homeless_pard | Shall we celebrate?

Entry tags:

jason au

Shall we celebrate?

Who: Khemrys, Requiem, some donors, Jason?
When: Several weeks after arrival.
What: Khemry's feet can be declared healed!

Khemrys was pulling the last of the meat pies from the oven. They'd need time to cool, and the oven as well, then she'd seal them back in the warm box to wait for Jason and Nathaniel to come for their meal. Even if they worked they tried to stop in at least once to eat before dawn, and so she made sure to have proper meals waiting for them.

Granted, there were still donors waking and poking their heads into the common room that had become a combination of kitchen and dining room these days making hopeful eyes each time the oven opened...

...but they had plenty left still of the previous pies, layered with ham, beef, and potato, with pea and herb gravy throughout. It had turned out well in her opinion honestly. The last two pies were somewhat different though, layering duck, fried shallots, and beef mousse with a cranberry mince. Special, and higher protein with slightly less fat as those two men seemed ever worried for the merest hint of actual weight.

Silly lords.

"Salad, lord, if you do not wish a full serving of the pies already out," Khemrys noted, flicking a towel at fingers reaching for the cooling set. She'd learned the first night the men had returned that salads were an acceptable thing to pair with most meals alongside fresh bread so no one went hungry. In her own world such would be sneered at when served too often unless amongst such as the Dames, or in summers when most veg was in abundance. Otherwise 'salad' was pickles and preserves more often than not.

What a strange land to have such readily available in all seasons.

She had to turn enough to give the donor a mild look before he winced and backed off properly, "but I love duck..."

"And as such I will try to add more of it to meals," she noted simply. "But such is not this eve."

The man sighed and slouched to the table, dishing up, and Khemrys shook her head in amusement, shifting to ah...pass dirtied pans to Requiem. He had an odd rule about cooks not cleaning, and if the donors forgot it he came by to remind them. It was still odd, and it was even odds that she'd clean as she went, but tonight he had caught her out. Bah. "You're early this eve," she noted quietly.

Requiem chuckled, stacking the dishes properly and waving at the next donor on the list for the chore, "I heard Lillian deemed your feet healed."

"Aye," she laughed, "she did, though I've exercises to do to reduce scarring." And balm, which she well knew how to apply yes.

He smiled, "well, then we should celebrate yes? and test the strength of your feet currently so you'll know for improvement?"

She blinked, considering that. "ah?" No, she had no idea. "The lord is suggesting...?"

"That we show these people how to dance. Jean Claude and Asher may join as well, should the the idea amuse them. And no doubt Nathaniel and Jason when they arrive!"

Dance? "To...what music?"

"I found much to try!" he admitted with a smile. "Trust me?"

"Of course lord," she blinked. How could she not after weeks living here?

"Everyone could benefit from learning proper dancing," he chuckled, docking his phone in the speaker system and holding his hand out to Khemrys, "and this way we might convince our club dancers to add a touch of grace to their repertoire..."

"I'm certain they might do well of their own," Khemrys murmured, turning to place the two pies safely back in the cooler oven to stay warm before taking Requiem's hand and settling her other properly at his hip with a smile. "As they assure me they dance well."

"...trust me, they'll want to learn," he chuckled, sweeping her gracefully into the first swell of the song. Likely his own knowledge was comparable to hers of trained dancing! And it was fun to encourage the donors to watch and learn as well!

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It was late when Jason and Nathaniel had made their way back to the Circus, but since Khemrys had started cooking they were coming back from work much earlier than they ever had before.

They weren't expecting to be greeting by music and the sound of...revelry?
Was someone throwing a party down there?

They walked into the donor's quarters and froze. Nathaniel broke into a wide grin. "Are we holding dances now?"

Requiem laughed softly, releasing Khemrys so she could greet the men, "testing her feet now she's been cleared. And impromptu lessons in dancing." Naturally.

"Welcome back lords," Khemrys smiled.

