Who: Inara Serra escort & Asato Tsuzuki sweetslacker What: Dance Class When: Backdated, Monday, August 10, afternoon Where: Avant Garde Ballroom, Newport Beach Rating: General Audiences Warnings: Inara is not exactly a woman of mystery so there's that. I can't think of anything else. Status: Closed/Completed Partner Thread
~*~
Dance came easily to Inara. She'd been born in a country where gentility was prized highly and women were often educated to be more ornamental than functional. It had been a pleasure to learn how to best fit a partner while dancing to make them look good. Inara enjoyed raising the spirits of others; she took a great deal of pleasure in being able to expand her own self-awareness through becoming more open to the essence of another. Dance was a wonderful way to communicate with someone for whom words were not easy.
It also helped in times when words would be superfluous.
She'd agreed to help serve as a partner for the American Smooth style courses taught at the Avant Garde Ballroom in Newport Beach as a favor to a former client who had become a close friend. Inara had a few clients who had transcended from client to friend though none had remained her lover once they had become friends. She didn't conduct business with friends and someone who had paid for her companionship? They couldn't have the same type of companionship in the future without payment as it would blur the lines on what constituted business versus pleasure.
"American Smooth is a declaration of an individual's style, not a dance's style."
Inara held her arms up as if she were embracing an invisible partner, gliding in front of the class slowly to demonstrate the fluidity of her movements without the music on. She didn't need the music to remember the movements. It wasn't about learning the dance as much as feeling the dance. Inara had always preferred the Smooth dances to Rhythm dances. There was nothing more elegant than a waltz or a tango and a foxtrot could be as much fun as an East Coast Swing any time without half the risk of being dropped on one's head.
Pausing, she lowered her arms to bring her hands together, palms touching from heel to fingertip, and bowed slightly to the class, "Thank you for your interest in American Smooth style. I will be helping partner today as we go over a Smooth Waltz. This is different from the Viennese Waltz in it's often a longer dance as well as one which can be more adventurous with movement or daring with closeness to a partner. Does anyone need a partner as our instructor readies for the demonstration?"
~*~
Tsuzuki didn’t particularly need dance lessons. There wasn’t a whole lot that he was good at, but gardening and dancing were the two things he was probably best at, after Ruka had taught him both for most of his life. But he had never really done American Smooth before, always having done more traditional ballroom dancing. Besides, it wasn’t like he and Ruka were there for themselves. Tsuzuki had spent six years living in and out of the psyche ward for his depression, with Ruka choosing instead to care for him instead of going out to live her own life, but he’d not had an episode in two years, and he had recently managed to find a small house that he could rent, trying for some more independence and finally getting out of Ruka’s hair. She was almost forty now, and it wasn’t fair to her that she had to keep taking care of her little brother.
Taking the opportunity to finally be able to live her own life, Ruka’s boyfriend had moved in with her recently, and the three of them had decided to take some dancing lessons together. Dancing had always been Ruka and Tsuzuki’s thing, a hobby they had shared and always did together, even when he had been in the hospital, but he was happy to share it with her boyfriend. He very rarely saw Ruka smile the smile that she seemed to have on her face whenever Jeff was around. The two of them were getting serious he knew, and Jeff wanted to share Ruka’s hobbies and get to know Tsuzuki a little better. He had insisted on lessons, claiming he’d be too embarrassed if Ruka or Tsuzuki had to teach him, and so Ruka had found a class that all of them could learn at least something from.
He looked around, not wanting to take an experienced dancer away from someone who might need the extra help more than Tsuzuki did, but it looked like everyone had already brought their partner, and his usual partner was standing hand-in-hand with her boyfriend. “I’ll need a partner,” he said, raising his hand as if he was still in grade school.
~*~
Bowing gracefully in acknowledgement, Inara made her way to the man in questions. Her sari was draped impeccably as always though she had chosen to use a more modest style than what she'd wear at The Need/Want. Although she still had a fitted mid-crop blouse, the saree drape was solid rather than sheer to avoid exposing more than a hint of her flesh at her sides where the material crossed over her body. Inara had not wanted to appear immodest in a dance class meant for the general public.
It was her job to offer herself freely to others as a comforting companion, not someone who could upset the balance of another's tranquility.
"I am Inara. It would be my pleasure to serve as your companion today. Have you performed any of the dances in the Smooth style before? I can adapt quite well to any skill level. I only want to know how best to suit your needs as a partner."
She was not scripted. No one told Inara Serra how to speak, what to say, or instructed her on her business. There were some occasions where she seemed more scripted than others though they couldn't be helped. Formality was a part of the life she'd lived growing up in India. Her parents had wanted her to be a lady. There had been no desire in her to dishonor them. Inara had worked diligently to ensure they understood her profession, embraced it, and realized she was not whoring herself no matter what some might say about her career.
~*~
Tsuzuki bowed in return as Inara came to him, bending slightly at the hips, back straight. He hadn’t dressed up for this, though as his usual attire was usually a white button-up shirt with a tie and black slacks he wasn’t too out of place, though his hair was just a touch unkempt. “I’m Asato,” Tsuzuki said. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Inara. That is a beautiful name, by the way.” It sounded elegant in a way, much like she seemed to be.
