- N - = Nicky's part
- J - = my part
Chapter 030 - Dancing at the Reynardine P1
- N -
Stephanie burst out loud in laughter while Serena turned bright pink as Amethyst suggested sharing Roark.
"Haha, ohhhh… that's rich." She rubbed a tear from her eye as she chuckled. "I don't think I like him enough for that, Amy!"
Serena seemed mollified, but no less embarrassed – her nose was awash with a mortified shade of fucshia. She turned away from her roommate, just as he began to stutter:
"I-eh, uh... no… Don't say stupidities, Amethyst!"
"I dunno," Stephanie Brown shrugged. "I kind of like her now. You're pretty funny, Amy," she giggled.
Rodent, bored of the conversation, had started chewing on the plates, his teeth gnawing themselves down to a comfortable length. Brown pulled a saucer out from his paws, causing his to squeak in protest.
"You're so going to make yourself sick if you keep that up," She looked at him sternly. Rodent crossed his arms and stuck out an enraged tongue at her. "We'll eat soon – you can't just bite everything because you're hungry."
Rodent narrowed his eyes.
"Oh come on," Brown rolled her eyes. "You're not mad at me, are you?"
The Raticate shrugged.
"Fine, fine. So I'm the bad guy now, huh?"
Rodent chuffed, a little sign Brown knew meant 'Yes'.
"Oh, you're in SO for it now – c'mere!" She leapt at him, tackling him onto to plush carpet and tickling him in all the places she knew he'd feel it the most. The Raticate squirmed in anguish and pleasure as she tickled his belly, kicking feebly and laughing hard the whole time.
Serena was too busy regarding the smudge on Roark's face to notice the commotion Brown was causing on the floor.
"Serena, you... You... You... So you listen to me when I sing in the shower!"
Well, that was… disappointing. She'd thought he was thinking of something else, given his expression, he looked as if he'd wanted to kiss her. He hadn't, of course. Then again, someone cleaning your face really wasn't the most passionate position he could've been in.
"Well, yeah," She admitted, the bridge of her long nose turning even redder. "I think you sing wonderful… soulful, even."
Roark hadn't noticed she'd been listening to him? Wonderful, now she must've looked like a stalker with her ear on the bathroom door. She, to her innocence, hadn't – despite his soft-spoken manners, Roark was a loud singer. She could hear him from the living room on a good day.
She half-wished her Audino was here, at least she could bury her shame by pretending to groom it or something.
"Actually, Roark took care very well of us earlier at the mines, he's a very caring guy!"
Serena smiled, relieved. "Yeah, he is, isn't he?" She rested her chin on her hands, a dreamy look in her eyes.
As Riley appeared at the table, Rodent wiggled out of Stephanie's arms. Brown quickly pulled herself back to her seat, smoothening out her clothes with her hands. Riley, who was always sharply dressed, always made her a little self-conscious about her own clothes around him.
Riley, however, didn't seem all too concerned about her attire, not when he was bothering with Amy.
"I mean, I like this... new outfit of yours. Why did you get it? Is it for the Dance? You look gorgeous..."
"Oh this?" Riley pulled at his black shirt and the vest that had come with it. "No, I'm wearing something different for the Dance Itself – this was just to change out of my old suit." He chuckled. "Do you like it?"
The waiter had delivered a glass of water promptly to them, which he took graciously. Handing it to Amethyst, he gave her a concerned look.
"You should drink up." He added. "You look… you look..."
How did she look, anyway? She wasn't looking pale, tired even – no, in fact he'd never seen her looking so amazing before – she looked, flushed, yes, but she wasn't looking anything but wonderful. He stared at her, the makeup on her face really did bring out her eyes. They glimmered gently, the same shade of purple that had followed him in his dreams since Iron Island all those years before.
"Well," He cleared his throat, "I guess I'd better order something for Stephanie,"
He moved to his seat, flipping through the menu, and trying to hide the embarrassment growing on his face – had Amy noticed he was checking her out?
"Oh, look, they have a set meal." He turned the menu towards Amy to show her. "I think it comes with a drink, too… whoever drinks chocolate milk for lunch?" He looked at it quizzically and then shrugged. "Ah, well, that girl'll take anything, anyway."
A waiter had arrive, laying the steak Serena had ordered for Roark down on the table, and leaving him free for Riley to place his order. Serena watched him with vague interest.
"He hasn't said a word to you since we came in," Serena murmured. "He told me when we first met yesterday that he wanted to talk to you – but then after they came back from the mine, he's been acting a little different… like he won't talk at all."
She bit her lip. "Is… is everything alright? You don't think he's discovered anything, have you?"
