View source for The Dance to Precede Beatdowns

{{Log Header
|Date of Scene=2014/06/18
|Location=Papaya Island
|Synopsis=Mizuki prepares a dance the day before the 27th WMAT.
|Thanks=Kudos to Mizuki for arranging the scene!
|Cast of Characters=20, 33, 73, 85, 140, 151, 152, 183, 227, 275, 283, 289, 301, 307
|Tinyplot=WMAT
|pretty=yes
}}
{{Poses
|Poses=:'''{{#var:183|Mizuki (183)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>    Tucked away in a shady corner a few blocks from the hospital lies a large building with a vaguely dome-shaped, thatched roof. This design comes complete with 'leafy' adornments quite befitting of a building in a tropical paradise like this one as well as a number of colorful banners and flower wreaths. The walls are composed of a beautifully glossy, light tan variety of wood. Somehow, the way this building looks now is a perfect marriage of Papaya Island's style and Mizuki's own - tropical casual blended seamlessly with elegant, classical European. When she said that this dance would have 'something for everyone', it's clear now that she at least tried to extend that promise to the facilities and decorations as well. And honestly? It comes off as regal, but it probably isn't as off-putting as some less showy people might've expected.<br /><br />    Around the building proper are scattered tables and chairs with umbrellas, many of which might have people already seated at them. There are menus on the tables too, so it's likely that someone might have been hired to cater! All of this is complimented beautifully by the backdrop of an exotic yet familiar twilight sky, swaying palms, and an abundance of lovely wildlife. Oh, and is that... smooth jazz playing? Yeah, yeah it is. And it sounds like it's being played live, too! This could be confirmed by a quick peek around the corner - there's an outdoor stage where a few men and women in collared shirts and khakis jam out on their saxophones and clarinets.<br /><br />    A peek inside would immerse the viewer in an even more moody, plush atmosphere, however. The wood on the floor is polished to a shine, and crimson drapes hang all along the outermost edges of the ceiling. Also along the walls are tables, but these lack the umbrellas that those outside have, exchanging them for fine china, lit candelabras, and silky white tablecloths. They retain the menus and the people, though the people in here seem to be more well-dressed in general. In the center of the room, however, there is no clutter to be seen. This is the dance floor, and it is backed by another, much more grandiose stage where there are many chairs and... a podium, it would seem. It almost looks like it's set up for an orchestra. There are some more modern instruments and amplifiers set out too, though, so this might end up being a variety show.<br /><br />    The building and the grounds reserved for the dance are massive, so there is plenty of room for the people who would prefer a little space. If you get sick of dancing or would just prefer to appreciate nature, there's a beach behind the building itself where a number of people seem to have set up shop already. Also, it may be prudent to note that all of the food has been paid for already; in other words, the hungry need want for nothing! Though the most important detail of all might be the sight above the quaint, white, wooden arch that reminds everyone just who this dance is for:<br /><br />    "Welcome, WMAT participants and appreciators from all corners of the Multiverse!"<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:183|Mizuki (183)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>    Two girls in elegant, black-and-white maid uniforms stand on either side of the doors to the main building, greeting those who come by. It seems they're directing people to go inside. Something about an 'announcement', it seems. It might be a good idea to head inside first, then!<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:289|Mister Satan (289)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>    A SUDDEN FANFARE FROM THE DOORS -- why, that theme song sounds familiar! Can it be?! Is it really?! Are you holding your breath yet?! It's...<br /><br />    <span style="color:xterm221">WORLD CHAMPION MISTER SATAN!</span><br /><br />    Earth's greatest hero appears among a flanking throng of adoring fans! Sort of. A small camera crew follows The Champ into the party grounds, and quite a few monks from Tournament Stadium are with him, too, but aside from a faceless mass left /outside/ the doors to chant his name, he's practically alone! Cutting a handsome figure in a black tuxedo, he manages to radiate confidence AND modesty AND an irresistible charm, an impossible combination for most men. It's easy to see that he's loved, but that he loves in return, too.<br />    Now if only his golden championship belt wasn't worn in place of a cummerbund, he'd be perfect!<br />    Mister Satan reaches up to adjust his shiny gold bowtie and cufflinks while he shows his escorts into the party hall. (It's at this point that the fanfare finally ends whenever someone in the back of Mister Satan's crew pushes the STOP button on the boombox being carried around.) Waves are given to people he knows, and a few nervous looks to people he KNOWS, all while chuckling and making small talk.<br />    On his arm is a pretty, dark-haired girl around seventeen years old or so. She's got a much less patient look on her face. In a simple but lovely dress to complement both her age and figure, she'd make quite the date for the Champ, if she wasn't so young. But hey, never fear, critics -- one good look and you realize those blue eyes she's got couldn't come from anyone else /but/ Mister Satan! The girl must be his daughter.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:301|Tony Stark (301)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>No party could possibly be complete without Tony Stark showing up late to give it some style. Wait... what's that, he's not late? God dammit Pepper, she must have put it on his calendar early specifically to trick him into showing up on time. AND she didn't even have the decency to come as his date. Ah well, the night is young.<br /><br />The billionaire industrialist and WMAT sponsor saunters along to the main building, giving a flirtatious wink to one of the two uniformed maid girls, to see what this announcement is all about. He cuts a much more fashionable figure than Satan in his tailored Armani tux, because he's powergaming.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:140|Ryuko Matoi (140)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>    Fashionable lateness? That's fine with Ryuko. Screw the whole dressing up for a party, too. Senketsu will work just fine, and in his dormant state, he looks pretty normal, anyway. No dance for her, either. No, she's here for the food and the drink. As much as she absolutely loves the cooking Mako's mom manages, it's nice to get in a little variety from 'deep fried'.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:275|Alexandra Knox (275)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>Sponsored by RARITY FASHION, Lex looks far more graceful than she usually does. She wears a simple blue sleeveless dress. It's fairly modest, but attractive enough, and stops just a few inches above the ground. To go with it she wears blue pumps, without heels. The only part of her usual outfit is that peculiar bronze pendant with the red A she always wears. Her hair has been pulled into a bun, kept up with two bronze hairpins. She walks into the party looking down and heads to the sides, looking around. She seems fairly shy.