Hi Khemrys. Looks like you're having a good time tonight." Jason quirked a smile at hers, and oddly at the sound of Requiem's laugh. "Dancing even on your night off?" he teased Requiem.

Nathaniel beamed at Khemrys. "What kind of dancing are you guys doing?"

"This is dancing," Requiem chuckled. "Work nights is merely hunting." And he didn't truly enjoy it, no.

Khem was waving them gently toward the oven? 'Such as what I know, mostly, some steps differ but my lessons in reading cues holds?"

As always, they were hungry after working at the club, so they moved quickly toward the indicated resting place of their meal.

"Wow," Jason said, staring at the intricately built meat pie.

Nathaniel was beaming as he inspected his. "I hope mine start looking this nice. I've been practicing but it's nowhere near this pretty."

Jason really only spared a moment appreciating how the pie looked before he was cutting into it, a blissful expression on his face. Hungry lycanthropes eating, but still watching the two dancers with interest.

Khemrys flushed a touch at the compliment, "It is naught but rolled dough scrollwork lord Nathaniel," she noted softly. And far from complicated. "I hope it is well filling, there were attempts to steal those two from the waiting spot..." she was teasing a little?

Then Requiem was holding his hand out again, amused, "another round then we'll teach a round."

Jason didn't rush chewing what he had, but when his mouth wasn't full he managed, "Thanks for fending them off for us. These are delicious." He chuckled and winked at her. "Just tell your would-be thieves that we'll eat the pies or them. You can go all Sweeney Todd on them."

Nathaniel laughed. "No, she'd be the pie lady who bakes them into pies. Mrs..."

"Lovett! Mrs. Lovett. Yeah, if they eat our pies, they get baked into the next one."

The pair were obviously in a joking mood as they ate enthusiastically. Still, they made sure their mouths were full when Requiem gestured for another dance so they could both watch and eat.

"You may tell them yourself?" she gestured to the many donors still present. That and she had no idea what they were talking about...

...oh, ew. No. She was grateful to go back to dancing instead of discussing cannibalism!

Requiem just shook his head in amusement and shifted her back into his arms. To say they could have appeared in a period piece was an understatement?

Jason shot a calculated side-eye in the direction of some of the lingering donors, but did bother voicing his threat. He knew Khemrys wasn't about to let him go hungry even if they had stolen his pie.

And speaking of Khemrys, he watched Requiem pull her back into their dance. They looked...very graceful. And happy.

One or two of them shifted a bit uncomfortably, getting called out sucked okay? But yes, back to watching...

...then the song ended with Khemrys in a deep curtsy and Requiem in a bow, then they both rose grinning, "Lessons?"

"Those who wish to learn please...no shoes?" Khemrys laughed.

There was of course polite applause from everyone at their bow and Nathaniel elbowed Jason and raised his eyebrows.

Jason laughed silently and shook his head, shoveling the last bits of pie into his mouth. "Never say no to a dance, right?"

He kicked his shoes off and tossed his socks with them: he didn't need to be slipping in socks in front of those two. He saw Nathaniel out of the corner of his eyes hurriedly finishing his own meal and stripping down to bare feet as well.

"No teasing while we're learning," Jason joked, "or we get to teach the next dance and tease back."

"...of course not," Khemrys blinked. Why would she tease them? "Shall we then lords and ladies?" as there were both genders and a few she was learning to call they as well, still present.

"Those who wish to learn leading, here," Requiem called.

"Following to me," Khemrys smiled.

The pair blinked. Jason shrugged and walked over to Requiem, leaving Nathaniel to watch the others mill towards their choice.

"I...don't mind doing either?" Nathaniel asked. "Would it be better for your numbers if I learn following then?"

Requiem nodded to Jason, amused, "I'm unsurprised you wish more dancing despite working tonight." He could tease at least?

As for Nathaniel's question though, Khemrys smiled, "I rather imagine most will learn both lord? It is just simpler to teach such in stages, so whichever you choose."