"Why did you have to put my glasses on the statue? Really, you could have forgotten them there and I'd be lost!"
Serena giggled, surprising even herself – laughter wasn't something she did often.
"I, well… I…" She rubbed her long fingers over her lips. She was really doing that to show Amy – to give her a hint. But how could she tell that to Roark? "Someone put a miner's hat on the statue last week," She shrugged, "I just… thought it didn't look right until it looked a little more… like you."
She sighed, relieved. It was the truth, still, not all of it.
The room filled with a tapping noise, and for a moment, Riley thought someone was using Morse. The tapping grew faster, louder, increasing in intensity and liveliness as it wound its way through the Reynardine. Riley looked up, and saw Serena was staring at the stage too.
Stephanie Brown had started playing – not a drum kit like he'd imagined, but a small hand drum with a drumstick that she twirled with practised flicks of her wrist. Soon the band had caught on, some recognising the tune and adding to it. The violinist and two members of the brass band had started to match tunes with Stephanie's hand drum, the song turning infectious and addictive, begging a person to get to their feet.
Stephanie turned to the table, knowingly, sending him and Amy a conspiratorial wink.
One of the brass band members had whispered something to a waiter, and together, smiling, they'd begun to clear several empty tables from the middle of the room. The lights dimmed, while new ones sparked on to shine on the carpet of the new makeshift dance floor.
The tempo increased and the music spun enticingly to the crowd at the Reynardine. Several younger customers had gotten the idea, walking to the centre of the room, some dragging their partners along to join in the dance. They took their positions, as if they'd all known the same dance all their lives, held hands, and began to spin in each other's arms in a flurry of movement, madness, and unabashed glee.
Whoops giggles and maddening cheers mixed in with the music, rich and thick like sweet honey. The world was rife with colour as skirts, shirts and dresses flashed in the light, as the group on the dance floor kicked and jumped, swooped down low and scooped their partners up in their arms. Some daring one held their partners by the waist, spinning in uncontrollable happiness as the music filled the room.
Riley watched them as the crowd began to thicken, a look of amazement on his face. The Reynardine was a starred restaurant, catering to the most upmarket of Oreburgh – and here was one teenage girl and a single brass band convincing half the room to dance a common bar and pub dance?
He remembered reading in The Brown Effect that Stephanie could, given enough time and leeway, turn anything into a party, but he would never have believed it till now.
The blonde girl stopped playing for a moment, waving impatiently at the table. Riley stared at her, causing her to pull a face, and wave even harder, as if she could pull them to the dance floor through willpower alone.
He chuckled but shook his head – this was much too exciting for his taste.
Serena Joy had gotten to her feet, hauling at Roark with both her hands. "Come on," she laughed, "it's not every day the Reynardine turns into a dance party,"
Despite hating Stephanie and her enthusiastic guts, Serena desperately wanted this. She was, she knew deep down, trying hard to convince Roark to like the Reynardine – and there'd be no better way than to teach him to enjoy himself there.
Stephanie paused between rifts to wave them over again. Riley sighed – but cut himself short as a burst of red escaped from his belt – Laelaps had let himself loose, and had started on a leisurely stroll to join the dance floor. A little girl with pigtails reached out excited hands to him, and the Lucario took them happily as the pair began to spin with the music. The child was no older than five, and Laelaps was almost twice her height, but the couple had no problem in following the dance, barking in laughter as they did.
"Laelaps too, huh?" Riley laughed – it was rare the Lucario stopped being serious. "Well…"
Stephanie has paused again, waving him over one more annoyed time.
"…I don't know," he turned, unsure, to Amethyst. His voice was a concerned murmur. "I've never set-danced before."
Serena stopped tugging at the redheaded gym leader to look at them both. "Well it should be pretty easy, just follow everyone else. And if Stephanie's playing it, this is probably a Jhotoian dance… I think." She bit her lip. "Maybe you should show him, Amy – do you know this song?"
- J -
The scene of Stephanie tickling Rodent was too cute for words, Amethyst thought. She had secretly a soft spot for cute things, but always hid it. she was a girl, after all.
Roark also gave them a sidelong glance from time to time, while Serena tried to clean his face. It was relaxing, specially when things were kind of tense with his roommate. However, the Joy seemed disappointed with his 'singing in the shower' comment, and he was just trying to make things less tense!
"Well, yeah, I think you sing wonderful… soulful, even."
"Eh, umh... uh." The miner couldn't help but keep mumbling.
Why was he so vulnerable. He looked slightly down, covering his red eyes under his fringe, to hide his blushing. Since when he was the 'woman' and Serena was the 'man' in their relationship? He observed Serena reply to Amethyst's compliment about his caring.
