Replies to This Discussion

InitiaPermalink Reply by ✓ Clara Carter on November 4, 2020 at 12:01

Clara couldn't help but smile at his words, "You sound more encouraging then half of my grade school teachers," she mentioned, which had been true, there had been the few teachers who had believed that each student had the potential to change the world, but most who had become a teacher had lost that spark soon after. "Did you have a support system when you decided to open your own dance studio?" Clara asked.

"Maybe this summer, When the fair rides open I'll go on one," this year she had wanted change and maybe when the new year came around she would convince herself to continue with experiencing new things and trying things that scared her, though that list had shrunk since she was a child, fears did have a way of burning themselves in a person for quite some time. "I completely agree, books are usually the works of a perfectionist, what is your favourite author,? she asked. 

Clare did her best to follow his instructions and tried to relax which was always easier said than done, she released her tight hold on her arms while still keeping posture, Clara moved with his feet, trying not to look down to much, "I'm not that worried to fall, should I be?" she hadn't even thought about it, but even with that question there in her head, she didn't let it sway her she continued following his lead and listening to the beat. 

ValkyrPermalink Reply by ✓ Yeonseok Lee on November 6, 2020 at 20:40

He laughed under his breath when she spoke about his encouraging nature “I believe in people and I think if you treat them right then they’ll take care of you right back” he nodded slightly, he liked to think he could do something good for someone and they would pass that good energy along somehow. He shrugged when she asked if he had a good support system “Honestly things didn’t go well to start with....it was a lot of struggling and figuring things out...I have a background in business and I knew how to run a company well enough but the dance part….that was more of a struggle” he nodded slightly “I had a good friend I could always turn to for anything though, that made all the difference” as one important friend could.

“Make sure to buy the ride photo for proof” he responded with a jesting tone to his voice, after all, you had to have some bragging rights for social media if you were going to face your fears after all. Yeon had a lot of different interests, though he rarely had the time to explore all of them. Running a company took a lot of work, even with him rising enough in the ranks to be able to hire people to help him, it was still demanding. When she asked about favorite author he paused and thought about it for a moment before giving a sheepish grin “I’d say Agatha Christie...which probably seems a little cheesy but there’s just something about how her books are written I love” he had confessed already he liked crime novels.

She was doing better than most beginners did, she had a natural rhythm to her which helped her move relatively fluid to the music, he was still doing most of the leading and at times guiding her where she needed to go so she didn’t stumble. He chuckled when she asked if she needed to worry if she would fall “Something tells me you’ve got this” he responded with a wry smile “On the new three count I want you to let go with with one arm and make this motion” he showed it before placing his hand back against her hip, not missing a beat “Once you’ve got the moves down the next thing to do is learn to make it look good” after all, people didn’t always do the same thing while dancing.

InitiaPermalink Reply by ✓ Clara Carter on November 11, 2020 at 20:33

"You have a very positive outlook, I admire that," she complimented. Clara thought herself to be positive most of the time, but some days were harder than others, she realized in her life, positivity most of the time was a choice, an active decision to stay happy. "When did you decide you didn't want to focus on business anymore and wanted to dance?" she asked. She hadn't had too difficult of a time in her life deciding what she had wanted to be and even though her parents were gone, when she was young they had supported her greatly. "Good friends do make all the difference, real ones are very important." Clara could look back on her life and pick out the pivotal friends in her past that had been a huge help to her and who she was today.

"I'll have to remember that," she replied to his comment on getting a photo. She'd probably get it, to look back on it one day that she had moved forward and grown as a person, facing fears was a huge accomplishment. "No, it's not cheesy, she writes beautifully, which is one of your favourite books of hers, she's written quite a few hasn't she?" Clara replied, she could count on one hand how many Agatha Cristie novels she had read in her life, not that she didn't like them but she found she often leaned towards her favourite genre, she still had to learn to get out of her comfort zone, not just her daily activities apparently her books too. 

