Brave

She sighed in frustration as she was told only what she was doing wrong. “Alright, I am officially giving up on this. I didn’t even want to dance in the first place,” she said, taking a step back from the other. “Can’t we do normal party things like drink a lot and then eat pizza?” 

Ro put her hands up before nodding her head. A chuckle left her lips as she ran her fingers through her hair, “I’m not against that idea at all.” She took a step forward, gesturing for Violet to follow her as she heads towards the drinks. “How are you settling into Frostfordb ”

“Excuse me,” Sienna playfully raised an eyebrow. She raised her arms and shook her hips. “This looks like a mess to you?” She laughed, watching the way Roshan looked a little worried. The woman took the dancing very seriously, and Sienna decided to just have a good time with it. She hadn’t gone dancing in a while. She needed this. “How am I doing now, should I add some hand movements, or am I going too fast?” 

Ro laughed before shaking her head. She didn’t even realize how serious she was taking this. She let out a deep breath, letting herself relax. “No hand movements needed. Add a little of that hip movement from before and you got it down.”

Jolene tried to follow Ro’s movements, but eventually gave up just taking a drink. “Ro, you’ve known me for years, of course I’m a mess.” She did a quick jazz square. “This is the only rhythm I have, okay? All that line dancing from when I was younger never left me.” She lifted her drink. “Ro, let’s get a fresh drink and we can try again, okay?”

The quick jazz square Jolene did cause Ro to laugh harder than she thought. “Alright, alright,” she waved her hand, “yes to drinks, and try again. But we can always do something else if you’re not feeling this anymore.”

@roshanramnaz​

During a quiet moment of the party, Adam grabs two beers and heads over to where he spotted Ro to hand the extra one over to her. “Hey. Enjoyin’ yourself?”

She was the one who dragged him here in the first place, but it’s been a minute since he went back over to catch up with her. “I saw the dancin’ lessons you were givin’. Those go well?”

“Ohh,” she reached out for the beer, allowing herself to take a swig before answering him, “I sure am, are you? ”

“He’s a twenty-six year old, Ro. Your definition of mature and his are two very different ones.” He laughed. It was true, but Santiago was extremely proud of his son and even more thankful to Roshan for raising him. “That’s called tequila. Not me.” He laughed, it was true he loved to dance, but that was more of the drinks than him. “Risk it all on one basket? Wow, didn’t know you liked to gamble. I would love to see you go on a date with a twenty year old. Bet that would be excitin’.”

“Maybe it is, but I’d like to think he is different now from when he was sixteen years old,” she ran her fingers through her hair. He was living on his own now, which scared her more than she initially thought it would. “You need to be able to dance without relying on tequila or any alcoholic beverage,” she looked over at him, studying his expression. “Why would you wish this upon me? Have I not suffered enough from your bullying in high school?  Now you want to see me on a date with a twenty-year-old? ”

Roshan had one of the purest hearts anyone could come across and Angelina felt blessed to have a friend like her. Though there were a few degrees of separation, she was engaged to Santiago’s brother so she’d considered Roshan a sister of sorts. “Things are going fine.” A lie she’d conditioned herself to say even when she wasn’t doing well. The wedding approaching in just a few months was unsettling for her and work had been stressing her out the more she had to step into her father’s shoes.

“Yeah? ” she raised an eyebrow, “Anything you want to get off your chest tonight? Or any gossip? ” If Angelina didn’t want to talk about anything, in particular, she wouldn’t push it. This was their night to have a break from everything. This was going to be the last time she agreed to teach a course during the summer. Well, that’s what she told herself last time, and here she is. Teaching a course for the summer again. At least it’s a shorter term.

“Oh, good question.” He noted, before pausing to take a second to think. “Probably a gavel, a six pack of Michelob, maybe somethin’ cheeky but I dunno what. I’d have to enlist someone to help me.” He laughed. “How’s he doin’, by the way? I’d love to see Gertie try to stop you, though. Be the talk of the town.”

“You know, I think I can make the best basket for you,” she raised her eyebrows before laughing. “He’s been doing good, he’s supposed to be around here somewhere. Oh, please, I can definitely outrun her. A part of me is now hoping this happens.”

“I didn’t even want to do this stupid dance anyway.” Portia composed herself while stepping away from the formation. “If you tell anyone I’m rhythmically challenged when it comes to these extensive little dances I’ll ruin you. I don’t know how yet, but once I get this stupid 4 count out of my head I’ll brainstorm.”

“I don’t know much you can ruin my reputation more than I did to myself in my twenties when I broke a marriage,” she raised an eyebrow at the girl before shrugging her shoulders. “There’s plenty that can’t do the dance, but I won’t say a word. Can’t promise no one else at this party who’s watching won’t say anything.”

How Mariah got herself mixed up in dance lessons would never make sense. The girl had no rhythm to her, despite many people attempting to help her. Groaning as she tried again, focusing on following Ro before shaking her head as she messed up again, “Ro, this is pointless. I am a lost cause and quite frankly seeing you dance is damaging to my self esteem because I would never look that good.” A laugh left her lips, “I appreciate your attempt to help though.” 

