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

[stillnewatthis]

[Hiding off in the corner will not fool Orisa's advanced target tracking algorithms! Visual analysis conducted and confirmed, the omnic makes her way through the crowd fairly easily (it tends to part for her, for some reason) over to Atem.]

You appear to require accompaniment on the dance floor.

[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?

[stillnewatthis]

The statement was intended to be construed as such. [Pleased that she'd managed to communicate that effectively by implication rather than direct commentary, Orisa offers him her hand.] I have never had an opportunity like this before. It is entirely unanticipated. If you do not mind that I am adapting my programming in real-time, I would like to dance with you.

[king_of_egypt]

Well in that case, I accept. [Smiling up at her, not quite sure how this was going to work with their difference in size but they would find a way. He reached out for her hand when it was offered] No, I don't mind. I feel as if that's what most of us are doing. [Going with the flow and feeling their way through this dance] I have had a few lessons recently, so I don't mind sharing what I learned either.

[stillnewatthis]

Then let us proceed! [Turning in place, Orisa carefully moves onto the dance floor, giving people plenty of time to get out of their way.] Perhaps next time we shall see a larger dance area. It would be beneficial.

[king_of_egypt]

Yes, let's. [Atem waited alongside her before stepping forward when the floor was cleared] Mm, perhaps we shall. I don't think the administrators considered it before but they had so much to prepare. [The space was sufficient for the average student but there was nothing average about Orisa]

[stillnewatthis]

I would not be surprised if they occasionally forget my substantial differences from most students here. I seem to possess the greatest divergence among all body types here.

[She understands this and does not mind it, even though it does make things inconvenient sometimes.]

[king_of_egypt]

That may well be, but I am sure that it was unintentional on their part.

[Orisa has always struck him as an understanding type. As they started to dance they likely made one of the more eye-catching and strange couples. Atem was rather short for a guy, and Orisa was what you might expect of a robot from the distant future. He'd start the motions off slow so it would be easier to ensure that they were on the same wavelength]

[stillnewatthis]

Certainly so. They have been most accommodating so far! [Witness her robes, for example! They fit her perfectly well, having been adapted to her form. They even tend to swirl quite nicely when she turns, which adds to the effect while they dance.]

[king_of_egypt]

Mm, they certainly have been. [Their magnanimous hosts didn't have to look so kindly on the sundered as they did. Sure, some professors were more prickly and less inclined to be hospitable but by and large it was a welcoming and safe environment. The robes did seem to suit her, and were formal enough for the occasion. Procuring another outfit might have been difficult]

Have you have an opportunity to dance with many of the others? You seem to have adapted to the steps well.

[stillnewatthis]

It is less difficult for a war omnic. I am aware of my precise movements and fault tolerances. Adapting to the different partners has been interesting, but I have found that the intentions count far more than the precision. If we are having fun, I'm all good.

[king_of_egypt]

[He emitted a light laugh at that]

Well, that is true. Enjoyment is paramount to all else. Speaking for myself, I am in fact having fun. [Hoping that it was the same for her] Thank you again for the invitation.

[stillnewatthis]

I am delighted too! I had not expected to attend, as few people wish to ask an omnic on a date for the purpose of romance. [Which is not a complaint on her part. It's perfectly understandable!]