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]

Arrival

Lena had been a bit surprised when Huey had asked her to the Twilight Ball, but honestly, she couldn't complain. She'd heard Louie had asked Webby, and she figured that Huey felt like being a third wheel as much as she did. So at least if the two of them went together, the four of them could still hang out without anyone feeling left out.

So while balls and fancy dresses weren't really her thing, Lena had managed to find a black dress with purple highlights that she thought was pretty cool.

Though she couldn't help feeling a bit self-conscious as she entered the Great Hall, because she was definitely out of her element with this kind of thing. But even she had to admit that the hall looked amazing.

Let the Revels Begin

Lena had mostly tuned out during the headmaster's speech, but her attention returned when the music started. And once again, she had to admit that the musical selection was really good. There were plenty of songs that had her following along, even if she wasn't out on the dance floor.

But she probably wouldn't be opposed to a dance, either.

A Dance or Two - Closed to Huey

Well, Huey had asked her. And while she figured there wasn't for any romantic reason, which was the reason for the ball, that didn't mean they couldn't have some fun.

"So, we gonna dance, or what?"

Food

Lena was never one to turn down free food. And while the portions were small so it wouldn't drag down the dancing, there were enough to get someone full with constant snacking.

Not that that stopped Lena from coming back every so often for a bit more.

Wildcard

((OOC: If you have something else in mind, feel free! Or message me at usamichan13 to plot something!))

let the shipping - er, revels begin

[woo_oo]

With the music starting, Webby got eager to move around, and show off some of the moves Hendrik taught her. As a result, she doesn't quite see Lena yet, until she accidentally bumps into her, as a result of said 'cool moves'.

"Oh, sorry, Lena! I..."

But when she does see Lena, her mind... kinda... uh... huh... she's... never really seen Lena in anything but her usual clothes, so this is...

"You look... you look... you look..."

She goes on like a broken record until she manages to actually hear her own voice, and violently shakes her head to get back to normal. Where was she just then???

"... Good! Yes. Good. Very good."

So good. Wow. Wow.

[outofyourshadow]

Lena can't help blushing faintly at the compliment, though she also felt a strange sense of satisfaction for leaving Webby so speechless.

"Thanks," she replied with much more confidence than she actually felt. "You're looking pretty good yourself."

The actual word she wanted to use was adorable, but that sounded a bit weird, even in her head.

[woo_oo]

Haaaa ha ha, of course Lena is totally confident in her looks, Lena's always so confident, Lena's always so pretty - words are being said.

"Oh, right!" Momentarily broken out of her stupor, Webby grabbed fistfuls of her dress and twirled around. "I've never been to this kind of thing before, so Yotsuyu helped me find a new dress! And Hendrik taught me how to dance!"

[outofyourshadow]

"Oh yeah? That's pretty cool."

Leave it to Webby to come prepared, even for something like this.

"Gotta admit, I've never been to one of these either. So the dancing isn't really something I'm familiar with."

[woo_oo]

Webby stopped twirling long enough to hold her hand out.

"I could teach you what he taught me! It's really easy!"

[outofyourshadow]

She hesitated for just a moment; not because she didn't want to dance with Webby, but there was something...strange about it, even if she wasn't sure what.

But determined to just enjoy herself and have fun with her best friend, she nodded and took Webby's hand.

"All right...show me what you've got."

A Dance or Two

[goingbythebook]

Confidentially, Huey had only asked her because he felt he had to. Not to make that sound like he felt obligated to, but-! Well, Louie had asked Webby... apparently... and he thought Lena might feel left out. Even aside from family members he had a tendency to want to make sure everyone was having fun, and so he'd extended an invitation.

Of course, now that meant going. And so here he was, looking up at Lena in mild surprise. He shouldn't be surprised- dancing is what you DO at a dance -and yet, there it is.

