Oh yeah, whatcha think about that?
Break it on down with the baby black cat
Oh baby wanna letcha know
For a long time I've loved you so
C'mon baby run away with me
And I guarantee we're gonna live happily
Ha ha ha haa~
~Black Cat, Pump it Up (Korean)



Luce ed Ombra
Chapter Eleven

Sad Salsa
[By Ultema and Guo]


"Well if they're near our room now, if we come back later then we WILL have the advantage, no?" The red-clad female offered in response, grasping Dante's arm as he turned on his heels to leave, and offering a gentle smile in response to the butler, she gave a light tug to her 'date's' arm towards the room ahead. The double doors were parted just enough to take a glimpse of the inside of the room, and several couples were already lined up in their most extravagant attire.

Opened more-so, the entire area was open for all to view. Tugged along with or without his own accord, Dante was forced to scan over the entire place. Not only did he stick out like a sore thumb here, but even the decorations were somewhere out of his league. Skipping over the participants for now, the room itself was brilliantly lit, almost as though the walls were made of pure gold, as the radiance of the sun and the massive, pure crystal chandelier above lit the whitewashed stone walls casting a brilliant sun gold sheen on everything around them. The floor was superbly polished; easy enough to see every single detail of his own attire, right down to the specs of lint on his dirty coat.

There was a large window on the other side of the room letting the sun in, which was odd considering it was raining still, but the light was as brilliant as could be. Along the northern walls were multiple stands for refreshments, and the southern, eastern, and western walls were lined with seats and tables.

There were only ten couples present, including themselves, that were actually staying in the Pousada, but there were other guests of what appeared to be high prestige, and each of them acknowledged Isabella with a sort of knowing nod or smile, getting the same in response from the Guest of Honor. It was almost too weird.

Though that sort of a situation would normally cause one to be extremely uncomfortable, perhaps embarrassed, Dante showed almost no emotion whatsoever. Feelings buried deep down inside, it had been a while since any had shown through, and this didn't appear to be a time to let them. His eyes wandered to each of the other couples, grinning towards the female partner's, tastefully, of course. A nod of his head to the side in the direction of his soon-to-be-dance-partner signaled that, while he wasn't freaking out, it was probably time to get out of the spotlight. He felt slightly odd allowing her to lead, but since he didn't exactly have much experience dining with royalty, he might as well follow her.

As he noticed her nodding to each of the other attendants, he wondered how she could possibly know all of these people if this was the place she was constantly trying to ransack. Dante concluded that perhaps it was just customary, and he began nodding to each of the ones as they each took their turn staring at him, not surprisingly, he was given a puzzled and arrogant look by quite a few with the occasional smile from a female and one wink from the young man at the left most table.

While speech felt a bit out of place to Dante at the moment, his stomach wasn't shy. A gurgle or two could be heard coming from the man's stomach. A slight twitch in his upper lip and a hand placed on his stomach gave away the fact that he was hungry. His feet, arm still entwined with Isabella's, began to carry him over to the nearest plate where food would be served, most likely attempting to bypass any further such 'formalities.'

Suddenly pulled out of her royal advance down the center of the groups of people by her ever so graceful partner, Isabella stumbled slightly as she was led off towards the food, only getting some surprised, if not mildly amused grins, snickers and under-the-breath-comments from several of the others that were present. Offering a sweet smile in return to their brow raising, she waved a hand in much the 'I'll be back in a second' fashion.

"Well, I guess it was some sort of accomplishment on my part getting you here..." She sighed, coming to a stop beside her date for the night and casting a longing glance over her shoulder towards the others as they mingled about with one another. Not that she didn't want to be around the hunter, she'd grown rather used to, and fond of him in terms of personality, but she wanted to do what she came here for -- dance.

His hand reached down and scooped a few of the hors d'oeuvres up and began feeding his face, not caring to sit down. He flicked his hair slightly to the side in order to allow his right eye a clear view to his companion. Realizing he wasn't quite being mannerly, he straightened his back out, turned his torso towards her, and smirked, angling his head downwards slightly.