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:152|Faruja (152)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span> Faruja Senra wouldn't miss a good, proper party from one Lady Mizuki if he can manage it. Dressed in a ruffled white shirt, blue vest, and white slacks. He's even found some anklets that might pass for shoes, in the same light blue. There's even a hat for the rat with his ears poking out of slits. <br /><br /> So too has he brought friends! A certain Earthbender and mage-lizard are escorted properly by the Inquisitor. He's swift to grab drinks for the pair, not yet looking inside. <br /><br /> "My, my, my! Next party, we art having Lady Mizuki cater! This is marvelous!" Faruja sounds giddy. This is his environment. Already, he's peering from lizard to the area where he /knows/ is a dance floor.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:283|Chris Rothschild (283)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>    Six feet and two inches of awkwardness has arrived.<br /><br />    Ordinarily, the towering magus known as Christoph Rothschild would not even be at such a social function. He is content to watch from the sidelines - or more likely, from the net. Interacting with other people involved, socializing, being gregarious, going out into public... these are things that he is not good at. But Saber is in the tournament. Saber wanted to come to this particular gathering before the tournament.<br /><br />    And so, here Chris is, his hands in his pockets, walking slightly slouched, and trying to stick as close to the perephiry of the crowd as his much shorter companion will let him.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:20|Toph Beifong (20)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>    Why did she come along to something like this? Formal parties that she has attended before have never been much fun. But then again, most formal parties she has been forced to attend before was mostly with snobs. There better not be any snobs here.<br />    Behind Faruja and Ainsley there seems to be a young teenage girl who follows them closely, strangely not looking at the impressive work that the crew has put into this party. Well, it should be strange at least until the girl is recognized, which might be a bit difficult as for one, she normally does not wear blue, ruffled dresses with sequins, nor has her hair been styled. Only one thing is consequent... no matter how fancy her clothes are, she still seems to be barefoot and not caring.<br />    "What kinda music is that?" she asks for Faruja, leaning closer to the rat priest even as she accepts a drink from him. What kind of announcement are they making inside anyway? This party seems to be full either way. "They did tell us to go inside, come on," she urges the two, motioning with her free hand.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:227|Saber of Silver (227)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>Not much periphery is allowed. This is a formal event for the participants, so Saber -insisted- they come. She's not here to show off, but she -is- here to be seen, especially as she doesn't know many of her allies all too well just yet. <br /><br />"Don't try to hide, Master. Even like that, you are far taller than I am." She's wearing a formal kimono, though her swords are nowhere to be seen. Of course, given that she's a Servant, who knows whether she can just summon them on a whim if they're needed? "Besides, I need you to help instruct me what is usually done at events such as this."<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:85|Kagenashi (85)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>    As guests begin to trickle into the the establishment, a black shape slips out from the shadows off to the side. Her outfit and hair as dark as night and her eyes burning with ghostly flames, the woman would seem to be more of an imposing threat to the party than a guest. Kagenashi (or, more accurately, the Black Demon), however, has no intention of causing any issues tonight. The portions of armor on her outfit and the curling hook swords she carries are nowhere to be seen; only the clinging black uniform, the billowing jacket, and the snarling mask over her lower face. And, for whatever reason, a shamisen in one hand hanging by her side.<br /><br />    She is silent as she looks around at the guests, standing off to the side and watching each one pass, taking in every single one as they go. Soon enough, however, she too slips in among the entrants to make her way inside, the flames over her eyes leaving wispy trails where she goes.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:307|Allyn (307)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>Allyn pads about towards the gathering, well he'd heard there was a party and while still not sure of himself around most of the people he has run into since his apperance. He's not dressed up of course, it'd be silly for a wolf to wear clothes, unless maybe he was dressed as a sheep or something like that to fool those poor defenseless sheep into thinking that he was one of them, before he pounced and ate one. He glances around for a few moments and sniffs the air, smelling food he pads over to the table, puts his front paws on it and snatches something, before anyone can see him acting not so wolf-like. He doesn't usually eat cooked food, but he's hungry. He then heads for a quiet place and lays down to gnaw at whatever it was he snatched.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:151|Ainsley (151)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>    Ainsley is adorned in something of a casual-formal sort of outfit. She has a blouse on, with a long skirt, both of which are patterned with flowers that cannot be named because they're only native to her world. She also has, oddly, a straw hat on with flowers sewn into it, to complete the 'summer girl' look. She is, in contrast to Toph, barefoot. She doesn't seem to be bothered by the idea of walking around without foot protection. It comes with having skin made of mildly protective scales. Much better armor against mishaps than normal skin.<br />    The lizard girl adjusts her skirt, her tail wiggling behind her as she does this. She just doesn't like lower body clothing that can get pushed around by a breeze. She is distracted enough by this that she almost misses that a drink was offered to her. She accepts, giving a blushing smile at Faruja.<br />    She catches his desire to dance, and smiles wider. A hand reaches out to grab at the crook of his elbow. "In due time," she tells him, softly. "Let's wait until everyone begins mingling."<br />    She looks over at Toph, and hesitates. She realizes she's never really sat down and spoken to the blind earthbender at length about anything. It's always been Elite business that they saw each other at. The uncertainty shows in the cat-like wiggle of her tail tip, and the crease of her brow.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:33|Arthur Lowell (33)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>    ARTHUR LOWELL is not a guy who's normally wearing a suit. However, at the request of Mizuki, and because he conveniently has one in his Wardrobifier, he did come here wearing one instead of his magely robes or streetclothes. Dude's young-looking and ladyish enough that the three-piece suit doesn't really make him look smartly handsome so much as kinda cute. But it works for both purposes. It's plain black and white, bearing nothing unusual besides a little tiepin that's stylized with a small @ design. It's a contrast to his shaggy, unkempt hair.<br /><br />    Thankfully, it fits in perfectly here. And Arthur's mannerisms honestly don't fit his aesthetic at all. A swaggering, brash confidence, a wide, gleaming grin, and a loud, boisterous nature all make Arthur's presence here an intense one. He's milling around with the rest, waiting for the announcements. Ryuko Matoi he recognizes, giving a wave brief point by way of greeting to her, full of carfully calculated emotional distance. Alexandra Knox is there too, he recognizes her, and she gets a distantly friendly wave.<br /><br />    Anyone else here he's met? Well, EVERYONE knows Mister Satan! But Arthur keeps off of the celebrity of the night for now. Mizuki's maids he knows only a little bit, and Mizuki herself he's looking around for, but he's figuring she'll be handling some of that announcing stuff.