Suikoden III, Percival/Borus, dancing, Percival teaching Borus - 1/3
"This is a disaster!"
Percival glanced up at the explosion that came, predictably, from Borus. The other knight was pacing in front of the window, pausing every few moments to stare in apparent distress at the festival in the early stages of setup down below.
"What's a disaster?" Percival asked. He was putting the final touches on his outfit for tonight, which consisted mostly of a tunic, ornamented belt and pants. So far as he could tell, Borus hadn't even started getting ready.
"This whole evening!" Borus exclaimed. "I don't know what I came here to this backwater village for."
Percival rolled his eyes. "I know it's a bit different from high tea at the council ball, but they do the same thing at 'peasant' parties as what you're used to, Borus. They drink, eat, dance and maybe go for a roll in the hay with a pretty lass after midnight."
That pretty much summed up Percival's plans for the evening, anyway.
He turned back to the mirror and finished tying the orange sash to his belt and making sure it fell just so. It would be like a banner, proclaiming his status as a Zexen Knight to all and sundry. The girls were going to flock, for sure.
"Anyway," he went on. "You seemed eager enough earlier today when I invited you and Lady Chris to the Iksay Festival. What's changed?"
"Nothing, I guess, but--" he gestured out the window. "I didn't think it'd be so...so...what are they doing there, anyway?"
Percival knew from long experience that the word Borus was trying not to say was 'common'. The other knights' casual disdain for commoners had long since stopped offending him - if confronted they'd be properly embarrassed and say something idiotic like that Percival was 'different'. At least they counted him fully as one of them, despite his low-born roots.
He moved to the window and glanced outside, watching the band warming up and two girls dancing an impromptu jig together, swinging each other around and laughing.
He smiled. "That's called 'dancing', Borus. Perhaps you've heard of the custom?"
Borus made a frustrated noise. "Well I've never seen dancing like that before. What am I going to do? I don't know the steps. I'm just going to embarrass myself."
Percival shook his head quickly. "You're overreacting. Dancing here isn't like dancing at a formal ball. You just...dance." From the boggled look on Borus' face it was obvious that he wasn't getting through. "Look, I'll show you, okay?"
He moved into the centre of the room and put his hands on his hips. Closing his eyes for a moment, he counted to three and then danced a short jig, his boots clopping on the floor in a rhythm as he imagined the appropriate music in his head.
Then he opened his eyes and grinned at Borus' gobsmacked expression. "See?"
"D-do that again, I didn't quite get all the steps," Borus stammered. He looked like he was about to pull out a pen and notepaper and start drawing diagrams.
"There aren't steps, you just do whatever you want. Just...move to the music however it moves you," Percival said. He sighed as Borus' face went even more nervous. Maybe I'm just not explaining it very well.
He pressed a finger to the bridge of his nose. "Okay, maybe you should sit out the jig. How about if I teach you one of the more regimented ones, and you can pick up the other stuff by watching tonight?"
This seemed to fit in better with Borus' worldview and he nodded. "Sure, that sounds fine. It must be pretty simple, right?"
"Probably simpler than average, yeah," Percival agreed. "Okay, firstly get dressed, because I'm not dancing with you in armour."
Borus blinked, then looked sheepish. "What should I wear?"
Dear lords above, have mercy. "You brought formalwear, didn't you." It wasn't a question.
"Well, yes. But it doesn't seem quite the same as what you're wearing somehow..."
Oh Borus. Did I look this clueless when I first joined the high elite? Probably. Though you do have a special quality about you that I don't think I ever had.