Moves I've Never Used

[Armand Temi]

Ever since the intriguing night of the Galactic Alliance Ball on Sullust, where Sylvia glimpsed her fellow Rogue pilots carousing, drinking, laughing and socializing, she felt distinctly like she was lacking in an extremely important skill.

Dancing.

Or to put it more succinctly, dancing well. Her current dance moves resembled a frightened nuna with its legs tied together.

But the other female pilots – and yes, some of the men – they danced as though their lives depended upon it. Slow motion, quick steps, sultry and smooth, Sylvia gazed upon the strobe-lit dance floor that night with a mixture of awe and envy. Some of the Rogues were seriously holomodel beautiful, and it appeared they knew it too, showing off their tanned, toned bodies at any chance they got. The flirting had been aggressive to say the least.

You have no room to talk, Devil, Sylva thought. You jumped right into bed with Marcus easily that night on Sorceras, and here you are judging the other ladies for just having fun. But no more Funky Nuna moves, Sylvia. Today that all changes.

She entered the Heartbeat House dance studio, an inconvenient location for the Alliance pilot, but she’d heard the instructors who taught the sultry dance from Tatooine, called Shaabi, were the best in the galaxy. Gazing at a holodisplay of the exotic dance being performed, she smiled.

If I could dance like that at the end of all of this, I’d be the happiest Rogue in the world. Of course she was taking the beginner’s class. The redhead pilot, call sign Red Devil, knew that she had a long, road ahead of her which meant flexing some muscles that she’d probably never used before. Literally.

Maybe ones in her belly if the holodisplay held any indication what the actual dance was like.

[member="Joza Perl"]

 

[Joza Perl]

In spite of all that had happened and was still happening, Joza made sure to maintain her dance studio. While the injuries she’d received on Ruusan weren’t critical, she had to take time off to let her ribs and nose heal properly. As such, she’d left her precious Heartbeat House to some of the more advanced dancers in her absence, all too eager to return. Today happened to be her first day back, and the lithe Zeltron could be found stretching on the polished studio floor as [member="Sylvia Nuru"] entered the building.

Head snapping upwards, a large grin spread across her pink face at the sight of the newcomer. “Welcome!” Joza didn’t smile much anymore, not finding anything to be happy about after deepening her fight with Haytham, which was now public knowledge thanks to their violent clash on the Triumvirate capital. A long term (albeit on and off) relationship with a Sith Knight? Yeah, she’d be lucky if the Silvers only exiled her. That is, if she’d ever manage to drag herself back to Voss.

The little studio on Lianna was her haven. Her insecurities, guilt and shame did not disappear, but they were pushed to the back of her mind to make way for graceful movements and colorful fabric. As always, new students were a sight for sore eyes. Joza loved passing on what she knew when it came to the art of dance.

Bringing her extended legs back together as she finished stretching, the Zeltron rolled to her feet and took a moment to smooth out the almost too tight fabric of her leggings. “I’m Joza Perl, your instructor. You must be Sylvia, yes? For the beginner class?”

 

[Armand Temi]

Wearing a floppy, loose, grey top and leggings and sneakers, her fiery red hair tied up in a ponytail, Sylvia found her instructor, Ms. Perl and was delighted to see that the woman was a Zeltron. With a lovely head of magnificent red hair also.

Spoiler

It all makes sense now, thought Rogue Fifteen. Zeltrons were considered one of the most charismatic species up there with Twi’elks and Hapans, and Sylvia was overjoyed to have one as her dance teacher. Perhaps she can teach me how to flirt, she thought with a smile. The pilot felt like a lead-footed nuna in that department too.

Ms. Perl had an amazingly toned body and a dazzling smile. Sylvia hadn’t even worked up a sweat, and she already felt like a greasy box of McYoda’s nuggets in comparison. And the greeting was so warm… so welcoming… so relaxing… or was that the pheromones? Was she being pheromonized right now (not even sure that was a real word)? Right, Rogue Fifteen, pull yourself together, woman!

Sunlight streamed through the windows of the Lianna studio. The Tion Sector was one of her favorite parts of the galaxy. Watched over by the Silver Sanctum Coalition, Lianna itself was an extremely clean and tidy city which featured the popular dance club Bantha Traxx. The redheaded pilot had been there only once, but she was much younger, and true to form, was a complete wallflower the entire night.

“Yep, I’m the beginner,” Sylvia said, pressing her lips together in a thin, nervous smile. “Heartbeat House is lovely. And there’s such a great view of Lianna. Do I need to stretch? Maybe I should stretch. I hope I’m dressed okay."

And not rambling. Nope.

[member="Joza Perl"]

 

[Joza Perl]

Joza beamed at the compliment, nodding her head with enthusiasm. “One of the reasons why I chose this place. It’s small, but the rent is decent and the city is nice. It’s fairly safe under Coalition watch, too.” Though the words flowed smoothly, she mentally winced at her own mention of the Silver’s protection. Perhaps, someday soon she’d see if they would take her back.