Jason gave him a smug grin in return. "Do what you love and you'll never work a day in your life. That's the saying, right?"

Nathaniel simply smiled in return and slipped next to Khemrys without speaking, pressing to her side much like a friendly cat would.

"On the contrary, that's a newer term and removes the divide between work and life, it can lead to harm," he pointed out, amused, leading his group a touch away from the other one. "Now, tell me what you know of leading."

Khemrys was still stiff in such casual contact but was working to adjust? It had been weeks yes, but she'd manage in time? "Alright, mayhap the first thing is in dances such as I know you all must learn...distance. A handlength, at least."

"Always so much fun," Jason murmured at Requiem's remark, shaking his head. "I guess it depends on how these dances work, but I guess making your partner aware of how you're moving?" He was used to much closer dancing, where it was easier to feel the subtle shifts in direction.

Nathaniel smiled and flushed slightly at her instruction, mouthing a soft but good-natured, "Sorry," when he realized he'd done it again. He stepped back gracefully from her, watching eagerly.

"Yes," he smiled, "now, how do you give such cues without being as close as modern dances allow?" he grinned. "Your only safe zone as hands, small of back, and lightly upon the hip in this."

Khemrys used his stepping away to hold her hand between them, nodding him to stop once there was the space of a palm between them, "there. Such dances as these have established steps in theory, but oft most do not know them. Following means to move seamlessly despite your lead not knowing steps..."

"Pressure? Distance?" Jason sounded more like reciting than asking, or dredging up memories of old lessons similar enough. "A gentle push/pull with the hands, or guiding in a pass? Um...keeping your space..." Words were hard. He shook his head holding a hand out in front of him. "If this is the space, you can move all around, but you partner is going to hold the space. So if I step forward, she steps back and the space stays the same?" He knew some of the more classic dances at Jean Claude's insistence, but this older and more formal dancing wasn't something he knew.

A soft, joking voice in the group poked at Nathaniel playfully. "You should be good at this, then, Nathaniel." He, for his part, grinned in response. "I'm very good at following whatever gets thrown at me."

He nodded, smiling at Jason, "good, you've had some training." So there was that at least. "Someone who knows the dance shouldn't need more than a reminder or two, but we'll practice hand signals and hip signals..."

Khemrys smiled, "aye, like many should be no doubt, but the lesson is truly reading a partner without seeming to, and grace, which some may need to practice."

If anything could be said of Jason, he was an apt student when it came to dance: he enjoyed moving his body, and he had a very good understanding of how his body could move. For maybe the only time, Jason was paying close attention to what Requiem was saying without any hint of his usual snark.

Nathaniel watched Khemrys closely: he'd maybe learn to lead one day, but they were right and he was well suited to this. Graceful movements came fairly easily, even when the movements didn't always look entirely human.

At least it was a painless half hour if initial instruction? At least for the leads, they were shown subtle hand shifts and grips, and then spacing...

...and Khemrys was showing graceful, sliding steps and showing people how to read and move based entirely on the feel of a hip under fingertips! "Would people like to pair and practice a round?" she smiled.

"Some application may be in order," Requiem allowed.

A few people began to pair up. Jason stood for a moment, glancing at Khemrys. Of course he wanted a chance to dance with her, but Requiem's presence nearby reminded him...
He closed his eyes for a moment, frustrated with himself for letting Requiem get in his head: he was not the shy type. He crossed over to where Khemrys and Nathaniel stood and offered a smile. "Want to switch and give me some pointers now?" he asked her.

Requiem did not mind his attentions as long as he was respectful and thought when interacting with Khemrys.

"This is a practice round, lord," she offered with a smile, "not for 'points'? But to see how the brief lesson might be applied and allow relaxation?"

He laughed. "Pointers," he corrected gently, "it's like advice. You show me how to do it better."

He winked and held out his hand. "Make me look like I know what I'm doing."

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