“Who’s that?” one of the supermodels asked.
“Who do you mean?” DJ glanced up from where he was wiping down the bar with broad, easy strokes.
The redhead pointed to a figure standing in the shadows. He wore a white suit and had a white fedora tipped at a jaunty angle.
“He looks like an old-fashioned mobster, like Al Capone or something.” The brunette giggled.
“I have it on good authority that Al Capone wasn’t actually good-looking,” DJ said mildly. “If you like him, ask him to dance.”
The blonde tossed her head. “No. We don’t ask boys to dance. They ask us to dance.”
As if on cue, Asia materialized from the crowd, and she offered her hand to the boy. In one pass of the strobe lights, DJ saw his face. Tobias. Of course. Gabriel must have had a hand in it, then, that the Cherry Poppin’ Daddies came over the speakers. A crowd cleared, and then Tobias stepped into the spotlight. He guided Asia with sure hands and steady feet. Usually, he was one of the more graceless ones on the team, but something magical happened on the dancefloor, and then he moved like old-fashioned clockwork and speakeasy poetry.
The three supermodels gaped as Tobias spun Asia across the floor.
“Can any of you dance like that?” DJ asked.
They shook their heads.
“Shame,” DJ said. “I’m sure he’d have taught you how.”
(239 words)
Saturday, January 9, 2010
Friday, January 8, 2010
Strike Back
When DJ moved, it was like a dance. Celia couldn’t deny that she loved to watch him work his way through his forms. Her motivation was partially shallow, as he was shirtless for the entire exercise. But the way he transitioned from motion to motion, smooth like water - she was quite sure that if she set it to music, it would look like a veritable dance.
The smooth slide of muscle beneath skin as he shifted from block to strike, the poise and balance and grace; it was hard to believe that when he picked up the pace and was against an opponent what resulted was harsh and destructive, like a dissonant tone in a chord gone wrong.
Sometimes Celia wondered if he would ever dance with her.
And then, two nights later, Dragon and Seal squared off in an empty lot. Dragon’s blue eyes gleamed, and when Seal leapt at him, he slid to the side, smooth, graceful. Seal turned and bowed to him, the gesture mocking.
“May I have this dance?” she asked.
Her friends hooted.
Dragon answered with a flurry of lightning-fast punches.
So this was the best dance she would get. She would take it. She struck back.
(203 words)
The smooth slide of muscle beneath skin as he shifted from block to strike, the poise and balance and grace; it was hard to believe that when he picked up the pace and was against an opponent what resulted was harsh and destructive, like a dissonant tone in a chord gone wrong.
Sometimes Celia wondered if he would ever dance with her.
And then, two nights later, Dragon and Seal squared off in an empty lot. Dragon’s blue eyes gleamed, and when Seal leapt at him, he slid to the side, smooth, graceful. Seal turned and bowed to him, the gesture mocking.
“May I have this dance?” she asked.
Her friends hooted.
Dragon answered with a flurry of lightning-fast punches.
So this was the best dance she would get. She would take it. She struck back.
(203 words)
Thursday, January 7, 2010
Break Out
“You don’t look very impressed,” Amy said. She and Gabriel were in the library, peering out the window down to the street corner where some boys had laid out a linoleum and were showing off acrobatic tricks, spinning on their heads and flipping, tumbling, popping and locking.
“I used to dance like that,” Gabriel said. “Before they put me in here.”
“Do you still do it?” Amy peered at him, curious.
Gabriel wasn’t sure why he was even talking to her. “No.”
“Why not?”
“Because I’m in here. They don’t let us have real lives in here. Why else?” he snapped.
Amy shrugged, her shoulders hunched, a little defensive, and Gabriel felt a brief pang of guilt for being so rude.
“It’s just - some people lose things. In the experiments.” She turned her face up to his once more, and Gabriel was startled at how bright her eyes were. Golden. Could people really have eyes that color?
“What do you mean?”
“Like - Jenny used to be able to play piano. And sometimes - sometimes, after a long session in the iso tank I can’t tell time. I didn’t know if you’d lost something, going in there too. It’s just the two of us who go in there, see,” Amy said.
Gabriel watched the group of boys move in synch with each other and decided that he might break out, just for the day, so he could dance again.
