dreamcrystals | Local Dancing Goose Is Hungry for Culture Bread

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Local Dancing Goose Is Hungry for Culture Bread

Sender: Madhuri Qalli
To: All
Subject: Sing a song, tap your feet!

Recovering from having a creature climb into my heart and take a few big nibbles is a terrible nameday gift. Would not recommend. 0/10.

So I aim to recover the lost time and beg to the masses for a moment of their time! Just a teeny-tiny moment.

First, context: I have an ability I wish to share with the class that is a little hard to explain. I can hear music in the world. Every battle I've fought, every time I go hunting, and even while I cook, I can hear a sort of music in the air. If you've ever attended an opera or any other stage play, it's a bit like that but in real life. Everyone I've met seems to have 'theme music' that I somehow am able to hear, and I'd like to listen to more of it. I'll even sing it or play an instrument to you if you're curious as to what plays when you arrive.

On top of learning new songs and stories to sing, I also obviously enjoy dancing. I'd love to know the dances from your culture! Please, even if you don't dance very well, I would still like to see it and try it myself.

Lastly, I'd like to thank the fine dreamers of Reverein for their help thus far toward the opening of the Lady of Bliss. It's going along swimmingly! I'm still on target, but a girl needs a day off.

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Wait, so if I come up to say hello to you, some bitchin' theme plays. Well shit, I need to know more.

That tends to be what happens, yes. Everyone gets their grand entrance and if I told anyone at the time, they'd think I'd lost my marbles.

What do you think, Zhao? Want to give it a shot? I definitely remember something really blood-pumping when we knocked some sense into those wild dogs.

No shit? So then you can play whatever you hear when we fight dogs and stuff like that?

This sounds amazing. Let's do it.

Exactly! Gosh, I wasn't sure if you'd be into it, but I should dreamotion the tunes from here on out.

You up for a hunt tomorrow morning?

Hell yeah! I could use a chance to work with the meat too. Still trying to figure out some good cuts on a few things.

Like those weird cows, right? I'm still trying to find what's meat and what's just candy or something equally unfitting.

That's for goddamn sure. Nothing worse than taking a bite out of something and you're expecting it to taste like one thing and then you're thrown completely off.

Even if what you end up tasting is better, it kind of ruins your expectation.

I'm sure there's some science-y word for that, but it's exactly that! It'll be weird going home and tasting the usual and wondering about the "that" that is missing.

Oh, by the by? If you haven't tried it yet, it seems something from my memories has appeared in the woods. If you see a big woolly creature with curved horns, that's a dzo! They are delicious. I can show you to some tomorrow. They marinate well and the meat gets such a good crust against the heat.

I'll have to make up a word to describe that scenario.

Wait really? Can you also take the wool too? I don't know how to spin and do all that shit, but it can't hurt to take the wool to someone who can.

But hell yeah, lets go find some dzo and I'll work on the best way to cook it.

Oh, yes. My people would take the pelts and make blankets and all kinds of things with it. I'm no master of it, but I can skin it and prep the hides. I tend to trade things like that for cooking ingredients since I've come here. I'd love to see what you can do with dzo! My favorite way of eating it is in dumplings. My mouth just watered thinking about it- I grew up on the stuff.

Dumplings and meat buns, hunh?

I usually buy those because they're time consuming to make but new meat, new home...I can make them but it might take me a bit to make them great. Little spices here and there and cook it just right.

Yeah, this is gonna be a great idea!

[The idea of having his own 'theme music' is a bit surreal to Yujin. He must admit, he is curious. Still, despite the offer being out there, he feels it'd be rather self-indulgent to ask without offering anything in return. That's why he'll respond to the next part of the query.]

Have you ever experienced tapdancing? I will admit that it is not a dance I would attribute to my own culture. It is something that I picked up when I traveled to another land for an exchange project in my younger years, and while I may be a bit rusty, I still haven't quite lost my skills.

Rusty is fine. I'd love to see some tapdancing! I've never heard of it.

Then, you're in for a treat. When would you care to meet?

I'm free after lunch today if you're up for short-ish notice.

After lunch should be fine. Do you have a preferred location for us to meet?

Why not my retail space? I'm still setting things up there, but there's plenty of room inside for this.

[Ta-daaa, a roughly-drawn map and a circled corner shop.]

I also highly suggest coming hungry. Said retail space will be a bakery, after all.

[Oooh, a map! That's much appreciated.]

A bakery? Well, you've caught my interest, I must say. I'll keep my lunch light, then.

I will be seeing you soon.

Oh heck, eat how you like, I'm just giving you fair warning!

I'm looking forward to it.

And I as well.