<br /><br />    Hands in pockets, he barely suppresses the urge to go rudely chow down while he waits for announcements while standing around in that manner he's probably heavily practiced to be just emotionally and socially detached enough to look cool, but which may look a little forced.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:183|Mizuki (183)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>    After everyone has gathered in the room, Mizuki waves to all in the room calmly. Eventually, her hands folded officially and neatly behind her back, she strides to the podium, tapping the microphone a few times before getting started. "Good evening, ladies, gentlemen, and other assorted sapient beings without gender affiliations!" She holds up her hands another moment before setting them on either side of the podium. "This is, as the banners all around you make it abundantly clear, The DANCE to Precede BEATDOWNS~!" She doesn't exactly shout 'dance' and 'beatdowns', but she adds a significant amount of flair to each word that makes them stand out.<br /><br />    "On this evening, we will be celebrating those competing, those commentating, those healing, those who gave donations, and even those who are simply watching! And to all of you I say, welcome!" She raises her hands again and lowers them, crossing one leg over the other in an especially dramatic curtsy. "In the audience I see zeal in abundance. I see faces filled with excitement, passion! I see cheeks flushed with the bright red /rage/ that has since the dawn of sapience encouraged the art of war to develop! The very rage that has made this night possible! And of course, I also see those of your warriors who want nothing to do with my obscene verbage!" She smiles to highlight the humor. "And to you I say, do not worry! Your time will come, and it will come soon! But remember that every song that is played tonight, every cry of enthusiasm that echoes through these halls... remember that /all/ of it is for you!<br /><br />    She pauses again to raise her hands up high, as if ready to clap. "Now please, I ask that you all join me in a round of applause. To your rivals! To your friends! To yourselves!" She begins to clap, and many members of the crowd join her. This ovation lasts a while before Mizuki waves her hands downwards, signaling for it to cease. "Now please, eat! Sing! Dance! Do whatever you please to vent your anticipation! Though if you would be so kind as to welcome one humble, mysterious performer who will aid me in kicking off the dances beforehand, we would certainly be delighted!" Mizuki folds her arms behind her back again and closes her eyes before giving a quick bow in the direction of the stage's left exit.<br /><br />    "We welcome you! Please, play us a song to invigorate our spirits!" And with that, Mizuki exits on the opposite side of the stage after a series of curtsies if there is a repeat round of applause.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:283|Chris Rothschild (283)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>    Wait, what. "Need /me/ to-?!" That seems to have been the last request-slash-order that Chris Rothschild expected. And he just about looks panicked for a moment or two. "...Saber, you /know/ I've never done a formal dance before, right...?" Anyone who's known him for a week would be able to tell... but then again, that's by modern standards. Who knows what his modern behavior says to a hero of the past like Saber?<br /><br />    Well, at least there's an announcement to take his mind off things. Though when Mizuki begins talking about things like seeing faces filled with excitement and rage, he just sort of looks vaguely confused... which, on his face, translates out to 'slightly sour, perhaps a bit annoyed'. But at the very least, he can applaud, if for no other reason than Saber's sake. And then they're released... at the same time as a mystery performer is called on to kick things off.<br /><br />    Chris looks around like a nervous, six-foot-tall rabbit. "...let's find a table," he murmurs to Saber. "In a corner." His gaze keeps coming back to Kagenashi, of all people, whose presence seems to nag at him for reasons he can't quite define. Other than the whole 'lady of shadows' thing. That seems to be normal, or at least not alarming, in the Multiverse.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:301|Tony Stark (301)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>Tony Stark lifts his hands and makes a couple of lazy applause claps to be polite, but he doesn't really seem into it. No one's beaten anyone else up to deserve it, yet. Now, then: to find the bar.<br /><br />Wait, what? Mystery performer? It had better not be Beiber. Stark fidgets a little in place, flashing his best public smile at the partygoers nearby even as he gives a tug at his sleeve to adjust the fitted fabric to his stance. Wait, is that... is that Toph over there? Wearing a ruffly dress? Tony has to bite his lip to hold back a snerk of surprised laughter.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:85|Kagenashi (85)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>    As people begin to settle in long enough for that announcement, the woman in black steps aside to lean her back against a wall. Her attention remains focused on Mizuki for the moment as the girl makes her opening speech, politely listening and even tucking her instrument under her arm to offer her own quiet applause when it's requested. At least Kagenashi's being polite, no matter how she may look at the moment.<br /><br />    Then the words 'humble, mysterious peformer' are mentioned, and she slips away into the shadows again. The Black Demon only emerges again from stage left when Mizuki bows, and the taller woman steps out with her stringed instrument in hand to offer a low, respectful bow at the waist in return. Kagenashi then steps into the center of the stage, takes a seat with her legs crossed under her, and sets the shamisen in her lap with the head resting on her shoulder. A quick glance is given behind her to ensure that other players have settled in too; a pianist, a flutist, a couple of more contemporary string players. Then her head lowers, her fingers settle on the strings, and she begins to play with the others.<br /><br />    (http://youtu.be/QLyzeo5frWg?t=10m8s)<br /><br />    It's a lively tune, certainly. A good way to start the evening off, with rushes of energy and lulls of calm to settle a bit between them so as to not wear down anyone interested in dancing /too/ quickly. All the while, Kagenashi remains sitting with her head lowered, though her eyes still flit up between the other fighters as she plays. Still watching and taking everyone in.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:152|Faruja (152)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span> The ratling sips on his champagne, raising his glass to his two companions for the evening. <br /><br /> And he tries not to stare too much at Ainsley. She looks beautiful in a skirt and blouse. He may just be biased though. Hopefully Toph will avoid the little hearts flowing from his head. <br /><br /> "Jazz, 'tis called, my dear! A form of music native to Earth. I find it rather pleasant, myself." <br /><br /> Toph urges him forward, Ains urges him patience. He sticks to the middle ground, letting go of Ainsley to open the door with a bow for the pair. <br /><br /> "Agreed. After ye, fair Dames!" The last bit has Faruja winking at Toph. Then he realizes the futility, and flicks his tail. The vibrations are the same, right? <br /><br /> There's Tony! <br /><br /> "Ser Stark! Hail! I trust ye recognize our dear companion?" The rat might be teasing poor Toph here. <br /><br /> The speech gets Faruja grinning, and by the end, he's clapping his hands. "Bravo! Bravo Lady Mizuki!" <br /><br /> The rat raises a glass. <br /><br /> "If I may Sers and Dames! A toast! To Honor, Glory, Defeat, and the sheer joy of competition and the dance of death between those of great skill, courage, and sheer determination! Hear hear!" Hopefully cue glass-clinking. <br /><br /> He whispers to the pair beside him. "She truly doth know how to make a speech."