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

[puzzlers]

... [ kaiba's invitation takes him by surprise, which is painfully evident on his face. he's quick to rein in his surprise though, his mind racing a million miles a minute. a- a room... in town? w- with kaiba. alone. ] Ah, [ he feels his face start to heat up, a hand flying to his cheek to try to hide it, but he probably only brings attention to it. ] K- Kaiba? You... you really want to do that?

[treno_nobleman]

[They'll start back into an easy dance, going into the basics of the step again around the dance floor, and Kuja is sure to lead them where the crowds are the the thinnest so that there's less a chance of someone colliding with them.]

Where I come from, a world known as Gaia, the higher ranks of society are fickle and prone to look at a person once and decide they know about them at face value alone. Dance is one of the tools by which they judge, so if you do not dance well, they know you as a fraud, and they are only interested in people with money and power and influence. You must learn to act as they do to get ahead; it was something I had to learn to establish myself. [Hence, his tendencies toward fancy footwork.] That and... I do adore it.

[blue_ice]

[ Yugi's reaction is surprising. Cute, even. But he doesn't want to scare him off.

He lowers his head and whispers to him, suddenly a little shy himself. ]

I really enjoyed the night we accidentally spent in my dorm. I'd like to do that again, but the dorms are going to be unadulterated chaos when everyone finally staggers back at the crack of dawn. Some peace would be nice...nicer with you.

[king_of_egypt]

[That.... actually looked rather appetizing. Perhaps Atem should see about sidling up to the buffet table himself sometime]

It is healthier than the alternative. [To obsess over how things had developed and all the what-might-have-beens would be fruitless and potentially maddening. Not to mention the wedge it could drive between him and the people he cared the most about. No- he was sure, the sooner he moved on the better. It would be difficult but he needed to think of this like less of an ending and more like a beginning of a new volume of his afterlife. While he appreciated her being considerate of his feelings he wouldn't have blamed her if she inquired further.] I suppose.... there is some truth in that. Lasting change tends to occur gradually. [He emitted a swift sigh] Perhaps I am being a little too impatient with myself.

[It might not seem like it, but her words were helping in some fashion]

Ha. Well- it seems like the staff paid attention to all the details. [It was nice observing everyone else enjoying themselves] Really? Never? [Offering her a gentle smile] You've still managed to find something you like in the midst of it all- and... you know... dancing isn't as difficult as it might appear. If you're curious I wouldn't mind giving you a demonstration.

[king_of_egypt]

[That was likely a wise decision on Yugi's part. It was something that could be addressed later if need be]

[This already seems to be starting off on better footing than the last time, if Atem can just see it through. With any luck, his lessons would maintain that illusion for his current dance partner but truthfully Atem hadn't had much time to participate in balls quite like this before. Sure there were festivals in Egypt but the style and manner in which those dates were celebrated had their own variations. Atem had seen Téa dance before, most notably when she wiped the floor with Johnny Steps but he still didn't think he would be able to pull off those sorts of maneuvers. It wouldn't be the first time that Yugi had ever underestimated himself either but Atem was sure he would have no trouble with this.]

[Some of Atem's nerves seem to dissipate as they move across the dance floor. Focusing primarily on Yugi, and their motions it's as if the rest of the party fades away leaving the two of them for a few brief moments. He gets a bit lost in it until Yugi's words snap him out of it] Oh yes, of course. [Fun. Right. That's all it is. An amusing diversion.] Haven't you been enjoying yourself?

[king_of_egypt]

[It was hard not to take some amusement from that hasty response as most attendees would have better appreciated the compliment. Her reaction was understandable though considering his own experience with the more archaeological minded such as Yugi's Grandfather and Professor Hawkins]

[There's also a technically deceased pharaoh from ancient Egypt in front of you]

Ha- well.. it wasn't exactly cursed by the pharaohs..... [His expression darkening for a moment] The creation of it came at a high price....... which led to further calamities. [The questions were coming at such rapidity that it was hard to field them all] Not.... directly connected to the Gods, but then again nothing occurs without the Gods knowledge and involvement in it to some degree....