[And that's where the conversation ends. A few hours later, shortly after noon, Yujin will come knocking at the given address. He's usually been wearing his kimono and similar attire around Reverein, but he knows it won't be suitable wear for dancing- certainly not this type of dance. That's why he's wearing a nice Western suit now, complete with tie and waistcoat. And yes, a bowler hat, because the weather is looking a bit gloomy and he'd rather not be caught unprepared by rain on his way home.]

[She thought to wear something flowy and comfortable to allow for movement. Ever so thankful for the Madame in town to continually feed her habit for having an outfit for everything, she went with some flats instead of her usual heeled coverings.

She opened the door with a sunny demanor, and stepped aside to allow him in. The floor space still needed work before it could open, but it seemed she wasted no time using the kitchen- something involving brown sugar, butter and almonds seemed to linger in the air.]

Glad you could make it, Ser Yujin! I've just put on some coffee and just put the finishing touches on the almond croissants.

[Ah-hah. That'll do it.]

[The smell in the air hits Yujin's senses like a bit of a sledgehammer. He did just have a light lunch, but there's something to be said about the scent of freshly baked sugary goods. He smiles warmly and bows his head in greeting.]

Ah, my timing is impeccable then, it would seem. Thank you very much for having me.

The pleasure is entirely mine!

[She rubbed her hands together.]

I made us this nice open space here. Is there a particular kind of music you need for a demonstration? I can get that going with a little concentration.

[The question takes him aback a bit. He hadn't counted on music being a possibility for this.]

Ah, well... Most often, when I still practiced, I would dance in local Irish pubs. They played rather fast jigs on fiddles. I don't know if that is something you'd be familiar with...?

Fast jigs... I think there was the occasional fiddling in the port city. Let me see.

[She clasped her hands and closed her eyes. For a time there was nothing, the shop space very still. But that silence parted like a curtain rather slowly, her memories of the revelry of the pirates at port on a warm and starry night spreading from her mind's eye. It sounded distant at first, the distant clapping and whooping of intoxicated onlookers and bar-crawling folk, but what followed was lively and quick fiddle music, the playful tin whistle and accompanied drums.

Oh, she could fondly remember that night, working as a waitress in the Bismarck, the grandest restaurant in La Noscea... what fun was had! Slowly, she opened her eyes as the music continued.]

How's that? Something like this?

[No, Yujin absolutely hadn't expected something like this to be a possibility. Still, once his initial surprise has worn off, he notes just now nice it is. Not simply the music itself, but the odd feeling of nostalgia attached to it. This isn't the sort of jig he himself is familiar with, and yet... The nostalgia must be coming from Madhuri, then.]

Wonderful. That ought to do the trick just fine. [He takes a moment to absorb some more of the melody, getting a good feel for where it goes and how fast it goes there.] Now, normally, one might use special shoes for this sort of dancing. To elicit a bit more sound when the foot hits the floor. I'm afraid you'll simply have to imagine that part.

[To prove his point, he taps the front of his right foot down in a sharp motion. There's very little sound as a result; his shoes are plain leather. Alas.]

[Special shoes to allow a firmer sound with contact on the ground. It's why heels have a particular sound when you walk in them- one of her main reasons for wearing them- but she wondered what could be added to shoes to make a sound. Metal?]

I have an active imagination. Lay it on me!

[Not much in the way of sound, but... hmm.]

Oh, alright. So the shoes have metal or something on them, like horse shoes? Does it make them uncomfortable to walk in?

Oh, no, not at all. It's simply a small metal plate attached to the bottom of the sole, one in the front and one in the back. It's good to alternate between the toes and the heel, you see.

[He does a quick paradiddle with his right foot- one of the most basic of tapdance moves. It's nothing fancy, four 'sounds' in total.]

[She hunkered down and watched that foot. Ohh, his ankle was loose there, and the legs are never stiff- it's just what the slacks mask.

She rubbed her chin. One plate on the ball of the foot, and one at the heel, then? She was sure it'd be difficult to do in her style of heels, but what was a dancer but someone who went through many different types of shoes?]

Ooh, okay. I'm in the market to trade for some new shoes before opening this place up. Maybe I can sweeten the pot and get some of these metal-platey shoes.

[She looked up.]

Shall I get you a pair? Ah, but I don't know your size...

Oh! Oh, no, thank you. [The response is swift and perhaps a bit frantic. He could never accept a gift from someone he's just met, even if everything in this place is free. It wouldn't sit right with him.]

I rarely dance, these days. Certainly this sort of dance. I'm afraid the shoes might go to waste.

[And it's not that he's too old to actively tapdance, rather, he's too busy with other matters. Frivolities like going out to a pub to dance with his friends... Well, those are just that; frivolities. He has too many responsibilities nowadays to spend his time on.]