<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:227|Saber of Silver (227)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>"And I have never attended a formal event in this century," says Saber, coolly. After a moment, she lets out a long sigh. "I suppose I can fall back on what I've seen on television..." Green eyes shift, glancing around as if looking for something... but then the announcement comes, and Saber starts paying attention to their hostess.<br /><br />There is no rage on her face, and very little excitement. Her expression is a careful, measured neutral. She does applaud politely when others do so, however. "That was quite a speech."<br /><br />Saber tilts her head slightly toward Chris. "We merit more than a corner, Master. We should meet people instead." Despite her smaller size, she reaches for his hand and tries to drag him further out into the open.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:289|Mister Satan (289)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>    "Bravo! What an opening speech!" Mister Satan is caught hook, line, and sinker by Mizuki's 'obscene verbage.' He claps his enthusiasm when called to do so, and makes sure to nod vigorously as Mizuki's words continue. "Yes, yes, to the competitors!"<br />    Videl's own applause is less enthusiastic than her father's, but she seems to enjoy the event thus far, all the same. A lot more subdued than Mister Satan, Videl doesn't really cheer until she has good reason. Right now, she's still getting acclimated to all of the...Multiversal weirdness filling the hall.<br />    "Hey, you'll still dance with your old dad, won't you?" Mister Satan nudges Videl with his elbow and grins broadly, to Videl's embarrassment. "C'mon, let's show 'em that I've got some moves outside the arena, huh?"<br />    "Dad, I dunno..." Videl demurs. "H-hey, is that Tony Stark...?"<br />    "Why, yes!" Mister Satan puffs up his chest. "He and I are very good friends, you know! ISN'T THAT RIGHT, MISTER STARK? GOOD FRIENDS!"<br />    The camera crew gets to work filming the gathering. Although most of their attention is reserved for Mister Satan, plenty of time is taken to record the mysterious musicians, as well as folks like Arthur Lowell, Saber and Chris, and Faruja and Ainsley.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:20|Toph Beifong (20)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>    Noticing that Ainsley's attention seems to be directed at her, Toph blinks and turns her head slightly, letting out a huff of air before she reaches up to the bangs that have been parted to show her face for once. "... I know my hair looks weird. At least it's more comfy than Earth Kingdom fashion, let me tell you." So it /could/ be worse, which again means she has been through worse. When Faruja calls out to Tony though, Toph stiffens slightly where she stands. And then shifts her foot ever so slightly. In response a part of the floor behind Faruja shifts, folding itself briefly around his tail to /pinch/ it.<br />    No, she doesn't take this kind of teasing well. And he should know it!<br />    She lends her attention to the speech, so luckily Tony's little reaction to her dress isn't noticed for now. Instead Toph sips her drink and listens to Mizuki talk about... rage. Heh. Too bad she is holding a glass, but Toph does her best to clap, even if she ends up clapping her free hand against her elbow."I dunno about singing and dancing... but eating I am all for," Toph grins to the two others that she arrived with, then heads off in search of food. She is hungry, and this party better have some decent food!<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:275|Alexandra Knox (275)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>Lex claps politely when the speech is done, and stays where she is. She's not used to formal dances in any way whatsoever, so she settles near the wall, watching people. She doesn't even have a drink, but she doesn't seem to mind. She looks down whenever someone looks her way, and she plays around with her dress a bit whenever she thinks nobody is watching.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:183|Mizuki (183)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>    As not-Kagenashi performs, Mizuki pays her the same polite, quiet attention that she was given to her as she spoke. She smiles a bit as the song begins. Others in the room may quickly lose sight of Mimi even if they had tried to keep an eye on her as she exited. She's... quite good at fading back into the shadows from whence she came, it would seem. But at least she was able to deliver satisfyingly well while she was up there. She seemed quite comfortable. Maybe she's made a number of similar speeches before?<br /><br />    After the song has been going on for a while, she, too, begins to meander about the party hall, seeking people to converse with. The first group she seems to find contains Faruja, Tony, Toph, and Ainsley. She would recognize every face there except for the iron man himself, ironically. When she knows she's been spotted, she gives a polite curtsy.<br /><br />    "Good evening, my friends." She raises her head, getting back into her usual, demure stance. "I do hope that the grounds, the music, and my introduction have your approval thus far~." She smiles, then cocks her head slightly to the side. "So, will I be given the pleasure of being allowed to see you and Ainsley dance, Faruja? I'm sure it would be quite beautiful~."<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:307|Allyn (307)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>Allyn finishes off whatever he was gnawing on as his ears perk so he can listen to the announcement, well he can't applaud in this form, no hands makes that hard. He does thump his tail on the ground though, as he feels that wouldn't be the same as wagging his tail and would get the job done. He sniffs the air again, taking in the scents around him and then once he catches something familiar he gets to his feet once more and pads over towards Faruja and his little group. "Good day Lord Faruja, Lady Ainsley and Lady.." he forgets Toph's name, then again he has only come across her once."<br /><br />He waits for a few moments so as not to be rude if there is a reply and then he's padding about the area again, managing to find his way over towards Saber and Chris, where he sniffs towards them and then around them a little, then titls his head a bit at them.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:151|Ainsley (151)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>    "My hair is a poofy, unmanageable crown of feathers," Ainsley says to Toph, as if trying to be reassuring, "Your hair looks fine."<br />    Ainsley follows along with Faruja, slipping into the party as a whole when the door is opened for her. She is quick to seek out and assess the spot designated for dancing, parting from Faruja with a glance over her shoulder. She isn't a creature of toasts, honors, or platitudes, and instead she prefers action over all of that. The best way to honor the occasion is to dance.<br /><br />    She gestures gently with a hand to Faruja, beckoning him over as the music draws to something she feels she can dance to.<br /><br />    She looks at the camera distractedly when it's pointed in her direction. Her eyes glow faintly with mana, a glow that fades when she blinks. She waves cheerily at the camera, which probably just accents her eyes in a way that makes her seem ominous or intimidating.<br /><br />    And then her face just goes bright red as she overhears Mizuki talking about the dancing. NO PRESSURE, HUH? "Hrn~" she whines, looking at the dance floor and frowning. She can only spare faint nods at people at that point.