"Yeah, he is, isn't he?"
Was that... a dreamy look in her blue eyes? Roark flickered. They were talking about him, right? And Serena seemed completely enamored. Not to mention what'd happened last night, the small dance, the scene in the kitchen... when they shared the bed... There was something in her eyes everytime she talked to him that was... different, special.
"Just WHAT the heck am I doing?" Roark thought, frowning.
And let's not forget all the experiences they'd had together. He had ended up liking her, he could not hide that fact anymore, right? And from what he could see, there were chances that he could success if he told her, right? Then, what was he doing crossing arms, sat near her?
Almost as confused as Roark was Amethyst, who was fighting her drunkenness to not sound dumb in front of 'her' man. However, Riley seemed to take well her compliment.
"Oh this? No, I'm wearing something different for the Dance Itself – this was just to change out of my old suit. Do you like it?"
The purple-eyed woman nodded enthusiastically, as she munched another piece of her steak. Amethyst was about taking the glass the waiter was serving, but Riley took it instead, handing it to Amethyst, who felt like a princess for a second. A drunken princess, doh.
"Thank you." Amethyst muttered, taking the glass and staring at the water, blushing.
"You should drink up. You look… you look..."
The chestnut-head flickered, after taking a sip of water (which felt incredibly refreshing), and stared at the blue-haired man. He hadn't say a thing about her make-up yet, after all. However, she noticed despite her status, he seemed to have being looking persistently at her as well.
"Oh, look, they have a set meal. I think it comes with a drink, too… whoever drinks chocolate milk for lunch? Ah, well, that girl'll take anything, anyway."
Amethyst arched an eyebrow while having a look at the menu.
"Hehe, well, chocolate milk is yummy!" She giggled, not caring about sounding too childish. Then, she approached her chair closer to Riley's a whispered to his ear, just like she'd done earlier at the mines. "I look... what, you were saying~?"
Roark's meal was (finally) served. The ginger, who had been looking alternatively at Serena and Riley, almost jumped in joy when seeing his steak.
"Finally!" He screamed, almost teary-eyed. "Man, I was SO hungry!"
But just when the miner wanted to have lunch in peace, the pink-haired woman near him wouldn't stop talking about Riley. First Stephanie, now Serena. Roark was so tired about the whole 'beast issue'...
"Is… is everything alright? You don't think he's discovered anything, have you?"
"Mmh, well," Roark whispered, after munching a piece of his steak. "he went... he went..." The ginger lowered his tone. "y' know, to that cave... I dunno why, I don't even know how he found out it exists, but... apparently, they only wanted to train there."
Roark ate a few more pieces of his steak, awfully hungry. Before keeping conversing, he looked at Riley covertly. Nice, he was busy with Amethyst.
"His Lucario, Laelaps..." The miner added, in a hardly noticeable voice. "even seemed mad at me... But what could they have seen there?" Roark closed his eyes, trying to remember. "Wait. Serena, did you... leave that Rampardos plushie in there?"
And even if that was true, it didn't have to mean he was Zoroark, anyway. But Riley was pretty sharp, not to mention Stephanie was helping him...
"Well," Roark concluded. "remember what I told you last night, Serena, avoid that matter as much as you can... and act as if nothing had happened."
He resumed the conversation on a cheerier tone, talking about his glasses. sure, it was a topic that also reminded him of the beast, but hopefully it wouldn't be the same for Riley and the teenager.
"I just… thought it didn't look right until it looked a little more… like you."
"Oh, Serena," Roark snorted. "you-"
"EEH! Ms. Brown is playing~!"
While Serena and Riley simply stared at the stage, Amethyst was jumping on her seat and clapping, looking at the blondie with the hand-drum. Damn, she was good, too!
"Lookie, lookie! People starting to dance!" Amethyst exclaimed, happily, completely forgetting she'd been trying to act cool despite her drunkenness. "It's sooo cool!"
The song was so... carchy, infectuous! Both Roark and Amethyst noticed, only that Roark tried to hid his interest. However, his left foot started to move to the beat of the music.
"Go, Ms. Brown! Gooo!" The tiny woman screamed.
Due to her status, she didn't notice Stephanie's signs, but Roark did, as well as Riley.
The miner noticed, flustered, how his roommate was motioning him to dance.
"Come on, it's not every day the Reynardine turns into a dance party,"
"You just don't have enough with tomorrow's Dance, do you, Serena?" Roark asked, smiling with sorrow.
He hated dancing. He hated that restaurant. But maybe a happy dance would make him forget all the problems inside his mind. Even if it was just for a few minutes...