(237 words)
“I used to dance like that,” Gabriel said. “Before they put me in here.”
“Do you still do it?” Amy peered at him, curious.
Gabriel wasn’t sure why he was even talking to her. “No.”
“Why not?”
“Because I’m in here. They don’t let us have real lives in here. Why else?” he snapped.
Amy shrugged, her shoulders hunched, a little defensive, and Gabriel felt a brief pang of guilt for being so rude.
“It’s just - some people lose things. In the experiments.” She turned her face up to his once more, and Gabriel was startled at how bright her eyes were. Golden. Could people really have eyes that color?
“What do you mean?”
“Like - Jenny used to be able to play piano. And sometimes - sometimes, after a long session in the iso tank I can’t tell time. I didn’t know if you’d lost something, going in there too. It’s just the two of us who go in there, see,” Amy said.
Gabriel watched the group of boys move in synch with each other and decided that he might break out, just for the day, so he could dance again.
(237 words)
Wednesday, January 6, 2010
There but not There
"Just go through the forms and you will be fine," Alec said as he patted Joe in the shoulder.
Joe straitened his ghee nervously, "what if I forget something?"
"How long have you been practicing this?"
"A long time."
"You know what to do. Now do it."
Joe took a deep breath and stepped out onto the mats to begin his trials.
"It was perfect," Alec said as Joe stepped off the mat, "It looked like a dance."
"Thanks Alec," Joe whispered and turned to look his brother that was no longer there. Only the memory and the feeling were there.
"Thanks Alec," Joe said again softly.
Joe straitened his ghee nervously, "what if I forget something?"
"How long have you been practicing this?"
"A long time."
"You know what to do. Now do it."
Joe took a deep breath and stepped out onto the mats to begin his trials.
"It was perfect," Alec said as Joe stepped off the mat, "It looked like a dance."
"Thanks Alec," Joe whispered and turned to look his brother that was no longer there. Only the memory and the feeling were there.
"Thanks Alec," Joe said again softly.
Can You Count to Three?
“I refuse,” Keith said. He crossed his arms over his chest and dared one of the other lads to oppose him.
“Look, old lady McConnell’s just going to make you. Might as well get it over with,” Ste said. He shot Duffy and Shannon pleading looks.
Shannon sighed impatiently. “Look, get out there and do it, and then one of us will follow.”
“How do I know that you won’t hang me out to dry? I won’t be the only one out there making a fool of myself,” Keith said. “If you’re so eager to dance, you pick partners.”
The other three exchanged helpless glances.
Keith started when someone tapped him on the shoulder. He spun around and saw the new girl - Hannah or Holly or something - standing behind him. She studied him with solemn golden eyes. Then she broke into a wide grin.
“Heya, fancy a waltz?”
Keith said, “No.”
She tugged on his wrist. “That’s too bad. I’m not botching P.E. because you’re not man enough to step up and make the grade. Now waltz with me.”
“I don’t know how,” Keith protested.
“Can you count to three?”
“Yes.”
“Then you can waltz. On one...”
(198 words)
“Look, old lady McConnell’s just going to make you. Might as well get it over with,” Ste said. He shot Duffy and Shannon pleading looks.
Shannon sighed impatiently. “Look, get out there and do it, and then one of us will follow.”
“How do I know that you won’t hang me out to dry? I won’t be the only one out there making a fool of myself,” Keith said. “If you’re so eager to dance, you pick partners.”
The other three exchanged helpless glances.
Keith started when someone tapped him on the shoulder. He spun around and saw the new girl - Hannah or Holly or something - standing behind him. She studied him with solemn golden eyes. Then she broke into a wide grin.
“Heya, fancy a waltz?”
Keith said, “No.”
She tugged on his wrist. “That’s too bad. I’m not botching P.E. because you’re not man enough to step up and make the grade. Now waltz with me.”
“I don’t know how,” Keith protested.
“Can you count to three?”
“Yes.”
“Then you can waltz. On one...”
(198 words)
Tuesday, January 5, 2010
All A Man Can Ask For
“Do you tango?” Angel asked.
Dani started and almost spilled her drink down the front of her dress. “Pardon?” She blinked at him over the top of a volume of Millay.