It has been solved, for it used to be in pieces, but why it's here... I have no idea. That mystery is still unsolved. The puzzle should have remained inside the stone tablet with the other items once I- [Crossed over into the after life. Almost got him there- not that he was keeping it a secret so much here...] -You're really curious about these sort of things aren't you? [Read as: Atem is slightly overwhelmed by her exuberance. Give him a minute, it'll be fine]

[king_of_egypt]

[Atem looked curiously at Eleven's out-stretched hand. He had thought there would be only one dance in store for him today but apparently he was wrong. Everyone here seemed to be getting into the spirit of the occasion and it was hard not getting swept up in it]

Why not? [He smiled graciously accepting the offer and reaching for Eleven's hand]

Let's just enjoy the moment and not worry if either one of us missteps. [Though he didn't doubt that Eleven likely had improved from experience, he didn't see the point in worrying about it either way]

[noasark]

[Arrival]

Noa didn't originally intend to come to this event. But then things happened, and a meeting place was needed, and so Noa wound up promising a large salmon to his familiar in exchange for enough to buy decent formal robes.

And decent they are indeed, in a rather fetching black and green. There's no tomato here, not today folks!

He's very clearly looking for someone however, which begs the question of if he found something of worth in this date deal anyway. ...Did he?

(The answer is no, but it doesn't mean he can't be absolutely in the way as he cranes his neck to look around the crowd)

[Revels and Food]

The party is in full swing- but Noa, while far from a wallflower, doesn't seem to actually be...participating?

Some of Adelai's penguins certainly are, and seem to be having quite the time of their life, but Noa pays them no mind. Instead, chewing lightly on a cucumber sandwich, he keeps skimming the crowd...frustration building visibly in his eyes.

"Tch..." He scowls. "Where on earth is he..."

[MEANWHILE, WASN'T THERE... | TAGS FROM BOTH NOA AND SPYRO]

Noa found who he was looking for.

"Alright. We don't know how long we'll have...but it'll be our best chance to seek out where that thing went," Noa whispers to his companion- ironically, a dragon themselves. "That dragon was a bit too familiar," he explains to his partner, "And if we stand a chance at questioning such a thing, you're probably our best bet. ...Wouldn't you say?"

Noa that's kinda species-ist

Spyro is the one he's speaking to, and apparently they have a plan to go on a mini-adventure of their own.

Like children.

Which tracks, really.

[puzzlers]

[ he regrets opening his mouth. it seemed like atem had gotten caught up in the moment and, truthfully, he had too. but it was a harmless question... or so he thought. he gives his a brief smile, his expression going neutral as he looks aside and starts counting the steps under his breath. he nods at the question, his tone growing softer and softer until he's back in the rhythm. ] Sorry.

I'm glad you came. [ since he didn't know if atem would bother. ] And I'm glad we're sharing a dance... especially since we never got a chance to do something like this. [ or much of anything, really. ]

chasing the dragon

[blue_ice]

Seto Kaiba is nothing if not a large, looming nuisance at the best of times. And here he is again, interest piqued when he sees his stepbrother and...another dragon? Sneaking away from the dance.

He strides up to them, skeptical expression firmly in place.

"You're going after the ghost dragon?"

[puzzlers]

[ he swallows the nervous lump that seems to have formed in his throat, especially when kaiba gets him thinking of the night they spent together. it was... it was nice, and he certainly wouldn't mind doing it again. he chews on his lip before giving a nod. ] It would be nice... since, uh, yeah, everybody is going to be coming back at all hours of the night and morning...

Do you, uhm, know a place?

[king_of_egypt]

The surprise was evident in Atem's features when he ran into another student himself. He had thought that most the school would be too preoccupied with the festivities to go exploring the grounds this evening but once again he was wrong. Not having taken the time to change he was also still in his ballroom attire, a black suit with a purple striped tie. The dress coat was still draped over his shoulders and fanning out behind him like a cape, and around his neck was a sturdy chain that held a golden upside-down pyramid with an unblinking eye in the center of it.

"I was."

Atem answered plainly, eyes scanning the scene before him. The lantern was a dead giveaway that this dapper gentleman wasn't intending on returning to the Twilight Ball himself, at least- not right away.

"I could ask you the same thing." Just casually pointing that out. "What are you doing?"