In that moment, Riley's Lucario got out of his pokéball and, for Roark and Amethyst's surprise, started dancing with a young girl. Both young man and woman were mouth agape, just like the blue-eyed man.
"Aww! Look at them!" Amethyst exclaimed, pointing at the strange couple. "Isn't that the cutest thing ever!"
"Amethyst really ought to have a rest after this..." Roark muttered, looking at the slightly drunk woman.
"…I don't know, I've never set-danced before."
The chestnut-head was so engrossed looking at Stephanie and being drunk she hadn't noticed Riley staring at her. But she did notive Serena's firm voice.
"...And if Stephanie's playing it, this is probably a Jhotoian dance… I think. Maybe you should show him, Amy – do you know this song?"
Amethyst flickered. In her status, it was hard to remember.
"Mmh, it sounds familiar to me, hehe." She giggled. "B-but... how do you expect me to show him if I can't dance worth a damn!"
She wasn't mad, just exalted and nervous. Amethyst stood up (not even she knew why) so brusquely she knocked her chair over.
"Oh, my! I'm sooo sorry...!" Amethyst exclaimed, nervous, bending down to put the chair up again, awfully flustered.
Roark couldn't take it anymore. He started to laugh his ass off uncontrollably, for everyone's surprise.
"HAHAHA! This is too funny!" He exclaimed, still laughing. "Who am I trying to fool? Let's dance!"
Right, he hated dancing. But he loved Serena. Hence, dancing would be worthy. And maybe it was about time to let his feelings guide him for once... He stood up, took Serena by the hand and leaded her to the dance floor.
"This will be a good training for tomorrow." Roark said, while making their way amongst the crowd. "But don't worry, I'll make you pay for this."
He blinked at the Joy, smiling. Without Riley in front of him, he could finally be himself. He gave their table a glance. Riley was still sitting while Amethyst, whose dish was almost empty already (fast eater, uh?), was taking seat again, conformally. Roark almost felt sorry for her.
"Let them be, I'm sure they'll find a way." He told Serena, smiling warmly. "But hey, only one more song and I go back to eat, right? I have work, if you don't remember!"
The miner placed his hand on Serena's waist and stated to dance drawing circles, heartily.
Amethyst looked at them from her seat, starting to remember. Ah, she'd seen that type of dance in festivals from several towns in Johto, although she couldn't remember the name.
"Ah, so it's that song." Amethyst commented. "Ms. Brown is playing it faster, that's why I couldn't recognize it, hehe!"
One more song, Roark'd promised, uh? It wasn't a lot of time, so he had to be fast... He started to dance slower and pulled Serena against his chest, so she couldn't see his determined look. Soon...
- N -
Riley moved over to let Amy see the menu. There was definitely make up on her face - the shimmery purple sort that women put on their eyelids.
"I look... what, you were saying~?"
Her warm breath was on his neck and her lips dangerously close to his. He felt the urge to turn and grab the opportunity to steal a kiss, but instead, simply cleared his throat uncomfortably.
"Well." He began, slightly uncomfortable. "Well, you look… quite beautiful, really," He admitted bluntly, keeping his eyes focused on the menu. "The colour suits your eyes."
Serena kept her attention on Roark as he explained what had happened before at the mines. How did Riley know about the cave? She rubbed her fingers over her lips again, curious – he'd known a lot of things that they hadn't had to tell him. Maybe he'd read someone's aura and found out…
…Which meant, if he knew what he was looking for exactly, he could find out everything just by reading their minds alone. She shuddered, scared of the thought.
"Lucarios are natural enemies of Zoroarks," She pondered aloud, "He doesn't have to know what you are to be annoyed – it could be an instinct – all it takes would be the scent of a Zoroark on you, I bet. I wouldn't be too surprised to find Laelaps mad at you… but he didn't attack you, did he?" In a suddenly compulsion of compassion, she leaned forward, tilting his face in her hands, and checking for scratches like the kind Stephanie was always covered in. Relieved to find none, she sat back down, her concerned expression once more becoming aloof.
"Wait. Serena, did you... leave that Rampardos plushie in there?"
She gasped. Crap. Crap. Crap.
"Ah… well… I…" She stammered. "Uh…"
"Well, remember what I told you last night, Serena, avoid that matter as much as you can... and act as if nothing had happened."
She nodded dumbly, still feeling guilty. This could all have been her fault! She would have to have a talk with Riley later – no, not him, he'd be too suspicious – Stephanie, maybe, try to convince them to look elsewhere. It was the least she could do for Roark.
Then the music began.
Serena let herself be led up to the dance floor, all the while resisting the urge to scream in triumph. Roark wanted to dance with her – this was too good to be true!