Angel smiled and offered a hand. “Tango. Will you?”
“With you?”
“I’d prefer if it were with me, but I’m sure if I were to step away, another man would ask in my place,” Angel said.
Dani looked flustered. Angel knew he was taking a risk, dancing with the Padrino’s daughter, but something about her sweet, bookwormish charm had caught his eye while he was in the Padrino’s house, and it had been a while since Angel had had decent conversation with a girl.
Girls in this era were finally starting to become educated and speak their minds again, and Angel had missed it something fierce. Of course, Dakshana had taken off right when Angel might have valued her company, but then they both had jobs to do, and Angel was here, doing his.
Right now, his job was to dance.
Dani accepted his hand. “I can try,” she said.
Angel pulled her into his arms. “That’s all a man can ask for.”
(194 words)
Dani started and almost spilled her drink down the front of her dress. “Pardon?” She blinked at him over the top of a volume of Millay.
Angel smiled and offered a hand. “Tango. Will you?”
“With you?”
“I’d prefer if it were with me, but I’m sure if I were to step away, another man would ask in my place,” Angel said.
Dani looked flustered. Angel knew he was taking a risk, dancing with the Padrino’s daughter, but something about her sweet, bookwormish charm had caught his eye while he was in the Padrino’s house, and it had been a while since Angel had had decent conversation with a girl.
Girls in this era were finally starting to become educated and speak their minds again, and Angel had missed it something fierce. Of course, Dakshana had taken off right when Angel might have valued her company, but then they both had jobs to do, and Angel was here, doing his.
Right now, his job was to dance.
Dani accepted his hand. “I can try,” she said.
Angel pulled her into his arms. “That’s all a man can ask for.”
(194 words)
Sturdier Shoes
“I cannot believe you talked me into this,” Christian grumbled.
“I didn’t talk you into it. You let yourself be convinced.” Anna straightened his tabard with deft hands. “Now get out there and be charming and win some more land for your father.”
“You’re distressingly amused by the thought of me marrying Lady Vivian.” Christian brushed a piece of imaginary lint from his shoulder.
“Yes, well, she’s a lady, you’re a lord, she has lots of land, what more can your father ask for?”
“Me to be happy.”
“Your brother Ranolfe was happy, and look where it got him? Dead.” Anna stood back and gave him one last once-over. “Time to go dance.”
“But I’m terrible at dancing,” Christian protested.
“Nonsense. You’re a swordsman and full of smooth, dancing grace. Don’t forget that the left turn is on the offbeat.” Anna smiled and pushed him out from behind the tapestries that hid the servants from view.
Halfway through the first song, Lady Vivian learned, up close and personally what on the offbeat meant. To Christian, it meant nothing to do with anything his tutors - or Anna - had taught him. From the sidelines, Anna mused that proper ladies should have learned to wear much sturdier shoes by now.
(208 words)
“I didn’t talk you into it. You let yourself be convinced.” Anna straightened his tabard with deft hands. “Now get out there and be charming and win some more land for your father.”
“You’re distressingly amused by the thought of me marrying Lady Vivian.” Christian brushed a piece of imaginary lint from his shoulder.
“Yes, well, she’s a lady, you’re a lord, she has lots of land, what more can your father ask for?”
“Me to be happy.”
“Your brother Ranolfe was happy, and look where it got him? Dead.” Anna stood back and gave him one last once-over. “Time to go dance.”
“But I’m terrible at dancing,” Christian protested.
“Nonsense. You’re a swordsman and full of smooth, dancing grace. Don’t forget that the left turn is on the offbeat.” Anna smiled and pushed him out from behind the tapestries that hid the servants from view.
Halfway through the first song, Lady Vivian learned, up close and personally what on the offbeat meant. To Christian, it meant nothing to do with anything his tutors - or Anna - had taught him. From the sidelines, Anna mused that proper ladies should have learned to wear much sturdier shoes by now.
(208 words)
Sunday, January 3, 2010
Abuse of Modly Powers
Here it is, another abuse of the modpost. Apparently the holidays derailed all of us, so we will continue this challenge through to the next week. Until then, keep on writing, and keep your characters on dancing!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)