Sweethearts Dance

[wrnpcs]

[Bang on time at 2100, the Garden chime sounds and the intercom clicks on. Hello, Headmaster!]

Good evening, Garden! I hope you enjoyed your Valentines Day treats.

The Sweetheart Dance is now beginning. Your attendance is requested at [2F] Ballroom. I repeat, the Sweetheart Dance is now beginning. Your attendance is requested at [2F] Ballroom. The dance will run until 2400. Those leaving the ball after curfew are to return to their dorms immediately.

Thank you to the Garden Festival Committee for sponsoring tonight's dance and the festivities leading up to it!

[The intercom falls silent after that, and faint music can be heard from the second floor. It seems the GFC has gotten their hands on a stereo for some more modern music rather than the usual orchestrated pieces, a mix of upbeat pop music and the requisite slow songs for swaying with your loved ones. And what a night for swaying with your loved ones! It's a beautiful, starry night, one where the moon hits your eye like a big pizza pie - no, that sounds like a medical condition you should probably have checked out.

[You should also check out the ballroom, which has been decked out in red and pink with hearts and flowers everywhere. Though there's only a stationary stand for punch and food rather than roaming caterers (ah, budget cuts), these refreshments seem decidedly more upmarket than the GFC's usual fare - it's the kind of thing that's served at graduation balls where there might be important potential clients.

[The Headmaster, Garden faculty, and some instructors are all at the dance, so troublemakers are free to roam until 2400, and as the dance isn't mandatory, cadets who choose not to attend will not be punished. All inhabitants of Garden are welcome!]

Comments

[gotgreedy]

[Greed's looking snappy tonight in a suit worn casually enough to suit his style, a lazy grin on his face for anyone who wanders past. Nights like this are what he lives for!]

[earthlychild]

[How many dates did he buy? Aerith approaches him with a small box of last-minute chocolates.]

Looks like you had quite a few bargains tonight!

[gotgreedy]

[The answer is: Not enough. Greed is greedy!]

That just goes to show the other men in this school are blind idiots. A girl like you? A hundred times that bid would still have been a bargain.

[He bows, and with grace plucks a rose from a bundle he has, offering it to her in the motion. Yeah, he's hamming it up just a little; it's his nature.]

Your attentions will be a little split tonight as well, won't they? I guess I'll have to try extra-hard to keep you coming back.

[earthlychild]

You're too kind.

[Aerith graciously accepts the rose, spinning around once before easily twisting the stem around her wrist. She's a bit of a floral expert.]
You don't need to worry. You'll get your money's worth of attention, I promise! He has other things on his mind too...you're lucky you're not Tseng. He has an appointment with a tea party.

[gotgreedy]

I've already got more than my money's worth, but that doesn't mean I'm not eager for even more. [He winks.]

[tapthekeg]

You certainly look quite handsome tonight.

[And here's Lihau, bringing a small flask of that sweet brew she made for today.]

[gotgreedy]

I'd say you look gorgeous tonight, but that's nothing new for you, is it?

[He bows grandly, sweeping a rose out to offer it to her. It's a bit over-the-top...]

[tapthekeg]

[Oh, don't worry -- Lihau seems to love it, giggling and weaving the flower into her hair with ease.]

It is still nice to hear. Especially after attempting to make myself presentable for this dance.

[Thus the robe used in the auction being the attire for tonight rather than her usual leather armor. You can't quite see her breasts, sadly, but she does look far more classy like this.

She offers him the flask.]

I am going to have to work hard to try to keep your attention, it seems.

[gotgreedy]

Quality over quantity, right? You certainly have the looks to draw the eye.

[He accepts the flask, lifting it in a silent toast to her with a grin.]

[bubbleditz]

[There's a rather bewildered looking pegasus fluttering about, eyes crossed, apparently not going in any particular direction.

Her bewilderment? Pretty much caused by the fact she didn't realise there was glass in that roof and tried to fly through it, banging her head rather hard in the process.

Ow.]

[elementofloyalty]

[Rainbow showed up in a dress tonight! And it appears to be doing nothing to impede her flying, as she swoops up to grab her winged compatriot by the shoulders.]

[Fuming.]

You bid against Daring Do.

