Dancing With Visions - Nothing New - Ifa - Salsa (Street)
Author Notes: My first Ifa fic! I was rather pleased when he got Salsa from his wheel of fortune (or dances in this case) roll. I didn't actually have a specific dance I watched for this fic, though I did watch a plethora of street salsa dance videos on Youtube in the name of research. This chapter does have a song I listened to while writing and editing though! The song "Nothing New" by The Strike helped me a lot as I wrote, and I do recommend giving it a listen. Just like the rest of this series, reader is female. I hope you enjoy.
If you would like to read more of this series, the fics can be found here: Dancing with Visions Masterlist
Type: Female reader/ fluff/ sfw/ romance somewhat implied but can be platonic/
Word count: 1483
I strolled along with Ifa, my hands laced behind my back, as we perused the Children of Echoes after checking in on a Tepetlisaur that had been sick. And, luckily, it was better now. Which was definitely a good thing considering the amount of effort Ifa had put into figuring out what was wrong with it only to find out that it had eaten a rag when no one was looking.
And, as ever, the Children of Echoes was filled with music and dancing people that had Cacucu flitting around all over the place. It wasn’t long until Cacucu had, evidently enough, found something he was interested in.
“Bro!” I glanced over at almost the exact same time as Ifa, and it didn’t take me long to spot the people who were dancing together to the easily recognizable style of music.
Salsa.
“What’d you find, bro?” Ifa ignored the dancers as he walked over, looking up at where Cacucu flapped around.
I watched from a slight distance as the two chatted, exchanging varying bro-isms as Ifa gestured idly to the dancers that had seemingly attracted the Qucusaurus’s attention. And after a brief moment I walked over, feeling myself smile as I looked up at the saurian in question, “You know, Cacucu, Ifa can dance like that too.”
“No way, bro!” There was absolutely no hesitation in the saurian’s response, and I laughed slightly. Wholly unsurprised by Cacucu’s declaration as Ifa crossed his arms. A frown appearing on his face.
“Hey now, I’ll have you know that I’ve got other talents than just working with saurians,” Despite his scolding tone, a slight smile pulled at Ifa’s mouth, and I glanced back up at Cacucu. And I already had a pretty good idea of what he would say before his beak ever even opened.
“For real, now? Do you even hear yourself, bro?”
I snorted, barely managing to cover my smile with a hand as Ifa looked my way with a slight frown before he looked back up at Cacucu.
“Listen here, you. I’m a perfectly good dancer. I just prefer to strum along and let others do the dancing while I watch.”
This time Cacucu just responded with a laugh that Ifa had scowling at him slightly as I pressed my lips together in amusement. Doing my best to not openly snicker at their antics.
In all honesty, though, I’d largely known what I was starting when I’d come over here and first spoken up. But I really hadn’t expected for Ifa to reach out and suddenly grasp me by the hand.
“Fine, I’ll show you. You just perch over there,” He waved Cacucu off, hardly missing a beat before looking my way, “Dance with me, Y/n?”
I blinked at him, briefly stunned before I nodded, feeling a new smile start creeping onto my face that I didn’t bother hiding as Ifa nodded his head in confirmation before turning and starting off towards the dancefloor with my hand in his as I followed him.
And behind us I could hear a slightly stunned Cacucu: “Oh wow… No way, bro!”
The words were followed by the soft sound of fluttering wings that told me that he’d gone to find a perch and watch just as he’d been told. I’d barely even glanced back at the Qucusaurus before I trotted up alongside Ifa as he slowly started to make his way through the crowd of dancers.
And he was, as ever, as easygoing as could be as he casually dodged couples and led me along with him. Turning and dodging people, occasionally stopping and nudging me back as he had to step to the side to dodge any particularly exuberant couple, “Whoops, excuse us, bro.”
He tilted his head as we finally reached a slightly clear area, glancing around before nodding in apparent satisfaction as he no doubt guaranteed that Cacucu had, in fact, found himself a good perch.
