Despite how much of a pompous, entitled ass he was, Tempest wasn’t going to let him get her down. She had an opportunity to become known, to get the start she’d been longing for since she’d quit college, to finally make her mark on the performance community. Even if she had to work with him, she’d endure.<br/><br/>Arriving slightly early, she warmed up alone, stretching on the bar and going through a few loosely choreographed routines until the director came in with a few other dancers. “Tempest! I’m glad your meeting with him didn’t deter your willingness to join our company,” he greeted her jovially.<br/><br/>She gave him a cordial nod and a smile. “I’d be silly to turn down an opportunity like this,” Temp replied, making sure to contain her excitement and remain professional.<br/><br/>“It appears he’s…running late, however,” came an annoyed voice, so instead he shifted tact. “I’ve brought along a couple of dancers to show you what you’ll be learning and performing with Athanase. It’s going to require a lot of trust on your part.” There was a pause.  “I’m sure you’re familiar with the role most women have in dances? The intricate lifts and throws?”<br/><br/>Tempest, her curiosity hooked, she nodded again. “The male leads and the woman is lifted, contorted…All trust has to be in her partner that they won’t drop her,” she answered back.<br/><br/>“That’s true…most of the time,” he concurred. “Once he gets here, we’ll get more into the specifics of it, but, for now…they’ll demonstrate what you’ll be learning and we’ll take it from there.”<br/><br/>With a nod, she settled in against the wall, eyes on the dancers as the music started and their dance started…leaving Tempest in awe. The dance was so intricate, forcing all of her trust in Athan, and her ability to hold herself up. The story told of a romance, of a relationship, one she wasn’t sure she could forge with the pigheaded, egotist who was to be his partner, who “never danced with partners”. Whose moves had become so robotic, they’d called her in. How he’d take doing this dance with her, was beyond her.<br/><br/>As it progressed, Mr. Dubois stepped closer to her and continued to talk as she danced, completely entranced. “I know that he’s rough around the edges…but he’s been dancing for so long, his ego is nearly justified. It will be hard for him to admit he needs help to captivate audiences like he once did, but that’s where you’re coming in to help. I hope that yesterday’s meeting didn’t deter you, didn’t give you any second thoughts. I know this arrangement means you’ll need to put your complete and utter trust in him…”<br/><br/><span style="font-style: italic">And I can trust him about as far as I can throw him…</span>she added to herself.<br/><br/>“…But in time, I know you two will get this dance down, and both be better for it. You’ll learn from him and he from you. What have you got to lose?”<br/><br/><span style="font-style: italic">It was just a first impression…</span>Temp mentally conceded…<span style="font-style: italic">Perhaps today will be different.</span><br/><br/><span style="color: #FF0000">Late, he arrived late as usual. Though he did not seem to care or matter. Everyone in the dance company ran on his time, it was what he wanted and it was how it has always been. Being immortal had its perks, never dying of course, but there were others. Strength, speed, agility, to name a few. However, there were some downsides that required one of his kind to work hard in order to maintain a healthy lifestyle. There had been countless times when he had seem others of his kind, lose their minds because the world around them continued to change but they themselves remained exactly the same. <br/><br/>Athanase had survived in this world for over 200 years. Powers growing each and everyday so that he was stronger, much more the threat than others of his kind. To continue to live among the humans, to pass as one of them there had been a lot that he had to do. One of which was to compel a few of them that only dancing and rehearsing at night was normal. He had only ever to really do it once, that first time when he contract was made and then everyone else just had to go along with that was written. <br/><br/>Over the years, over the many many years, he had grown rather jaded with it all, had lost that spark to really even care anymore. <br/><br/>Which is why he showed up late. <br/><br/>“Hope you have not been wasting time smacking your lips while you pulled at your hair?” he asked while he dropped his gym bag off to the side and approached where she and the director were. <br/><br/>“Nice of you to finally grace us with your presence,” the director snapped. <br/><br/>Athan merely shrugged. <br/><br/>“Warm up and watch Tempest run through part of the routine. See how she moves and remember you have to fit into the dance with her,” he waved Athan away and then looked to Tempest. “Alright, just do what you remember with only yourself, so ignore the lifts and such. Mostly I want you to feel the music, feel the story of the piece and express it in dance. Ok?”