<Nocturnal Harmonia>

[Bloodedge]

Whatever Iris meant about taking advantage of a more clever individual than oneself was a mystery to Donnie ─ at least in terms of its relevance at the moment. He didn't intend to take advantage of anyone, but... the thought of what would already be in discussion, if not for one blaring issue, did cross his mind a couple of times already. "I don't know about all that... but I got you," he said simply. With that, progress toward the trip was being made once more. It didn't take long to get everyone on the plane. In fact, Crow was already making his way to the cockpit, only to stop upon hearing mention of the bar. Nikki asked if anyone else was interested in a drink. She'd get three responses. "Oy, one here!" said Leon. "Lemme drop this off real quick, and I'm down!" Donnie chimed in. The last response would, of course, be... Crow. "I'll have one of that and a drink to boot, Sheila!"

As they walked down the corridor, Donnie became aware of two things. The first was an additional pair of footsteps trailing behind him, light though they were. The second was... the realization that he was en route to the would-be bedroom of a dangerous individual. Surely she couldn't be that bad, right? Ah, but on second thought... Donnie had seen such behavior from women of all ages, even when he himself was far too young. Lo and behold, Iris's announcement of beds resulted in her offering to 'try it out' with her, a full flop and bounce onto the mattress. By Donnie's approximation, he could manage this situation just fine. "I respect the hustle, but I ain't a National. Law still got me. So where you want this bag?"

[Apollymi]

As they moved onto the plane, Donnie's claims were noted by Iris, and she began reformulating her plans around his personality as she experienced it. King Don wasn't naturally a pedophile and wouldn't purposefully break the law in a way that would incriminate himself. But… that didn't mean this situation was a loss… no, it would simply need a bit of fine-tuning."Do you really? I wonder about that…" Iris said with all the light amusement of someone who knew exactly what she was doing. At the same time, Nikki had settled into the private jet lifestyle and began questioning if anyone wanted drinks. All the while… Nikki was soon serving drinks, pulling out tumblers and shot glasses and picking out favorites. "All right, rum for Leon. I can drink a bit of that…" Nikki said, pouring up two with a couple of cubes of ice. She'd slide one to Leon and then look at Crow. "Bruv, you're flying…" She'd give him a glance with a narrowed eye and then look forward again. "I'll give you a shot, anything you like, and then you get in the cockpit, right?" she offered with a cheeky smile to send him on his way.

Just the same, Ronnie was tiptoeing behind Donnie and Iris, hearing the girl make a pitch that likely would have worked on a lesser man. 'Damn shame, Drake would have taken the bait. Still… she's ahead of you, bruv~' Ronnie thought as she and Iris both heard Donnie letting the girl down easy, but it was a bit too easy. Iris knew the kinds of arguments people made. "Well, you can't blame a lass for tryin'. You can put it over there…" she said, gesturing off to the side of the bed, where she would casually roll and sit, her legs dangling over the edge as she looked at him. Her body was placed in such a way as to technically close further into the room capturing him between her soon to be open legs, showing off a pair of tiny pink panties with lace trim, not thongs but also not full coverage either. Her shorts rode up just a little as she left her legs open enough to not be considered lady-like… "You sure, though? 'Cause… we're about to be in the sky. Which no one owns… on a plane that you own… with a National Hunter to claim jurisdiction… basically, you could do whatever you wanted, and Nik would forgive you~" she added. Obviously, she'd thought this exact situation all the way through, except for one little detail, one that Ronnie knew, Donnie knew, and Nikki knew… which was… a human body wasn't going to survive actual sexual activity with a Hunter of Donnie's power level or even his natural endowment. "Bruv, you walked into the second layer of the trap… And you, Iris? Your logic also says Nik could lock you in a suitcase for the duration of the flight. Besides you don't have all the information, you got no idea what you're signing yourself up for~" Ronnie said from the doorway, almost casually. Still as Iris looked at Ronnie in the doorway she could only wonder if the woman was earning herself a lesser punishment, planning a similar bit of mischief or saying something out of the kindness of her own heart. It was hard to tell.

