The Chance To Dance (for you) [Lawlight]

For You

"A-five, six, seven, eight, one, change."

Thierry was teaching the group (and Light, for some inexplicable reason) the final dance call; it was the eleven o'clock number from the show being cast, and L needed perfect unison.

"Walk. Walk. Point. Point. Point, flick, step, kick..."

At this point in the show, the leading lady, played by Misa Amane, would arrive at a fundraising gala. The unwilling object of her affection, played by Hideki Ryuga, would also be in attendance. The way L had it initially was that she would enter the scene and break out into a wickedly impressive dance solo in an attempt to woo him, and the rest of the partygoers would join in gradually to finish it out with a riveting tap routine.

"...One, change- continuing- walk. Walk. Up, down, up, down, down, point, down, point..."

Unfortunately, as charismatic and pretty as she was, Amane was no dancer, so the writers ended up scrapping the original song and replaced it with a slower, more expository number. In this version, the one as of current, the guests were all familiar with Amane's character ahead of time, and they would croon and delight over how perfect a specimen she was while they moved in classic 1940's Broadway fashion behind her- that way she'd be left to relish in the attention instead of literally breaking a leg.

"...Step, brush, step, brush, step, brush, back, back, back, flick, step, and step, and step, lunge, lunge. Slow, three-four-five-six, hat, kick..."

It was a blatant rip-off of Hello, Dolly! if L had ever seen one, and he'd be lying if he said he didn't hate the new direction, but he was really in no position to complain. If L wanted more creative freedom and a show with an original plot, he would have written his own show and wouldn't have said yes to the first job that came his way... and damn it all to hell, because now he knew exactly what Light had meant an hour ago.

"...Step, brush, with the arm, step, brush, back, arm down, lift, lift, lift, change, step and step, on the angle, step and step..."

L hadn't moved from his seat behind the cheap plastic table, hands folded together and pressed to his lips as he watched the dancer before him. Dancer-s. Dancers.

"...Body square, back, down, step, point, make it sharp, body square, on the angle, back, cross, back, back..."

Honestly, that was a bad thing. The only way this number was going to work was if the group had complete uniformity so as not to upstage Miss Amane, and Light had the terrible disadvantage of being more talented and more attractive than everyone else. And that wasn't L's bias talking, it was a mere statement of fact.

He had aged in that two-year gap, though, and that brought L some solace.

"...Cross, step, step, ball change, hat to the head, step, touch, step, up, step, up..."

Yes... if he looked closely enough, there were the faintest beginnings of crow's feet next to his eyes, and there were lines between his brows- evidence of Light's pomposity getting the better of him. Something villainous within L enjoyed seeing those lines. Maybe because it served as proof that Light was human after all. Or that L was right all along about that useless Patrick Bateman-esque skin regimen. Did Light still keep up with that? Maybe he was slacking off and that was why he was getting lines. Then again, it would be funnier if it was useless after all. If perfect, paradoxical Light Yagami failed to create an adequate skincare routine. Truly, the pinnacle of comedy.

L was then reminded that Light had also failed to create a sustainable career for himself since the split, and suddenly the ordeal was much less humorous.

"...Plié, kick, plié-tip-the-hat, plié-tip-the-hat, plié, right, ball change, hat. No hat! Hat. No hat! Hat! Hat! Hat! Hat!"

...And they've already learned the whole routine. He would have been caught in his sick suppositions if he hadn't been snapped back when he was.