“Sorry,” she said shaking her head as Ro explained to her again. Laughing softly, “I haven’t been in dance lessons since I was a kid and most of the time I did it on skates. I think I lost a lot of my rhythm.” 

Just looking at the other and then at her movements, he sighed and crossed his arms over his chest. He had never been the best dancer and if he ever claimed to be, his tongue would become green due to how much of a lie that was. Tilting his head to the side, he then nodded and hummed. “Okay okay I think I got it this time around” Apollo said and did the exact movements and laughed. “Look at that!”

Ro laughed with him as she scrunched up her nose, “It’s not that bad! It can seem confusing to follow at first.” Honestly, she never did find it hard to follow. That was because she grew up with her father, who loved dancing to Spanish. She grew up in two different cultures. But she realized that for other people, it isn’t easy. “Imagine the hip makes an infinity sign and follow the steps at the same time. It’s a little faster when bachata music starts playing, not too fast.”

Ivan stopped suddenly at her command, laughing. This dancing thing was a lot harder than it looked, no matter what she said. “Okay, okay! I’m not looking like a mess, I’m just learning.” Ivan took one last drink from his cup and set it aside, finally accepting that learning this dance would require his full attention. “I got it, okay. Four steps!” He repositioned himself as well, intending on following her lead. He took the two steps to the right. And then a third. “Ah!” He stepped to the left and laughed, trying to catch up. He fell into step with her, two to the right, two to the left, again and again, until she told him to add the hip movements. Ivan attempted it, only to immediately step on her foot on the next step. “Shit, sorry–!”

Ro got excited when he noticed him starting to match her movements. But then he stepped on her foot, and she made a face, pulling her foot back, before pouting. She took a step back before wavering her hand, “it’s fine, I’ll get over it,” she told him with a nod. “You were doing good, though! When it comes to moving the hips, just keep the steps the same. Imagine you are making an infinity sign with your hips.” That was the best way she could describe it. “But, at the fourth step, this is what you do,” counting to four again before showing exactly what hip movement had to be done then. It was easier to show than to explain. “We are starting off slow to make it easy to follow. But once you get a hang of it, we can start to follow the normal speed.”

“I know some old men.” At her question, he shrugged his shoulders. It was something he questioned himself. Should he bid? It was an event he was all for, but in reality, he was stuck on Viv. Something he couldn’t admit to anyone, barely himself. “Just don’t feel like it. Gettin’ too old, I think.” He laughed, quirking his eyebrows. “I don’t expect a full play-by-play, but I’ll be waitin’ for the recap.”

Maybe she picked on him too, much. Anyone could’ve made that basket, “If you were to make a basket, what would you put in it? ” Ro raised an eyebrow at his explanation before letting a hum escape his lips. It wasn’t a bad answer, she’d would most likely use it herself. But she knew him, and she had a feeling there was something more to it, but she’ll pry on it later. “I’m only doing this to make my son happy. If I get someone young, I’m walking out. The DAR ladies can’t stop me.”

With: Open ( @frostfordstart​ )

Recently a local free-roaming cat in proximity to Gideon’s home had taken a swipe at one of his chickens. Thankfully, out of all of the avian friends he had on his property, only one of them had come up appearing injured and the extent had been relatively minor. The second checkup on the chicken had been completed and while did want to get home, he also did not want to drive hom and back for one item at the store. So naturally, there he was, with a fussy hen tucked neatly beneath his arm while trying to quickly browse through one of the aisles at the feed store. “Stop bitin’ me you bitch,” he said sharply, sucking in a breath between his teeth as the hen pecked at him, “Goddamnit, you’re a second away from bein’ dinner, stop it!” He cleared his throat, turning to the person who he had not taken note of who was just a few feet away on the same aisle. “Don’t mind that, she and I just gotta come to an understanding, you know?”

Ro couldn’t help but laugh at what she was seeing. “I don’t think you threatenin’ her is going to help,” she laughed again before shaking her head. “Be a little nice to her, maybe she’ll come around,” she tilted her head to the side. She was enjoying this. “I feel like there is always something going on. You have this hen pecking ya. And ya get bit by a donkey before, you’re just having bad luck, huh? ”

“I’m confused,” she frowns. “And hungry.”

“No, no, no.” she reached her hand out and waving them. “It’s four steps, and then at the end an extra move. But first, we are not going to add a hip movement, just steps. Because right now, mami/papi, you’re looking like a mess.” Ro let out a breath before repositioning herself, “Now, follow me.” She counted to four as she took steps to the right. A pause, and then the same thing again to the left. “That is basically the steps, but now you have to add the hip movements.” @frostfordstart​

location: dyer house

“They’re not going to make us do karaoke, are they?” Javi asked the person standing next to him. 

“You look nervous, doing karaoke isn’t that bad! ” she rocked on her heels with a giggle. “Oh come on, let loose a little. Have funnn.”