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

[outofyourshadow]

She took in another breath, her eyes widening a bit. And it was hard to say if his words or the look on his face hurt more, sending something twisting in her chest. When she glanced away again, the guilty expression she wore more apparently.

"...Yeah...I can...see how that'd be upsetting." Swallowing the lump in her throat, she sighed. "Look, I'm...I'm sorry. For what it's worth, it's not like I wouldn't have protected you if I needed to. It's just...felt like you two needed protection from two different things."

Then she shrugged, looking a bit helpless. "And I guess I just...really wanted to tell someone about it."

[talkyourwayout]

When she admitted that she understood why he was upset, Louie stopped dancing quite suddenly. "Yeah? Th-thanks. And I guess... I get what you mean. Webs is-"

He cut himself off from saying 'special' real fast, but went on with, "-different. In a good way, but..." He shook his head. "I don't want you to do that again, you know, tell me without telling Webby? About something like that?"

He paused, then, and a hint of a smile began to show. "But it is kind of cool that you really wanted to tell someone and came to me."

[outofyourshadow]

She nodded. "Yeah, she definitely is...something special." Somehow, that felt like she'd said too much, and not enough at the same time. "And yeah, you don't have to worry about that. Webby and I had a long talk about it, and I won't be keeping secrets from her anymore. So if you know something, she'll know it too."

She managed a faint smile of her own. "Yeah. Actually, you were the first person I ever really showed it to. Even now, you and Webs are the only ones who really know about it."

[talkyourwayout]

"Good," Louie said, his smile growing. "I'm really am glad you guys worked things out, you know." A cough. This was such a sentimental conversation, and he was starting to feel acutely aware of that. He tried to hide his smile some, just so he'd look like less of a sappy nerd, but the look in his eyes and the tone of his voice still gave away his relief and happiness. "So we... We're cool, right?"

[areasontohope]

Turning back to Webby, he shook his head.

"I'm sorry that I wasn't clear. I meant that you might find someone who thinks as you do."

After all, everyone got pulled from their homes and ended up here.

[outofyourshadow]

"Yeah...so am I."

Lena was also aware of how sentimental the moment was, and while it made her a bit uncomfortable, she was finding that they were...okay sometimes. Maybe she even needed them a bit more often.

"Yeah, we're cool...Thanks."

[woo_oo]

"Oh!" That made more sense, but she gave a half shrug. "Maybe. I... know I can be pretty weird. I'm still learning how to... act normal around people."

[areasontohope]

"You're welcome." And here he thought his clumsiness would really come in but fortunately, it hadn't.

And as soon as Fluttershy had reached to make final adjustments, Yuki quickly moved his hands away.

"I'm glad that you like them." Yuki almost had admitted that he hadn't been sure what color to get but caught himself just in time.

[areasontohope]

"Well, some might consider it pretty weird to be in another world."

And at least (or he didn't think she did) she couldn't turn into something else if hugged.

Revels

[unswervingcompanion]

(earlier than the thread with Eleven)

Having gone to the Ball, the knight wasn't going to stay too long. He'd come to check on his friends and then he was going back to go do more research. Because of being a seasoned warrior, he did keep his eyes open for any trouble, but other than that he wasn't staying long.

However, he happened to see Yotsuyu and he wanted to see how well she had picked everything up now that they were at the real Ball and were no longer just practicing.

A simple song had started to play so this couldn't get complicated, and he walked over to her and bowed. This one he could get away with because they were in public and wasn't afraid of her snapping him with that fan, at least not right now.

So he held out his hand to her after straightening up.

"May I have this dance?"

[areasontohope]

Yuki looked up at the owl and watched its path as it alighted on Kazuma's arm. And it was a good thing that his rat Mayonaka wasn't present. After all, it really wouldn't do to have fussed with him while trying to go for a walk. And there was no way he would've let his rat out at the Ball and scared Miss Fluttershy for any reason.

After a moment, Yuki took off after Kazuma. Afraid of fire? No, he'd dealt all his life with far worse than that.

Arrival

[hyperdrivemonalisa]

[Since their altercation, Isabel had given Kuja a wide berth. But it had eaten at her. Neither of her parents were like to approve of her behavior, and to tell the truth, she didn't, either. Even if her mother was likely to understand.

Her approach was ginger, nervous even, though the only thing she held in her hands was a rose; a single blossom, brilliant yellow petals tinged with crimson at the edges. A spectacular specimen, indeed. Isabel dropped him a pretty curtsey, then proffered the bloom to him. A peace offering, though he didn't know it.]

When last we met, my behavior was uncalled for. It didn't matter that my singing bothered you, I was not really sorry when it did. So...I'm sorry.

[She didn't really expect forgiveness, but she proffered the flower anyway.] This is for you.

[darkenedmoon]

Yotsuyu patted Eleven's back, soothing still, though she made a thoughtful noise, lips thinning. She knew little of this Mordegon. Mostly a name, and that he was, of course, deceitful and in opposition to Eleven. She knew, of course, how she might have approached such a thing, but...

"Do you think stealing it for only that long, to deceive Yggdrasil, was enough? You do say it is a power of light, and if he is of the darkness, well, it should pain him to hold something so bright. Oh, if it managed his ends, certainly he would for a time, but for good? I cannot think he could keep it safely..."

But Yotsuyu was speculating, and she knew it, which made her frown. "I can only speak from my own knowledge and experience, but that is what I know, with the rules of magic I have learned from my own world, and this one."

As for Eleven's lack of confidence, she could only do what she had been doing, and be as supportive of him as she could be.