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:283|Chris Rothschild (283)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>    "...oh."<br /><br />    Behold, the world's most doomed-sounding single syllable.<br /><br />    Chris has been tugged off towards People(tm). He probably makes something of a small spectacle for the cameras, looking only barely formal as he does, seeming so utterly awkward, and above all being led around by a girl a full foot shorter than he is. "Let's, uh. Um." He looks around a little, trying to decide who seems safe - Tony's fast-growing group makes him nervous, Mr. Satan is absolutely the center of attention, there's... is that a wolf? There's a wolf here. And...<br /><br />    "...what about her?" Chris says, looking towards Alexandra. Is he trying to get out of visiting people by going to visit the wallflower?<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:183|Mizuki (183)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>    Of course, Toph could always sit down and wait for a waiter to come to her. However, she might recall seeing several large, lavish buffets on the tables outside. Really, she has a number of options where eating is concerned! When she goes foraging, she would notice shapes similar to ham, bowls that probably contain punch, finger sandwiches... all manner of things! She certainly won't go hungry, and she can even do it away from the ostentatious dance hall!<br /><br />    ... not away from the jazz though. There's no escaping the smooth jazz.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:301|Tony Stark (301)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>Tony Stark is well used to people wanting it known far and wide that they are VERY GOOD FRIENDS with him. And he can be gracious about it. "Hey," he returns Satan's greeting casually. "Good to see you again..." he realizes he doesn't know or has forgotten Mister Satan's first name, or he'd call him by it. Oh well, that was probably enough to earn him some celebrity cred, anyway.<br /><br />"Hi," Tony turns his attention to Faruja as he's addressed. "If I'd known you were coming, 'Ser Senra' I'd have ridden Cuddles and made a bigger entrance." Toph gets a smile that's by now controlled to only a slight smirk pulling at the corner of his mouth. Which she can't see anyway so that's fine. "You look /fine/," he assures her in a low, private tone, which he trusts her to take much better than lavish compliments on how ladylike she appears.<br /><br />"So... does this thing have an open bar?"<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:227|Saber of Silver (227)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>Saber's grip is firm as she gently drags Chris through the crowd. "Don't worry, Master. If anything dangerous happens, I will protect you. But..." She glances around briefly. "There really is no killing intent anywhere in here." <br /><br />Her gaze pauses again as it lands upon Allyn. "A wolf?" After a moment's consideration, she extends her hand, palm down, fingers curled, toward him. "It is a pleasure to meet you," she says politely. "My name is Saber, and this is Chris Rothschild." But then her Master points someone out, and both her eyebrows raise slightly. "Oh, I see." Whatever she sees is almost certainly not what Chris intended, but Saber leads him to Alexandra nonetheless.<br /><br />"Good evening. I believe that my Master, Chris Rothschild, has expressed some interest in dancing with you. I'm certain it would be an honor." Saber reaches out to take Alexandra's hand and, if not evaded, puts it right into Chris' hand.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:183|Mizuki (183)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>    Mizuki smiles to Ainsley before looking to Tony. "Indeed," Yeah, she either has no idea who Tony is or doesn't care. Or both, quite possibly. "there is an open bar in the southwest corner of this very room!" She points in its direction. It might be somewhat obfuscated by the large crowds, but Tony can still make it out. Probably. "Though I will warn, alcohol is the only thing here that is not complimentary. My sincerest apologies."<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:301|Tony Stark (301)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>If the alcohol isn't complimentary, then it's not an OPEN bar, is it? Whatever, a bar is a bar and Tony is loaded. With cash. Hopefully he'll be loaded with booze soon too. "Great, thanks," he beams a smile at the hostess, and as he starts in that direction he asks of those around him, "Anyone want anything? Faruja, a little social lubricant to help with the dancing?"<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:20|Toph Beifong (20)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>    Man, can you get anymore distracted when you're on a quest to get delicious food? First Mizuki greeting them, and then Allyn... she remembers him briefly. And even if he can't recall her name, it isn't something to worry about. "Toph," she responds, tempted to point out that she doesn't consider herself a lady. For now she is content enough with letting Faruja and Ainsley head off to the dance floor. And why sit down and wait when you can get food yourself? Even if she is tempted to hike up her skirts so she can walk faster. Blergh.<br />    As she passes Tony though she hears him reassure her about her clothes, and she sighs. "Twitchy got the dress for me and said I should come," she states, then reaches out to grab onto Tony's arm as she heads off to the corner of the room. "If there is a bar here, we will find it. Along with food, I'm hungry."<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:152|Faruja (152)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span> Smile! Faruja is nothing if not gracious. He offers a bow as Allyn prods up. <br /><br /> "Ser Allyn! Hail to thee! 'Tis good to see ye in less tense circumstances. I pray ye shall have an excellent time tonight!" And then, the save. <br /><br /> "Surely ye know Dame Toph Beifong, warrior and, ahem, 'Greatest Earthbender in the Multiverse'." <br /><br /> Speaking of Toph, there's a sudden squeak as Faruja grabs his tail. It's ben pinched! Nearly falling, the rat manages to catch himself with a float spell. Cheating time mages. <br /><br /> He has the good grace to look apologetic to Toph. "...I deserved that one." A small smile. He'll ice cream you for that later, promise! <br /><br /> There's a nod of assent towards Ainsley's words. "Quite! Ye look good Toph." It's less than he'd say normally, for fear of his tail getting a kink tonight. <br /><br /> A wave to Toph, and the rat's laughing. "Ahhh, I fear for the world when she grows!" <br /><br /> A bow to Mizuki! "My dear, it hath be excellent, and utterly lacking in the pretentious arrogance of the hosts of Ivalice oft bring. Well done! We shall be the envy of all here!" Promises the rat. Look Ainsley, /more pressure/! <br /><br /> To Tony, the rat chuckles. "ye should hath! Rode her in, and then started off our dance with Cuddles doing a few pirouettes! Glad to see ye, Ser Stark. Enjoy, hmm?" Whisper whisper. <br /><br /> "Save some scotch for me!" <br /><br /> An arm is offered, and the rat tugs her over to the dance floor. He starts off with a slow, graceful turn with the lizardess, arms properly at waist and shoulder. Then, he starts to speed up, soon spinning about in time with the music as his tail entwines with Ainsley's! <br /><br /> Waiting for the right moment, he'll spin the lizardess about with the tip of his tail, then his hand, dipping her nearly to the ground! Someone's been practicing. <br /><br /> There's a thumbs-up to Tony!<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:33|Arthur Lowell (33)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>    Arthur does everything with his setting at "11", and so when clapping starts, he's doing it with GUSTO and INTENSITY, though his expression retains the usual carefully calculated coolness of vague detachment. It calms down pretty quickly.