“I’ve never danced in the Smooth style, no,” Tsuzuki said, offering her a friendly smile. “Though I do have some experience with the English Waltz. I’m very eager to learn the differences though!”
~*~
"Largely the differences are in the tempo and the transitions between movements. In English Waltz, one can anticipate a choppier, more obvious transition from one form to another where there's a break between the dancers to allow for courtesy. It is timed on a 30th scale whereas American Smooth is 32nd or 34th which is faster with no break between partners. You want to maintain contact with your partner at all times, hands, eyes, hips, it all depends on the dance. Are you comfortable with the close embrace or would you prefer the formal square setting, Asato?"
Inara was comfortable either way. Her body was a vessel in which her spirit dwelled. She welcomed others to pass themselves by her to leave a trace of themselves on her life so she might become more as a result of having gotten the opportunity to brush by them in life. There were too many individuals to dismiss even one. It was impossible to tell what she could be passing up learning, experiencing, having with another if she dismissed them summarily out of turn. Her professional life was very guarded, but her personal one was more relaxed.
That was why there were such definite differences between the two.
She had to make certain she was welcoming only experiences with others rather than an opportunity to do business. Mixing business with pleasure -even when one's business was pleasure- didn't end well for anyone involved. Inara had seen too many escorts lose all the respect they'd earned in the industry because they believed the fantasy they themselves had created. She wasn't going to fall victim to something so unprofessional herself. Inara hoped if she ever chose to retire? It was because she'd found a place in life where she felt completely fulfilled without her work.
~*~
“Well, I think that sounds easy enough,” Tsuzuki said. “Though I guess we’ll have to see for sure. I’m comfortable with contact if you are. I’ve always said that if you want to do something, you may as well do it right.” It wasn’t exactly a code Tsuzuki lived by though. When it came to dancing and gardening, he absolutely tried to do everything right. In every other aspect of his life, he tended to cut corners. Or, if something was supposed to be done one way and Tsuzuki didn’t agree with that, then he’d do it his own way.
As the instructor got ready to begin, Tsuzuki prepared his frame for Inara to step into, hoping that it wasn’t different from the frame he used during the English Waltz.
~*~
Subtlety was all a part of the game for a paid companion. One couldn't make their client feel uncomfortable or one had failed in their task completely. Inara always tried to use the most subtle of cues to instigate contact with a client or to move their time together in one direction over another. It was her job to steer them onto a path which led to enlightenment, reflection, and joy from being with one another. She carefully settled into Asato's arms, gently repositioning his stance so his frame wasn't quite so square, his arms a bit looser as they held position with hers.
"Smoothly," she whispered, her lips barely moving as she stepped far enough into his personal space to be able to almost rest her chin on his shoulder, "Slide your feet along the tiles with the music. Never lift your foot unless you have to extend for a dip or a turn or a twist. Always glide along as if the floor has a giant magnet beneath it and your shoes are metal so you couldn't lift your feet if you tried."
Inara allowed Asato to slide them along the floor in a decent approximation of the waltz they were attempting. It was a slower song than most American Smooth chose. She wouldn't have picked it for this class herself, but then again, she wasn't teaching the class. Her friend was doing very well teaching other members of the course which suggested to Inara she might be dismissing the music offhand. She closed her eyes to better allow it to move through her, letting her cheek come nearly into contact with her partner's as she let him guide them along, trusting him not to steer them into someone else's dance sphere.
~*~
It only took a moment for Tsuzuki to switch into the smoother style of the waltz, and he let the music carry them, occasionally sneaking glances at Ruka and Jeff. Jeff obviously didn’t know what he was doing, but he seemed as though he was trying and Ruka was smiling.
Tsuzuki had had partners other than Ruka before, but it was still a little strange sometimes adjusting to a new partner, and while the closeness didn't bother him, he was still being careful not to do something like run into Inara or managing to step on her toes. She seemed to follow his subtle cues for movement no problem though, and he soon was able to let go of that particular concern. "How long have you been dancing for?" Tsuzuki asked quietly, attempting a dip.
~*~
Letting herself fall back into a dip, Inara barely brushed the floor with her fingertips before straightening into the movement once more. She never opened her eyes along the way. Trust was something a companion had to learn to offer easily or she couldn't offer enough of herself to ask someone to pay her for her company. One had to sell a product worth buying; Inara prided herself on being very, very worth buying.
She was a rare commodity with an even more rare client list.
"My whole life," she stated, "I believe I was learning from my nanny by the time I was able to walk. American Smooth I picked up from a client once I'd come to this country to work. He liked to dance at the parties he enjoyed having a companion for and I happened to be his favorite companion. It made sense for him to pay for my training. I enjoyed the lessons. One can never dance enough in life."
There were some pleasures one could overindulge in. Dance was not one of those pleasures.
"Who has your attention if you don't mind my asking? It's not me. I don't have to look at you to know that."