"Do all dance teachers have this much faith in their students?" she asked following his lead. Clara was thrilled with him leading and wondered how anyone could find so much confidence in their own skill in dancing that they could lead another? She was marvelled by it. Clara nodded though her face probably had wary written all over it when he mentioned changing up the dance, she didn't feel that confident it what she had just learnt and he wanted her to try something more? But she didn't say anything, she wasn't going to quit, she would try until she could no longer move her feet. "Alrighty, I can guarantee, it won't look pretty but... I'm going to learn it." 

ValkyrPermalink Reply by ✓ Yeonseok Lee on November 15, 2020 at 17:01

He shrugged slightly “I never really gave up on business, I just combined it with the thing I was most passionate about” he responded nodding his head slightly, it was smart to bring together the things that mattered to him most “But it was about 8 years ago I made the full jump to make my own dance studio...it was tough but I got there” and now he had more success than he honestly ever expected to have. “True that...they’re the ones you could be away from for months or even years and the moment you’re back together it’s like nothing changed” he nodded slightly, they were rare but special.

He grinned sheepishly when she asked for his favorite book by her “I really like murder on the orient express, it has so many twists and turns and I like the way there are hints which help you come to your own conclusion about what happened” he nodded slightly, he liked books which exercised the reader’s brain and let them join dots. He’d read a lot of mystery books where the solution seemed to come out of nowhere and those were honestly disappointing to him because he wanted to be able to read into it a little himself “Do you have a favorite writer?” he questioned curiously.

“No” he answered honestly “My first ballet teacher told me I didn’t stand a chance in dance after only three lessons” he responded and shrugged his shoulders slightly, he didn’t start as early as most and her traditionalist way of thinking therefore voided him out of the race without giving him a chance to learn and prove himself “If she could see me now” he teased as he lead the dance, he was feeling the music, his mind naturally counting the beats between movements effortlessly “When I decided to go into teaching myself I told myself I’d be nothing like her, it doesn’t matter to me how good people are, it matters that they’re willing to work” dance was all about getting up and moving, if he could get people doing that, he was making a good start.

“Pretty isn’t what we’re going for just yet, it’s all about getting familiar, you’ll find soon enough the steps feel more natural” he slowed it down to half beat for a few counts while they got into their travelling rhythm and she seemed to be getting it okay.

InitiaPermalink Reply by ✓ Clara Carter on November 18, 2020 at 20:39

Clara nodded as she listened to him speak. "What got you started in business in the first place?" she asked, Dancing and business seemed like two completely different things and she couldn't imagine herself learning two very different things, she had always seen business as a more professional, serious thing to learn, but dancing on the other hand, though they had dances with choreography she always saw it as more of a freeing and flowing thing to learn. "I agree, it's like two puzzle pieces, no matter when they find their way together, they just click," she replied. 

Clara smiled at his answer. "That is a wonderful book, have you seen the movie, or are you someone who never watches the movie of your favourite book in case they ruin it. Not that I would judge you if you did, I've seen some horrible renditions myself," one sprang to the forefront of her mind but she shook it out of her head, that movie didn't need any more thought. She thought the question over in her head over his question of her favourite author. "RaeAnne Thayne, I've read a few books from her and I love every single one, she writes the best Christmas Romance novels, I've made it a tradition to read one of them each holiday season," she blushed, she sounded absolutely nerdy when it came to books sometimes. 

Her eyes widened in surprise. "Aren't teachers supposed to be motivating?" the teacher's Clara had always had been sweet and loved what they did, except for her math teacher in high school, though she didn't blame it on him, high school math sucked. "She would definitely be surprised," she answered eyeing his movements she couldn't believe someone thought he couldn't dance, as she watched each fluid step he took, each movement of his hands, it seemed like a gift, but Clara knew that like everything in life it took work and dedication, "Absolutely," she replied with no hesitation, a renewed sense of determination washing over her, it was all about practice, she would try her hardest to learn.

Slowing down eased her into the steps, her eyes making over the new moves they had added, and Clara found herself stepping into the rhythm.  "That's good to hear, I don't think I'll be doing pretty for a long time," she said. 