<br /><br />    Then, hey! Performers! Upbeat foreign music! Arthur isn't sure how you dance to this. An effort is made, as restrained as is acceptable by the standards of coolness. Classy performer, too!<br /><br />    Well, looks like the wallflowers are congregating, but the group with Faruja and Tony Stark and Mister Satan seems to be the most active! Arthur's immediately where the PEOPLE are, giving grins and his good side to Mister Satan's cameras as he goes. He's already got a plateful of food.<br /><br />    Arthur's immediately laughing with some of the exchanges. "'Ey! I know that voice. The NICKNAME MONOPOLIZER." That seems to be Toph's title for Arthur. "Don't you fuckin' WORRY, there's all KINDS of dudes 'round here lookin' weird, ain't like some fussy HAIR gonna stick out ANYWAY, right?"<br /><br />    A brief aside to Tony, interjecting alongside Mizuki. "Not like PRICE gonna be some HUGE DEAL for ya, right?" Even Arthur knows Tony! A tweak of the head to Faruja and Ainsley. "Looks like SOMETHIN' needs t'GREASE some WHEELS or ain't ANYTHING gonna go ANYWHERE, YEAH."<br /><br />    Faruja is probably shortly gone almost as if in spite of what Arthur said.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:275|Alexandra Knox (275)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>When addressed like that, Lex blushes a deep scarlet. She takes Saber's hand, and doesn't do anything to prevent that movement. "I, uh, I am Alexandra Knox." She manages to stammer out, "I'd, uh, well, I'd be delighted." She looks up to Chris, and smiles. "What's a good song to dance to?"<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:152|Faruja (152)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span> "Apply it liberally, Ser!" Calls out Faruja mid-dance to Arthur. Grin! The rat approves.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:183|Mizuki (183)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>    Mizuki smiles and raises a hand as Tony departs. Then, to Faruja, "Marvelous, Faruja, marvelous! I daresay you might be winning a competition of your own this evening, hmm~?" If she realizes the pressure she's putting on Ainsley, she really isn't making much effort to sh -- oh. Oh my God, she just winked at her. Poor, poor Ainsley. Not even the host is merciful tonight it seems. At the very least, though, she mouths a 'good luck'. Way to go.<br /><br />    And with that she turns away from the gentlerat to give the others polite bows and curtsies. Given that she's holding her own glass of water, though, she can only really curtsy with one hand. To Arthur, she smiles. "Evening, Arthur, evening!" Another tiny bow. "And might I say I do quite like the clothing you ultimately decided upon~? It suits you, somehow~."<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:85|Kagenashi (85)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>    Kagenashi's song goes for a while. Perhaps it brings some people to their feet, perhaps not. It doesn't seem to matter to her much either way, and when the last few notes of her song are finished, she rises, bows to the crowd, and once again slips off the stage to let any other players have their chance.<br /><br />    When she /does/ reappear again, it's without her instrument in hand, slipping out from the crowd to appear near Mizuki. Her head bows in greeting, and when she speaks, her voice is muddled by a strange resonation that, while light, makes it difficult to settle exactly who her voice belongs to. She sounds familiar, but from where? "Mizuki. I wished to express my gratitude for organizing this celebration and allowing me to participate. I am sure spirits will be lifted and energized in preparation for the ceremonies tomorrow."<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:301|Tony Stark (301)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>Tony lets Toph take his arm. If Pepper isn't here to be his date, then his junior officer can stand in as his arm-warmer. "Well he was right, you're competing, you should come," he replies reasonably. "And here you are, so we're all good. --Scotch, neat," he addresses the bartender, holding up two fingers to indicate he'll bring a glass back for Faruja too. He carelessly tucks a hundred dollar bill into the tip jar. Yes, it's money from another world but surely for a multiverse-spanning event such as the WMAT there are exchanges aplenty. "Iced tea, Toph? Hey, if you find any local barbecue stuff, let's try it." Finger sandwiches are boring.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:307|Allyn (307)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>Allyn sniffs at Saber's hand as it's held out to him and he tilts his head at her as he looks up at her, "Greetings Saber, I am Allyn, a pleasure to meet you." Hmm maybe he should he come up with something to call himself other than his human name when he's in another form, but that's not here or there. As Saber and Chris walk off towards Alexandra he follows after them, smaller groups are better anyway. He does glance back at the larger groups of gathered people, but well, he's a wolf after all and used to slinking off to the most unseen places. He sniffs in Alexandra's direction and then sits down on the floor next to where she, Saber and Chris are, watching.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:289|Mister Satan (289)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>    Videl blinks back the urge to /stare/ at the likes of Tony Stark and Arthur Lowell and all the other unfamiliars. Strangely, Ainsley and Faruja hardly get more than a glance -- either she's used to seeing animal-ish humanoids, or she's too well-mannered to make a big deal about scales and tails. As Arthur goes buzzing by, she's bashfully quiet.<br />    Which leaves her vulnerable to Mister Satan's vile plotting! Videl, caught off-guard by all the social demands, finds herself SWEPT onto the dance floor by her father's eager hands. "There, there we are! Smile for the camera, Videl -- I want the whole world to see how beautiful my daughter is!"<br />    The camera crew zooms in just as poor Videl is twirled into the first steps of whatever Mister Satan thinks passes for classy dancing in a joint like this. It's probably a little more exaggerated and attention-getting than need be. Videl goes right along with it, though! Once she's over her initial embarrassment, she seems to have a lot of fun!<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:20|Toph Beifong (20)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>    Upon hearing Arthur's comment, Toph sighs. "It's hardly my hair that's the problem," she mutters a bit, then turns her face slightly towards him. "And it's not my fault that I'm better at coming up with nicknames, mister Loud Mouth!"<br />    Enough distractions. Food! Though she guesses she can babble with Tony since she is dragging him with her. "At least we aren't expected to dress up for the opening ceremonies." At least they weren't expected to do so last year. "And yeah, iced tea is good." Sniffing the air, Toph turns her face towards the nearest food table, then lets go of Tony's arm before she heads off to find some food for herself and her supervising officer.<br />    And it doesn't take long before she returns with two plates, mostly consisting of meat. As she hands one plate to Tony she arches an eyebrow. "That Mister Satan guy is even louder than that one Confederate girl who always yells on the radio," she notes. Oh well, east least people sound like they're having fun with dancing.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:283|Chris Rothschild (283)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>    That wolf just talked.