[Bloodedge]

Leon was to receive his drink of choice when Nikki poured one for herself as well. He didn't drink much of anything else, but... everything he was looking at seemed top-shelf. "Cheers sis! I might even have a butcher's at some of that other stuff over there later," he mentioned casually, taking a seat in one of four swiveling chairs. At the same time, Crow was receiving a similar reaction from Nikki as the one he'd heard from Donnie. Yes, he was the pilot... but if he could fly a military jet as a teenager, he could fly a magical jet while intoxicated in adulthood. Besides that, Crow was already pulling out the blunt he'd procured from Donnie earlier. "No worries here, yeah? The drink's me second option anyway. I'll go for a bit of 'surprise me' and bugger off. How 'bout you come up with me and have a look at me cockpit, yeah?"

Whether Crow found success or failure, Donnie was presently finding himself... dodging one trap just to fall into another. Iris pointed him in the right direction for leaving her luggage. He took no issue walking over to that side of the bed, but as he crouched to gently leave her belongings on the floor... Iris rolled to the bed's edge, and there was a sudden leg in front of him. Donnie paused, shifted back, and felt the other leg blocking his path. Then came the moment of reckoning, in which he looked over and had his eyes drawn directly to pink lace. It was a very conscious effort of Donnie's to lift his gaze thereafter, but the face he looked into was one presently spewing calculated excuses for actions Iris thought worth taking. The logic was technically faultless. On the other hand, Ronnie came through with the perfect counterpoints. Biggest of all, there was the simple fact that they couldn't safely do much of anything, if anything at all. "Uh... well damn," Donnie uttered. Whether that had anything to do with what happened, what he'd seen, what Iris said or what Ronnie countered with, he wouldn't specify to anyone. However, the biggest fact remained in place. "She got a point. What you tryna do is an easy way to die. Hunters ain't no joke, and I been actin' up lately."

[Apollymi]

At least someone was having a good time. In this particular case, Leon said cheers and seemed to be pleased with the drink he got. He even claimed he'd be trying something new in a bit. "That right, mate? Don't go too hard, can't have you wasted on the flight~" Nikki said, having returned to her general happiness. Soon enough, Crow was asking about a drink and a little something else… Nikki took a minute as she took her first sip, and then she looked at the orange-haired man as if it took that long for his words to process. "Oh, you were comin' on to me. Bruv… I was too upset earlier; I couldn't process that~" she said, thinking about it honestly. "Still pretty mad. Let me work that out, I'll come check on ya' afterwards~" she said, flirting just a bit. She wouldn't mind getting a couple of pictures in the cockpit anyways.

Beyond that point, Iris had sprung a multi-layered trap and, in so doing, got exactly the kind of reaction she was looking for. She was watching a man actively move closer and closer to the deviance she offered. Of course, a plan had several variables, Nikki, her brothers, and Ronnie being the main ones. As she watched King Don catch a peek of her panties and not seem too disheartened by it… she also heard her older cousin's discouraging words. Ronnie, still posted up by the door, looked at Iris. It wasn't just her discouraging the girl; she was also being backed up by King Don. "What do you mean?" she asked, looking at Ronnie a bit more directly. "Didn't do your due diligence, eh? Didn't investigate the forums and find out that a lot of marriages and relationships ended because one person awakened and the other didn't? Didn't check injury reports about dealing with Hunters in… non-combat situations? There's magic in sex now… and I'm irresponsible and in heat. If I thought it was possible for you… I'd help, but that there, even without the magical stuff, isn't the kind of cock you take first… it's the kind you take after years of experience. And a high pain tolerance… or you gotta like the pain~ Besides all that, there isn't a healer on this plane. Too many things could go wrong," Ronnie explained in a fairly straightforward way. "So, you came here for all three reasons, then. I guess that is more you than anything else…" Iris concluded. Then she lowered her leg while looking at Donnie. He'd not lied, so if he thought she couldn't handle it… that was technically acceptable. She'd do a bit of research and find out what kind of horror stories existed on the internet, fact-check them with hospital records and the like. Before then, there was one more test. Iris stood up, grabbed her bag, and opened her arms. She was going to let Donnie lean in for a hug before she returned to the main area with everyone else. And, as proof of no hard feelings, she'd let him choose it. Only if he leaned in properly would she whisper a single sentence to him before running off. "Made you look~" Iris claimed before heading off with all the scamp energy of a criminal mastermind.

