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

[woo_oo]

"A-huh!" Webby slows down her frantic sprinting to a casual stroll, since they're having a conversation.

"He asked me with a letter! And I had to fight him to get it. It was funny! But you have to ask people to come to these things," so she understood it, "so I guess I was just the first person he thought of."

[goingbythebook]

"He asked you with a letter?" That part he hadn't known. He'd just caught wind that Louie had asked Webby, and so-

"Heh, I guess so. It simply is tradition to ask someone to events like these, so after Louie asked you, I asked Lena..." Huhm. he didn't see her either. He was a bit more worried about Louie though, he hoped wherever he was he was having fun.

[woo_oo]

"You asked Lena? Aw, lucky you!" She let out a little laugh. "Good thing you got to her first. I bet she had, like, a million people who wanted to go with her... not that she'd say yes to most of them because she's the cool loner type."

Gosh, Lena was awesome.

[goingbythebook]

"Her?" He scoffed a little. "What about me? I've been here for five minutes, so to speak, and I had people chasing me across the halls to ask for me.

"You'd think they'd never seen a duckling before. Which is even more unbelievable because of all of you having beaten me here."

[woo_oo]

"Oh, right." Somehow she kept forgetting that.

"Take it as a compliment! And use it to your advantage! They want to ask your questions about your body and your world, fire right back!"

[goingbythebook]

"Well, I did get the chance to do a little of that when they'd handed us those crystals to ask other Sundered questions..."

He dwelled on that, then shook his head and decided to deflect off him.

"Still, you're right. I'm glad Lena could go with a friend, too."

[woo_oo]

Webby began to bounce on her heels in excitement! "And I want you to make this night super special for her! Be her best friend, after me! I want all of us to be super best amazing friends!"

[goingbythebook]

"This certainly would be a good time to get to know Lena better." When was the last time they spent significant time in each other's company? The adventure with the Terra-Firmians?

...Yeah, wow. It was high time to become closer.

"You can depend on me, Webby! I'll show Lena the time of her life."

[woo_oo]

"I knew I could count on you!" That's worthy of a hug in her eyes!

"Make her the bell of the ball! And for Louie, I'll... " Huh, what could she do for him that she didn't do already? "Um, I guess... I'll help him carry some free food?"

[goingbythebook]

Hug accepted and returned!

"I've got a few tips for Louie." He laughed lightly, counting off on his fingers. "Free food is a good start, but mostly what you want to do is make sure he feels relaxed and at ease in his surroundings. Keeping him talking is a good way of doing that, since Louie's most comfortable with winding his words around things. He's not often good with physical contact unless he's feeling upset, in which case he likes it being offered before he has to ask. And if all else fails, distract him with talk about, or the presence of, money. With those in mind, you should be good to go!"

[woo_oo]

Webby blinked a bit, surprised at the flood of information.

"... Awww, you guys really love each other!"

[goingbythebook]

He smiled at that, only a touch smugly. "Well, I like to look out for him. I'm his older brother and well," he paused just to doublecheck Louie was nowhere within hearing range, "sometimes he loses his way a bit. So I keep him on track."

[woo_oo]

"Just don't forget, you're not alone in that anymore!" Webby slapped her hands on her hips, confident. "I can help out too!"

... Baring in mind she usually fell for his tricks...

[goingbythebook]

His smile turned grateful and he nodded, placing a hand on her shoulder.

"Right. We're all in this together. And that's why I'm counting on you to give Louie the best night, just like I will for Lena. Super best friends, right?"

Moving his hand, he held it in front of her for a fistbump.

[woo_oo]

Eeee! Fistbumping!!! She held her breath, double checked, then went for it! Boom!

"Super best friends having the super best night!"

[talkyourwayout]

Louie returned the smile, along with a nod.

"Well, yeah. Someone's gotta look after all these softies, right?" he pointed out, turning his smiling face to look over his fellow students. He really had made more friends here than he'd ever planned.

[talkyourwayout]

Louie echoed the gesture. "Yeah, but come on, I th- Wait, he steals wine?" That was... Weird. "Huh, well, at least he's stealthy? That'll probably come in handy."

[goingbythebook]

Boom.

"Exactly! Operation: Most Magical Night," he paused for a chuckle, "is now underway."

[talkyourwayout]

"Or you could do the smart thing," Louie lightly flicked Huey's forehead before patting his school bag, "and save up. Honestly, makes even more sense for you than me - you're the one who's always hungriest."

[nomoremistergneissguy]

I believe it, they tried to do that to my parents with me, too. Most of my siblings have significant others. So I'm the 'lucky' one, because I'm single. [The finger quotes are practically tangible when Cliff speaks.]

Then again, I'm also lucky that neither of my parents will let anyone's parents get away with that. I'm not in a hurry for some albatross to be hung around my neck for a tidbit of temporal power.

[talkyourwayout]

"Oh, yeah? I wouldn't know," Louie admitted. "Nearly all of the parties I've been to have been for birthdays... Did you have victory parties for that weird game? Was your team good?"

[goingbythebook]

He winced at the flick, but couldn't do much about it. For now.

"Who's to say I'm not doing both? Stock up your body and stock up your larder, and you'll be double prepared!"

...Boys, doesn't this school offer sufficient meals on its own-? Eh, nevermind.

[talkyourwayout]

"You sound old when you say words like larder, you know," Louie teased with a smirk. Then, a thought struck, and he carried on with a shrug. "But then again, you are an old man compared to me."

[goingbythebook]

He snorted a bit, turning to face Louie better. "Yeah, and don't you forget it! Maybe you'll listen to me more if you remember that I am indeed older than you."

Brotherly jabs? Brotherly jabs.

[talkyourwayout]

Brotherly jabs were welcome - especially as something normal in a place that, no matter how long Louie was there, still felt strange.

"Listen to you more? In your dreams, Hubert. You may have the booksmarts, but those will only get you so far."