"What is it babe, am I not being a good date?" He questioned as the band struck up the first song of the evening, a tango. Chuckling slightly under his breath, he took her hand in his, lifting it up and planting a kiss on the back of her palm, holding it outwards, away from his body. "... Why don't you lead?" A subtle grin showed his sincerity accompanied his words. Whatever it was he meant by 'lead', whether it was who to meet, where to sit. surely he wasn't expecting what she had planned.

But he did ask for it, after all.

All at once, Isabella tightened her grasp around the hunter's hand and pulled him out to the floor. Her happy expression had fled considerably to leave a somewhat bitter, determined Isabella left, tight-lipped and silent as she pulled one of her now bewildered partner's arms out and pushed it forward, grasped his shoulder, put his hand on her waist, and more or less slammed her chest into his, and kicked the bottom of her dragging dress out of the way - the slit up the side exposing an obviously powerful thigh that did, in fact, start leading to the music.

While it took a few moments for him to get centered, Dante brought his face up to hers, foreheads pressing against each other. A few awkward steps following hers, he quickly pulled her waist to his stomach, and arched his back towards her. With a quick movement, a sharp turn on the beat, they were slightly out of place since he was now the one leading. A few gawks from the spectators included awe both for intrigue and pure ridiculousness. They hadn't seen anything, for a few steps later he was attempting to dip her. That feat would be quite impressive considering her obvious strength, which was slowly being put to work. Still, the look on his face, sweat starting to roll down his forehead, he was straining quite hard to get her to do what he wanted, however long that could last.

Still, as with all tangos, the woman kept a completely emotionless expression as she fought back for control over the situation. Their hands, conjoined ahead of them, were now starting to shake as her muscles tightened, her grip being reestablished somewhat. The only problem with his turn on the beat was that she hadn't the time to move her dress, and she was forced to start looping her leg around in order to move it before it was removed by his huge boots.

This was turning out to be a power struggle, shifting on regular beats from one to the other and it looked pretty, well... FUBAR.

Trying a maneuver he picked up back in his days as a male ballroom escort, or wherever he learned to dance, Dante attempted a quick llevada, lifting her leg onto his in order to keep control as well as look pretty slick. A turn and brake, perhaps they weren't such bad dancers after all. Of course, maybe it was just him, but he seemed less and less interested in a power struggle for the lead, and actually attempted to just dance. His movements beginning to react a bit to hers, his transitions for her seemed to get quite fluid for a man who supposedly couldn't dance worth shit.

Noting that the subsequent power struggle was more or less over, Isabella decided to work with her partner as well. Instead of looking like a pair of hemorrhaging fools, they were actually starting to pick up a sensible rhythm. And while Dante was the leader, one hand placed atop his shoulder, she moved into a languid molinete, slinking in an apathetic circle around him before finding herself back face to face with her partner -- unfortunately for the tango scene, she had broken what was an actual smile. It seemed his favor rating had just taken a jump, and by now, she was actually letting him lead.

"I'm impressed..."

A few more times around the floor and it was obvious the end of the music was afoot. Turning her around for another dip, and moving into seemingly some sort of corkscrew move, which somehow the novice dancers pulled off... well ... partially. As they spun, Dante's boot landed partially on her dress. Removing it as quickly as possible, it left him beyond saving. Of course, pulling her down with him, they fell together with the momentum of the spin from before, landing in an almost graceful, half-sitting, half-ass of pocket position, their 'move' finishing at the last beat of the song. How else better to hide a fall which was no one's fault but your own, then pretend it was on purpose? ... Striking a slight pose, and his eyes on his partner... he wasn't expecting anything less than a slap in the face.

Ended up on the floor as it may, no major bruises or injury to either body or pride, Isabella was left with her hands on her dress beside her companion, sharing in mutual embarrassment in front of all of the other dancers still left on their feet, but there would be no slapping at this juncture -- not yet anyway.