ValkyrPermalink Reply by ✓ Yeonseok Lee on November 28, 2020 at 10:01

Yeon allowed a wry smile to cross his lips when she asked what got him into business “My father...it was honestly the center of his entire world and of course little me saw this successful man and just wanted to be like him” despite how complicated things were now, Yeon didn’t resent his father for wanting his son to be successful and he was proud of how he had managed to merge the two things that mattered to him. He chuckled slightly when she explained old friends being like puzzle pieces “Exactly that, no matter how much time passes, it always fits the same” he was the type to have a lot of acquaintances but not many close friends so the ones he had he did hold dear.

He chuckled softly “I’ll admit...I’ve been putting off going to see it because I’m worried it won’t do it justice” meaning he hadn’t seen the movie yet but he had been very tempted to go see it because he was sure it would be good “Nothing on the big screen ever quite captures the same wonder as reading it” probably because you couldn’t fit in the same amount of detail in the space of 2 hours and people would be falling asleep bored if it went on for much longer than that. He grinned slightly when she named her favorite author and how she liked reading holiday romances “So you’re a big fan of Christmas huh?” he smiled playfully, everyone liked celebrating at a happier time of year didn’t they?

The way she reacted when he mentioned his old ballet teacher made him press his lips together “There is something about old school dance teachers that just...irks me...instead of nurturing people and helping them improve they seem more interested in picking favorites” it was crazy mostly because people would pay good money to send their kids to dance classes. “I hope she’s kicking herself honestly” he responded with a chuckle, he never let it get the best of him but he was sure there was some other kid out there that quit dancing because they were told they weren’t good enough and that bothered him.

Every time she seemed uncertain or made a wrong step she seemed to right herself before long, he was impressed with her resilience “You’ve got this” he encouraged though he wasn’t sure she needed encouragement because she seemed pretty determined all by herself. Before long they had got into the rhythm of being about to head in one direction and another without getting completely lost “Ballroom is such a reliable dance...once you know it, you know it, that’s what makes it special” it was great for being able to pick up and just dance.

InitiaPermalink Reply by ✓ Clara Carter on November 29, 2020 at 20:38

Clara knew what he meant, the joy to please her father had been something she had always loved to do, it had been the very reason why she had always gone with him when he went fishing, or when he had to fix something in the house, it was those things that let them spend time together. His memory brought a smile to her lips, she could always say she would never have regrets when it came to her father, her only wish would have been able to spend even more time together. "I get that, I was a daddy's girl," she replied. Clara nodded along with his reply to no matter what time passed true friends fit together.

"Well, I have seen the movie and though it's not perfect if you try to separate it from the book the movie was quite well, I find that's usually the problem," she said. "It's never quite the same as the book because it lacks the certain details that made it a favourite or the thoughts of what they were thinking at that moment," she agreed, with books never being the same because so far she hadn't met a comparison that ever did a book justice. "What I like now is with books they're starting to make tv shows, and I think that works slightly better, more of the little details are captured," Clara added.
"I do love Christmas but I make it a rule not to start too early, usually at the beginning of December will I break out the tree and some eggnog, but anywhere before then I try not to, I think it's more special waiting and having it for a short time rather than since Halloween. What about you?" she asked. "Are you a Christmas fan?" The holidays always warmed her heart, though she no longer had her parents, she and her friends would always spend it together. 

Clara could find it hard to believe that even out of pocket paid dance teachers to lose their passion for dancing and teaching student. She listened to his words and she could tell it bothered him, it would bother her too if someone discouraged a young mind to stop reading and she felt it was the same with dancing. "People can be so cruel," she muttered.  She laughed at his answer. "Oh, I bet she is,"

The smile slipped into place at his encouraging words, she did have this, with each step she took Clara could feel herself grow more confident, they moved one way, and then the other way in beat with the rhythm. "It really is and I think I'm getting the swing of it, and it's becoming easier," she replied. 

ValkyrPermalink Reply by ✓ Yeonseok Lee on December 4, 2020 at 19:02

He smiled wistfully, being a valkyr meant he had to leave his parents behind after he turned but that didn’t mean in his own ways he wanted to make them proud and use the knowledge and opportunities they gave him “I think we all wanna impress our parents...we’re their whole world, you know” despite the fact his father never really supported his passion for dance he knew he wanted the best for him and that was why he always pushed him so hard.

