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

[shiningkindness]

[She nods.]

Right...there are still a lot of questions and things about what we're doing here, and what's going to happen.

[Then, glancing at him, she smiles.]

But I think that's why something like this is important. Giving everyone a chance to relax and have fun will help if things get difficult later on.

[talkyourwayout]

Have you met my brother yet? I think you two would get along.

[Seriously, why does everyone with the cool familiars think there's a problem with what makes them so cool?]

[shiningkindness]

Oh, you mean Huey? Yes, we've met. We're actually housemates.

[talkyourwayout]

Oh, I guess you guys would be, yeah.

[Fluttershy's usually in those blue robes, too.

He's totally not jealous that she's in a house with his brother. Nope. Shut up.]

[mithrarin]

"I'm confused why I need checking up on to begin with," Dust said, looking off over his shoulder. "Not that I'm upset or anything, just -- do I seem like I'm in trouble or something?"

The question was totally legitimate. Dust simply wasn't used to people checking up on him -- and was also used to being the last person who needed that sort of thing.

[sublimelymagnificentblitz]

"'Course we did, and we had a lot of 'em. Because we were the best! Thanks to me, mostly." Modesty was never Jecht's strong point. And he sure wasn't gonna mention his decline there, near the end.

[bearshermark]

Eleven ducked under her weight and managed a smile.

"No, that's all right." There were still too many knots in his stomach for food. "..But maybe a walk would be good."

[woo_oo]

"Well, we can't spend the entire time watching them!" Webby grabbed Fluttershy by the wrists. "Let's have some fun, and dance!"

[talkyourwayout]

"Okay," was Louie's only response, at first. Then a thought hit him. "Were you a pro? Like, did you get paid to play?"

[stillnewatthis]

I am delighted too! I had not expected to attend, as few people wish to ask an omnic on a date for the purpose of romance. [Which is not a complaint on her part. It's perfectly understandable!]

[stillnewatthis]

"Or less. But neither point diminishes my own!" Which was, after all, the most important thing. Vast potentials of romance might await Lena, only to be missed by lack of awareness!

[perfectenn]

A reassuring smile will be the last thing Eleven sees before taking his advice. Good... he knows this part is hard. Glancing around, Tenn continues to guide them and keep the dance flowing.

As tempting as those underarm turns and flourishes from the other dancers look, Tenn’s motions remain studiously simple and repetitive, always the same distance, same timing. He feels Eleven starting to move with him, gliding to the music with less prompting. Still leading, with his hands only now, Tenn allows himself to relax a little more. It's been a long time since he guided someone one-on-one... it's not a bad feeling. Different than dancing with other professionals… but rewarding in its' own right.

Meeting Eleven’s gaze again, Tenn doesn’t need much convincing to take up that offer. "Of course." He gives him a wink before inviting him into a turn. "The real fun starts here."

[perfectenn]

As soon as Louie’s balance falters, Tenn bolts forward with all the attentiveness of someone with a clumsy younger brother; not fast enough to catch him, but his hands are in place to steady him.

"Ah." He should've seen that coming. But an apologetic look is brief; Louie isn’t hurt (save maybe his pride), so Tenn rises and steps back, all professional courtesy.

"It fine. You understand the technique, so I'll teach you to do the steps differently." And he assumes a position, preparing to step into sequence, looking expectantly to Louie.

[perfectenn]

His eyes narrow, amused. "So. You do pay attention in class?" Nope, sorry, not engaging does not excuse you from being the brunt of his humor. But skepticism aside, that’s one of the more sensible deductions Tenn has heard.

"I, too, would prefer the governing systems turn their attention to seizing the culprit. But do we know what the rulings are for rogue wizards, or what may be involved in such a hunt? Perhaps there's too much bureaucracy in the way for them to move forward in the matter." A distasteful frown. But knowing law is a required course for Ka students, he raises it for speculation nonetheless. "Either way, we students are hardly in a position to take up the task without an understanding of the magic and culture." Isn't that why they are here?

"You assume the wizard is on the earth below. That may be true. There should be too much scrutiny here for such spellworking to escape notice." And then the kaiju happened, and he's willing to bet that was some sort of summoning judging by the difficulty had in taking the beast down. "But recent events could suggest otherwise. I'm not going to rule out that there may be a Sundering practitioner here in the city. Perhaps they would find this place more advantageous as neutral territory."

And he does not like to think about that at all. Because if the Sundering user is far away, Tenn can hold to his theory of their travel here being a side effect of a greater spell. If the culprit is closer... that would bring up a great many concerns.

[treno_nobleman]

The snark isn't lost on him, and he does not appreciate being taunted while he offers a simple enough thought on how this all may have happened. It's enough that he has lost interest in the conversation entirely, and turns to leave. He isn't going to tolerate this mistreatment for an accidental encounter.