[Bloodedge]

As a man who'd been a convicted immigrant for nearly half of his life, Crow was going to shoot every shot he could manage at any woman who didn't run the other way. It wasn't strange to him that Nikki missed his point the first time; he'd keep making it until some form of acknowledgement, be it positive or negative, came. The second time around was the winner. In her state of anger, she'd let the first fly overhead entirely... but the second was very different. According to her, she'd work out that remaining anger and see about his cockpit offer afterwards. That much was about all Crow needed to keep motivated for the trip. All he was missing now, was the follow-through... and the other thing he'd accepted. "Alright Sheila, I'll hold ya' to it. Now how about that drink before I pop off?"

While Crow awaited his sendoff drink, Donnie found himself caught between Iris's legs, trying to speak enough sense for her own safety. Ronnie was the one to give the finer details, while Donnie merely tried working himself into a standing position without too much contact. "She ain't lyin'. I mean, I don't know about the 'years of experience' part. A nigga don't always go hard. But that's besides the point. It sound like it's a whole new thing for you anyway, so don't make the first the last. Feel me?" That was about all Donnie could manage while trying to avoid speaking himself into another trap. He considered making the hit a bit easier, clarifying the causes of rejection and the firmness, or lack thereof, as well. He knew all too well that if Ronnie hadn't been present, and/or if he'd been even a few drinks deep, that latest trap would have ended very differently. Whatever the case, Iris soon enough stopped blocking his paths, seeming to back down for the moment. Her arms were open as if she expected another hug. Donnie took pause, looking at her suspiciously. Was it another trap? Did it even matter at this point? Well, he figured if she hadn't actually backed down at least for now, she couldn't be that clever at all. Keeping that in mind, he eventually opened his own arms. "... Aight lil' mama, bring it on in," he decided. Both arms wrapped around the lass, only for him to receive her whispered words about his earlier glance. With that, she was off. Donnie was heaving a sigh of relief before the girl even fully exited the room. "Bro, if I... that shit right th... that girl dangerous!"

[Apollymi]

Soon enough, drinks were being poured, and a few other things were happening at the front of the plane. Nikki had missed an initial come-on but spent a bit of time flirting with the pilot anyway. She'd figured he'd already seen the show, and while she was currently all about Donnie, he fit some other criteria of hers that could make him a bit of fun. She wasn't the type to leave a guy hanging or anything, so she'd go and chat with him when she was certain she wouldn't end up accidentally crushing him or anything. "Aye, aye, rum okay, mate? Or did ya' want something else?" she asked, already pouring a shot of it for him. If he didn't want that, she'd surely drink it herself or end up passing it to her sister, presuming she and Donnie didn't end up staying in the back.

Speaking of, the explanation that Ronnie gave was enough for Iris to give a fair bit of thought to doing a bit of research. Her elder cousin had never led her astray, so she'd make sure to at least look into it. Still, she wouldn't be leaving without a bit more. Donnie's words on the nature of his body and being made her curious but equally a bit tentative. "I hear ya'. I'll see what I can confirm on my own and decide…" Iris said. If she had to give credit, she'd say Donnie was a much better man than Drake. And beyond that, he was definitely nice enough to keep falling for the kind of antics she had to offer. Case in point: one final hug that had Donnie and Ronnie both eyeing her with innate suspicion. And then those whispered words during the hug, which made the man stumble through words before getting to the idea that Iris was dangerous. "We did try and warn ya', bruv. She's clever… no emotional sense, but all the knowledge to make the kinds of appeals that will get her exactly what she's looking for one day. She's got it honest, though…" Ronnie managed with a cheeky wink. "No worries, this time… we'll get ya' a drink and let Nikki take all that pent-up aggression out on you on the dance floor~ It'll be great!~" Ronnie offered. With that, she'd be heading back up, and she'd find that Iris was sitting in one of the chairs, not in front of a window, facing the aisle with her screen blocked as she prepared to do… research.

