North American Vampire Council & Past Calling (Hypernaturals 12 & 13)

Dance the Night Away

I trained almost every day with Helen. She is a better dance teacher than a combat instructor because she is not worried about me learning to protect me. Only protect her feet.

To practice dancing, we would clear out the big garage of cars and truck, and spin our way through moves. My abilities to fight, acquired since I became a Vampire, added to my strength, and my ability to slip in and out of hyper-time as needed to time moves made learning to dance as easy as learning French. Sometimes being a Vampire really helps.

Nakoma and the kids in particular loved to come out and watch us practice. They would spin around the edges of our makeshift floor, dancing with each other. Even Laura. An unexpectedly social thing from here that had nothing to do with devices. Rachel loves physical activity of all sorts, so she and Laura would spin around together while Diana and Nakoma took their dancing to a slightly higher technical level.

Big Rachel also helped: she would step into my place, take Helen into her arms, and show me things. She got in a few turns with Helen in the process.

Denise, Morgan, and Jessica watched a few times and understood this was not for them. Jessica now and then would audit my progress, comment on something like "Nice! perfect dip!" but otherwise we were left to our own devices.

Helen and I went to a tailor and were fitted to our specifications. They did not even ask why the dress needed to be designed the way it is. Helen was very specific as to her requirements. It is a lot easier to have a bucket list when someone like Helen helps you with it.

We had a target date. A big charity ball at the biggest, oldest hotel downtown. A special soiree of the town, benefiting my favorite charity: The Food Bank. We rented the largest suite on the top floor for the weekend. Just us.

The costumes were a big reveal when we got ready to go. No one had seen them other than Helen and me.

Jessica told Helen very crossly: "He burned the suit I bought him. Donated the ones you gave him. Now this?"

"Yes, but I'm dressed to match him. It's like when you are Wonder Woman and he is the Flash. It's a costume. Just needed to reframe the way we presented it. His costume is a silk tux. No tie. Open neck, which while nontraditional I rather like. I can get to his skin while we are dancing. I can't bite him, naturally. That will be later. But I can put my nose to his neck and scent him, and I like that. Oh, bloody hell. I just put that in my mind... can we go? I need to test something in the car."

"How far the steering wheel tips up?" Denise asked sweetly.

"Exactly." Helen then spun to show the way her dress whirls outward.

If I am going to wear a tux, and a silk one at that, having one that is so deeply purple it looked black in most light is the way to go. Also, the shoes are comfy, which surprised me. Helen said good dress shoes should feel like your feet are being loved.

Helen is dressed to match me. Something about the dark purple really works with her ice-blue eyes. I would have thought that would clash, but no. Her dress is simple, elegant, silken, tight at the waist so I can easily get my arms around her, with a massive amount of material in the skirt so when she spun, it flares out. The low neck and bodice are done in such a way as to give her freedom of movement. A nice trick. Her shoes are sensible for dancing but with sparkly dark amethyst gems crusting them. I do not even want to know what they cost. When her dress flares out, they flicker in the light.

I sort of understand when Helen whirls in that getup the excitement puritans got when they saw ankles. All that material floofing up on a spin, exposing bare legs, and no undergarments should she spin or kick that high. I will take naked any day, but for dancing and seeing Helen's happiness, this works.