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

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?"

[stillnewatthis]

Orisa had no opinion on how an anthropomorphic duck from another world should perform a curtsy, as it happened. "Yes, I met him during an interview monitored by the researchers here. He reminds me of a cross between you and Webby. Her energy, your thoughtfulness."

[outofyourshadow]

"That's...one way to describe him," she replied slowly, because she hadn't really thought about it before. In some ways, Huey did kind of remind her of Webby, but she wasn't sure if 'thoughtfulness' was really a fitting description for herself, in any sense of the word.

"But yeah. Huey asked me to the dance, mostly because Louie had asked Webby and this way we didn't get left out."

[stillnewatthis]

"I see. Are you certain? It may be true but he may also be hiding a fear of rejection beneath a veil of casualness."

Orisa wanted to be helpful! And didn't realize that suggesting such things wasn't really that!

[outofyourshadow]

She can't help raising an eyebrow. "Maybe...but I don't think we really know each other well enough for anything like that."

[stillnewatthis]

"Is that necessary?" Genuinely surprised, Orisa began reanalyzing her observations of the courtship process. "I had believed that the only requirement to asking someone on a date for romantic purposes was to be attracted to them in some capacity."

[outofyourshadow]

She shrugged. "I mean, that's part of it. But sometimes, people can be attracted to each other after getting to know them. Knowing more about someone might even make them more attractive."

Not that she really knew anything about that, and honestly, it was kind of weird to talk about. But Orisa was still learning things about people, so Lena didn't mind this time.

[stillnewatthis]

"Or less. But neither point diminishes my own!" Which was, after all, the most important thing. Vast potentials of romance might await Lena, only to be missed by lack of awareness!

[outofyourshadow]

Lena snickered a bit. "I guess that's true." Then she shrugged again. "Still, I don't know if it's anything like that."

Then again, she didn't know Huey that well either, so.

[stillnewatthis]

"It seems likely! My analysis suggests you would be highly attractive to anyone for whom your gender and species are compatible."

Orisa appeared intent on adding to the list of things she shouldn't just outright say, tonight.

[outofyourshadow]

Luckily, Lena doesn't take offense to it. Because really, she was pretty sure that it wasn't happening.

It was kind of nice to think about though.

"Well thanks. I'm glad to know someone could find me attractive."

[stillnewatthis]

"You have many qualities consistent with attractiveness overall. Although species might be a complication for some with regards to physical appearance, but that is of secondary concern." As of course an omnic of her shape and build would think.

[outofyourshadow]

She snickered. "I think species would be a bit more of a concern than that."

[stillnewatthis]

"Do you think so?" Orisa lifted one finger to where her mouth ought to be, thoughtfully. "Physical appearance is only one component of romance."

[outofyourshadow]

"Maybe, but I don't think most of the human people are all that eager to get with a duck."

[stillnewatthis]

"I cannot speak for humans, as I am not one. However, I believe the physical component is the only significant difference. I have observed no meaningful distinction between ducks and humans." Orisa tilted her head slightly, as a data access presented another relevant point. "In fact, there are much more significant differences between omnics and humans, but romantic pairings exist between them."

[outofyourshadow]

She shrugged. "I guess it would depend on the person. But I think the differences between ducks and humans might bother some people."

[stillnewatthis]

"That is certainly true. But there are many factors that will bother some people but not others. In the end, the goal is to find someone you are happy with!"

[outofyourshadow]

"Yeah, that's true. I guess we'll just have to see what happens."

Honestly, though, she wasn't expecting much.

[stillnewatthis]

"So long as it ends with you happy and well, I cannot complain." Orisa hadn't forgotten what was really important, after all.