fandomhigh | Courtly Dancing and Defence: Week 2

Entry tags:

courtly dancing

Courtly Dancing and Defence: Week 2

"Hello everyone," Aly said, making her way into the classroom slightly late. "You probably were expecting someone else, a man for one thing, but Professor Ambrose has been called back to his home for the term so you have me instead. My name's Aly for those who don't know me." She glanced around the room with a smile and measuring look for each of the students."

"I apologise there wasn't a class last week for you all, but I'll be more than happy to make up for that in the coming weeks. Now I normally teach spying and such so the sneaky aspects of this class definitely appeals to me, but for now, I'd like you all to introduce yourselves - name, age, year, why you took the class and then two things different about you." Aly grinned. "And then you can feel free to ask me a question."

She flipped a switch and the music of a jig filled the room. "After that, feel free to pair up and dance. I'd love to see where you all are."

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

"Name, age, year, why you took the class and then two things different about you." Aly grinned. "And then you can feel free to ask me a question."

"Liir Thropp, I honestly don't know, coming into sophmore year."

He sounded a little stiff, but there wasn't anything he could really do about it so he just pushed on.

"I took the class because I enjoyed learning dance from Professor Ambrose last semester."

He was stuck for a moment on 'two things about him' since he didn't want to give an answer that would upset the teacher or prove insufficient. Finally, though, he figured out something.

"One of my 'brothers' was a flying monkey named Chistery and I used to have a dog named Killjoy."

Then he looked to Aly.

He didn't, perchance, leave a goodbye with you, did he?

"What is your favorite sort of dance?"

"It's good to meet you, Liir," Aly said with a smile. "Hopefully you won't be too disappointed in having me instead." She tilted an eyebrow at the dog. "Was he named appropriately? And I suppose my favourite is any you can do with a partner - though I have to admit I especially enjoy the pavane."

He shook his head.

"He was a wonderful dog. The most doggish dog you've ever met, and my first friend. He was named by the cook who owned him before I did.

"And I don't know what the pavane is. But will we be learning it?"

"We might indeed," Aly agreed. "The volta too if we're lucky. But that might lead to a bit too much defence at flying dancers."

Re: Introductions!

new-to-liirness.livejournal.com - 2008-05-20 22:26 (UTC) - Expand

"My name is Andrew. I'm sixteen, almost seventeen, and a senior now." He thought for a moment. "I recently received the Medal of Valor from Queen Selenay of Valdemar, and I have an older brother named Tucker."

He started to sit back down, and remembered the last bit: "Oh, and what's your favorite animal?" Because it was the first question to pop into his head.

"Welcome Andrew," Aly said, nodding. She connected her memory with the words. "Congratulations on the Medal. What was it for? And my favourite animal's the crow."

"I was part of a group that helped save their world," he said very matter of fact like. "They call me Scholar Wells," he added.

Re: Introductions!

tricksy-spy.livejournal.com - 2008-05-20 22:25 (UTC) - Expand

"Jo Harvelle, 16, junior, it seemed a bit different," Jo said. "My boyfriend thought he was a singing nun yesterday, and I find the idea of being pink worse than being a pony."

"Is being a spy at all like being in those James Bund films?"

Aly laughed. "Who's your boyfriend? Do I need to find pictures? Being a spy is exactly like James Bund, of course," she teased. "I drink martinis and blow up embassies on a daily basis." She checked her watch. "In fact, I'm behind."

"Luke Skywalker," Jo replied. "Just ask Artoo, and he should be able to fix you up."

Re: Introductions!

tricksy-spy.livejournal.com - 2008-05-20 22:30 (UTC) - Expand

"Hyuuga Hinata, fourteen, a-and I took this class," because her Father had signed her up for it, "b-because dancing is something I e-enjoy." Which was true enough as well.

Two things about herself? "I w-want to become m-more confident, and I h-have a younger sister."

Hinata considered what to ask in return. "A-ano, w-what was a time that y-you felt ill-at-ease?"

"Welcome Hinata," Aly said. "I'm glad to see you again. Dancing's often a way to become more confident, and you'll probably be very good at it since you already know how to fight." She considered for a moment, tempering her automatic response for the girl she saw in front of her. "I'm ill-at-ease every time I have a new class." She grinned. "All the preperation in the world, but sometimes they just fall flat."

"I-I've had some p-previous training in d-dance," she said. "Father i-insisted. But I d-do enjoy it a l-lot."

Hinata smiled, somewhat ruefully. "D-does it ever g-get easier?"

"Yasutora Sado, seventeen, I took this class because, uh, well, I gotta know how to do all this stuff. Two things different? Uh..."

Chad scratched his chin a little. "I've got that arm thing and I play bass, I guess those are kind of different."

And Chad had had several classes with Aly, so he couldn't think of a good question to possibly ask her, except perhaps, "What do you think is a good question to ask you?"

"All what stuff?" she asked, grinning at Chad. "And my answer would really depend on what you want to know."

"Courtly stuff," Chad answered, "and I'm not if there is anything I want to know. At the moment. Maybe I'll get back to you on that."

Re: Introductions!

tricksy-spy.livejournal.com - 2008-05-21 02:10 (UTC) - Expand

"I'm John Sheppard, 17, and a senior. I'm in this class because I let someone else sign me up for classes this term and she thought I'd like the defense aspect of this one," he said, rolling his eyes a little.

"Two things that are different about me..." He had to think here. "One, I like playing golf. And two, I have weird genes." Sometimes he forgot about that second thing. "What's something weird about you?"

"She figured the dancing aspect would go right over your head?" Aly laughed. "I suppose I can claim to have weird genes too, but that would probably be copying, hmm?"

"Princess Cimorene of Linderwall, seventeen years old, senior I believe, I took this class because I think defense while dancing is a good skill to have, and I'm fireproof and ...I ran away from my engagement dinner to be a princess for a dragon." Cimorene paused. "What is the most unusual thing you've ever had to do?"

"Fireproof?" Aly asked, looking interested. "Magic?" She considered for a moment. "Made a bet with a God, I suppose. Or maybe learning to speak crow in my dreams."

Cimorene nodded. "I worked for a dragon, so precautions seemed ... prudent. If you don't mind me asking, did the language come into use? And what sort of a bet was it?"

Re: Introductions!

tricksy-spy.livejournal.com - 2008-05-21 02:13 (UTC) - Expand

Re: Introductions!

makescherries.livejournal.com - 2008-05-21 07:27 (UTC) - Expand

Inara grinned at Aly, uncertain how this had come about, but not upset by the change in instructors. "I'm Inara Serra, sixteen, and a junior, and I took this class because I was hoping to learn a method of self defense that I might actually have a reason to use someday. I'm from this planet's future, and I never owned a pair of pants until I came to Fandom."

"What do you think is the most useful survival skill?"

Aly grinned back. "We'll see what we can do. How do you feel about weapons?"

She paused, thinking for a long moment. "Being able to talk people into what you want."

"It depends on the weapons, but I'm not automatically adverse to them," she said, thinking of both archery and fencing. "What do you think makes you most successful at persuasion?"

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only