I can move mountains, I can work a miracle [OPEN]

[rassera]

WHO: The residents of Nonah 05 + YOU!
WHERE: Nonah, Residence #005
WHEN: All month long (January)
WHAT: Nonah 05 open log for January Shenanigans
WARNINGS: Obligatory Bull and Tetsuo warnings apply.


Starters will be appearing in the comments. If you want something specific from any one person (Kaneda rassera, Tetsuo iamtetsuo, Bull rideme and Ken amadaman), feel free to drop them a line and ask! Otherwise, feel free to add your own starters for the whole household or individual residents as you like.

Comments

[rassera]

[Thankfully, Kaneda had anticipated this. Tetsuo was never really into this sort of thing back home, standing in the corner of Harukiya while Kaneda would pick from the jukebox, watching as Kaneda would snap his fingers and make his way over towards the bar...Try and make himself as invisible as possible.

Not today. Kaneda's determined to see Tetsuo let loose a little, taking him gently by the hand and pulling him along as they work their way around the room.]

Oi, Tetsuo, you could at least try a LITTLE!

[Does he sound angry? Not in the least. Hell, he sounds like he's having the time of his life.]

[iamtetsuo]

[Normally, this is the part where Kaneda'd find someone else to bother, or dance by his own until a crowd assembled around him. They have their own vague dance, and Tetsuo knows his part in it.

This is the part where Tetsuo starts to slink away, and vanishes.

Kaneda cuts in before he can, catching his hand in his and moving around aimlessly as Tetsuo looks around, alarmed. Someone's going to see this! It doesn't seem to have occurred to him that he can pull his hand away, watching other directions longingly as Kaneda gently pulls him awkwardly around.]

I can't dance, Kaneda, you know that...

[At least, not when others could see and mock him for it. He was nothing special; the best he could hope for was a sense of rhythm. He'd always been too shy to even try to demonstrate more than that, feeling eyes on him at every turn.]

[rassera]

[It's an argument he's heard many times before, and in most cases, that would've been enough. He never pushed Tetsuo to dance--he had his own things to do in the bar. But this time...it's important he does.

It doesn't matter if he just stands there or not, he's not letting Tetsuo leave to go run and hide.

Dancing is an experience, not a skill.]

You can, I know you can!

[Those hands tug more, not dragging him, but not exactly letting him stand there, either.

Guiding. That's a good word for it.]

[iamtetsuo]

How do you know? Not like you ever saw me.

[As he's saying that, it hits him that he can't verify if that's actually true. He tried to never get caught, but he can't say he's never danced before, even a little. It was usually small; an extra skip to his step to some outside jingle or beat, especially in the earlier days. Before it all started to go downhill...

There were SOME days like that, he's sure of it... if he thinks, he can even remember some. But this? This is all a first, and he has no defenses built up against being moved back and forth around the landing. Either move his feet or trip, those are his options. It's not dancing by a long shot, but he's at least not standing around.]

[rassera]

[Kaneda's hands pull Tetsuo across the floor, not forcefully, but guiding, feet slowing down to something more his speed.]

Who says I didn't?

[Just because he was center stage didn't mean he didn't notice Tetsuo become a wallflower, and the little attempts he would try when he thought no one was looking. Well, when he THOUGHT no one was looking.

Kaneda always did.

He lets go, standing a few paces away, smiling with those hands planted firmly on his hips.]

Now c'mon, show me what you've got! No one is a bad dancer. As long as you're moving, you're doing it right!

[iamtetsuo]

[Once Kaneda's let his hand go, he drifts a little further before coming to a complete stop. He's in the center of the small area to the side of the stairs; Kaneda gave him somewhere with plenty of room while standing firmly inbetween his escape routes.

He's stuck here. Why, Kaneda, his eyes plead silently, begging to be released from this. No one. EXCEPT HIM.]

But...

[rassera]

[Pleading eyes are met with warm, sparkling ones. He knows you want to escape, but he's done with letting you do that. You did that back in Neo Tokyo, and it ended with one Tetsuo disappearing into the corner of the bar, hoping to disappear.

This Tetsuo was going to shine.]

You can do this.


[There it is, true confidence in you, Tetsuo.]

There's no one around but us, alright?

[iamtetsuo]

[The sheer conviction just adds to the awkward feeling around the whole situation. It's an odd duality- the desire to take center stage but only in instances he specifically sets out to get. Right now, a spotlight is turned on him without him expecting it.

This is what he wanted, some small voice whispers; that attention, that belief. He looks back to the open door, then to Kaneda. His eyes find the floor, shifting around oddly.

Whatever this song is, it has an easily findable beat.

With Kaneda watching him, it's hard to even start. It just gets more awkward the longer this goes. But he can tell now that this won't end. Kaneda's determined. So.. He shuffles a little bit more side to side in the most halfhearted attempt at appeasing whatever demon's gotten into Kaneda. Then he can go. Right?]

[rassera]

[Not yet.

Kaneda notices the shuffle, his feet kept in time with the beat pretty well for as...minimalist as it was. Black eyes glitter, his whole face lighting up at the motion as he hurries over, no longer acting as a 'judge' but as a partner, going up right next to him and attempting to copy that footwork.

