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

[bearshermark]

[With Isabel taking a detour to the buffet and his dance with Yotsuyu at an end, Eleven finds himself abruptly partnerless and shifts a nervous gaze around the hall. A familiar glint of gold catches his eye.]

Atem!

[Sorry about your attempt at anonymity there. Eleven moves to greet him.]

It's good to see you. Are you enjoying yourself?

[king_of_egypt]

[To truly obtain anonymity Atem would have to lose the multi-colored hair, the large golden pyramid hanging from his neck, and he'd have to wear his dress coat like a normal person. That being said the company was welcome]

Eleven!

[He called back smiling]

It's good to see you as well, my friend. [Apparently three meetings was enough for Atem to consider the other a friend. He reached out to clasp Eleven's hand long enough to give a firm handshake] Ha- well, it hasn't been bad.

What about you? Where's your date?

[bearshermark]

[He was honored really, and beamed right back at him]

Oh! She's- [He waved a hand vaguely in the direction of the hall largely behind them] At the buffet, I think. We danced for awhile, then decided to take a break to see our other friends and meet new people while we were here. I never thought it would be this much fun.

[king_of_egypt]

[The sentiment was mutual, for although Atem still didn't know Eleven's whole life story he felt as if he knew enough to have a great fondness for him]

You'll have to introduce me to her sometime, unless I manage to bump into her myself. [Looking momentarily to the buffet table.] I'm glad that you're enjoying yourself. I... didn't want to say so before but you seemed a little nervous about the ball prior to tonight. [Or Atem had misread the visual and verbal clues of that conversation]

[bearshermark]

Sure. [Isabel would probably like Atem, and Eleven thought she was pretty likable in turn]

I guess I was nervous. There was a lot of expectation and I'd never been to anything like this before. Hendrik made it sound like it would be all stiff formality, and I didn't want to embarrass Isabel. But it's turned out a lot better than I expected, so I'm glad for that.

[king_of_egypt]

[Atem would look forward to meeting another one of Eleven's friends or girlfriend as the case may be]

Yes, there did seem to be. The entire school seemed to be preoccupied with the preparations for this one evening. [It wasn't Atem's first formal affair, but the first one on a more unofficial basis. It was a far different thing attending as just one of the crowd] I'm surprised but.. to an extent I let all the talk get to me as well. [He could admit it]

I think it will pay off though. Those dance lessons will surely come in handy here. [Nodding to that] Most people do seem to be enjoying themselves.

[bearshermark]

It has been fun.

[Eleven half-turns and smiles, then grins a bit and offers Atem a hand]

Dance with me? When we practiced, I could tell you had some training already- and I've gotten better after dancing with Isabel a few times.

[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]

[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?

[king_of_egypt]

[The bold manner in which Eleven takes the lead momentarily surprised Atem. Even though he was aware by now that it was traditionally the role fulfilled by the tallest participant not even Seto Kaiba had done so. In an odd way he felt a sense of pride in just how far his newer friend had come in so short a span of time, exuding more confidence than he might have been aware of.]

[It's a little bit of an adjustment for Atem but he falls in time with the steps soon enough]

Ah, my puzzle? [Looking down briefly to it] Not really. I wonder if somehow it's own powers may be suppressed by the same forces that stripped many of the sundered of their abilities. [A thought that troubled him]

[bearshermark]

[Eleven tips his head, leaning them into a turn]

What sort of abilities does it usually have?

[king_of_egypt]

[Atem follows suit as his partner directs him]

Now that isn't the easiest question to answer... [Plus he isn't sure whether he should discuss them in depth. Not that he doesn't trust Eleven with this knowledge it's just that the last thing Diatu needs is the emergence of the shadow games] It gives someone powers over the shadows.... also with it's help I was able to summon the Egyptian Gods when I needed their aide.

It also has some protective powers that shield the wielder from harm. [There- perhaps that is not too much]

[bearshermark]

[His steps falter a moment, pulse quickening. It takes him several seconds to settle back into the flow of music]

I- sorry. I wasn't expecting.. [Another glance down at the artifact, uneasy. Why had it come to him of all people?] You're sure it's safe?

[king_of_egypt]

[Atem tries to compensate for the missteps so that neither of them is in danger of toppling over. Something he said seems to have unsettled Eleven]

It's alright.... [Searching the others features questioningly. Sure- the items and their powers made plenty of people uneasy, but he knew not why Eleven should be so leery when the puzzle wasn't emanating it's usual aura] Mm, yes. Perfectly safe, especially now that it's in my hands. [He had a sort of connection to the puzzle, that he didn't really fear it. Sure he was mindful of what it was capable of, and of some of the liberties he had taken with it early on- but that was before he had time to get a better handle on it]

I wouldn't use it's powers unjustly.

[bearshermark]

[He nods, shoulders easing as he's finally able to look away from the artifact- though his gaze will still dart down to it occasionally.]

..I'm sure you wouldn't, it's just that I.. [He glances to their hands a moment] I had powers of light, in my home world.

[king_of_egypt]

[It's not difficult to tell that the Millennium puzzle's presence still troubles Eleven]

.... Yes, and? [Trying not to push the other too much, but he was genuinely curious where the apprehension is coming from.] Oh...... well. Is that all? [Smiling a bit to himself. He didn't mean to dismiss Eleven's concerns but to him it made total sense why the puzzle appeared to someone like him]

Perhaps that is why the puzzle sought you out first. [Let him explain] ... It knew that you would not try to abuse it's powers. [Wasn't that in part why it had been entrusted to the Muto family's hands?]

[bearshermark]

[It seems an odd thing, to imply that shadow and light do not exist without repelling one another.]

It.. it can think like that? [So it appeared to him because he wouldn't want to use it? But it belonged to Atem]

Shouldn't it have appeared to you?

[king_of_egypt]

[Light and shadows were fairly complicated in Atem's dimension. At times they could work in tandem, in other instances in opposition] It may not 'think' as you or I do, but I believe the Millennium puzzle has a way of determining whose hands it falls into. [Though when Solomon Muto received it, Atem definitely had some influence over that, since it was his tomb that the intrepid explorer had dared to enter] Unless it was necessary for the two of us to meet.

[bearshermark]

[Eleven's eyes widened. He'd thought that might have been true when they'd first met, but to hear that Atem may also share that thought made it seem ever more likely.

Himself, associated with Light and Atem, to powers of Darkness. Perhaps not as opposing forces, but mayhaps as someone to learn from?]

It must not have known we'd already met. ..Or if it did, then that we should- uh.. [He colored a bit, catching an odd phrase just before it slips out] Become better friends?