Rising carefully over the folds of her dress and smoothing them out over her legs, Isabella reached out and grasped for Dante's hands get to her feet. He certainly took his time getting up, brushing off, and getting settled before he even thought about offering his hand out to help her out. His right leg moving back as he leaned over to her, it was almost as if he was making a formal bow to her. The audience was most likely quite amused; Dante's complete lack of etiquette was quite apparent but he surprisingly didn't lack chivalry, in whatever twisted sense of the word it was. He thought he'd perhaps let her take the lead, let his testosterone settle down for now, after all, she looked like perhaps she had some people to meet, and he was here to help her, not just himself.

"Sorry about that babe." An apology? Most likely quite unnecessary for her however it showed his kindness ... that, and the charming smile he managed to put on his face as opposed to the usual shit eating grin.

The next song was already starting, but Isabella felt maybe it was best for them to sit the next one out for now, and solemnly made her way towards the refreshment stand, shrinking from view of the others.

A few rustles in the background, perhaps from just outside the room were heard, at least by Dante. His eyes immediately shifted focus to the door, expecting some sort of creature to burst though; a few moments passed without such a thing happening, still it reminded him of what they were really there for.

"Didja hear that?"

Sounds didn't go unnoticed by Isabella, but they were left as she was here not to deal with some sort of creature, but to deal with satiating her taste for the dance. Isabella didn't bother saying anything in return as she avoided the prying eyes of the others around her and made herself comfortable nearby the refreshment stand - a thin champagne glass half filled with a fragrant red wine, swirled and aired out in its glass as delicate fingertips grasped the container.

She flickered her attention around the gathered faces -- they were all familiar, but something was a little strange. No matter, as soon as this rather boring waltz was over, she'd drag her partner out on to the floor again and then check for what was wrong while looking completely ... "normal". That was somewhat hard to pull off when her date was wearing a sludge-dulled maroon trench coat, big heavy boots and looked like he could have been stoner. The prices she had to pay ...

It seemed like Dante had just gotten settled when his hand was grabbed once again, dragged towards the floor. He didn't know how much of this he could take, his feet were already killing him, but that's what happens when you outfit is more for the stylish than functionality. As the next dance started, he leaned his head over her shoulder; luckily it was a slow dance... close dancing while swinging your hips around doesn't exactly work all that well.

"Isa.. did ya hear that?" With no context to the question repeated, one could easily misread that into something that one of the other attendants had said or the like. "Don't you think we ought to check this out? Especially if these people are in danger... But for some reason... I've got a feeling you know a lot more than you're telling me..." Of course, referring to the fact she never told him he'd be dancing on the job, but for good reason. His hand pressed into her back a bit as he turned her for a slow spin, coat waving like a bullfighter's cape (not such a bad analogy when referring to Isabella).

"Hear what?" Isabella questioned innocently as she pirouetted out and away, only to come back to her partner while shooting glances from side to side in search of the source of sound she had heard earlier. Coming back to rest herself against her partner, something seemed to catch her attention towards the door, before shifting her eyes up towards the pair hidden below the plaster fangs of white hair above her.

"There are at least two dozen other people here, care to be a little more specific?"

Dante twisted of his neck in some odd sense of dancing he liked to practice, however it did put his mouth near her ear once again,

"Outside... from outside the door ... I could have sworn I heard something... something really... large... but muffled." He whispered, and began dancing towards the door, still quite within the acceptable range of the dance floor, but it was obvious what he was implying, "I'd almost say it was from outside... but whatever'd make that sort of noise would have to be a lot larger than anything I've ever seen before."

"Ah," there was a stammer in both words and steps as soon as it all became too clear to her. Isabella grasped the red cloth of her partner's coat as she attempted to steady him and draw him away from it for now. There was no point in disrupting whatever amusement the others were having, and it would seriously blow whatever cover they had.