"Uh, sure! Dance, of course." He put away any 'Barely know Lena at all' awkwardness and called on his Regalia Event badge experience, giving her the best smile he could muster. Stepping away some, he swept downwards in a formal bow, then straightened enough to offer his hand to her.

"May I have this dance?"

[outofyourshadow]

She did her best to stifle a laugh; she wasn't really laughing at him, but just how oddly sincere he was trying to be.

"You don't have to be so formal," she replied as she took his hand and led him to the dance floor. "You still really need to relax."

[goingbythebook]

"Yeah, I know, but..." Once they get out onto the floor, he took her other hand to start dancing with the music playing right now.

"Following steps in my head helps me focus."

[outofyourshadow]

This time she did laugh, though it still wasn't at him. "You still think too much. Just let loose, have some fun!"

As the music picked up, she suddenly spun him around.

[goingbythebook]

He let out a surprised whoop as he was turned around, having to keep a hand on his hat to stop it from tipping off. Let loose? Have fun? He can be plenty loose!

As if to prove just that, he took Lena's hands and turned one above her head (or as much as he could manage anyway) before spinning her out to arm's length, and pulling her back. "Catching" her, he couldn't help but smirk some as they continued moving to the music.

[outofyourshadow]

The move honestly surprised her, though it only lasted a moment before she met his grin with one of her own.

"Hey, that's not too bad."

arrival

[puzzlers]

"Lena!" He's kind of surprised to see her here, since he didn't think this was her sort of thing, but he's definitely not disappointed. Lena was fast becoming a real good friend of his, so he'd take any opportunity to hang out with her. Yugi was still feeling a bit nervous about the dance, but he was doing his best to keep his reservations to himself, so he approached her with a smile and accompanying wave.

"You look great!" He, himself, was dressed in a black suit with a blue tie, a contrast to Kaiba's suit with the purple accents.

[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?"

[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."

[outofyourshadow]

She followed his direction to where Seto was. "The tall, kinda grumpy guy?" Her tone is light, though, more for teasing than any real meaning in her words. "Yeah, we've met a couple of times, and we're in the same house."

Then she looked at Yugi with a small grin. "So, is it just together for the dance, or...together together?"

She didn't really know much about relationships personally. But she was good at observing people, and had a feeling that this was more than just being at the dance.

[puzzlers]

"He, ah, uhm," He stammers a couple of extra seconds before laughing nervously. "I guess he can be pretty grumpy." If she thought his cheeks were red before then they're on fire right now. "Oh, so then you... hah."

ASKING THE HARD HITTING QUESTIONS, LENA. "We're t- together together." He confirms, giving her a sheepish nod. "This is our, ah, b- big debut, so to speak."

She was right! They had been dating for a while now, but hadn't really told anybody but Atem.

[outofyourshadow]

She smiles, and while there's still a bit of teasing as she nudges him a bit, her expression is warmer. "Well hey, congratulations," she says, and there is sincerity in her words. "At least this is the perfect place and atmosphere to reveal the news, huh?"

Arrivals

[stillnewatthis]

"Hello, Lena!"

SHE looked out of place? No one could claim that crown like a massive omnic towering above the rest and taking up immense space with her quadruped design. Rather than a dress, she wore robes, and a flower crown chained around her head.

But she looked absolutely delighted to be here. Perhaps that was some inspiration?

[outofyourshadow]

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

"Hey there. Nice flower crown."

[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."

[outofyourshadow]

"It definitely makes you cute."

She didn't think robots could be cute, but here was Orisa, proving her wrong.

"Thanks. I found it in town, and it seemed more like my style than any of the other dresses I'd seen."

[stillnewatthis]

"It suits you exceptionally!" Orisa was totally cute, let's be fair here. Enthusiasm and energy like hers were rare and special things. "Do you have a date this evening?"

[outofyourshadow]

She gave a mock sort of curtsy, knowing Orisa probably didn't care that she wasn't doing it right. "Thanks. And yeah, I do technically. We just came as friends, though. Have you met Huey yet? Louie's brother?"