<br /><br />    "Uh... hi." That is all Chris can really think of to offer a speaking wolf. His contribution upon meeting the demigod, however, is a little more... energetic. "Dancing-?!" He looks between Saber and Alexandra with something approaching alarm. Did she just set him up?! The look he gives his Servant is almost pleading, but Lex actually seems to be interested, at the very least. He tries to force his expression into something less ominous than his natural look, and replies in an embarrassed murmur, "...I wouldn't know. Never danced." Pause. "Ever." Another look at Saber.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:33|Arthur Lowell (33)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>    Arthur laughs, briefly and intensely. "ABSOLUTELY doesn't fit me, but THANKS! Figured it was the LEAST I could do." Arthur gives his own tiny little bow to her. "GOTTA ADMIT, I didn't know it was gonna be a DANCE. I'm sure you'll GET IT if I hold off'a THAT for now, yeah?" He stretches himself out casually before he starts remarking on the others.<br /><br />    Not Kagenashi, who comes to see Mizuki, gets a brief wave. "'Ey! HELL YEAH we got spirits fuckin' ROCKETING off up ins, that was some GOOD PLAYIN' up there. Hell if I know how a dude DANCES to it, but eh!" A quick, casual, and friendly shrug.<br /><br />    An aside now to Toph Beifong. "You KNOW what I MEAN! Lookin' a little weird ain't gonna be a problem, what with how weird everything looks t'everything else ANYWAY. CHILLAX, yo."<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:227|Saber of Silver (227)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>"Mm." A soft, affirmative sound, and an encouraging nod come from Saber as they both agree. "Alexandra Knox. I am Saber. This is... Allyn." She gestures briefly to the wolf, then steps back. "I am told that modern dancing is very simple. The important part is to keep the beat of the music." Given that Saber probably doesn't know much about this sort of dancing, she may have heard that somewhere else. Probably on television.<br /><br />"I will be watching in case you need help, Master." The smile Saber gives to Chris is a big enigmatic, though she tilts her head slightly to look at the wolf. "I am not certain how wolves dance, however, so my advice must end there."<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:183|Mizuki (183)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>    Mizuki blinks a few times when Kagenashi first speaks, but she quickly recovers and turns to face her. "Oh, nonsense, my friend!" She smiles radiantly. "If anything, it is /I/ who should be thanking /you/ for your beautiful performance. And perhaps I who should apologize." She puts a hand on her chin. "... for I swear upon Creation Itself, you seem so very familiar and yet I cannot place your name. But I won't trouble you for it." Her grin returns, broader than ever, and she gives not-Kagenashi a daintly little bow. "Truly, you were delightful. Whomever you are, I do so hope that we see each other again some time." And with that, she turns away.<br /><br />    Once people finish applauding for the lovely, mysterious performance - and the equally lovely, mysterious performer, of course - a procession of young men and woman clutching assorted instruments of the traditional orchestra, including violins, a cello, flutes, and even a harp, file on to the stage. The silvery-haired conductor might look familiar to some: it's Callia. This time, though, it would seem she has her hair tied into a bun. She does look the part like that, though! After all of the musicians have settled in, Callia raises her baton, and begins to conduct a song very, very different in feel from the previous one.<br /><br />    And yet it's still so, so very Mizuki: ( https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qa5PSMibSmM )<br /><br />    Mizuki claps again as they begins to play, and she turns to face the God tier again. And promptly... she begins to laugh, however lightly. "Well," She takes a breath, and exhales. "I am very grateful that you showed up how you did regardless. This is a party for everyone, but I /do/ try to give my parties a regal flair, you know~? They simply wouldn't be my parties without it."<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:275|Alexandra Knox (275)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>Lex is still blushing, she looks to the dance floor, and then back to Chris. "We'll figure something out." She murmers, she doesn't sound entirely confident either. Slowly she heads to the dance floor, pulling Chris along if he'll let her, "I don't know how to dance either." She admits, "Worst that can happen is that we get some sore toes, right? I'm competing, I'm sure I can handle a few sore toes." She smiles, trying to be encouraging.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:151|Ainsley (151)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>    Ainsley the Lizard Girl finds it is much easier to concentrate when she only focuses on Faruja. When she's pulled along for the dance, she smoothly falls in step with him. She is easily led into the dance, swaying and swerving with the rat man. As she's spun, she carefully pivots, her center of gravity maintained in a way that certainly suggests the two of them have practiced plenty.<br /><br />    And then she's dipped, and she grips at Faruja's shoulders, sticking her tongue out at him in a silly manner, her tail curled around their feet in a somewhat dramatic fashion, prepared to whip about when she stands up to preserve her momentum and balance.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:301|Tony Stark (301)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>Tony acquires a non-alcoholic tea for Toph and somehow manages to juggle this and the two glasses of scotch along with the plates of food between them. "Satan's a man after my own heart," he grins. "Guy knows how to get the attention he wants. If you're feeling left out I'd be happy to take you for a spin across the floor, dear," he teases, though he really would dance with her if she wanted to. He is less inclined to dance with many of the random female (and a few male) guests who eyeball him speculatively.<br /><br />"If I were you, I'd wear rock armor for the opening ceremony. Show the competition what they're messing with."<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:307|Allyn (307)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>Allyn chuffs a few times, is the wolf laughing at Chris' reaction that he can talk? Ah well, it's not like it isn't the same reaction he has gotten many other times so far. "Sorry for surprising you, yes I can talk, you find that rather surprising?" his ears perk a bit and then lay back down and he seems quite amused by the fact.<br /><br />He sniffs in Lex's direction a couple more times and tilts his head, something seems odd about her, but as she goes off to dance he doesn't put too much more thought into it. He'll find out sometime he is sure.<br /><br />Tilting his head to Saber, he seems amused again, "Unfortunately wolves cannot dance, we have two left feet after all." Yeah, a little bit of humor there from the wolf and then he gives a sigh, "Though this may not be the best form for dancing at all, in that case." he gets up to his feet again and pads back a little, then he shimmers and changes form, a young man now standing where the wolf once was. He gives Saber a bow, "If that means you wish to dance as well, would you do me the honor my lady Saber?" he gives her a smile.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:152|Faruja (152)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span> Faruja grins right back at Mizuki, too lost in the moment to worry too much about manners. There are friends, good music, a wonderful host, and a lizard in his arms. Nothing could go wrong tonight at all. Nothing. <br /><br /> "Then we need more competition! COME, YE FINE SERS AND DAMES! HAVE AT THEE!" And the rat hasn't even been drinking yet. <br /><br /> And then the world is two, Faruja following his love. As she sticks out her tongue, the male blows right on her lizard nose just as teasingly! Up she goes, tail matching hers, before he draws her close. Giving the camera a good up-close of the ghost of a kiss, he turns away just to spite onlookers as he spins her about. The energetic spinning ends in a slow dance, the rat simply enjoying time with his love, staring into her eyes. He all but radiates the aura of a lovestruck schoolboy right now.