She loved the expression on his face, that warm gentle smile he wore as the music became intoxicating. The lights were brighter in the centre of the room, and she saw them shine in his deep red-brown eyes, possibly just as thrilled and frightened as she was.
"But hey, only one more song and I go back to eat, right? I have work, if you don't remember!"
She chuckled. "I'll try not to forget," And with a laugh, she added, "We only have one dance – let's make it count."
Reaching her hands to wrap around his shoulders, she was shocked to find he'd already laid his on her waist. Excitement ran up her spine as her fingers found his hips, pulling her body against his as the music rose in speed and intensity, turning into a triumphant swell and filling the room with a flurry of song.
The music swirled around them. Serena felt it in her chest, in her heart as it thudded and leapt with joy, in every fibre of her being as they began to spin to the dance. Roark's hair was thrown back with the wind, looking like a brilliant wild fire as they went faster.
Spinning faster, and faster still, Serena found herself smiling broadly, a tiny excited scream escaping her lips. She looked at Roark, at the gentle curve of his lips as they smiled – and for a moment, she wanted more than anything to kiss them. Her cheeks flushed red under the dance lights.
A crescendo and suddenly, Serena became aware of the other dancers edging dangerously close to them. With a squeak, she pulled herself closer to her partner.
"I'm so scared," She admitted in a whisper, a smile still on her face. "I've never felt so alive before."
Rodent crawled out of the kitchen, a pilfered wedge of cheese guiltily between his teeth – no doubt stolen during the festivities. He took his place next to his trainer, and reached for a small tambourine to add to the song. Stephanie laughed, the sound all but drowned out in the music as the dancers began to spin in pairs – skirts, hair and arms thrown out with abandon in the air. Rodent shook the tiny bells on the tambourine pell-mell, not quite matching the tune, but adding to the crazed flurry of excitement all the same.
She turned to the table, where Riley and Amethyst were still, to her frustration, seated. There weren't many other customers who hadn't joined in the dance yet – and she wasn't about to let them miss out too.
Just as she was plotting a new way to trick them to the dance floor, Riley's Lucario had returned to the table, a little girl gripping his paw.
Riley looked at Laelaps, then at his dancing partner, a bemused expression on his face.
"This is Cora," Laelaps introduced her, a hint of a smile on his wolfish features. "She told me she wants to dance with you."
"Are you really Sir Aaron?" The girl shuffled her feet and blushed nervously. "I wanna dance with a knight."
"What would you say 'Sir Aaron'?" Laelaps bowed deep with exaggerated reverence, as if he was speaking to the knight himself, a teasing look in his eyes. The girl blushed even redder, and looked down at her shoelaces.
"Well…" Riley muttered, "I…I don't know…"
The girl's lip quivered.
"Fine, just one dance and then back to my seat," He looked at his Lucario with a smile. "I hope you're satisfied."
"Deliriously so, Master," Laelaps laughed. "Now go – your princess awaits,"
Riley reached out his hand and allowed the girl to drag him, half stumbling, to the centre of the room. He held her gently in his arms, with both her feet in the air, supporting her weight as they began to spin to the music.
"Are you really Sir Aaron?" The girl asked again, timidly, in his arms. "A real knight? Fighting the bad guys for his lady?"
Riley smiled. "Yes." He answered, losing himself in the dance. "Yes I am."
Laelaps watched them go, smug triumph on his face, before turning to Amethyst and extending a dark velvety paw to her.
"Care to dance, Princess?" The Lucario smiled. Odds were, she couldn't understand him the same way Riley could, but it didn't hurt to try.
His paw stayed in the air, still asking for a dance. Laelaps wasn't nearly as tall as Riley, but Amy was a short woman and he was large for his species – she was just his height.
"It'll be fun." Laelaps added, a cheeky purr growing in his throat, and an expression that promised he had something up his sleeve.
A shifting of chords – as if on an invisible cue, the dancers pulled out of their spin, and took a step apart – they were changing partners.
Serena looked as the dancers split up, timid desperation growing on her face – she couldn't leave Roark. She clung tight to his shirt for a brief moment, not willing to let him go. But a lively young brunette had already taken the gym leader's hands, for better or worse, and a burly blonde man had assumed Serena as his new partner. She turned to Roark, regret in her eyes.
"Sorry." She whispered, as her new partner began to spin them anew.
Riley had given Cora away, back to her mother, and an apple-cheeked woman had taken her place. For an old woman she was remarkably fast. Riley found himself giving a tiny 'wooah' as they danced, much to Laelap's amusement.
"Come on," The Lucario suggested to Amy again. "You're missing out on the fun."