[Bloodedge]

Crow's armored hand remained outstretched as Nikki poured him a mere shot of rum, asking if it was an acceptable choice. Truthfully, he didn't care what it was. "I do want somethin' else. We were just talkin' about that. But yeah nah, you could fair dinkum give me a pint of motor oil as long as it's got some kick and lowers the old sobriety level, eh darling?" he responded. Upon taking his glass, Crow immediately raised it, clinking with an imaginary shot glass held by Nikki. "Bloody legend. Cheers and all that," he said before tilting back the shot, and his head. The rum hit his senses quickly, earning a sharp exhale after he took the shot. "You know, that's alright! It's quite the sweet one. If you come up, yeah, bring the bottle. I might be done with this by then~" A flash of the blunt he was still carrying occurred with that claim and request, and with that... Crow would be creeping toward the cockpit, eyes following Nikki as he tossed the empty shot glass her way. 'Poor sod's gonna have a wank in the cockpit,' Leon thought upon seeing the exchange.

Iris was off to seek her own confirmation about Hunters and humans having sexual relations. In the meantime, Donnie was either avoiding a crisis, or having one. Once she rounded the corner and Ronnie commented on her high-functioning brain but low emotional sense. True enough, that entire family was trouble. It was the kind of trouble Donnie liked getting himself into overall, but that one was a more legitimate, legal, and partially moral type. "Bro, if I had the drinks already... I woulda forgot all about the other shit and got right up in there. Face-first, nigga! Do frilly drawers just run in the family?" he wondered. Either way, Donnie would be making his way closer to Ronnie, and therefore the door to Iris's room for the trip. The idea of letting Nikki take her frustrations out on the dance floor was quite appealing... and so was the idea of a drink or five before their plane took to the skies. "So what, you out on this one? If so, that's cool... but I'ma definitely need that cognac before we go up." While Donnie made that claim and slipped past the woman, he also reached around to have a grab at her rear. After all that nonsense, he had to get a feel for something.

[Apollymi]

Crow was the type of man who didn't really care what he drank. Such wasn't a completely odd thing to hear, but it was still a bit jarring to Nikki. He was also a pretty forward individual, continuing to flirt with a woman who was beyond what one could consider normal. "Haha~ Bruv, you're too much. Still… not gonna give you oil to drink. Just a little rum, lad~" Nikki offered lightly. She really had been missing out a bit, not that she was the type to run through a bar's worth of men or anything. She was simply realizing how blind she'd let herself be to the attention she'd earned while defending a certain pink-haired male. She'd expected some sadness or even some form of regret, a pull to want to fill the gap, but after he left her VIP room the previous night, she'd felt nothing but peace. Upon handing over Crow's drink, Nikki was called a 'Bloody Legend', which also made her smile. "Damn, mate, if the pilot thing doesn't work out… I could hire you as a hype man. It was just a drink; what happens when I actually do something~" she playfully wondered. What's more, the lad claimed that he might be done with the blunt by the time she got there and, after taking that drink, decided he liked it and that she should bring the bottle. "Bruv, you gotta take it step by step out here… We're trying to get there~" she said, not one to question the man's ability but not wanting to increase Donnie's flight anxiety. "I'll think about it, though… we'll have a little chat when I pop up," she offered kindly. There was at least one other thing she had to alert the man to, as she definitely couldn't just have sex with him as she was… but that was something to consider a bit later.