“I don’t know where he got his attitude from,” Ifa shook his head slightly as he met my gaze, and I felt myself grin at his dry tone.
I lifted one shoulder in an only slightly apologetic half-shrug, “I may have goaded him a little.”
Ifa shook his head, half-chuckling to himself, “Not like it takes too much; nice to know that you knew what you were doing though.”
“Only a little bit,” I confessed, nodding my head slightly as we both started idly shifting to the music, letting our hands swing between us where they’d found each other.
“I never thought you’d opt to prove him wrong by dancing with me,” I tilted my head as I finished, smiling in quiet amusement as Ifa’s eyebrows arched at my words.
“I don’t see why not,” He lifted his arm, raising my hand with it, and I twirled obediently. And our footwork was already gradually speeding up to match the beat of the music. But Ifa hadn’t actually been lying when he’d scolded Cacucu for underestimating him. He had a great many other talents beyond just being the very best sauro-vet around. Though he would never actually proclaim himself as such.
He could surf, play the guitar, get along with just about anyone, reassure people when they needed it, be a solid support for any friend, and, obviously, dance.
I was just lucky in that I’d seen most of his talents in person, as well as having had the opportunity to laugh along with either him or Ororon whenever something would go mildly wrong for him. Such as when he’d wiped out that one time while surfing with Mualani.
By now we were in full motion, and it was almost impressive that Ifa was even giving most of the other dancers here a run for their money. After all, the Children of Echoes were known for their dance competitions in which some form of salsa usually made at least one notable appearance.
But Ifa dancing well was certainly nothing new. In fact, he’d always struck me as a bit of a natural at it.
I laughed slightly as we rotated around each other, our arms having to swing up around the other one so that we could avoid getting tangled together as we danced, “I see you certainly haven’t gotten rusty on your salsa dancing at least.”
He hummed, swinging me around behind him as he looked over his shoulder slightly, an amused smile on his face, “I could say the same to you. You’ve definitely kept in practice since the last time I saw you dance.”
I managed a slight shrug as we continued to dance, somehow not interrupting our motions as I grinned at him, “Well, it’s something to do.”
He spun me again before stopping me abruptly with his arm wrapped around me and my hands resting on his shoulders as the music came to an end. And I looked up at him, half-startled as I caught my breath. But I hadn’t even realized that we’d been dancing long enough for the song to have reached its end.
We’d barely even caught our breath before Cacucu had found his usual perch on Ifa’s head, “No way, bro!”
“Yes way, bro. Me and Y/n told you I could dance,” Ifa hardly even missed a beat, letting go of me and stepping back as I glanced up at Cacucu in amusement.
“What’d you think, Cacucu? He’s pretty good, right?” Ifa all but snorted at my words, but Cacucu was already flapping his little wings excitedly.
“For real now!”
As if to agree with him, people were politely applauding where we stood on the dance floor. And I belatedly realized that Ifa and I had somehow made it to the center of the crowd as he waved off their applause. Somehow unbothered even as the slight embarrassment kicked in for me.
“Thanks, dudes, I’m afraid we’ve gotta go now, though. Keep the party pumping!” Ifa raised one hand in farewell, casually taking one of my hands in his other one before he started off the dancefloor. Evidently enough, picking up on my reaction to everyone’s sudden attention. And he didn’t stop even as the saddened calls rang out from behind us as we left the dancefloor and started back off towards the Flower Feather Clan.
I was half-tempted to thank Ifa, but I kept my silence as we walked along with Cacucu continuing to rest on his hat. After all, just like how Ifa being talented was nothing new, so was him being considerate. And if I thanked him every time he did something for me without me saying anything about my troubles then I wouldn’t have air to say anything else.
So I just smiled to myself, quietly pleased that I’d gotten to dance with Ifa yet again. After all, who knew when such a chance would arise again? Though I certainly hoped it would be soon.