</span><br/><br/><span style="font-style: italic">No…No I was right,</span>she thought wryly as he strolled in, thankful that the director snapped at him just as she would have liked to. His blasé demeanor had her so put off. If he really didn’t care for it anymore, didn’t want bother, why was he still there?<br/><br/>But, she’d do as the director instructed, nodding to the one controlling the music. The beat was slow, affording her time to do a few of the moves she’d seen those before her doing while adding her own passionate flair. It wasn’t too hard, the song talking about a relationship, one built on trust, on love, on that care for the other. She’d lived that with another, she’d watched it with her mother until her father’s passing. So, as she danced, her entire mind was focused on it. A flip here, a lax head roll there, she went through what she remembered, eventually ending up on the floor, rolling to a sitting position before rolling her legs over her head and back up to a standing position.<br/><br/>A pirouette was done, albeit a loose one, one with feeling more than technique, which went immediately into a jump and planned collapse. Tears welled in her eyes at the memory of how her mother about died when her father did. How the light in her eyes had gone out. As came to its close, she focused on the happier memories, ending in a somber pose with the hint of a smile on her face, eyes drifting closed as her head hung down.<br/><br/>Music ending, chest heaving from the exertion of some of the moves (though not too much for her), she chanced a glance at Mr. Dubois who’d smiled and nodded. …Only to hear Athan ask her to do it again. Odd that he had nothing more to say, but she nodded and started in on it again.<br/><br/><span style="color: #FF0000">Sloppy. The lot of it was just sloppy. Her muscles were weak and untrained. There was so much to be done and Athan was not even sure even he could pull it all off. <br/><br/>“Alright...” he said as he got to his feet and approached her. “First off your extension needs a lot of work,” he began.  “You can't even extend your leg fully....” hand reached down to grab her leg and lift it. “I am going to have to teach you how to properly stretch out....” he mumbled. “Also these muscles,” he pinched a section of her thighs. “How do you expect to get any air without some good muscle tone?” he remarked then gave her ass a smack. <br/><br/>“Watch me,” he said and demonstrated with a slight bend of his legs before he jumped. The height he was able to get impressive, especially given he was just standing there with no assistant from another movement. “Now look at my leg in the turn....” then without another moment he went into several pirouettes without any effort what so ever. <br/><br/>“Here,” he said and took her hands into his own. “Move with me,” it was more of a command then a request. Then without even waiting to see if she was ready, he began to dance. Intentionally he used her lack of extension to step further than her, to make her had to stretch and work to keep up with him. It was awkward and just about painful to watch while he basically dragged her about the stage.</span><br/><br/><span style="font-style: italic">Oh great, here we go,</span>she thought as he came up.<span style="font-style: italic">But at least it’s constructive…</span><br/><br/>Nodding at his instruction, she held back a retort at his remark of her extension. Granted, she was limber, but she’d never had to be so pointed, so formal in her performance. Allowing him to lift her leg, she was good with it, going along with it…until he pinched her thighs. Glancing down at them with a perked brow, she had to refrain from a sigh. There was nothing there to pinch, but leave it to him to insinuate she was fat again.<br/><br/><span style="font-style: italic">Should have known, after the cow comment,</span>came an annoyed thought, overlooking how he slapped her ass for his benefit, not her own. Being used to that mistreatment at the club she danced at, this was no different.<br/><br/>…And then came one of the reasons she admired his: His ability to move and make it seem effortless. That jump had her lips parting the smallest fraction as she marveled in the strength and grace of it. And the way his pirouettes carried into each other so seamlessly. Despite her growing detest of the man, she had to give him his accolades. She’d been ready to ask him a question, when his hands suddenly took hers and yanked her forward.<br/><br/>Not to be put off, she worked to keep up with him, stretching to match his gait. Even with his legs being so much longer, with his height, she held her own, even if it looked awkward and forced solely because he was being an ass. Making it through without tripping, she looked up at him with a bemused expression.<br/><br/>“Next?”