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

Revels and Food

[outofyourshadow]

"Looking for someone?"

Lena couldn't help overhearing as she was grabbing a bit of food herself, and wandered over to see what had him so frustrated.

[puzzlers]

Yugi smiles at her compliment, looking aside to flush a light color of pink. "Thank you."

"Me too. Did you, ah, did you come here with anybody?" He looked around, trying to figure out if somebody might have asked her to the dance and who it might be.

[puzzlers]

He looks himself up and down and feels his cheeks color. "Thanks. I, ah, I wanted to make sure I looked nice." Since he was here with someone. Yugi immediately starts laughing nervously when she asks him if he's here with not just somebody, but somebody special. "I, uhm, h- hah, yeah I am, actually. How about, ah, y- you? I..." He motions over his shoulder, looking to make sure that he's even pointing in the right direction. "Seto Kaiba. D- Don't know if you know him, but, uhm, we're... we're here together."

[blue_ice]

Mm. Out on the third ring. It should be a little quieter than here.

[ He gives Yugi another smile. ]

Is there anything you want to finish up here? Otherwise, we can just pack a bag each and get going.

[blue_ice]

I'm glad. And...me too.

[ He sneaks another smile at Yugi. ]

You were right about him. He would've been willing to protect me, but I think we're both happier this way. You know Yugi, right?

[burningbrighter]

"So wait for the right moment and talk to him! It's so beautiful here. Perfect for getting you in the mood."

She smiled softly. "And I'll be right here cheering you from the back."

[blue_ice]

I think so. He seems to be the life of the party tonight.

[ He spares a glance over at Eleven inviting yet another student to dance with him, and there's a hint of a smile on his face. ]

I only take on the best. You're in an exclusive club.

[ Atem is also in the even more exclusive club of people that Kaiba would ever allow to lead him. It's happened naturally, and for once he doesn't mind...and they're so in tune with each other that it hardly feels off. He seems to light up a little at the compliment. ]

Hah. I actually thought about this...once, after. What it would've been like to dance with you.

[puzzlers]

I have, ah, one thing to take care of, so I’ll meet you back at your dorm? How does that sound?

[blue_ice]

Perfect. I'll see you soon.

[ He parts from Yugi with a brief kiss and begins the trek back to the dorm, where he pets and feeds his poor frustrated cat and packs his bag. It's quiet in here for once, which gives him the space he needs to decompress.

He changes into a more casual (but still put together) outfit in his trademark blue, stuffs some supplies in his endless coat pockets, and stops just outside the dorm, watching the moonlight through a window. For once, the school seems to be ordinary, almost innocent. He wouldn't mind it so much if it was always the case. ]

[puzzlers]

… [ for the moment he decides to say no more. he doesn’t want to upset atem again, especially since he had originally been on the fence about coming. but now he’s having a good time, and so he’d like to keep it that way. his other self deserves this and… and so much more. his grip on atem’s shoulder tightens as he dips his head and swallows the nervous lump that’s amassed in his throat. ] I missed you. [ he gently bonks his forehead to atem’s, his eyes closing as he lets out a sigh. ] … [ nothing he says now about what happened is going to change anything. what happened happened. but that doesn’t stop him from wanting a do over. ] It, ah, seems we still can’t keep from getting caught up in m- magic… h- hah… [ and back to awkward small talk. ]

[stillnewatthis]

I am having an extraordinary time. This is far outside my programming so I am compiling vasts amount of data for analysis. Are you observing similar effects?

[Sorry, Kaibi. She's pinned you for someone else to whom dances like this are also strange.]

[stillnewatthis]

Easily if I am not swift. Accelerated movement can pose a danger as I am not able to track all potential vectors of motion for clearance.

[In other words, if she whirls around to fast she might take some people out. Pretty much just what one would expect from an omnic of her size and build.]

