Dance Dance Reprobation

[magicademymods]

The Twilight Ball Arrival The Promenade has been transformed. Literally. With Modification. Ha ha. Cough. Crickets. Toad familiars eat the crickets. Circle of life. Animals bow before singing lions. You get the idea. Neither tree nor stone form the Promenade now. It is instead a long bridge over a shallow and brilliant pool, the gentle ripples of which catch the afternoon sun and scatter it into a million highlights that play over the Great Hall, the bridge, and those who walk down it. There is no formal receiving line, merely a gentle procession of people across the bridge at whatever speed feels comfortable, slowly making their way to the Great Hall. The Great Hall itself has been enchanted to be completely invisible while one is inside it, save for the outline of doors so people can actually find their way out through means other than smacking their noses into the invisible walls till they find a place with no resistance. Thus the twilight for which the ball is named will show all around the dancers, while they are protected from any errant breezes, faint hints of rain, or slime monsters that might otherwise threaten the festivity. Come in. Find your date and get comfortable. The fun is just beginning. Let the Revels Begin After Headmaster Birony welcomes everyone with a speech about she's going to get on her boat, go upriver, and kick that sonuvabitch Bison's ass so HORDT that the next Bison-wannabe is gonna feel it, the dance formally begins with a peppy number designed to get people out and moving. The orchestra here comprises some of the finest players available anywhere in the world, thanks to the whole Valhudor shtick and graduates of said house, and the music is infectious as it drifts through the slowly-darkening air. But as the dance progresses, they play something for everyone. Martial waltzes and slow dance ballroom numbers. Powerful tunes to lose yourself in, and gentle melodies that slip beneath conversation and encourage intimacy and closeness. Professors Trammel and King treat everyone to an exhibition of what an Earth resident might call 'swing dancing on amphetamines' and many students do call 'the closest I have ever come to death'. No pause for speeches, no announcements or interruptions -- just a steady stream of music, bringing dates and lovers together in dance, as the sun sets and casts the room into gentle and romantic twilight. Also a dolphin and a whale are swimming through the floor and they, too, are unmistakably dancing. If this is the weirdest thing you've seen all night, you need your eyes checked. "Food! One of the food tables has been discreetly slid against a wall, where it positively shudders under the weight of a massive buffet open to everyone. The food here tends towards the light, such as fish and vegetables, cucumber sandwiches and thin-sliced meats. Things that will give you energy without weighing you down, so you can keep dancing till the dawn comes. At one end of the table, an owl the size of a cupboard sits on a perch, serenely watching the varied drinks laid out for consumption. 'Spiking the punch' is so cliche that no one is going to pretend it won't happen or the students will behave on their honor, so here you get a chaperone. Even so, this whole area is a popular gathering spot for those between dances or partners, drawing steady attention throughout the night. Meanwhile, Elsewhere Shockingly, not everyone has found that loving feeling, asked out an attractive someone, and gone to the dance with romance on their minds. The rest of the campus, and of course Anastara itself, remain open as normal... and perhaps even less-minded than normal. The faculty, the familiars, the cleaning golems -- almost all attention is on the dance itself. If there's mischief to manage, now would be the perfect time... or just something else besides wallflowering and missing out. Wait, Wasn't There a Ghost Dragon and an Off-Brand Shoggoth? Professor King managed to find a way around the protoplasmic ooze's resistance to magic and splatted it (with no small amount of help from students and faculty!). The dragon disappeared into the caverns beneath the Magicademy. That certainly isn't ominous and won't inspire anyone to go down there, will it? Don't fall in the river down there. Please don't fall in the river.

Comments

[sevenyearsasleep]

Link laughed. "Nah, Gekronus Maius." So, eventually, in theory, he'd learn how to get his Ocarina working once again.

Or, at least, he hoped.

"Although, I might give it a try when I'm sure I'm alone."

[woo_oo]

Big, big, big smile at that.

