and the group seemed to actually know several of them. This would take a while. She looked about at the rest of the crowd; there were quite a few kin here! Some had come solo, like herself; others had come in numbers. She'd not even noticed the rest of the audience while she was watching the dance; the action had been completely mesmerising. She recognized a few faces, other dance enthusiasts like herself. She'd seen them at these meetings before, and so gave polite nods and friendly smiles, but didn't mosey over to join any conversations. She didn't really know them, after all, and she was decidedly too shy to really start something with somebody she didn't know.

Moonstone Dazzle

 

[So Long Gay Bowser]

Demise was, by no means, a dancer. He could understand the artistry, the love and the passion that went into the moves. A part of him mourned- the wondrous acha before him called him back to the desert, to his home. He saw the faces of the family he had lost in the floods, the life washed away by the tides. And yet... these were a happy few, showing their love of life in their dance. The entire thing was bittersweet in a way that made Demise's throat stick.

Terrible Fate had stuck out to the wilds of the swamp, told by his master to avoid the festivities. Demise had goals and motives that were questionable, certainly, but he was not one to cause undue duress. Particularly when the acha before him danced so beautifully and called his mind back to the comforts of home.

Lost in his own thoughts, the show came to an end. As was polite, Demise rose. He stamped his hooves with the other, the smile on his maw not quite reaching his eyes. Truly, this had been a lovely performance.

And that was it, it would seem. Not one for unnecessary socializing, Demise turned to work his way around the assembled crowd. What blissful, ignorant fools. The storm within him surged slightly at all the happy, untroubled kin he passed. What he would give to have his own family back, and the lot of them gone.

...But then, there. There in the distance was a doe. Pristine, pale. Perfect. Not letting the revery of her being reach his face, Demise turned his trajectory, and pushed to... at least witness the doe. See if her words and her nature were as lovely as her look.

"You're a rare bird, aren't you? I cannot fathom how someone as lovely as you is down here, among the rest of us, rather than among the artistry." He offered her a charming smile.

"Might I ask you for your name?"