Off the World

"Uh huh..."

Mercy said with a skeptical eye. She was pretty sure that when they stopped dating he probably dropped school altogether. Still, even if he was telling the truth about just learning Japanese, that would probably be fine all things considered. She wasn't his girlfriend, she couldn't really tell him what to do and what not to anymore.

"That's great, Clyde." She said offhandedly, looking around the room. She then looked down, staring at Clyde's feet and sipped her coffee. She wasn't sure what else to say, really.

Clyde looked at Mercy sheepishly. "I'm gonna finish." Sometimes he wondered if he could go to college. He used to think that place was never for him. But he's getting older and wants to try.

Silence over took them and Clyde took a sip of his coffee. He should leave right now he thought. He should leave.

"I picked up ballroom dancing." He blurted out.

"That's, uh, great, Clyde." Mercy said, smiling softly. She wasn't sure if she believed him but if he said it and he was still enrolled, why not? "Maybe I will too." She said. She needed to get an actual degree at some point, she was sure.

Still as she thought about it, Clyde's next words baffled her. She gave him a weird look. "Um, ok?" She said. "That's... random. I didn't even know they did ballroom dancing in Japan..." She said. "Did you lose a bet or something?"

Clyde smiled at hearing that Mercy could resume her education, he certainty wanted to succeed and was going to be happy for her no matter what.

Still, he was nervous around her more than ever and what he was trying to say wasn't easy. He felt unmasculine.

"Yeah. I-I mean! N-No! No, I didn't lose a bet." He reaffirmed himself, not wanting to sound or look like a fool.

"I chose to learn... And there's a place that caters to that sort thing. I figured maybe you'd like that kind of stuff and uh... Maybe you'd... Uh... like to come along." He tried to remain firm and confident, but even he felt a little silly.

Mercy blinked.

She had no clue what Clyde was saying but she had an idea of what he was trying to do. "They have places for that?" Mercy asked. "I don't really know anything about it, Clyde." She said and frowned.

"I thought you didn't like Flowers for Princess..." She said, recalling the second movie had a pretty extensive ballroom scene. She wasn't sure why she watched it, now that she was thinking about it. But, why did Clyde?

"Yup." They have places for that.

Clyde looked at Mercy firmly and didn't hesitate this time. "Don't matter. Don't you like it?" He asked her, never breaking contact with her blue eyes. He used to cringe at those films. Now he missed watching them with Mercy.

"Uhhhhh...." Mercy said, turning away as Clyde stared at her. She blushed a bit. "It's just random, Clyde." She said. "I don't have clothes for that sort of thing and I don't even know how to do it. YOU can teach me without making us look like idiots when we fall all over each other? Who even shows UP to those kinds of things!?" She interrogated Clyde with rapid fire questioning.

Was it Random? Clyde wasn't so sure and Mercy's rapid fire questions were deflating the poor cowboy! Each question making that stoic, calm demeanor fade, he hadn't put some of these things into consideration!

"I-I... Clyde Gastin is a Tension Star, girl! I'll getcha somethin'! And I'll teach ya! We'll take it slow, I've been professionally trained now after all." He tried to reassure her firmly.

"Though... I honestly ain't got no clue on who go to them kinda things." He said with a shrug before quickly speaking up again. "It might just be me and you!"

"Couldn't we just go to the club?" Mercy said looking up at him with a furrowed brow. "The music's better, the dancing is easier and we won't look like dorks if no one else shows up. And we won't look like dorks if other people show up..." She said.

"Besides, you said you liked that music now." She said. Mercy then looked at him as a sheepish grin spread over her features. "Do you really like it, or do you just like it because I like it?" She asked. It WAS kind of sweet.

Mercy was very right about going to the club. He couldn't argue against it. As much as he'd like to actually put his training to good use. Going to the club with Mercy benefited them both.

He raised his eyebrow when he saw that sheepish but adorable grin on Mercy. That was something interesting.

Clyde scratched his neck but was quick to answer. "I do... I mean I still love my Rock n' Roll but I actually gave Trance a chance... Heh.... And it's cool! I uh... I think I like dubstep more though." Dubstep was fast, crazy and aggressive so he liked that.

"Still have trouble recognizing songs and artists though... Like when a song changes, people know the song right away!" It was a new world for him, but he didn't mind trying new things anymore. He wore suits now!

"Sure! We can go!"