"Forget it for now ... It would be too obvious something was up if we were to leave all of a sudden... I'm sure if it's that big, it'll be around afterwards.."

A chuckle sounded from the taller of the two, as he made a graceful toss of her towards the center of the floor. Regaining her in the center, he put his face close to her ear once again.

"No worries." His head didn't pull away this time, instead he continued to dance, holding her in such a soft manner for a man who handles a sword by thrashing it around. His feet brought them around in a odd pattern, perhaps he'd stopped concentrating on the element of dance all together, and was just, enjoying himself. Something he hadn't done in about the same time he'd changed that outfit of his.

Full plum lips upturned and cracked a generous smile in response to the way things were going. It had been a long time since she had actually a partner that wasn't intimidated by her, or at least didn't show it. Maybe over four centuries of time since she'd ever found a person that was comfortable in every way around her. True, she was pushy, overbearing and violent - that much was a given, but it didn't mean she didn't have the feminine quality of serenity that made her what she was. Forget the meticulous stepping patterns in proper, rigid dance. To let go and feel free was a luxury people like her had a hard time getting a hold of.

"Glad you see it that way."

As this song neared an end, Dante made a few pushes and pulls spins, anything to give them a little flash. It was tiring, but nonetheless amusing to him. The last beat of the song signaled their last move, his forehead pressed against hers once again, soft eyes attempting to gain access into hers. Staying there for any clapping that may have followed, he didn't move his face from hers. His lips were parted slightly to allow heavy breathing through his mouth, his eyes drooped slightly, but he didn't pull away, not so soon.

The last fluttering edge of the dangerous woman's red dress came into a soft, feather contact with the floor. Brilliant green, non-reflective eyes face to face with the silken blues before them; the black voids adjusting slightly to the image, widening. She wasn't too tired, really - arms looped languidly over the broad, red clad shoulders of one Demon Hunter, Dante. What woman wouldn't give to be in this position now - to feel the warmth of his breath against their skin and the comfort of his embrace, even if it was for the show?

But even that wasn't enough to shatter the ice that had built up around the so-called heart of this woman, for instead of taking the chances to kiss the handsome face before her that any normal woman would have, she merely smiled, satisfied with the fact that they had received applause from some of the best dances in her homeland. She was proud. Proud of both of them.

Slowly, Dante's forehead was removed from hers. His face hadn't had a smile on it since the end, and he wasn't about to put on a happy face for her, it wasn't exactly happiness he was feeling at the moment. His one arm remained around her lower back, though barely touching her hip, as if it were just for the look now. A slight nod of his head diagonally downwards was the only sort of bow he'd offer back to the crowd. His hand left her hip and tapped her back softly, encouraging her to show even a bit more. Standing straight up, and only looking in her direction, no words whatsoever, his night was left to her discretion despite the slight feeling of removal from her feelings there for a minute.

A graceful curtsey was delivered to those standing around them, eyes closing after Dante had left her personal space to itself. Her brows were furrowed oddly in an expression somewhere between concern and wonderment as she stood back up again, and yet still that brilliant smile was on her features, even as she took her partner's hands and led him towards the refreshments stand again, eyeing the door. She seemed to be all about business, and not at the same time tonight. Dante's expression, or lack thereof, didn't even seem to click with her at the moment.

"Now ... about what could be out there...?"

His mind was clouded with thoughts of what he was doing here, what she was thinking... it all seemed to odd for him. Of course, he was used to getting any woman he wanted.. when he was actually interested in one, that is. He took up a glass and bypassing the whole punch spoon deal, plunged it into whatever non-alcoholic drink they had at the time, perhaps it was punch, it didn't matter, if it was wet, he'd take it. Gulping it down in within the second, he wiped his mouth clear with his sleeve, bringing his face closer to hers,

"Well I don't know what it is... you know what's here better than I do... but I think we should probably check it out. After all, we are here for a reason... even if I don't know what exactly it is, I'm guessing it wasn't dancing with me." His tone of voice indicated something betwixt a slight annoyance, and true concern. It wasn't that he didn't like her, quite the opposite, lets just say, he didn't quite know how to deal with women -- especially ones so off the beaten path, like Isa.