Are you sure...? Certainly you must feel the urge to get back into it. This is a dream land, everyone should do what they love, you know?

[She stood and decided to give a few steps a try. Ankle loose, knees unlocked. But there was a little scooting here and there, a soft hiss of sound rather than the crisp, albeit-highly-dampened tap against the floor. Nobody gets it perfect on the word go.]

So it's something - like - this! And I'll wear slacks and suspenders and a fancy hat...!

[Does he feel that urge? He doesn't quite know. He was a different man back then, and while he still can dip back into dancing when requested, it stirs some bittersweet memories as well. Those are best left to rest, he thinks. So he doesn't quite respond to the question, instead focusing on Madhuri's own steps.]

Oh, that's not bad for a first time. You may be a natural. Once you've got the basics down, there's a lot of directions one might go, incorporating the entire body in the momentum. Like so.

[After a few seconds of determining the flow of the music, Yujin slips right into the rhythm with something more advanced. Arms, shoulders, hips... It's all part of the movements.]

[She is delighted to see the full display. You could use your whole body like that? Of course!! What is a dance if you don't feel it in your whole body?

She'll clap along, a sea of lilac growing in a crown around her head. She absolutely must put this to practice, especially now that she had the music in mind.

Oh, dang, she can't keep it contained- she wouldn't be nearly as good, but she joined in as best as she could.]

[The way Yujin sees it, the most important part of any dance is the enthusiasm driving the dancer. To have Madhuri join in like that is very promising. While he doesn't slow his own steps, he does laugh a bit, watching her attempts.]

There you go! See, you've got it! Now, try a bit of this.

[He springs up, twirling in a full circle before landing on both feet.]

[She whistled in her appreciation. Alright, her turn! Madhuri reached for her tail and held it still before she tried her own few steps, then bounced into her twirl, landing on both before rocking on her ankles for a last two taps.]

Oh yeah! Alright, confess: How many hearts have you stolen this way? Don't be modest.

[The question causes him to pause his dancing, perhaps even screech to a halt in a way. He can't blame her for asking, it's a very innocent query. Still, it's a bit of a painful subject, and Madhuri may be able to tell from the way he doesn't meet her gaze.]

Ahhh... None that I know of. At the time I learned this dance, I'd already married.

[... And lost her. She'd never gotten to see it. Had she lived, he'd likely never have traveled to Great Britain at all. That's even more painful to consider.]

Oho~

[She'd come to understand body language better in recent days. Her boyfriend had only recently been more open about his feelings and thoughts rather than keeping things to himself no matter how much the weight of it pulled him down. She could feel a touchy subject when she brushed one.]

Well... I hope for something like that one day. People always say, 'You're young, you're young', but... maybe not too young to wish for something like tying the old knot.

[He's quite thankful that she didn't ask any follow-up questions about his wife. It was the sort of topic that always darkened the mood.]

Oh, goodness no. Dreams of finding one's ideal partner are the sorts we carry around for many years. And once you meet someone you're certain you wish to spend the rest of your life with, 'too young' should not be a factor at all. [Well, naturally there is a certain age where one is too young to be married, but that rather goes without saying, Yujin thinks.]

Oh... Oh, gosh...

[She'd begun fanning her face to cool it. The deep red lilies began to unfurl and bloom in her hair.]

I-I'm still getting used to the 'relationship' thing, but now my head's going to fill to the brim with ceremonial imagery...!

[Oh no, he's made the girl flustered! That was absolutely not his intention. He's a bit flustered now, and as a result, a bit of heat radiates from his own face in a literal sense. Oh, those emotion effects.]

Ah! Well! There's nothing wrong with that, now is there? One might consider it planning for the big day.

I-I hear it's something some girls do as children anyway, plan their own weddings! I'm permitted to be a late bloomer.

Do forgive me- I don't normally fluster like this...! I liked to pride myself on my boldness, yet I seem to be swallowing ladlefuls of my own medicine.

Uhm, where- where were we?

[The fact that she's normally bolder only serves to have Yujin feel worse about it, even if it wasn't his fault. Sure enough, the best thing he can do to fix the problem is to go right along with the subject change.]

We were... talking of incorporating the rest of the body into the dance. I suppose one of the benefits that comes with being in a new world would be that there is no true norm for this dance here. You're free to include whatever motions feel appropriate to you.

Oh, you're right...! Not to mention dreamotion could add some special effects. You could make yourself float and make like you're literally dancing on air. You'd lose the lovely tapping sounds, but I'm sure there can be some workaround.

[She continued her practice.]

This must be accompanied with song on stage...! It's too much fun not to express the mood while going off like this. Perhaps a song about a good mood, how someone feels about somebody, delving into a duet number...!

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Local Dancing Goose Is Hungry for Culture Bread

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