A prompt from Tumblr. Kuvira teaching Korra how to dance or at least trying. Enjoy! While writing this I couldn't help but listen to 'Once upon a December,' from the animated movie Anastasia
~~Dancing bears~Painted wings~Things I almost remember~And a song~Someone sings~Once upon a December~~
Kuvira moved swiftly around her wooden cell; her feet barely skimming the ground. Each movement she made flowed into the other telling a story. Her feet crossed in front of each other with ease. Each kick she did was high and precise. Her loose grey prison uniform billowed around her thin frame. Her body moved slowly allowing the viewer to fully taken in the tale she was weaving. Her eyes were closed with a small smile on her lips. Despite her smile her dance was a sad one. As she moved the view could see the pain she was feeling deep down from how her body moved. Her injures had healed but the storm inside of her continued to rage on. The Avatar couldn't help but stare she had only seen Kuvira dance once before and it was nothing like this. Just the way she lifted her arms was graceful. As she twirled the bender could make out each muscle in her exposed arms. Though it could be said he muscle had lost some of its bulk since her trial she still looked like a worthy opponent in a fight.
She paused onto for a second as she placed her feet into a different position. Her bare feet moved so that they were pointing in opposite direction as she lifted her arms. Within seconds they changed again. Her right leg stepped back slight and bent at the knee. While her left turned to face forward. Her back leg pushed off of the wood beneath her and she took off. Her right let swung out like a sword as she turned.
The metalbender continued these turns. Her lone left foot transitioned from relevée into a deep plie with each turn. It looks as if she were floating as she turned. Her long braid whipped around as she spun but managed to never hit her. Korra stared in awe at her; she had never seen something so beautiful in her life. Her dancing was breath taking. Kuvira finished off her set of turns with three fast pirouettes. As she finished her eyes slowly opened. Korra's face became flushed feeling as though she had intruded on something private.
"Korra...When did you get here?" Kuvira asked pulling a few loose hairs out of her face attempting to hide her own embarrassment.
"Not too long ago…Sorry I didn't mean to pry or anything..." she replied scratching the back of her neck.
"Its fine," Kuvira said giving the Avatar a soft smile.
The two went about their usual routine. Korra was let inside of the cell and the two would sit and have tea. They wouldn't talk about much. Even if she visited for a short ten minutes to a few hours their conversations usually amounted to small talk. The two sat across from each other at the small wooden table. Kuvira sipped her tea quietly. Korra's visit had come on a rather odd day for her. She didn't feel the guilt of her mistakes or the loneliness that normally plagued her. The bender was feeling rather lively today. As the Great Uniter she never had time to dance. She was always busy, if it wasn't one thing it was another. It had been something she had missed dearly when she departed from Zaofu. And now as a prisoner she had all the time in the world to dedicate to her passion.
"You're an amazing dancer," Korra said breaking the silence between them.
"I wouldn't say amazing, well practiced is a better word for it," She replied looking into her cup.
"Do you think you could teach me," the Avatar asked. "Even after mastering airbending I've never been able to move like that," she said letting out a chuckle.
"Are you sure?"
"It looks fun," Korra mused not knowing how to describe it.
Seeing how much Kuvira enjoyed it made her want to give it a try as well. The two finished their tea they rose from the table and made their way over to the empty space in her cell. The Avatar discarded her boots to the corner or the cell. Kuvira turned so that she was facing Korra.
"Let's start out with something easy," she said as she began to demonstrate.
Kuvira turned her right foot out while keeping her left close by the other. Gradually she began to lift her leg allowing it to bend at the knee. The bender lifted her bent leg until her knee was beside her shoulder. From there she began to straighten out her leg as she did this she allowed her body to tilt slightly to the opposite side. She held the position for a few seconds allowing her pupil to study how the finishing move would look.
It appeared simple enough to Korra. Being able to replicate it as gracefully as her was another story entirely. She followed through the motions that Kuvira had done and held the pose.
"Like this?" she asked.
"Not quiet," Kuvira said closing the space between them. "You're too tense, you're not attacking someone just lifting your leg," she explained. The metalbender placed one hand on the Avatar's back and the other on her stomach. Her right hand nudged her back slightly forcing her to straighten it.
"Use your stomach more," she clarified in a gentle tone.
Korra followed her instructions and relaxed her body. Holding the move now became easy to her. It gave her this weightless feeling. After a second Kuvira remember where she had been placing her hands and quickly retracted them.
"Sorry, it was just a habit. I used to help Su train some of the newer dancers."
"Don't worry, its fine," Korra replied.
"Try it this time with the correction; make sure to point your foot this time,"
The waterbender rested her foot on the ground again before attempting the move again. She remembered Kuvira's words a followed through the steps. As she extended her let it all fell into place perfectly. From there the two moved onto foot work. Kuvira broke it down into steps and walked her through them slowly. As the two went through the steps together Korra found herself tripping over her own feet. She had been able to master all four elements and metalbending but dancing certainly wasn't her forte.
"Do you think you could show me how to do those turns?" Korra asked.
"They're a bit advanced but I don't see why not." she replied.
Just like with the other lessons, she walked the firebender through each step. Korra stood balanced on her left leg with her right was out to her side at a ninety degree angle. Her arms were stretched out so that they were level with her shoulders. Kuvira walked around her examining her position. The Avatar could feel her emerald green eyes studying her.
"Power and balance is the key for this move," she explained. "Make sure to keep your rib cage open and you use enough force when you push off."
The metal bender walked around once more her eyes skimming the other female's body. She lifted her bare hand onto Korra's pant covered leg turning it out slightly. Her free hand lifted her right arms slightly so that it matched the other. Even after her hands left she could still feel were the other bender's hands had been.
"I'll count you off," She said taking a step back to make sure Korra had enough room. "Five...Six...Five, six, seven, eight."
The airbender got into her prep recalling all of the comments Kuvira had made. As she pushed off, she could feel the air hit her skin. As she completed the first turn she understood why Kuvira loved dancing so much. She could feel the confidence surge through her. She had completely failed at the foot work she had been taught. But this was something she could do. Though bending was her passion doing something like this every now and again was nice.
She couldn't see herself picking up the hobby any time soon but it was a pleasant change of pace for her. It brought make memories of her learning to airbend. It was completely different from fighting. Once she completed her second turn she began to feel that weightlessness that she got when she was watching Kuvira.
Just as her head whipped around for the third turn she caught her gaze. As the blue eyed woman looked at her teacher she couldn't help but notice her smile. Kuvira was standing off to the side watching her in awe as she completed the turns. After all of his visits she had never seen her smile like that. Her smiles were never that big or that vibrant. Just as Korra was returning her with the same look she began to lose her footing. When she saw her begin to fall Kuvira rushed in. She had jumped in just in time to stop her from hitting the ground. Within seconds the two met the floor with an audible thud. Kuvira laid spread out of her back while Korra lay across her diagonally on her stomach. Upon realizing that she was on top of her she quickly moved so that she was sitting back on her feet.
"Are you okay," she asked.
"I'm fine," she replied sternly. Kuvira sat up and began pulling back her loose hairs.
"Sorry, I guess dance really isn't my thing," Korra said sheepishly allowing a small laugh to slip between her words.
"Perhaps you should stick with fighting, Avatar," she added returning her look with a smirk.
~~Dancing bears~Painted wings~Things I almost remember~And a song~Someone sings~Once upon a December~~
Tell me what you liked and what you didn't like. Constructive criticism is always welcome. If you have an ideas for korvira prompts tell me on here or on my tumblr.