"A-huh! It's so much fun having them all around! The boys were my very first friends!"

[holdyourhorns]

"Insane math teacher?" Because Spyro certainly wasn't going to willingly pick up a math class for himself if he can help it. "You don't mean who I think you're talking about, do you?"

Because. They might've met before. And it wasn't fun.

"But we might just see about that, either way." Any dragon that proves to have enough intelligence to speak its mind shouldn't be owned by anyone.

[woo_oo]

[Excited gasp!]

A summer vacation dance party! That sounds like fun!

[woo_oo]

I'm just so excited! I love doing new things with my friends!

[life is good!!!]

[woo_oo]

...

[She didn't know that was possible.

also-]

I OFFICIALLY DECLARE YOU THE LIFE OF THE PARTY!

[FUCK YEAH!!!! GRABBING SOME SANDWICHES TO DIP IN AND SCARF DOWN!!!]

[woo_oo]

[... Oh boy did she ever pick it up.]

Your own tomb? ... Are you dead? Are you a spirit, or a zombie?

[She's not frightened or disgusted - helps that their family butler is a ghost - just curious. She's even going to give his arm a poke to check if he's flesh or see-through.]

[bearshermark]

"You're sure you don't want to try learning a few steps?"

[pawper]

[Lys being Lys, learning to conjure food was one of the first spells she had tried, only to quickly discover that magic wasn't necessarily an ideal solution to hunger pangs: even the simplest morsels took time and energy to create from nothing, while complex dishes were so far outside her skill range that they invariably tasted awful. Which could be coped with after a fashion, but not the food poisoning that followed after.

She sees no reason to mention any of that, though. Why ruin the moment?]

Me? Nah, anyone could do that!

[She also dips the edge of a sandwich into the bowl, just enough to get a taste. Hm.....yeah, that was chocolate all right. Not bad!]

[areasontohope]

For his part, Yuki is really trying to follow the story, but he has no idea who Tango and Ballet are. He figures out that Webby is referring to the whale and the dolphin though.

With all of the gestures that were going on, he really was honestly trying to follow all of this.

"You mean they didn't always get along this well?"

This had him cast his gaze back to the pair who were pretty content at the moment it seemed.

[noasark]

"Ah-" Noa nods, though he looks at least a little cowed given the kind of mood he was just caught in. "...Yes...I don't suppose you've seen a small dragon around? He's purple, mostly. We're in the same house."

No, they are not at the dance together. Technically.

[areasontohope]

He smiled and gave a nod. And this was the awkward part because he wasn't sure what to do now. Yuki arrived, Fluttershy was here, and now what did they do? Should he ask her for a dance right now? Should he wait? And then a plan came to mind.

"Have you had a chance to look around yet and see everything?"

[unswervingcompanion]

Another question about Dundrasil lanced through Hendrik's mind but he wasn't going to ask it. So he focused on what the Luminary said.

"The world will indeed be cheered once we have completed our task to defeat Mordegon. There is no if regarding the matter. We will be victorious and you will fully restore the Light to our world. And in that victory, everyone shall celebrate."

Faith in you, Hendrik definitely has it.

[puzzlers]

I... I know... [ yugi says under his breath, but since they're pressed so closely to one another atem should still be able to make out his response. he continues to lazily sway along with the music, his grip once again redoubling, because of the implication of both the question and the answer. maybe things would have been different had they said something to each other way back when. but they didn't. ]

[ his head is tilted slightly down, because he's still kind of counting the steps in his head as they glide to a more private part of the dance floor. he lifts his gaze, catching atem's, the closeness doing nothing to phase him. it seems right. seems natural. but then he straightens up, prompting yugi to do the same, though his gaze inevitably falls aside again. ] Yeah... [ his lips lift in a small smile as he returns focus to the dance. ] This is nice...