He wrinkled his nose a little as he pondered whether he should see the movie but if she thought it was decent then perhaps it wasn’t as bad as he feared “Maybe I’ll see it then...I mean I do love the story a whole lot...but then...I imagine the movie is better for those who haven’t seen the book and don’t know the twists and turns ahead of time” that was the one problem with mystery novels, once you knew the ending it was tough to reread them because it took away the sense of wonder when you were surprised by the unpredictable twists. He smiled when she said she liked how books were now becoming TV shows “Those shows tend to be pretty loosely inspired though” he chuckled “Which I guess kinda works...alternate reality” there was never a truly accurate depiction of a book in his mind.

He grinned when she mentioned her traditions for Christmas and how she liked to wait to begin them and build the excitement beforehand “I usually work most of Christmas” he confessed and gave a slightly sheepish grin. He didn’t really have a family anymore and it felt weird to be sitting down and celebrating a holiday all by himself so for many years he had just kinda skipped it “Though even if I’m travelling the whole time and constantly in business meetings, I always manage to bring this stupid tiny little Christmas tree with me” he chuckled slightly “Brightens up the hotel rooms” it felt strange to him to admit but it was true.

He nodded in agreement with her sentiment about being cruel “Especially when they’re kids, you know” he shook his head in disapproval. In his case though, her comments only spurred him to get more focused, he had a knack for proving people wrong and he refused to be defined by what some middle aged woman decided his label was. As the music came to an end he was grinning because she really was doing well and it had honestly been a pleasure to teach her the first steps on her dancing journey “Sadly our hour is now up” he commented with a chuckle, the time felt like it flew by thanks to the conversation, he dropped his hands to his sides and stepped back.

InitiaPermalink Reply by ✓ Clara Carter on December 7, 2020 at 0:05

Clara nodded sensing something more with his expression but she didn't press, Clara could understand the complicated relationship parents could be, hers had brought her happiness but their sudden deaths had brought her more pain than she thought imaginable. "We are aren't we," she replied to his answer about children being a parent's whole world she had seen it when she had volunteered at the hospital for a bit in the children's ward hoping to make kids smile; watching the profound love of a parent had been special. 

"I get what you mean, it's so hard for them to incorporate the exact plot, I don't know why though, you'd think it'd be easier if they stuck with the material they already had," it had always slightly bothered her how quickly they went off track of the original story after all the popularity of a book is what usually brought the book to life on the real screen and the fans would probably be the ones to have read it first. "Alternate reality, I like that, hey maybe in an alternate reality they make the book to movie copies correctly," she laughed even that didn't seem likely. 

She didn't know why but she saddened at the thought of anyone having to spend the holidays alone, after all, it was like most any days, but it didn't stop her from wanting to reach out and offer. "Even a little touch of Christmas is better than none," she replied to his mention of the tiny Christmas tree he brought with him. "If you didn't work through Christmas what would you be doing, seeing the nutcracker?" she suggested. 

When the song ended Clara had a smile prideful smile on her face. She had done it, without making a complete fool of herself, and she thought that was enough for her. "Thank you so much, you've been so helpful," she definitely would need more instruction but to have an hour already down on her belt did her wonders. "Do I schedule my next class with you or...?" she trailed off unsure. 

ValkyrPermalink Reply by ✓ Yeonseok Lee on December 10, 2020 at 15:57

He nodded slightly, he wasn’t a father himself but he could see from the way his acted that he had been important to his parents, they only ever pushed him so hard because they wanted him to succeed and he was glad to say they ingrained that into him “At least when everything sucks, we can think about that” he spoke softly, it was an important thing to fall back on, knowing your family would want the best for you, even if you could no longer be with them.

He pulled a face when she mentioned how they liked to change the plots “These writers and directors seem to think they know better than the writers who put their entire soul into them” he spoke in a somewhat sad tone because it was honestly sad people wouldn’t experience the story with the same wonder. He chuckled when she joked about an alternate reality where books weren’t ruined “Hey at least it means you can kinda...keep the best parts a secret from the masses” sometimes when you experienced something good you wanted to keep it all to yourself.