It was apparent in the way he held her. Too careful. There was no passion in the embrace which spoke volumes to someone of Inara's line of service.
~*~
"There's absolutely no such thing as too much dance," Tsuzuki chirped, smiling. He had started learning dance from his sister shortly after their parents had died when he was a child. It had been part of his recovery, helping him break out of the shell he had built around himself back then. It had helped him back then, and it continued to help him wrestle with his inner demons now. “But you’re a … sorry, a companion? I’m not sure if I’ve heard of that line of work before.” With a job title like ‘companion’ it sounded like it could be a pretty fun job though.
"Is it that obvious?" he asked, feeling a touch embarrassed. "It's my older sister, actually." If anyone was looking, it would be obvious who Tsuzuki's sister was. She was over a decade older than him, almost 40 now to Tsuzuki's 26, but the family resemblance was strong. "She's the one who taught me to dance, actually. Usually she and I partner, but her boyfriend recently took an interest in dance." A natural turn followed by an impetus to change their direction as they came to a corner. "My deepest apologies. I should be sharing the dance with you though, not being too concerned over whether the two of them are having fun."
He was normally better at what Ruka had always called sharing the dance - dancing as though you were in love with your partner, dancing as though you wanted them. He wasn't sure if it was because this was the first honest to goodness lesson he had been to in a while - not that he was really paying all that much attention to the instructor who was, for the most part, focusing on less experienced pairs, or if Jeff was really that distracting, but it wasn't fair to Inara. He had to start narrowing his focus.
~*~
"No need to apologize. Family is a blessing. It's nice to think you worry for your sister enough to keep an eye on her even in a dance class. I don't consider your attention to her an insult. I only notice because it's my job really. Knowing if I hold someone's attention."
Inara counted herself blessed her family trusted her enough to let her do her work without interruption. She was a lucky woman to have them care for her as they did. Her parents loved her as much as she loved them; their lives were merely separate. It was possible to love a person without feeling the need to cage them with that love. Freedom was very important to someone like Inara who felt the strong urge to find herself. There was a way to finding her most authentic self. She could find that way if given the leeway to do it.
Her parents gave her their blessing for her quest.
That was more than she could have asked for from them.
Opening her eyes, she raised a brow along with half her smile, "Yes. I am a professional companion. It's a little more than what most consider it though I'm told it's considered the oldest profession in the world. What sort of work are you in, Asato?"
~*~
“I can’t imagine it’s very hard for you to hold someone’s attention,” Tsuzuki said. She was the kind of elegant beauty people didn’t tend to see nowadays, and while Tsuzuki was far more interested in men than he was in women, even he could spot it.
A professional companion sounded like a lot of fun. Getting paid to pal around with someone sounded like a pretty good job, until she mentioned that it was the oldest profession in the world, and then it clicked. He missed a beat with the song, though he recovered quickly enough. He didn’t judge her, especially not if she enjoyed her job (he certainly hadn’t gotten the impression that she didn’t like it), but it had been rather unexpected. “Well, that doesn’t sound like too bad of a line of work, especially if people are willing to give you dance lessons.” He’d have winked if he thought she would see it. “I’m a grower over at [Greenhouse]. You should come visit sometimes. I do greenhouse tours all day and on the last Sunday of the month we have a tea that you can buy tickets to.”
~*~
"I love tea," Inara answered with a bright smile, "I will have to put you into my calendar for one of my days off. I am not always the keeper of my own schedule, unfortunately, but I do think the perks outweigh the negatives in my work."
The song spiraled to a close with a series of turns. Asato was incredibly light on his feet which was refreshing. Inara could only imagine he was in the class to support his sister. There was no reason she could see for him to require lessons. Some people had natural rhythm while others were lost; Asato was one for whom the dance came easily. He fell into the lucky category in that regard.
Many men tried to seduce a woman on the dance floor only to fail miserably.
As they came to a halt, Inara stepped back to him, offering a short bow with her hands pressed together once more at the palms, "Namaste, Asato. Please keep me in mind if you ever hear of anyone who'd like dance lessons---or a professional companion. Given how pleasant you've been to me? I trust your taste enough to allow you to give someone a recommendation to me."
She offered him a small business card which contained her contact information. Inara kept only a few on her person in a pocket sewn into the inside of her sari. Clients were not something she needed in bulk. She simply needed them in a state of devotion to her which was its own artform.
~*~
“Oh good! Then I’ll be expecting you,” Tsuzuki said cheerfully. He enjoyed the teas in general, because he enjoyed being able to talk to new people and there were always extra goodies in the back for him to nibble on, but he liked it even more when people he knew showed up. His boss generally frowned on the ways that Tsuzuki tried to get out of work (sleeping off hangovers in the supply shed was something that had gotten him yelled at more than once), but he never minded if Tsuzuki was getting out of work by chatting with a customer.
Tsuzuki gave a small bow in return, arm crossed across his chest, almost the picture of a gentleman before he took the business card, and he read it over. “I’ll keep my ears open,” he said with a smile. “It was such a pleasure meeting you, Inara.”