Should Be Dancin' (Leila)

[Dr. Terrence Jordan]

Terrence wasn't much of a dancer. In fact, he had never been dancing in his life. But Leila had mentioned how much she enjoyed it, and he had (after what seemed eons trying to remember the name of the dance club) made arrangements.

He had stepped on his date's toes more than he was comfortable admitting; he felt that he had spent most of the night apologizing for that.

"Sorry. I'm sorry. I'm going to have to prescribe you some pain killers after all the damage I'm doing to your feet. Oops, sorry!"

As much as he loved hummingbirds he shared neither their speed nor their grace.

He supposed he should be grateful that he wasn't stepping on Leila's feet fast.

[Leila Gold]

All right, so Terrence wasn't a dancer. But it would've been a little ridiculous if he had been good at everything. And Leila was having a good time, anyway.

She laughed a little. "I'll be fine, really. If I wasn't able to put up with pain in my feet, do you really think I would wear all those heels? Promise, I've already killed most the nerve endings in my toes anyway." She continued dancing, trying to guide her date along with her. If they stuck with the basic, then they could dance together and he would start learning.

"Do you like the music?" she asked, smiling up. "It's got a really strong beat, but I'm not so sure about the singer." Leila wasn't as fond of higher voices; they always seemed a little screechy to her.

As she danced she tried to let herself relax. She'd had so much on her shoulders recently. She stepped away from Terrence a bit so she could dance more freestyle at arm's length. Then she spun in again and laughed. "Thanks for bringing me out," she said with a huge smile. "I've really needed the chance to just get away from work. One of these days you're going to have to let me do something this nice for you in return. What sort of place do you like to go to relax?"

[Dr. Terrence Jordan]

Terrence appreciated her reassurances, particularly given that he honestly was a little concerned that he had stepped on her toes so many times that night she was going to have sore feet for a week.

"All of them?" He raised an eyebrow at her as she spun away from him; she really was much more graceful than he was. "I suppose if they're all dead then offering to massage them later would be useless."

He cocked his head to one side as he admitted, "It isn't the sort of music I ordinarily listen to....but you're right, it does have a very good beat for dancing. If only that helped me."

He gave a forlorn sigh, then smiled to show he was only joking. He wasn't very good, but he was having fun, and with Leila's attempts to teach him he had confidence he would at least make it from abysmal to mediocre.

"When I want to relax I usually stay right in my backyard. This time of year is wonderful for birds, if you can keep away the squirrels and the crows."

[Leila Gold]

"Oh, well, maybe not all of them," Leila modified with a grin. "Probably only the ones in my toes. And maybe about half the ones in my heels. But my legs are still in perfect condition." She waggled her eyebrows at him, then laughed. "You know I can never turn down your massages. You have been blessed with healing hands, and how could I ever say no to such a kind offer?"

All right, so his sense of rhythm wasn't the best. That was true of a lot of people. "You're doing your best," she said. "That's more than enough for me." And he was getting better, enough that she felt comfortable throwing in some spins and coming back in to basic.

"A bird fan, huh? I don't think I knew that." She tried to imagine him out in the woods with a pair of binoculars, hunting down a rare species. It sounded so peaceful. "What's wrong with squirrels, though? Is it just that they don't sound as pretty?"

[Dr. Terrence Jordan]

Terrence was glad that she wasn't too upset with him for being so clumsy, at least not so upset as to refuse his offer. "After abusing your feet so, a massage is the least I can offer."

He could try and make this up to her later; perhaps with dance lessons, if he could find some way to squeeze them in. His schedule was so erratic it made that sort of commitment difficult, however.

"They aren't as pretty." He confirmed with a laugh, "The same can be said of crows or cowbirds. What us bird enthusiasts really want to attract are the song birds, they're beautiful in sound as well as looks. But scavengers will get to your feed, and they're much more...." He paused, trying to think of the proper word as they moved across the floor, him trying to match her pace. "brutal. Song birds don't always defend their territory as well."

Although he didn't care for some of the more drastic measures other bird lovers took, he certainly understood; if one wanted a safe space for song birds one needed to be willing to defend the area for them.