[king_of_egypt]

[Atem was intrigued by her words, already starting to question what other differences might exist between the various worlds and dimensions.] So you already had a connection to magic before arriving here at Diatu? I'm assuming that it differs in some fashion to how it operates in Anastara. [Trying to encourage her to proceed]

[It was hard to say really. It wasn't as if everyone had magically inclinations on Atem's version of Earth either. Sure in Egypt there was more focus on spells and mysticism but in modern Japan there had been significantly less practitioners]

Was it difficult to keep traveling between worlds?

[It was a total oversight on his part to not supply his own name. Besides there was still some pleasure derived from knowing it and being able to share it himself. In order to protect the world, it had been lost for so long]

Isabel it is. My apologies I should have offered it already. My name is Atem. [It would have been hard to guess given not only the wide variety of names to choose from but that he hadn't even specified an era. Some names were more popular in different periods. The dance starts fluidly enough, as that take to the dance floor.]

[darkenedmoon]

[The throaty chuckle engendered by Atem's response meant that Yotsuyu was attempting humor again, as well. And yes, perhaps there was a bit of exuberant celebration at not being squashed, as well.]

Oh, you do have your charm, do you not? [Chuckling yet again, yellow eyes sparkling.] We might be able to keep up--you have your own grace, I note--and yet, I have never been inclined to make a fool of myself when I could avoid it.

[Since they were dancing, Atem probably did not have to worry too much--she was well aware of what they were attempting to do, at least, and she was certain he would not take liberties. He did not seem the sort.]

[darkenedmoon]

As if Hendrik had a thing to fear from Yotsuyu and her fan. She fluttered it in front of her face briefly, arching a brow at him, but the smile that crossed her lips could not be mistaken.

She gave him the faintest of bows in return, and offered him a hand, snapping that fan shut and tucking it in her belt--which was not a serpent, at the moment. No, Gosetsu was in her quarters, taking a well-deserved rest.

"I would be delighted. You may!"

[unswervingcompanion]

He saw that smile of hers and was surprised that she had bowed to him. So he smiled in return at the gesture that wasn't something Yotsuyu would normally do. The knight wasn't looking to see if her familiar was with her, but he probably should've just in case.

With a nod at her assent, Hendrik took the offered hand and led her quietly to the dance floor. The last time he'd gotten to hold her hand was when he was helping her to learn how to dance. Due to her hand in his on the inside, he felt like a little boy though none of this showed outwardly.

The knight chose a spot on the Ballroom floor and stood in position. Here though, he allowed his smile to show once more.

[unswervingcompanion]

At Yotsuyu's thoughts, Hendrik shook his head. "We could not be fully sure of all of the details." And looking at the boy lost in the woman's embrace, the knight thought of the boy's own mother who worried and had requested that he look after her boy. And he had, he had kept his word and the two had returned, only to end up leaving to go to the mountain to find out what to do next.

"Mordegon was the one controlling my friend Jasper and had been wearing the king as if a second skin, shed shortly before he felled the Tree. We lost track of the Luminary until he later showed up thankfully in one piece. I had spent that time collecting survivors to bring back to the Last Bastion before he did so."

He was simply trying to connect the timelines, but try as he might, he still had no idea what exactly had happened to the Luminary after the Tree fell. It was a mystery and the knight hadn't really thought to ask because the other turned up looking hale and whole.

[woo_oo]

"Actually, this isn't the first time I've done that either." That's just the Duck family way at this point.

[talkyourwayout]

Louie raised a hand in the air for a hi-five. "Don't mention it. I'm just happy to have things back to normal... And thank you, too. For hearing me out."

[hyperdrivemonalisa]

[Isabel nodded at that.] I gained access to my type of magick back home when I was almost fifteen. We call it Awakening. So I'd had some training--a little bit all my life, really, since both my parents are Mages, and my grandparents, though they're all different Traditions--except for my dad's dad. He's a werewolf.

[That was said matter-of-factly, though it wasn't something she mentioned every day. Still, things here were so odd, it probably wouldn't be that strange. At Atem's next question, Isabel shook her head.]

Dad knew where there was a portal to Earth, and we usually took that. It opened up into a traffic tunnel in Pittsburgh, and he'd just drive his car in.

[His next words got her attention. Isabel looked at him again, brows arched.] Atem? Were you named for an ancestor, or were you named for the creator god? The Complete One? [ True, she never in a million years would have guessed his name, so she was glad she didn't have to. Isabel lets Atem lead--seems she's both used to dancing, and good enough at it that he looks as if he's been doing it all his life. For her part, Isabel looks as if she's completely enjoying herself.]

Either way, it's a pleasure to meet you, and it's not like I'm offended, I just didn't want to say "hey, you" all night!

[mithrarin]

Not really aware of how visible he was in the relative darkness, Dust tensed slightly when he saw someone approach -- but then Isabel spoke up, easily identifiable from her voice. Trading his tension in for sheer surprise, Dust relaxed a little.

"Oh -- hi, Isabel. What brought you out here?" Despite the fact that she'd just said, he assumed that was peripheral to whatever actual purpose had pulled her from the fun.

Re: Food!

[sublimelymagnificentblitz]

"No way! There's always some sort of cake!" Jecht waved a cucumber slice in Louie's direction. "Victory parties and receptions and all that crap. I had to live it all back in the day, I should know."

[hyperdrivemonalisa]

"I could see Ahrah and Furae, and I figured since you didn't come to the dance, you were training." Isabel pouted at him, just a little, even as she offered him the plate of food.

"I would've danced with you, at least, you know." Oh, the reproach there! "I can't stay too long out here, though. I don't want my date to think I ditched him. He's dancing with other people right now, though, so I figured I could sneak out and at least get you a little something."

Which was basically what she'd said in the first place. Sheesh!

[shiningkindness]

With another nod, she looked up at him with a smile. "I do, thank you."

Then she gestured toward the bridge; they still had to cross it to get to the Great Hall. "I...suppose we should get going." There was a lot to see, after all.