[king_of_egypt]

[Content to remain people watching for the time being, Atem actually catches sight of the crowd as it splits to allow the mechanized student through. He thinks nothing of it at first but it soon becomes evident that Orisa is aimed for him]

[Shifting his body weight to the other foot, he stands up a bit straighter as she approaches]

Good evening, Orisa. [Managing to get out a greeting before her assessment is voiced] Huh? Oh- I wouldn't say it's a requirement.. [Said a little sheepishly as he places a hand to the back of his neck] Besides... it's early yet. I'm sure there will be plenty of time.. for... that.

[Then it dawns on him that this might be more than an idle statement, and if it's an offer he shouldn't refuse it] Are... you asking me for a dance?

[king_of_egypt]

I can only imagine how you phrased it. [Part of him wanted to ask who Kaiba was speaking about but another part didn't think it was really any of his business.] Do you think your explanation helped?

[As per usual they manage to draw plenty of attention to themselves in the process. The overly dramatic swishing of their respective coats adding the process. Atem- actually is genuinely impressed with Kaiba's precision. He had never envisioned him in this sort of scenario before]

You always hold such high expectations, Kaiba. [A hint of a teasing edge to his words] You're not bad yourself.

[king_of_egypt]

[It was a harmless question, really but once again being ill-prepared for it had fostered doubt. It became obvious that it was a misstep with Yugi looked aside. Atem gave himself a mental pep talk. It hadn't been the worst thing he could have said. They could recover from this] .... [He doesn't acknowledge the apology since he thinks it will lead to lingering on the odd tension threatening to stir up rather than helping them move past it]

I'm glad I did too. [It has had it's highlights, and he ended up getting to meet with a lot of his new friends.] Mm [Nodding to that statement.] It would have been impossible before.

[He wasn't able to quite get back to that point where he let the music and the rhythm take over again, now more acutely aware of how close the two of them currently were.]

[shiningkindness]

Her face lit up a bit as she took the corsage.

"Oh, it's lovely," she said softly. Looking up at him, she smiled. "Thank you."

[shiningkindness]

[She follows his gaze, and smiles to herself when she sees Yugi. She'd wondered who he'd talked about earlier, but she decided to still not ask unless he brings it up again.

Instead, she answers his question with a nod.]

Oh yes. He's been very sweet. I'm glad I was able to come with him to the dance.

[shiningkindness]

Looking over, she smiled. "Hi, Webby! Yes, I did see them! It's so sweet, isn't it?" She giggled softly. "Tango's been coming by to visit since we last saw him, and he's even been hanging around more. I think he's really liked getting to spend more time with Ballet that's not fighting."

Even if they do still spar on occasion.

[shiningkindness]

She blushed faintly at the compliment. "Th-Thank you," she replied softly. "You look really nice too."

She took a moment to sip at her own drink before answering again, "Yes, I've been having a wonderful time. How about you?"

[shiningkindness]

Fluttershy nodded, her body still swaying to the music. "I know..." Her blush darkened a bit. "Honestly, I...don't think I'd mind if something more did happen."

While she had never actively pursued a relationship before, she wasn't opposed to having one. And Yuki was really sweet, and had helped her out more than once.

Revels

[shiningkindness]

[Needing to take a break from dancing so much, Fluttershy ends up finding him standing off to the side.]

Hi, Atem...! How are you?

[outofyourshadow]

It sure was easy...in theory. The moves themselves weren't that bad.

But Lena kept her eyes on her feet, and that had nothing to do with the steps. Mostly it felt...weird? Being close like this, but she wasn't entirely sure why. She and Webby were always close, literally and figuratively.

Somehow, though...with the music and the stars...this felt different.

...It wasn't bad though.

[outofyourshadow]

"That's more than I know," she replied with a shrug as she stepped out in a half-turn. "I've never been to anything like this before."

[outofyourshadow]

Lena couldn't help a smile when she caught sight of him. Yugi was pretty cool, and one of the few people she felt really comfortable with outside of the other Duck kids. So she was glad to see another familiar face here, especially since she did feel a bit out of place at something this fancy.

"Thanks. You're not so bad yourself." And she couldn't help a teasing smile. "You here with anyone special?"

[outofyourshadow]

It certainly cheered Lena up, and she couldn't help a grin.

"Hey there. Nice flower crown."