He noticed the way her expression changed when he mentioned how he didn’t have anyone to spend Christmas with and offered a reassuring smile “Don’t worry, I never forget about it” even though he was busy working, he did take a moment to just stop and remember how lucky he was at the holidays. He pursed his lips when she asked what he would do “I mean if we were talking dream life...I’d be eating a home-cooked dinner with friends and giving them stupidly expensive gifts” he chuckled and smiled “I have this bad habit of wanting to spoil people” but he had a lot of money and not a lot of things to spend it on.

Her bright smile reminded him of why he did lessons like that, for that moment of realization that they can actually do this and do it pretty well too “You’re welcome, you’ve been a model student” he teased before pulling out his phone so he could go through his available appointments “I can do pretty much any Wednesday evening if that works for you?” he was always eager to continue with students who worked hard.

InitiaPermalink Reply by ✓ Clara Carter on December 19, 2020 at 15:53

Clara nodded along, she didn't want to think of her parents too often the absence of them had grown slightly less dim but there was still an ache in her heart, one she understood would probably never go away. But even though she had lost hers, she was always happy to see a way parents or even just one parent could love a child so very much, they often say when you become a parent your heart now walks on the outside of your body and in most cases she could see that was very true. 

"Silly isn't it? they have a whole story laid out in front of them and they like to change things," Clara prompted. She knew with all her heart that an author put their entire soul into each book they write, being an avid reader it was easy to tell, a glimpse into the mind of each author, a magical portal into their world. "True, like a music artist that isn't quite famous yet, and you want to keep it a secret," 

A sad smile graced her lips, she hated the thought of anyone being alone on Christmas, it had been like that for her when she had just moved into the city, right after her parents had died, but she had decided to donate her Christmas to the less fortunate or some years to the senior homes, where they were just as lonesome as she was. Though she imagined this year might be a bit different for her. "I know what you mean, I usually end up making something homemade for everyone, a crocheted sweater, homemade fudge, things like that," she replied. Christmas did have a way of being one of the happiest times of years, with the festive lights and good cheer.   

Clara smiled at him, her cheeks turning a soft pink. "It's only because I've had such a good teacher," she replied. This had been exactly what she needed and she felt inspired to do more off her list of things she wanted to do. "That sounds lovely, I'm free," she pulled out her notepad and scribbled the date down so she wouldn't forget. "So I guess I'll see you Wednesday?" Clara said walking over to pick up her purse and jacket. "Do I have any homework until then?" she half-joked. 

ValkyrPermalink Reply by ✓ Yeonseok Lee on December 21, 2020 at 15:19

He nodded in agreement, it was bizarre to him to change a beloved story during an adaptation because it would only disappoint fans in the end “I guess they like to keep an element of surprise” he commented and shrugged, that was the only explanation he could come up with that made sense anyway “Oh those are the best” he commented with a wry smile, he was a fan of few indie bands here and there that he liked a lot and it was nice to be able to attend their gigs and not be completely overwhelmed by crowds of people “Perhaps a little selfish but we all have our guilty pleasures” he chuckled as he raised his brows.

“Or so she’s multi-talented huh?” he grinned brightly and tilted his head slightly “Never really been good at making things honestly, unless dance routines count” he chuckled and shrugged, you couldn’t be good at everything right? The world wasn’t that unbalanced after all. “But now you’ve giving me a craving for fudge” he teased wondering if there was somewhere he could get some on the way home from the studio, that would be an appropriate reward for getting through the work day right? Though honestly it felt like it had flown by rather quickly.

He grinned slightly, she had been good company today and honestly he could see himself getting along with someone like her, she was positive and cheery despite being a little reserved and he was sure with some more encouragement she could come out of her shell “Perfect, I’ll see you then” he responded as he submitted the session into his calendar. He slowly made his way towards the door so he could see her out and raised his brows when she asked about homework “Only to find a song you really wanna dance to, you’ll find the music you set your dancing to will make a world of difference” once they at the door he waved her off “Stay safe out there Clara”.

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