[stillnewatthis]

"Cliff got it for me! He wished me to look pretty." Not that Orisa cared about such things. Comparing her own appearance to a human (or duck) appearance was an effort in futility! The analogies could not be formed. But she appreciated the effort, and was happy someone had thought of her.

"Your dress appears optimal for attractiveness."

[woo_oo]

Hey, that's true! We should totally invite everyone!

... Uh, next dance.

[Little late on this one.]

[woo_oo]

Oh boy, it's storytime! Webby whips around, grinning.

"It started out as an epic duel, sword versus sword, dolphin versus whale! Tango got in some vicious buts, but Ballet was swifter than they looked! Yet even Ballet knew they were not invincible, and so they took the skies, trying to catch their breath and plan the next strategy! But Tango was not so easily thwarted - the chase was on! All throughout the school, in and out of very room, hunting Ballet like a wild animal!"

And you better believe Webby is miming this all out with big gestures.

[woo_oo]

Webby smiled - but there was something a little strange about it.

Instead of the "bursting at the seams", giddy almost sugar-filled excitement her smiles tended to show off, this one was a bit more... subdued. Definitely happy, absolutely so, but a quiet kind of happiness, a serene calmness.

"A-huh. I danced with Lena. It was awesome."

[woo_oo]

See, so we're both right! That all works out!

[Webby is, of course, oblivious to any inner turmoil or struggles Orisia is trying to say here.]

[woo_oo]

"You say a lot of weird things, Sunset."

But she says it cheerfully before grabbing her friend by the wrist and dragging her to the dance floor.

"Let's go!"

[woo_oo]

[She's pretty much bouncing on her heels, hands clasped tightly, SHE WANTS TO KNOW ABSOLUTELY EVERYTHING-]

There are other items? Are they puzzles too?

[Oh, wait, he asked a thing. Must be polite and answer.]

Of course I am! I love stuff like cursed ruins and angry gods and epic legends!

[woo_oo]

"Awwww!" Super romantic! Webby let a few giggles fly.

"Does that make you the mother-in-law?" She said with a little playful nudging.

[woo_oo]

Something similar was going on in Webby's mind. Watching Lena carefully go through the motions, feeling her gentle hold, that utterly gorgeous dress...

It was happiness, yes, but ... hm. How odd. Normally, "happy" for Webby was bouncing off the walls with excitement, like when Uncle Scrooge led the kids to a new adventure, or a deadly monster was waiting behind an ancient crevasse, or unlocking the secrets to a cursed treasure.

But this was a quiet, calm happiness. Was content the word? Maybe - she felt like she could have watched Lena do those slow steps forever and ever and never get tired of it. Her smile reflected this change - not an ear to ear grin, but a soft, smooth smile of sheer bliss.

Different but not bad indeed.

"It's okay if you step on my toes. I've had bigger things crush my feet."

[sevenyearsasleep]

Link grinned at her enthusiasm. It was nice to talk with someone else who appreciated weapons.

"Do you have a big family?" Even having an uncle was more than Link this incarnation could claim.

[bearshermark]

[It feels easier than before, spending a little less thought on his steps, but Kuja's explanation of the inner workings of his world serves to temper his triumph.

It occurs to him that he doesn't know anything about the upper echelons of his own world beyond which kingdom was ruled by whom. He's met them all- except perhaps, he's never truly met Carnelian. But for all he's the Luminary, the mysteries of high society escape him.

Perhaps that is what Hendrik has been trying to tell him, all this time.]

..Well, I'm glad you enjoy it. You must be really well-respected in your world.

[bearshermark]

He considers that, then nods and grins a bit.

"Are you in Valhudor? Maybe you need to dance while you play it."

[bearshermark]

[He brightens, taking Atem's hand and the lead without thought. He has several inches on him, after all.

Eleven pulls them onto the dance floor with a smile, easing into simple steps to the time of the music. He looks him over, eyes lingering on the golden pyramid]

Has anything happened with your artifact yet?