[unswervingcompanion]

Calm and serene weren't words that Hendrik would ever use for Webbigail. And he wasn't sure if that look was because she'd learned how to dance, or it was due to who her dance partner had been, but she sure had come a long way with those lessons. The knight couldn't bring himself to say it, but he was definitely very proud of all of her hard work.

"Did she know how to dance as well as you?"

[puzzlers]

Right! And since we're planning it we can make all the rules.

[ aka let's invite everybody!!! ]

[sevenyearsasleep]

"Aw, I'm sure no one wants to watch that disaster."

[blue_ice]

"Minamimoto. I have the pleasure of sharing a dormitory with him. His nonsense lasts all hours of the night. I should've known he was likely lying."

Oh, don't get him started on that subject. He scoffed.

"Do you have any leads?"

[burningbrighter]

Huh. Speaking of new things...

[ She glances up at the sky. ]

Did you look up at the stars? They always seem to be at their most beautiful on nights like this.

[perfectenn]

"As a performer in my world, my role was as leader of my group." Was there ever any doubt? He adds with a wink. "Don't worry. I won't drop you."

Permission given, he pulls Eleven forward, gentle but firm. There’s not a trace of hesitation as Tenn finds their place on the floor. He’s familiar with this dance’s quick beat and steps – swing-like and smooth – from previous practice. His gaze moves from over Eleven’s shoulder (good, being similar height will make it easier) to his face.

Right, Eleven is a swordsman… so this will be like coordinating staged combat, then? He’ll use his full body to start and keep an eye on Eleven’s pace and reactions. Keeping his arms strong and steady, Tenn applies light pressure to his grip at the same time he signals his forward momentum with his upper body, directing his partner into the first phase of the dance.

[perfectenn]

"I see." This delivered with a slight lift of the chin and curious stare. No, he doesn't believe that. People who want to familiarize themselves with layout do not do so when it's dark and in their evening wear. Anyone would save that for morning. Moreover, the convenient and more believable excuses like 'I left something in class' were passed over. Meaning he’s either planning to meet someone down here, seeking to use one of the abandoned labs… or dragon-hunting is just a popular sport tonight.

But. It's a good excuse.

"So do I." Said very casually, with no trace of the previous suspicion. "Most of the lights are off. You’ll need to find or conjure one."

And with that unsolicited advice, Tenn turns to continue following the path down towards the Forges and underground river. Perhaps he won't go too far... just take a look for the night. He does not expect to be followed.

[blue_ice]

I've got more than that up my sleeve.

[ Kaiba smiles into the kiss, gently poking his nose when they part. Oh, he'll keep him distracted with some quiet companionship...it'll be just what they need.]

Mm. One night of peace.

[noasark]

"Ah. ...Can't say I've encountered them," Noa remarks, crossing his arms. Regardless, he nods.

"The last anyone saw, it apparently disappeared into the caverns beneath- I don't intend to go too far without a way to navigate, of course."

The question is how well Noa can actually judge that for himself.

[treno_nobleman]

It was humor at face value, but the glare he received in response didn't bother Kuja in the least. He clearly wasn't wanted in this place right now, clearly was not welcome, so he resigned himself to finding somewhere with more pleasant surroundings - and perhaps fewer of the living among them - to end his rounds before he returned to his dorm to say goodbye to the evening.

And then the other Sundered directed a question to him, and Kuja stopped, still in a mood to humor him.

"I am." His movement stopped, one foot still on the path, one foot placing itself down on the ground in midstep, and looked over a shoulder out toward the man. "But what does it matter? None of us had any true word in where we would be seated in the end, did we?"

[treno_nobleman]

[There is no thought to the movement; the gesture is only second nature. He may not have been a true born noble, but he was good at what he did, with everything from the card tournaments of Treno to inciting wars. He rose again, smiling pleasantly, and made no mention of the blush on the boy's face.]

As do I. Do take care now, Eleven. It has been a pleasure this evening.

[One more brief bow of his head and Kuja turns to head toward the refreshment stand, tail waving serenely behind him.]