" Well," taking his tone into stride as some sort of personality trait, Isabella whispered thoughtfully as she ran a delicate fingertip over the rim of her glass and peered over her partner's shoulder towards the other faces in the crowd. She definitely felt like someone far too familiar for her tastes was here, and it made her uneasy.

"Wait here for a moment, I'm going to mingle in the crowd -- see if there's anything out of the ordinary." Without even waiting for a response from Dante, Isabella had set her cup down on the refreshment stand and rested a hand on his shoulder, letting it linger to a fingertip, and the nothing at all as she passed him by and slipped passed the others present. Another song was playing - something faster, though certainly not like the tracks played at the Club. It sounded like a Salsa.

Not moving for a moment as he took in all that happened, eyes staring forwards, Dante came to a realization -- god she was a cold one. Finally, he turned his head towards her after she had passed, soon followed his torso, and then his legs a bit later, timing themselves just as the music came on. This music was never in his club. Indeed, of course, how often were waltzes played in his club either? A hand reached up and pushed his hair back, though it fell off to the sides and down in front of his left eye the second he released it. He began to slowly walk into the dance floor. Quite conservatively at first, but with each step his feet became more and more entwined with the music.

He wondered how those others could possibly know anything; they looked just as clueless as any nobility. Perhaps he could break her away from those others, bring her back to him, with either the enticement of a dance, or even with a bit of jealousy... Then they could get back to business. He wasn't exactly dancing by himself, instead just moving his hips ever so slightly to the beat. His head was tilted downward slightly, allowing him to look upwards at all the various females at the dance. Not interested at all, as a keen eye might be able to pick up, never the less, his hand, while down at his side, signaled any one of them to come over if they wanted, yet his eyes strayed, landing once again on his partner and date, and staying there. Not like his interest in Isabella would deter any of the women there, most likely.

Isabella, on the other hand, was busily greeting each and every one of the sitting guests. From any distance, someone who knew her well enough was able to tell that those melodious, lovely laughs were falsified, and that her gracious bows and fluently polite Portuguese speech was all some sort of show as she hurriedly moved on to the next pair sitting, all the while still peering about for anything suspicious. Some things were bothering her about a number of aspects she had come across at this time, but the real problem was finding out whether or not her 'sixth sense' was malfunctioning or not. In fact, it was as though she was looking around expectantly for someone to show themselves, even as she made a haphazard path back towards her companion, whom she had not seen dancing with the other women -- yet.

Of course, a woman decided to join, most likely against the wishes of her date. Dante bowed slightly and took her hand, beginning a relatively advanced dance routine, one the girl obviously could not keep up with, yet somehow, they managed to look semi-decent. All the while, Dante's concentration remained on Isabella, as did his eyes ninety percent of the time. Slowing making his way towards her, he caught something quite out of the ordinary. Someone who wasn't there before, sure he could have just come in late, but he was looking towards Isabella. With Dante's concentration on the other man, he couldn't see what Isa was looking at, namely if she was looking at him or not. Something seemed fishy. With a quick spin, he released his current dance partner's hand, and with a slight push, sent her across the floor, eventually stumbling to her rear; and he started making his way to intercept either of the two; the new stranger, or his Isabella.







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Author's Notes Taking a while again, I know :P But things have slowed down all around for us. We're starting to fall behind on chapter creation, too.. so there may be longer waits between chapters again. ^^; I thought last time it would be good to catch up on lost time adding two new chapters at once, but it proved to only put us in a bit of a spot. Though I'd like to take the time now to announce that the next 'fic slated for release is a Phantasy Star Online one .. and then after that, if the feedback turns out extremely well for Luce ed Ombra a sequel! So if you want to see more, please help us with our feedback. ^^;