At the same time, Donnie was dying thinking about how close he'd come to some potentially criminal activity. The dangers of an Iris were settled into place, proving that if she'd wanted to trap a man, she at least understood all the principles that would make it happen. That being said, magical world mechanics had thrown a bit of a wrench into her plans… as such, she'd be going back to the drawing board. So, while Iris buried herself in her internet research… Ronnie and Donnie relaxed and slowly began moving forward. "I mean, weaker men than you have caved to less. It's pretty normal for girls past 14 to start considering how they look in their knickers. And her big cousins are a fashion model and a fashion designer, so she understands the basic standards. She also gets to grow up away from my shadow directly, so she doesn't have the natural misgivings Nik had at her age. For better or worse, not your fault~" Ronnie claimed, knowing the truth of the matter. "I'll have the drinks and whatnot. I like a little cognac, but… I'mma sit the first one out. You're the one who can absorb the damage Nik's gonna dish out. It'll be cool~ I'll pull up after, and maybe after I pop in on Crow~" Ronnie said. She did have something a bit closer to a predatory nature. And with that, they'd be back at the front for drinks, leaning against the bar, with no need to sit, even if the plane took off, as they were all Hunters with a good bit of ability to them. A couple of tumblers were already waiting as Nikki leaned against the other side of the bar. "Ice?~" she wondered, almost jokingly, as they appeared.

[Bloodedge]

Crow did call Nikki a legend, but the way she took it implied a bit more intensity than it meant. He'd merely been speaking normally as Australians did, but... perhaps that was flirty banter? It would be in bad taste to do anything but go along with it, he thought. "I don't know; you'd be something! Ready to find out when you are, Sheila," he said. And with that, Crow was off. His immediate future would involve inspecting the cockpit to find various buttons, switches and levers that he wasn't at all familiar with. One such interactable was a switch to activate gravity stabilization, and another was a button for drawing from mana crystals. "Bloody hell, this is a right spaceship, not a plane! What do you do?" Crow asked of a random switch... which he proceeded to flip, causing a tremble in the plane similar to hydraulic use. Immediately, he flipped that switch back and looked around as if someone could have seen that maneuver. "Alright... not that one."

That little jump was felt in the salon when Donnie entered, just after Nikki asked about ice. There was a bit of recoil, but some quick thinking from the pilot enabled gravitational stability to prevent any major stumbles. "Ohhh shit shit shit," Donnie said, seconds from freaking out. "Nah, hit me straight," he said. Whatever she had prepared, Donnie was ready to take quickly. "No worries back there! Just a bit of pre-flight stability tests. Everything's completely normal!" Crow said through the plane's speakers. Well... the deal had already been made, so trying to relax was all Donnie could do now. That was how things would go while Crow further familiarized himself with the cockpit and switched on the magic engines. About five total minutes in, and already three drinks for Donnie, and the New York musician was working toward connecting his phone with the plane, a decent buzz claiming him already. "Aight, I think this gon' work. Got me feelin' loose already."

[Apollymi]

Crow didn't know what he'd call Nikki, but he claimed he'd let her know when it came up. She smiled; he was a good-looking young man with the right kind of energy. Before the most recent night of her life, she would have considered him perfect non-committal rebound material for a breakup. "Get settled, I might have something for ya'~" Nikki claimed. She noted that this could have also been used as part of the punishment for Hop, but her plans for him were a bit more in-depth. While all of that happened, Iris found herself on a Hunter forum called 'AwakenedProblems'. It read almost like a 'SecretConfessions'-style thing, but was seemingly a place where the awakened spoke about their problems, gathered in groups, and commiserated over their shared life experiences. This website had gone up a few weeks after Awakenings were officially declared a thing, and currently had over 100,000 active users, making it good grounds for understanding. The confessions had categories, people had profiles, and everything from complaints about ranking and the trouble of finding housing to medical care and relationships was covered. With this in mind, Iris began her search.

Soon enough, Ronnie and Donnie were joining up front, but the shake of the plane as Crow readied for takeoff had Donnie seemingly freaking out a bit. "Come on, bruv… I got ya'~" Nikki said, pouring a straight drink for Donnie and keeping them coming. She also poured one for Ronnie with a couple of cubes of ice. Just the same, time would pass, and they'd end up a few deep before the takeoff happened. By the time Donnie was connecting to the sound system and beginning to groove, everything seemed to be legitimately all right. Though everyone had grabbed onto something when the plane shook, Iris, in her infinite wisdom, buckled herself into the seat. 'That didn't even sound convincing,' Ronnie thought about the everything was normal bit, but she didn't comment aloud to avoid potentially upsetting the man with the extreme flight phobia. "So, you gonna dance, or you got something floating around in that head of yours~" Nikki wondered curiously. She'd made herself a Coke and rum and would have it in hand for the duration, but was fully moving to get ready to dance.