"I do. More than you, who knows nothing about me, may believe." He lifts his hand in a wave as he leaves, and that's all that he'll offer the boy. If he's going to find his way out of this world, it won't be because of what happens here tonight, and that's a shame, but he isn't going to let this ruin his mood.

"Oh, and good luck with... whatever you were doing. You may well need it. If you intend to think like a student for the rest of your time here, you may well need it, indeed."


(ooc: Probably best to end this thread. I didn't intend things to go south like they clearly had and if it's just gonna keep going this way, I'll have to end it anyway. Feeling a bit like I made a mistake here, tagging this character.)

[areasontohope]

Yuki wasn't looking for another story. But it would be rude to not listen to Webby and so he did.

"So you finished the game and went back home."

At least he's figuring that's how the story ended.

[areasontohope]

He was careful to match and keep Fluttershy's pace. Yuki wasn't trying to rush her or prevent her from looking at whatever caught her eye. His eyes kept looking at all of the fairy lights and how well they lit up the room but didn't make the lighting overwhelming.

He also looked down at the pool as they passed on the bridge. It was really pretty and added to the atmosphere. Trying to take everything in, he just couldn't believe it. Turning to his companion, he smiled.

"Everything looks really great. They must've had a lot of work to do."

[talkyourwayout]

Louie grumbles a bit under his breath as he stands back up and dusts himself off. This is turning into more effort than he'd wanted to put in, really. He hates being on the receiving end of that expectant look - new from Tenn, sure, but not others in his life.

"Hoh boy," he mutters, but he copies the position. "Alright, let's go."

[sublimelymagnificentblitz]

"Heh, 'course I did." Jecht folded his arms. Blitzball was a comfortable place for his mind to dwell, and it showed. "I was the star of the Abes. People packed the stadium to see me play."

[noasark]

"That's good enough for me at least," he encourages- not realizing that the brunt is from the evening of course.

It'll be fine, Lena's probably a natural, maybe. (And anyway he's completely out of his berth on the more upbeat ones, so if anything she's the more experienced for now.)

A testament to his earlier words, he seems to be looking to the current dancers to try and get a clue on how to start. Eventually he partly gives up and just gestures to the dance floor. "...Shall we?"

[woo_oo]

Aw, but he cut out the best parts! Oh well.

"Yep, and we got a really neat trophy for it! And Uncle Scrooge and Dewey got to bond, that was nice."

[talkyourwayout]

"Well, I guess that's pretty cool, then," Louie admitted. "Have you started learning Bala-Inlota yet?"

Because if Jecht liked one sport, he'd like another. Clearly that made sense.

[darkenedmoon]

Honor. Oh, she wasn't laughing--Hendrik did not sound out of place or old fashioned to her--Yotsuyu had mentioned that he reminded her of Ishgardian knights from Hydaelyn--so something she was at least used to, if only in passing. Certainly she did not know a great deal about them, but that was neither here nor there. His worries about how he sounded, at least, had little base.

But honor...that left a bit of a sour taste in her mouth. Yotsuyu was uncertain as to why it was some sort of honor--save that he was a knight and pretty words came easily to his tongue. But if Hendrik were anything, he was honest to a fault, as well.

"I do not know why. Though I suppose you knew that if nothing else, I would not stomp upon your toes, and so was likely better than your other students!"

A small attempt at a jest, and a poor one, she was sure, but Yotsuyu did not want to be too solemn at a party she was supposed to be enjoying, with a dance partner whose company she was enjoying...

[unswervingcompanion]

Hendrik didn't know what to say in return, because what he had thought to say was out of place. And this was why he was only dancing one dance with her so that the knight could return Yotsuyu to Sir Jecht's side.

That thought almost made him scowl because of how unhappy she always seemed around the other man. But instead, he resolved to speak to her at some future point regarding it. He just wanted her to be happy, not ruin her second chance at another life. She'd been through so much and Hendrik wanted to see her happy, even if it wasn't going to be with him. He was her friend and that's where it had to stay because even if the dinner was a fluke, being someone's date certainly couldn't have been.

It wasn't in him to interfere with this, and that's not what he was planning do. He would simply ask a question or two and be done with it as much as it pained him. She had chosen and it wasn't him and he could respect that. Her apparent unhappiness was what bothered him.

And regardless of whatever Yotsuyu said, Hendrik would always be there for her and be right by her side if needed. And he would do his best to try and find a way to save her no matter what.

So as he was about to say something, the music was over and he stopped, nodding to her slightly.

"I do believe that concludes repayment for my lessons."

[sublimelymagnificentblitz]

"Course I have!" Jecht gave the duck a look like he'd grown a third head. Sure, it wasn't bliztball, but it was the thing around here! "Fun little game, even if it lacks the polish."