"It could be worse, I could be a gardener. Then I would hate the squirrels and the deer. And the chipmunks and moles..."

[Leila Gold]

"Please," Leila said, rolling her eyes. "You are too nice to me. You were the one who brought me dancing, which you already know I love. As far as I'm concerned, we're even."

She listened to his explanation about the squirrels and crows. She frowned slightly and nodded as she thought through this information. "I suppose that makes sense. I hadn't thought about it much. Not much of a bird person myself, really. Oh! I hope it isn't a problem when I bring Athena over. I just thought of that!" Sure her dog never caught any of the birds, but she still loved chasing them on her stubby legs and barking. If crows drove away songbirds, what must a hyperactive corgi do?

"I guess I'm just more fond of mammals," Leila mused. "Fuzzy things. I had a parrot once as a kid, and she bit me. It kind of turned me off to birds in general. Though I at least try to be careful whenever I'm storming around." Honestly she hadn't thought much about the wildlife when she airbended, but she figured she usually didn't hurt anyone and it was better not to hurt his feelings.

"Are you getting hot?" she asked, suddenly noticing that another girl in the room was fanning herself. Leila had automatically been keeping herself cool with a slight breeze, but she hadn't remembered to include Terrence. "I'm not really used to looking out for anyone other than myself. Sorry I'm not really up on this relationship thing. It's been a little while."

[Dr. Terrence Jordan]

"Athena shouldn't be a problem," Terrence assured her. He liked dogs almost as much as he liked birds, and while he had never owned one himself he thought that since they weren't fighting over resources then even if the songbirds left temporarily they wouldn't decide to abandon their territory altogether. "She won't be eating their food, unless she's got some tricks up her sleeves I don't know about."

He tried to envision the little corgi climbing the bird feeder, but the image was so absurd he could only laugh.

"Mammals are nice, too," He agreed. "I just find birds to be so elegant, and songbirds are more colorful than mammals. Mammals make more affectionate companions."

He loved to watch wild birds, but he would never want one for a pet.

When she mentioned the temperature he nodded slowly, "It is, a bit. It's tolerable though, you don't need to apologize. I haven't been in a relationship in a long time, either. It's easier to be single in some ways, but it's far less fun."

Belatedly it occurred to him that her remark about the heat might be an indirect request to sit the next song out, and so he added, "Are you tired? We can stop for a bit if you'd like."

[Leila Gold]

Leila had to raise her eyebrows at her boyfriend. "What, you're saying you don't think my corgi can reach the birdfeeder you keep up at five feet above the ground? Whatever gave you that idea?" She grinned, trying to imagine Athena running on her pudgy legs and trying to make a leap in order to reach anything above her head. She liked listening to Terrence's laugh. He had such a nice laugh.

"More affectionate," she agreed, "and they can be elegant, too. Admittedly not dogs, usually, but cats are very elegant. Even if they are mean and proud on top of it." She made a face. "I like looking at birds," she said. "I like robins and bluejays, even if I don't really like listening to them sing. It always makes me jealous more than anything else."

She blew hair out of her face. "You're telling me. No one to go out with on nights like this. It's not the same just me and the girls." She grinned. With a slight effort she redid the windstream so that Terrence was getting some of the breeze as well. "That should be better."

Leila was breathing a bit heavily after the latest song, and her power wasn't used to accommodating others, so she was getting more of a headache as well. She nodded gratefully when Terrence offered to sit out the next song. "Just for a bit," she said. "I'm having too much fun to stop for long, but we should definitely get something to drink. Dehydration prevention!"

As they moved off the floor Leila gratefully sank into a chair lined up against the wall. "Phew. I really need to exercise more often. And not just walking the dog around town." She gave a small laugh and reached up to rub her eyes, trying to hide the fact that she was developing a migraine. She really was having too much fun to want to quit yet.

[Dr. Terrence Jordan]

"True, mammals can be elegant." Terrence couldn't deny that; he simply liked birds. Songbirds, in particular, though he also had a fondness for the more predatory birds: Owls and hawks and falcons. He didn't want them in his yard because they would eat the birds he was trying to lure in, but he did enjoy them.