[Bloodedge]

Five minutes. In five minutes, everyone was becoming quite settled. Donnie had a proper connection to the plane's sound system going, with Nikki asking whether he intended to dance or perform. In all honesty, he didn't know. "I ain't even think about it, but you know what? I was thinkin' what happened to dance tracks?" he muttered. A drunken Donnie was one with an easy muse, mostly due to his mind being everywhere at once. For some time, there were songs and dances that went hand-in-hand. While being incapable of figuring out which thing he'd do, he had something coming to mind. "You know what? I'ma do both!" he exclaimed after a few moments of consideration. Soon, Donnie could be seen alternating a scroll here and a sip of cognac there. He had many instrumentals; all he had to do was find one that worked.

While Donnie searched his phone and got up to take the floor, Crow actually got the plane moving. It was such a subtle shift that only the most acute and aware senses would register the change from outside, all thanks to the gravitational stabilizers in place. Unaware of the movement, Donnie took the middle of the floor and motioned for everyone to join as the music began. "Got it, now let's get it! Nobody sittin' down today!" he instructed. Leon didn't require any coaxing, and was up on his feet with a full glass of rum right away. Hop took several seconds, but thought that if everyone was getting up... it was an opportunity he'd best take. "Aight aight, so this how we gon' do this! I'ma call it... I don't know yet! Everybody bop though, I'ma hit y'all with some instructions in a minute. Vibe wit' me..."With that said, the beat was going... and so was the plane. In came the first hook without Donnie having a clue what was going on around them.

"It's been some years now♪~
Since we hit the floor to get down♪
We always had a step to go with the sound♪
Now everybody wanna sit around, drink and ball♪
Remember♪... the snake,
And how the floor used to clear and everybody would break♪
What's crunk now used to be called getting to it♪
I'm bringing it all back, this is how we do it.
Just...♪"

[Apollymi]

Five minutes into a plane ride where the plane wasn't even moving yet, and Donnie was answering a question about whether he was going to dance or sing. Nikki had asked it in good faith, but it would be an answer she didn't really know to expect. And now Nikki and Ronnie were both trying to think of the last time they'd heard a dance track. "Eh? Might have been you the last time I heard one," Nikki admitted. "I thought I heard one by X while I was in the States last time. Might not have been recent, though… can't remember where I heard it," Ronnie claimed. Still, the end result of Donnie's questioning was that he'd do both. There would apparently be both singing and dancing. Iris had fully intended to do more research, but… King Don began doing something that required her attention, so… now was the time. For her to use a key command to black her screen and lock her laptop so that she could leave it to join the others on the dance floor.

Everybody currently in the cabin seemed to be joining in as the beat started. They took note of Donnie's words, and Iris positioned herself near enough to take advantage. Every woman in the room easily found the beat, and each of them put herself in place to be close enough to Donnie to have fun, but far enough away not to bump into each other. "Wait, wait, we get to dance with King Don, and he's gonna sing a song!~" Iris was strangely excited about the normal parts of this, and oddly enough, Nikki couldn't even begrudge her excitement because she'd been even more amused the first time it'd happened in front of her. "Yep!~ It's bloody brilliant!~" Nikki concluded. Little did they know, a certain stowaway was hidden behind a piece of furniture in the back cabin, blue drill hair bouncing as her hips shifted from left to right repeatedly. And by the time the words started, everyone up front was waiting on the actual instructions while bouncing to the beat.