It didn't matter how tiny it was, Kaneda's doing it with the same amount of enthusiasm as he would with the fuckin' Tango.

There's a little arm movement from him where Tetsuo doesn't, but that's more their own styles differentiating it.

But that was just it, it was Tetsuo's dance. ]

[iamtetsuo]

[He almost stops completely when Kaneda moves closer. What is he-

He misses a few steps when he realizes what Kaneda's doing, watching his feet in surprise. No. There's no way he's doing that. Tetsuo's small attempt at moving around barely qualifies as motion; let alone a dance to follow along to. This beat's got a weird drumline- some of it not quite on beat. There is one thing he could try...

He'd seen this.. shoot, where was it? Some idol program... or something, he can't remember where. One of the few legit bits he actually knew about and was reasonably sure he wouldn't trip himself trying.

Just to make sure Kaneda's doing what he thinks he is, that's all.

Keeping a close eye on their feet, counting in his mind for a while to get himself ready and try to not screw up - ONE two three, one two THREE four, one two ...

At the next four-beat line, he kicks the ball of one foot against the ground instead of shuffling it to make it take a little less time, steps again to put his weight on his other foot and swings his first foot slightly out to tap the floor to his side. Then drags his foot back, ALMOST making the fourth beat on rhythm. Not quite.

Shit. He lost the beat trying that, dammit - he told Kaneda he was no good at this stuff...]

[rassera]

[Kaneda's feet slow as he processes what Tetsuo's trying to do. In all the time he knew Tetsuo, he'd never really seen him do more than this. A little scuffle to try and get into the beat, and then give up to go be a wallflower. Needless to say, it's the first time he's ever seen him break out of that box, and his own feet slow as he watches the attempt.

It's something Tetsuo's seen, obviously. It's like the guy was planning out the beats to his feet this whole time.

And there it is. Tetsuo's foot scuffs the floor, and then watches as the motion flows through him. It wasn't reserved at all, as open as Kaneda's dancing itself, and had he been just a half beat quicker, he would've nailed it. Kaneda stops completely, watching it, and watching how the music seemed to just take Tetsuo for that one particular moment.

It was like watching someone else for a second. A more confident, daring Tetsuo that he rarely got to see.]

Whoa!

[A hand reaches out, noticing Tetsuo's silent chastise of his own technique.]

Where did you learn THAT?

[iamtetsuo]

[Tetsuo doesn't look back up, or continue in his pathetic attempt at dance, slightly flinching at the question. He should not have tried that - not with an audience. What the hell convinced him to?]

TV...

[He confesses quietly. It's clear he'd never have worked that out on his own to both of them.

He didn't even work it out this time.]

[rassera]

And you remembered it??

[Whatever's going on in Tetsuo's mind, it's not exactly the same as what's going through Kaneda's. His eyes stared down at his feet, trying to remember Tetsuo's exact movements.]

You almost had it--try it again.

Here let me just...! [Holding up one finger, he dashes back into his room to start the song over.]

There! Okay, go for it, Tetsuo!

[iamtetsuo]

[Bewildered, he watches as Kaneda vanishes, then reappears. He screwed it up-- and it doesn't seem to matter...?

His eyes go back to his feet, still self-conscious. The song progresses. It progresses more. It progresses more, but now Tetsuo's counting.]

Okay...? Uh..

[He's come to accept that Kaneda's not going to let this go. Almost time... almost time.. and he tries it a second time, starting a little too early, but managing to finish in time at least. That's 2/2 times he hasn't tripped himself trying that.

Sadly, a new record.]

[rassera]

[He's not. Not until he has a dance out of Tetsuo. Kaneda strides back out, seeing Tetsuo attempting to keep rhythm...watching his feet as he goes through the motion. It was more polished this time--an actual attempt instead of a little experimental whim.

A thoughtful 'hmmm' escapes as he walks closer.]

What if you started from the ground instead of lifting your leg back?

[iamtetsuo]

Start from the ground...?

[rassera]

[Kaneda gives a soft nod, moving into place behind him.]

On the...is it the second or third beat? You go--[He lives his leg back to start the scuff on the ground, in demonstration.]

If you do it here...[Moving his heel to just before the scuff itself, instead of it going all the way back.]

It'll work better with this song.

[iamtetsuo]

...I see... so if I...

[He repeats those back in a quiet mutter, trying to internalize the clarification while he moves. It's still awkward, trying to match those movements exactly. Start his heel down closer to the ground...

Kaneda's right. It takes less time. Scuff-step, reach-tap, step. The surprise on his face when his feet just seem to make it work, for once, betrays his absolute conviction that he never would.]

[rassera]

[Kaneda backs up a step as Tetsuo tries to perform it with the given edits, rocking back on his heels when he starts to go into the motion. His eyes keep to his feet, lips pursed until he finishes...


And then bursting with the same amount of surprise and happiness when it works.

A hand reaches out, wrapping itself around Tetsuo's shoulders.]

And you said you had no rhythm!

That wasn't so hard, right?

[iamtetsuo]

[Stares at his own feet, then at Kaneda's, 'did I do that??' written all over his face.]

I still don't... [Did you see how hard he had to count those steps, Kaneda, that clearly means he has none, no one else has to count like that to do anything ] But that worked! I don't believe it!