"Cats also hunt birds." He pointed out. "So they will have to be elegant somewhere that isn't in my yard. They are somewhat less impressive when they are spitting feathers out in my driveway."

He occasionally had to shoo away his neighbor's cat for exactly that reason, and while he certainly wouldn't have minded if the feline had hunted, say, squirrels that wasn't the case. The creature only had an eye for his birds.

He sighed in gratitude as she directed some of her wind his way. "Thank you." That felt much better, although he wasn't to be blessed with the wind much longer, as they shortly made their way off the dance floor.

"May I get you anything?" He asked as she found a chair, "A bottle of water, perhaps?"

Soda or alcohol were only likely to make the dehydration worse. While he noticed the eye rubbing, he only associated it with the heat, and perhaps some fatigue from the dancing they had done so far.

"Perhaps dance lessons," He suggested to her comment about exercise, "We could sign up together. I tend to be rather sedentary, myself."

It was a weakness, and he knew it, but he wasn't very physically active during his free time.

[Leila Gold]

"Agreed," Leila said with a slight nod. "Cats can keep themselves away. Who needs a cat, anyway?" Bird bath. She'd get him a bird bath the next time she needed to go present-hunting. Or an ornithology book. Though really she should stop getting him books on every gift-giving occasion.

She smiled when Terrence thanked her for the breeze. "Easy as pie," she said. Leila kept the breeze up as they walked off. Just because they weren't dancing didn't mean they didn't need to cool off. She glanced around the room, wondering if maybe she should try to lend some air to anyone else, but honestly she wasn't sure she could handle that right now.

"I would love some water," she said. "They should provide that for free, though I don't know if it'll be a bottle or a cup. Really, a place like this has to provide water if they don't want people collapsing all the time." She was starting to get her breath back; just a moment more sitting and she'd be able to walk over with Terrence to get some water.

She stretched her feet, rotating them to work her ankles into better condition. "Maybe. But with our busy schedules? We'd be cancelling constantly on one another." She sighed. "It's so hard to work exercise into such a busy life. I mean, you are on your feet almost constantly at the hospital, and I'm always running around...though I do tend to do a lot of sitting. Hmm. But in any case, we're so tired that I think it's a miracle sometimes that we don't manage to fall asleep at lunchtime."

Leila stood and stretched backwards, trying to work out some of the kinks in her back. "All right, I'm up for a bit of walking now. Would you like to mosey around the room with me and we can point at all the other dancers and chuckle evilly behind our hands?" She gave him a mischievous grin.

[Dr. Terrence Jordan]

Terrence nodded seriously as she noted that water should be free. "I should hope so."

And once again, she had a point about their schedules. "At least we are on our feet," He mused, rubbing her shoulders idly, "It would be far worse if we were trapped at desks all day long and then couldn't exercise."

He was sure given his fondness for sweets and sitting reading that he would be horribly obese if he wasn't forced to be on his feet for work.

"But never mind, no classes. Perhaps we could try jogging together. Morning or evening, whatever fits our schedules the best for each day?"

He was willing to be flexible, so long as it meant spending time with Leila.

He couldn't help but chuckle at her evil face. "I think that is a wonderful idea, though we should go find that water first, don't you think?" He asked, heading off towards the bar.

[Leila Gold]

"Don't remind me," Leila groaned. "You know, that I think is going to be the worst part of being a politician. Having to sit around all the time and still ending up totally worn out. No, wait, that's a lie. It's making those tough moral decisions and having your name dragged through the mud. Or maybe just being told by everyone that you're crazy and probably slightly evil for even trying to get into government. Is it really so bad to want to try to make the world better?" Truly her intent was good. Mostly.

She realized she was chattering again and apologized. "Sorry, off topic. Moving right along." She smiled and listened to his suggestion. "Sounds good to me. I like running as much as the next person. And now is the perfect season for it. Tomorrow I think...morning is better. I have a dinner to attend tomorrow evening. Again." She rolled her eyes. "When do you have your shift?"