She paced a half circle around Sylvia before giving her a nod of approval at her dress. “All I ask is that my dancers wear whatever they find comfortable in practice. As long as it allows for movement, you should be fine.” Oh, how adorable this one looked. There was a part of Joza that enjoyed when people were anxious around her, partially because it made her feel more powerful. It was a silly thing when she thought about it, but she would still feed off of it. Still, she retained enough tact to not bring attention to the other woman’s nerves, evident to a natural empath like a Zeltron.

Even the touch of pheromones seemed to be loosening her up, which was good. “Yes, stretching is important.” Taking on a wider stance, she shifted her hips out to the left and arching her body out to the right, one arm curving over her head as if she were diving to stretch her shoulder. “Tell me a bit about yourself, Sylvia. Why Heartbeat House?” Her tone was light and chipper, trying to make simple small talk while they stretched.

[member="Sylvia Nuru"]

 

[Armand Temi]

Sylvia nodded and said, "The Coalition… I'm not familiar, but maybe you can tell me about them sometimes." The redheaded pilot knew of the Silver Sanctum, but not enough to speak articulately or with any type of authority on the subject. And eloquence didn't come naturally to her, despite her Imperial upbringing. Needless to say, Rogue Fifteen was much more comfortable with her rear end in the pilot's cockpit, versus wiggling it around on a dance floor.

Either way, Ms. Perl made Sylvia feel quite at ease and right now, she wouldn't question it. Whether it was the fellow redhead's empath ability or the pheromones, the clumsy pilot wasn't going to turn away any feeling that caused her to be more relaxed.

In fact, perhaps a trip to Zeltros would be in order, but all in time, Red Devil, she told herself. First you need to learn how to crawl before you can walk.

As though looking into a mirror, Sylvia mimicked the pretty Zeltron's movements, stretching languidly as she did, letting her stiff muscles have a break for once.

"Well…" she started. The truth was she felt inferior to the other Rogues who had a cougar quality about them. While the petite pilot had no idea how her own piloting skills were in comparison, it was clear that she lacked, not a coquettishness, but the ability to be a pure-blood minx when the opportunity was there. But by the Eternal Core, Ms. Perl, this sophisticated pink-skinned creature of poise and grace did not want to hear about her social anxiety.

"I want to improve my balance and posture and flexibility," Sylvia said smiling brightly as though she was posing for a class picture. However, if Joza could read body language, she would see that the petite pilot was lying.

Yes, that was it. It had nothing to do with being better at seduction and flirting. Nothing at all.

[member="Joza Perl"]

 

[Joza Perl]

“Mmhm.” A quick nod was given in response to Sylvia’s explanation, a cordial smile spreading across her face a moment after. “All good things to work on.” While she couldn’t deny that this particular type of dance improved on all three areas, Joza was familiar with her type. Some of the women that walked through that door were already experienced performers, but a few were shy of learning how to move their body in such a provocative way that came so naturally to the Zeltron. Still, Joza made sure that everyone was welcome, regardless of skill level or hangups.

“Shaabi involves a lot of isolated movements, all connecting to appear seamless and flowing. Even the most subtle forms can take quite a bit of practice to appear effortless.” Sinking down to the floor, she extended one leg and reached over it to touch the tip of her toe with her fingers. “While artful, there are distinct elements of mischief and sexuality. Certainly helps to attract many interested parties.” Placing her hands behind her, Joza leaned back and chuckled lowly. Her eyes appraised the young woman in front of her for a hot minute, unabashedly.

“Though with a pretty face like that, I doubt you have trouble getting attention from men. Or women.” Arching her back, the instructor sighed with content as she felt her spine crack with satisfaction. She gave Sylvia a wink, careful to keep her grin from turning too crooked. The young pilot was quite gorgeous, and looked downright adorable in her workout-esque clothes. That, and Joza had a sort of familial thing for redheads.

[member="Sylvia Nuru"]

 

[Armand Temi]

While Sylvia was in shape, her daily 6:00 a.m. workouts a testament to her fitness, her body was made up of lean muscle due to her running and weight lifting. Of course, there were a couple of squishy places which could use some work, but dammit those bantha cheeseburgers in the mess hall were too delicious to ignore. Still, she lacked the clear poise and flexibility of Ms. Perl.
The redhead pilot attempted to mimic her teacher’s movements, but of course, hers were not as graceful. But she smiled at the description of Shaabi. Mischevious, subtle, artful and seductive – yes, sign me up please, thought Sylvia.

“You would be surprised,” said the Rogue pilot, blushing now, her cheeks almost as red now as her flaming crimson hair. Ms. Perl also had the loveliest deep, scarlet locks, a very unusual color speaking to her heritage as a Zeltron. “But sadly, I’m in the air so much that I don’t really meet many people.” Her thoughts turned to Marcus, the dark-haired slicer she’d met on Soceras and then again at the Alliance Ball on Sullust. He was the closest thing to a boyfriend that she had, and even still, the pilot was not sure how serious of a relationship they had yet. Just thinking of him, his hands on her waist and lips on her mouth, caused an even deeper color to creep onto her cheekbones. Or was that the pheromones?