You outbid the coolest, most awesome fictional pegasus that ever was or ever will be!

[bubbleditz]

Daring... Do...

[Hope you don't mind being dragged along on Derpy's erratic flight path, Dash.]

Who's that?

[elementofloyalty]

[Too busy yelling to notice!]

The pony you were bidding against! Instructor Do! Star of the Daring Do novels! Why did you even bid on me!?

[bubbleditz]

Because I like you, Rainbow Dash!

[Duh. You're cool.]

I thought I only bid a little, and then a cute kitty bid for me, so I didn't really notice who else was doing it.

[fightwinlive]

[Party! Ayla likes to party! Which is why the cavewoman is in the thick of things, dancing like the cavewoman she is. She'll probably head over to the food and drink at some point.]

[tapthekeg]

[Lihau is looking quite pretty herself, wearing the same robe she used for the date auction with a few flowers woven into her hair. She seems to be enjoying herself quite well, just walking around idly and chuckling at the look of the place.]

[peachhat]

[Tenshi wasn't wearing a particularly special dress - just her regular one from home, because in her opinion, that was more than regal enough for some dance.

That did not make the dress any less odd. She was looking somewhat bored, and was peering into a bowl of punch.]

This place really could use someone shaking it up a little...

[scatterflower]

[Chika basically glided throughout the entire ball room, her lips curled into a smile as she moved around. She couldn't believe that she had managed to get here with Touma. It was amazing.

Sure, he was very, very clear about this not being a romantic thing, but that was okay. Spending time at a dance with someone she knew and cared about was better than being with some dude who just asked her because she was a girl, right?

Either way, she's going to stay close to Touma unless someone else decides to bug her. Piyomon had... wandered off somewhere. But well, that was okay. She was sure he'd be fine.

... Or she'd get kicked out because he ate all the food. But time to worry about that later.]

[youngnobelman]

[Too many Austrian high society balls with the weight of his family's reputation on him meant that Touma doesn't really enjoy dances, but GFC events, with only Garden people around, are easier. As he pours both himself and Chika some punch, his smile isn't forced, but gently amused.]

After you rejected the French restaurant and all my fancy ideas for your birthday, I'm almost surprised you wanted to come to a dance.

[scatterflower]

[Chika laughs at that, looking over at Touma as he said that.]

Come on, a dance is totally different from ridiculously expensive french restaurants.

Also, I'm not really a kid anymore. I can definitely enjoy things like this!

[Though a French restaurant at her age would have a much different connotation, wouldn't it.]

Besides, back then it was probably for the best. You remember how I had no idea what to do when I first visited your house, right?

[youngnobelman]

[He passes her a cup of punch, a smile tugging his lips at the memory.] I admit I misjudged: I'd never really spent much time with children, except my sister. And at least you figured it out eventually.

[tiamat_shot]

[Emias hates dances. He has no rhythm, and he doesn't like crowds this big. And yet, unlike the others, he was part of the date auction, and his date decided to drag him here.

That will teach him to sign up for things without confirming what they are.

He's currently doing his best to blend in with the scenery or maybe melt into the wall, but that's kind of stymied by the fact that he's still in his familiar gunnery outfit. Certainly not formal dancewear.]

[graynbowdash]

(Daring would almost say it serves you right, but there's no bad blood involved here; just possibly something akin to Celestia's level of trolling. You know, because you're such a gentleman and all.

Daring's formal attire is completely offset by the fact that she is, indeed, wearing her explorer's hat to the dance. It'd take a very special occasion for her to not wear it (special, of course, meaning it's either taken away from her or the even less likely chance of letting someone wear it). Sorry, Emias; you're not all too hidden from her eyes.)

Let me guess: dancing's not your "thing?"

[tiamat_shot]

I dance about as well as a drunken dreamhare trying to mate with a down comforter, kupo.

[Ignoring the awkwardness of the analogy, his slightly grumpy - and even more antisocial than normal - attitude says everything that needs to be said.]

I'm gonna end up taking the classes, sure, cuz they make us. I sure haven't yet, though.

[graynbowdash]

Then consider this a little practice. I don't have any toes for you to step on, you know.

(She waves one of her front hooves. Definitely a perk about being a pony.)