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

[darkenedmoon]

She patted Eleven's shoulder, eyes flickering to Hendrik, briefly. Eleven didn't know how to save anyone? He wasn't the only one, she was certain. She was at least vaguely aware of what the knight wished. Whether she truly deserved it, or not.

"You are not the only one who does not know how to save people. I know the notable hero where I am from? The Warrior of Light? He could only do the best he could. Sometimes, that was enough." And there were times where it wasn't, and Yotsuyu was certain that he mourned when that was the case, as well. He'd certainly mourned Tsuyu right alongside the original Gosetsu.

"We discussed this once, you and I, did we not? You are Eleven. Not just Eleven. He is a very thoughtful young man--and capable, when he puts his mind to it! I know you do not think you are enough--but simply do what you can here. I pray that by the time you return to Erdrea, you will be the hero they need."

Yotsuyu knew there was enough pressure on Eleven without telling him that she believed he was perfectly capable of being a hero.

[unswervingcompanion]

The knight didn't know what poor words of comfort he could offer in the face of such a fate. He knew there was pressure, he just hadn't realized how heavy it could weigh down on those thin shoulders.

"Then I shall still protect you and ease up on your training." It really was all he could think to do. He felt so helpless and dumb.

But Yotsuyu seemed to know how to talk to him and what to say, and Hendrik was so very grateful for her presence.

[bearshermark]

He nodded, slow and uncertain, gaze dropping. Eleven, the carefree boy from Cobblestone felt so distant from the person his journey and his failure had shaped him into that he wondered if it was at all possible to regain that part of himself.

His eyes snapped up, heart racing. "No, I.. I know I need to train." He bit his lip, hesitating. "But perhaps if you could use my name, instead of my title.."

[darkenedmoon]

Yotsuyu just glanced over at Hendrik and gave the man a nod. It was a start. She never had used Eleven's title--she tended to have little use for such things save when it was imperative, and it seemed even less important here. Not that she intended any offense to either of them.

"I was not even sure that was a title, until I came upon the pair of you--so I pray you forgive me if I continue as I have begun, and simply call you Eleven."

But then, her gaze dropped, and she sighed a little. "At some point, however, you and I should talk." Not that Hendrik didn't know secrets about her past--and the one she had let out--but Yotsuyu felt that there were things Eleven might need to know about it...

Not her proudest moments, but perhaps necessary.

[unswervingcompanion]

A nod. "Then I shall do so." It would be hard to be certain but he would definitely strive to do this thing.

Seeing the nod from Yotsuyu, she reinforced his will to do the right thing by this boy.

As she spoke to Eleven, Hendrik hung back, not wanting to intrude upon their conversation. And if the other would still train, then the knight just might have to go easier.

[bearshermark]

"Thank you." That would be a great weight off his shoulders, if he didn't need to be reminded in every way he failed whenever Hendrik spoke to him.

He offered Yotsuyu a smile- one that was quick to waver in the wake of her declaration.

"I.. all right," he agreed, nodding. "And it isn't a title I really enjoy, so you've been fine not using it. Anyway, I'm not this world's Luminary, so it only matters to myself and Hendrik, here."