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

[king_of_egypt]

[It was hard not to notice the girl who kept making frequent trips to the buffet, but at least Atem had been polite enough not to stare. Besides, he had a few friends of his own that could have and would have downed just as much food if not more were they here. The gentle reminder helped other fond memories to surface as he wondered just what those aforementioned friends could be up to now. He was content not to break the silence, but when she spoke up it took him a little by surprise.]

Wrong? [He paused thoughtful for a moment] No. Not really, things are precisely how they should be. [remaining vague] I... Think the sooner I accept that the better it is for everyone...

[Realizing he was now rambling he trailed off] Are you enjoying yourself?

[pawper]

[Munching philosophically on another cheese square, this one sandwiched between toasted wafers and thinly-sliced deli meat.]

Accepting things is good, sometimes. [Though often too curious by half, even Lys could sometimes sense when something was none of her business, and so she too tries to keep things vague. Shying away from driving at the heart of something she had no context for, the tender nerves folded just beneath the surface of casual conversation.] But it's also good to take your time doing it, I think, since no one else can do it for you.

[And that's all she'll say about it for now, as far as she'll press unless offered some kind of opening. Wiping crumbs from the corner of her mouth, Lys smiles brightly and nods.]

Mm! It's been a great party so far. Lots of good food. [Yes, Lys, we already figured out that's your favorite part.] Kinda wish it wasn't about dancing, though. I never really learned how.

[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.

[pawper]

Aw, well......maybe you are, but sometimes it's hard not to be. 'Specially if you care, which I'd guess that you do.

[The smile gains a bashful edge as she chooses a cucumber sandwich next, obscurely pleased to have said something even remotely helpful. For reasons that still eluded understanding, shoving her foot in her mouth up to the knee also had a habit of occurring with some frequency.]

And I know a little! A couple of folk dances, mostly — simple stuff. But nothing you'd see at a party like this. [She gestures around them with the sandwich, then swiftly inhales it. Arthur (for that is the capybara's name) nuzzles her cheek in mute encouragement, sensing the slight tension creeping into his master's frame despite her outward nonchalance, but Lys only feeds him another piece of lettuce.] I'd hate to end up stepping all over someone's feet.

[The offer makes her blink, chin lifting in a flash of startled — but not at all disinterested — blue eyes.]

A demonstration? ...you really wouldn't mind?

[king_of_egypt]

It truly is. Oh, and rest assured I do care about this- to a considerable degree. If I didn't it, it would not trouble me so.

[Looking briefly to her next acquisition, he soon diverted his eyes from the carefully crafted delicacy. The last thing he needed to do was inspire self consciousness in his pleasant companion. So far she had not committed that faux pas during the course of their conversation, but even if she had it likely wouldn't have been so detrimental. The aforementioned chow hound friends of his also suffered from that unique condition where they would spout out whatever was on their minds without thinking about it first. Sorry Joey, and Tristan but you know it's true. Besides there was something to be said for their forthrightness and honesty]

Please don't undervalue the dances you are more familiar with, both genres of dance play important roles in their respective societies. In some ways folk dances might even be more valuable. [They were what gave smaller groups of individuals their own way of communicating with one another without the need of words and added a certain flare that would be a significant loss if it were absent. Up to this point Atem's familiars had just been quietly observing. Capricius, a floating crystal with powers of telekinesis, might have even looked a little bored..... if a gemstone could truly look as such. Horus was ever the more behaved of the two, the golden falcon stood proudly on Atem's shoulder but he tested his wings as if he might depart and allow his master some space. Atem lightly chuckled] Just remember that everyone has had to start somewhere, and have likely stepped on a few toes in the process themselves. As long as it is not intentional it should be easily forgiven.

[He had half expected her to shyly refuse the offer, but there was a spark within her expression that said otherwise]

No. Not in the slightest. We could take it slow if you prefer.

[pawper]

[A nod to what he says first, mouth opening to form some reply.....then Lys closes it, visibly surprised. That was certainly — different. She's used to providing encouragement, reassurance, but not so much having that kind of goodwill returned. Her guildmates had trended toward a more stoic kind of support, camaraderie that expressed itself largely through physical gestures; her partner, as fiercely independent as any cat, had bristled readily at the slightest presumption of need, of weakness. Sorry, Anja, but you know it's true. And so it's not just surprise that shows on her face, but uncertainty. Not knowing how to respond. That she needs a good few minutes to rethink her previous answer perhaps says much.]

Well.....they were always easy to pick up and learn. Basic. But I guess you're right that there's nothing wrong with the basics. They're the building blocks for everything that comes after 'em.

[And then, pieces clicking together after an absurd delay, she's staring at him. The way he's just standing there, gold and glittering and handsome, confident. Lys had thought he might dance, put on a show, but this?]

—Wait, you meant you want to dance with me?

[Still not looking disinterested, mind. Just flabbergasted.]

[king_of_egypt]

[It's apparent that something he said has thrown her off, but he's not entirely sure why. Conversely, he's used to giving encouragement and receiving it from his close circle of friends and advisers. Sure, some of them could be more stoic than others- or might offer their support in different ways but he's been fortunate to have met a wide variety of considerate and understanding people. They no doubt have had some influence over his own interactions. If she had met him previously when he had lost his memories and been stowed away inside an ancient puzzle for a few millennia then it might have been a different story. Though Atem had still sought protecting those in trouble his methods had been more questionable then. That being said he doesn't regret what he's said to her and just gives her time to process it on her own]

The more I hear you talk about them the more curious I become. [Basic to one person could seem more complicated to someone who was unfamiliar with the steps. Either way, there were plenty of folk dances in his own kingdom and they were fascinating in their own right.] Mm, they tie in to everything else.

[Little did he realize the confusion, since it would have been difficult to show her how to ballroom dance without a partner. He could have found a broom perhaps but no he was definitely implying that the two of them should give it a try together. Lys's response garners a light-hearted chuckle]

That was the idea, yes. [Then after a pause he tried to help encourage her] It is easier to remember the steps through experience. Will you grant me the honor of a dance? [Phrasing it as a question this time and holding out a hand towards her]

[pawper]

[Her eyes, wide and blue and stunned, drop from Atem's face to his hand, staring at it as though he had instead offered her a wiggling, singing trout. It'd be an honor? To dance? With her? That wasn't a phrase that anyone's ever said to her before. It just wasn't, and there were reasons for that, and maybe he was just being polite, and she should really—

Something, some feeling, small and frail but silver-bright, rises up. Lys reaches out and takes his hand. Squeezes it lightly before she can remember to stop herself.]

....I think I'm the one being honored, here. But, yeah. I'd like that.

[king_of_egypt]

[Panic seemed to flash through the girl's eyes, and Atem hoped she wasn't feeling too pressured into this. A dance was harmless, and if she'd consent to it, she would see as much. So again he was patient with her, and awaited her answer in silence as a variety of thoughts must have flashed through her mind.

He receives his answer first as a touch of her hand in his, that seems to make his own smile brighten that much more. Maybe he could show her that there was more to enjoy at a dance than the food, but afterwards maybe he would take her example in the reverse. It wasn't as if Atem had made much of an effort to experience all the evening had to offer either, and it would be easier to do so with a new, and pleasant companion]

Then shall we? [Letting her know that he was about to lead her to the dance floor a moment before he did so. Just as he promised, he would start slow, showing her the individual steps, before using them all in rhythm to repeat the pattern]