She rolled her eyes. "Maybe, I guess." Then she grinned again. "Yes. Water first." And she hooked her arm through his as they made their way toward the back. "Thanks for not judging me, by the way. I don't know how I'd manage this whole polite thing if I didn't have some people to come home to who don't get upset when I make sarcastic comments every once in a while." She leaned up to peck him on the cheek.

"You know, I was thinking," she said once they had some water and she had downed a few cups, "you've met my family now, but I haven't really met yours." She left it there, simply raising her eyebrows at him as a question.

[Dr. Terrence Jordan]

Terrence had to agree that being a politician sounded like it was difficult; he didn't know if he had thick enough skin to involve himself in politics on that level, though it was important that there were people like Leila, willing to take the risk for their ideals.

"I suppose if it is validation you want, politics isn't the right field." He admitted after she had finished her rant. "But you will know you did what was right, and that is ultimately more important than what other people think of you."

Then again, one didn't see him entering politics; he felt that tending to people's bodies was just as important.

"I believe the morning should be fine." He agreed, "I don't have to be at work until ten. How early would you like to meet?"

He squinted thoughtfully as they ordered water, smiling a bit at her gratitude. "You get to deal with people at their worst, so I don't blame you for needing to be a little mean later. Seeing people be cruel to one another on a constant basis makes politeness difficult."

He nearly choked on his water when she brought up his family, however. He hadn't yet broached this subject with Amos; he could already guess his younger brother's reaction.

"It would be difficult for you to meet my family," He informed her cautiously, "As they are all in South Africa still. Perhaps one day I can fly my parents over here, but it isn't easy to arrange."

[Leila Gold]

"Ah, but if people don't like me how will I even be elected?" Leila said, raising an eyebrow. Then she gave it up with a small sigh. "You're right, of course. The goal is more important, here. And I can do more to generate equal laws when I'm actually a lawmaker." She sighed and leaned against him, smiling. "And if people think I'm crazy for believing in equality, well, let them laugh. Everyone has to believe in something."

She tapped her chin in thought. "Like to meet? Noon. Should meet? Six. So...seven? So that I can get in by eight and finish up everything in the office?" That should still give her a good six hours of sleep tonight. Solid, and more than she sometimes got. As long as her migraine wasn't keeping her awake, anyway. She resisted the urge to ask for some pain pills that she no longer carried.

"Still, it's never an excuse for taking it out on people who don't deserve it. Remember to tell me to calm down when I'm being rude without cause." Leila was slowly coming to a realization that she tended to make the world all about her, and this wasn't always acceptable. She'd still need some help remembering to think of other people first.

She was hoping for a little more favorable reaction when she brought up his family. Was she really so offensive? Sure, their relationship was a little unconventional, but this was the 21st century, and they lived in the most advanced country in the world. Surely they could make this work.

"No, I'd imagine not," she said, cocking her head to one side. "But wouldn't they still have access to internet? Or maybe I could write a letter, or talk on the phone? I feel like I should be making at least a little more of an effort to get in touch. Just to introduce myself?" She'd been dating Terrence for about six months now, and he'd come home to visit her family. It was time to make the stretch in the other direction.

[Dr. Terrence Jordan]

Terrence tended to agree with Leila's change of heart; he didn't particularly find being mean in turn to be helpful. But he understood where the impulse came from, and wasn't very good at calling people out on it. After all, he didn't want to sound as if he felt that impoliteness was the worst of all sins; it wasn't.

"Perhaps I can talk them through setting up Skype." He suggested on the subject of his parents. So long as Amos wasn't present things should go smoothly.

"They would admire your commitment to equality. South Africa does not have the best history in that regards." An understatement, and also true of every other country, but the apartheid had been particularly abhorrent given how recent, when so many other nations had made much faster progress.

"But..." He added hesitantly, "my brother may...he may not take to you. He has very strong feelings about...things."

Mentally he kicked himself for that less than eloquent explanation, and so he continued, hoping to clarify, "About apartheid and about privilege. He is not very forgiving."