Those damn Zeltron pheromones making me feel all hot and bothered, she thought!

Sylvia winced, hearing her instructor’s spine crack and attempted a similar twist. She pulled her long hair out of its ponytail for a moment, re-twirled it with deft fingers, and fastened it again to get all of those loose, wispy strands off of her face. “Do you get many male students wanting to learn Shaabi?” she asked, thinking that most of the opposite sex likely took the classes to leer at the gorgeous Zeltron teacher versus actually practicing the dance moves.

[member="Joza Perl"]

 

[Joza Perl]

“Oh? I’m sorry to hear that.” Joza rolled one shoulder, then the other, loosening up the joints beneath her skin. In her respective lines of work, she met quite a few people. Other dancers, partygoers, business types, criminals, Jedi, Sith, inbetweeners, the whole shebang. Well, not the entire shebang, but close enough. Of course, meeting a lot of different types came with their own downsides as well.

“Hopefully your new moves will entice a few good conversation partners.” A short chuckle left her lips as she rolled to her feet, stretching her arms well above her head. Still, she remained focused on her student, studying her movements and reactions with a curious gaze. It was certainly one way to get to know the young pilot, and she hoped that she wasn’t being too…creepy in doing so. At the question, Joza tilted her gaze upwards and hummed in thought for a few moments. “A few here and there. Most are trained dancers already, looking for something new. Though few seem to misinterpret ‘dance studio’ as ‘strip club’ and have to be…introduced to a new school of thought.”

Choosing her words carefully, another chuckle slipped from her lips as her arms came to cross over her chest. The Zeltron had no problem kicking out those who came to leer at the women, after lecturing them on the finer aspects of dance, of course. While she didn’t particularly mind if she was being ogled, her studio was a safe space. She would ensure that her students felt comfortable here.

“Now then, if you’re all loosened up, we can start with a few basic moves. Let me know if anything hurts or feels uncomfortable.” Getting into position, Joza would explain her movements and posture to Sylvia, helping her adjust as she went. “Back straight, legs only slightly parted. Chest out, as if you’re wearing a really pretty, shiny necklace and you want to show it off.”

[member="Sylvia Nuru"]

 

[Armand Temi]

Sylvia pondered for a moment, thinking of who she would like to entice. Only one dark-haired slicer came to mind.

“Yes,” she said smiling. While Rogue Fifteen was mostly makeup free, realizing anything on her face would likely sweat right off, she still wore a bright, crimson lipstick shade on her plump lips. It was the one luxury that she allowed herself, purchasing an expensive brand and wearing it continually, sometimes in her sleep.

Coruscant Red, it was called. Much like Sylvia herself.

The pilot did not notice any lingering gaze on the part of Ms. Perl. In fact, Rogue Fifteen expected to be assessed, inspected, poked, prodded and moved around during this lesson. Her positioning would be disastrous, she was sure, her actions, resembling not the grace of the lovely Zeltron’s movements, but of an injured Ronto needing to be put out to pasture. But she was resolved to know how to dance the Shaabi if she twisted both ankles doing so. Luckily, Joza appeared to want to take things very slow, which was fine by Sylvia, unlike her last yoga teacher who’d forced her into a pretzel on the first day, causing a week-long neck strain.

“Will do,” said the redhead pilot mirroring the stance of her teacher. She straightened her spine and raised her rib cage so that her chest lifted as Ms. Perl instructed. Already the dance felt a little forbidden, as though created for only a private audience, so Sylvia was really glad it was just the two of them. She felt comfortable with Joza and waited for her next instructions.

[member="Joza Perl"]

 

[Joza Perl]

Holding her position for a few moments, Joza’s gaze swept over Sylvia’s form, clinically evaluating the other woman’s posture and limb placement. After determining that she was satisfactory, the Zeltron would continue the lesson.

“The first thing we’re going to go over is a horizontal hip slide.” To demonstrate, Joza slid her right hip out, shifting her left inwards as she did so. “Hip slides are fundamental part of the dance, and will eventually be layered in many ways.” Always keen on giving an example, the pink tinted woman would glide her hips into a smooth figure-8, her upper body keeping still as she twisted said hips, legs shifting up and down slightly to accommodate for the movement. “As I mentioned earlier, a lot of this dance comes from isolated movements that are layered on top of each other.”

“The key is to shift your weight from one side to the other without moving your chest. Make sure you keep your knees bent. Oh, and remember to breathe. That’s always the hardest part.” Laughing softly, Joza would continue her slow, drawn-out hip slides and encourage Sylvia to do the same. The basics were often uncomfortable a first, but dancers always grew into them with practice.

“I like your lips,” Tapping a finger to her own lower lip, Joza squinted a bit at her own red-headed student, trying to discern something. "Theirry Aucoin’s Coruscant Red?” She ventured with a glint in her eye. Even if she’d focused on fashioning herself more into a Jedi, one could never give up having good taste.

[member="Sylvia Nuru"]