[Bloodedge]

The latest dance song Donnie knew of was the very same one Ronnie spoke of. It had become something of a hood classic back home, but... that was years ago. Just as he'd done with many things before, Donnie felt the need to bring back a trend. What was a simple dance track? He'd done some before, he'd do it again. All he had to do was enable recording from his phone, activate the microphone, and get everyone in the salon up for the big moment. All of the women present were rather close to Donnie, as things often went. Leon and Hop weren't far away, both bouncing along as well. Leon displayed a bit more rhythm than his younger brother; obviously this type of music wasn't Hop's cup of tea. Donnie figured that one would be more attuned to Dreameater's music. No matter.

When the first verse began, Donnie had no directives. He was basically covering background, bobbing around and between the three ladies, and working through to the ultimate moment. The name of this dance, and its accompanying song, were coming together quickly. Even the end of Donnie's first verse seemed to roll right into the hook. At the word 'just', he beckoned the girls around himself with his glass-holding hand. For the hook and the foreseeable future, he'd be taking point in the dance while offering necessary instructions through the song.

"Put your hands up, bend your knees,
Bounce around in a circle, getting down with me!♪
Come on, come on♪ It's not hard to learn!♪
Come on, come on, it's called the U-Turn!♪
Get your hands up, bend your knees,
Bounce around in a circle, getting down with me!♪
Come on, come on♪ It's not hard to learn!♪
Come on, come on, it's called the U-Turn!♪"

[Apollymi]

VApparently, Ronnie had heard a dance song on her more recent trip to America, meaning there had been quite a long time since the last time a dance song had been made. Still, if there was one thing King Don was good for, it was… bringing stuff back into relevance. The dancing family was bouncing to the beat even before directions were given. Even Hop was up and moving around, which Nikki noted as she continued enjoying her drink. Oh well, she was on vacation; the kids weren't her problem. Ronnie remained where she was, also sipping a drink while working her way up to a dance.

Still, this wasn't the only thing going on in the moment. As Donnie worked his way through that first verse, at the word just, he beckoned for the ladies. All of them came in, moving around him to prepare. Ah, and then the directions came… hands went up, even Nikki's and Ronnie's, which contained drinks. Only little Iris had empty hands, and by the time he spoke of bending knees, both Ronnie and Nikki were dropping a bit. The youngest of the women had a tiny little extra bounce while the turns started. Nikki's was in slow motion, her rear seeming to gain a slow bounce as she moved. Ronnie's included a little extra hip work, and Iris… for her part in this… was figuring it out with the beat, and all combined, hers had energy and rhythm, but not the natural sexual energy that came with age… such was the difference presented between the women as they enjoyed the song and awaited what was to come next. Each one took the point from Donnie and enjoyed them.

[Bloodedge]

The intended dance had officially begun with a hook. Donnie exemplified his every word as they came, executing the new maneuver in real time. His cognac rose with his hand, the other remaining only for the microphone. His knees bent just enough to allow a sway that opposed that of his hips. When he spoke of bouncing in a circle, there was a series of four sharp, counterclockwise rotations that each ended in a little toe-hop before the next turn. At the end of it all, he left things open for a little freestyle on the 'get down' note. In Donnie's own case, he performed a couple of sliding maneuvers to either side, gently hip-bumping Nikki, then Ronnie before stepping out again.

In the '80s♪~ Fresh was the talk,
MJ had everybody doing the moonwalk!
In the '90s♪~ They had a high flat top,
Doing the wop, Pee-Wee to the Reebok♪
III can't forget about them oldschool days,
The sound was Bobby Brown, the dance was the running man!
Now everybody wanna push Bentleys♪~
The year is 2, everybody, do the U-Turn!♪~"

Surprisingly, Leon and Hop were performing quite differently by the time instructions struck properly. Leon may have been a bit too big for bent knees and circular bouncing. In that regard, Hop showcased superior ability... but not for long. It only took a turn or two for Leon to adjust things for himself, putting all that football practice to use with kick-turns instead. Donnie saw that shift and visibly encouraged it; dances were meant to be free that way. In fact, Donnie would even be seen pointing to Leon's legs so everyone could have a look... while he got himself caught-up shifting gazes between Nikki and Ronnie due to their 'special' features that came so naturally with any dance.