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:283|Chris Rothschild (283)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>    There's something in Chris's expression as Alexandra leads him away. Something that says to Saber, 'I have been thoroughly bested'. But there is also something about it closer to 'I will remember this'.<br /><br />    As awkward as he might be, at least Chris doesn't embarrass Lex by resisting the trip to the dance floor. While the livelier music starts up, he comes to a stop and seems to consider for a moment, only to utter an embarrassed little chuckle at the demigod's encouragement. "Ah... heh, yeah. I'll... I'll try to be careful, at least." Despite his naturally grumpy face, he seems more quiet and reserved than anything.<br /><br />    And as awkward as he might be, he's also not /clumsy/. With a carefully-placed hand on Lex's hip, and the other on her shoulder, one of the few things he /does/ know about dancing, he steps with her out on the floor and... proceeds to move very carefully, cautiously. /Technically/ he is moving with the music, but it's a bit of a slow dance for such high-spirited music.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:85|Kagenashi (85)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>    Kagenashi first turns her head toward Arthur when he addresses her. "Thank you. I suppose it is...unconventional, at least for those who would assemble here. At least it was enough to offer some variety, I suppose. Perhaps the other music gracing our celebration will be simpler to dance to."<br /><br />    To Mizuki, the Black Demon simply smiles, a soft gesture barely visible between the vicious teeth of her mask. "Do not apologize. My name is of little consequence; only rest assured that we have met, and I am certain we shall meet again. For now, I thank you for your gracious compliments."<br /><br />    With that, Kagenashi turns to offer quiet applause to the new performance before gazing over the assembled revelers once more. The dancers certainly aren't being subtle; it's entertaining to watch, at the very least.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:20|Toph Beifong (20)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>    "Like hell if I care what about people think about how I look," Toph claims and rolls her eyes, though she can't help but look a little amused. At least this party isn't as stiff as the formal parties she's used to. If somebody should 'chillax', it's most of the first class citizens of the Earth Kingdom.<br />    The shift in musical performance is a bit weird, and Toph listens to the instruments as she takes the tea, sipping as Tony comments on the champion himself. The offer to dance though? "I didn't know my blindness was contagious... I mean, I'm holding onto food here and a drink. Besides, I haven't danced before, I can continue living without dancing," she states firmly as she bites into a piece of chicken, her mouth full as she eats. Swirling to and fro? Nah. Not her style, and especially not to this kind of music.<br />    The suggestion to wear rock armor for the opening ceremony tomorrow? "If I really wanted to show them what they're up against, I would make one of metal."<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:289|Mister Satan (289)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>    As Videl and Mister Satan settle into a laughing waltz, it's time to check out who else is around! The camera crew makes sure to capture all the drama surrounding Faruja's and Ainsley's dance, and a reporter from the group starts making the rounds, poking his curious nose into the other pairings to see who might be talkative. Arthur -- that's the guy who's the real social butterfly! Why not start there?<br />    The reporter bobs his head like he's tipping an invisible hat and gets ready to scribble things down in his notepad. "What's your name, what brings you here tonight? Are you competing in the WMAT? What bracket? What do you hope to do with the winnings?"<br />    The questions fly like lightning!<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:183|Mizuki (183)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>    After a spell, the music changes again. It seems a bit slower now. Still classical, but this still manages to have quite a different feel from the previous one. It might be better for a slightly slower dance, though:<br /><br />    ( https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IoS1_CRS5fA )<br /><br />    More people enter the dancing fray at Faruja's call, many of them seeming just as spirited and ready to prove themselves as he is. Somewhere in the distance, the deep tenor of a man's voice returns Faruja's 'En guarde!' with one of their own.<br /><br />    Mizuki laughs at - or rather, with - Faruja as he makes his challenge and takes center stage with Ainsley. Meanwhile, she turns to Kagenashi. "Oooh, how very mysterious~." She smiles, hiding her mouth behind her arm as she does. "I like it~! But you are, of course, welcome," Another bow. "though my words are merely the plain truth~." Then... Mizuki spins around, tapping her shoes against the ground. And she's facing... Arthur. Oh God. She has a mischievious glint in her eyes. What is she planning...? But... she doesn't leave him wondering long. She offers her hand... asking for a dance in the most classical, nonverbal method that she can. After a moment or so, and a teasing grin, she speaks.<br /><br />    "Care to dance, dear sir~?"<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:227|Saber of Silver (227)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>That look on Chris' face is returned only with a pleasant smile. Either Saber doesn't know what he's trying to tell her, or she doesn't fear any repercussions. For the moment, she contents herself watching the pair begin to dance.<br /><br />"You do have two left feet." Saber's reply is more perplexed than amused. Perhaps she didn't get the joke? She isn't from this time, after all. But then he changes forms, and Saber gives a little start. "Oh!" She clears her throat softly, covering her mouth with one hand as she does so. "Ahem." The music starts to change, and Saber extends her hand. "Ah... I'd be honored, though I'm afraid that I'm not much more aware of today's dances than my Master is."<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:151|Ainsley (151)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>    "Ahh, my love," Ainsley says to Faruja, her voice in a soft Russian for the vocal effect it has, as she carefully reaches up to touch at Faruja's cheek. "Let us destroy the competition~" Her smile does not betray her enthusiasm to do just that. She gets into character for this, her embarrassment melting away and her soul getting lost in the music. The song is one she recognizes, hence the Russian!<br /><br />    Smooth spins, careful but complex steps, as she holds on to the Burmecian and swishes her skirt with just the right pop or sway of her hips here and there. She's not /perfect/, a dance master could easily spot the flaws, but the enthusiasm and bond easily make up for any shortcomings in theatrical effect.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:275|Alexandra Knox (275)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>The dance starts, Lex holds Chris perhaps a little more tightly than she should, and she follows his lead. Slow is good, and she keeps looking down, "So, uh... Chris. Are you taking part in the tourney?" She softly makes an attempt at conversation, moving her feet to follow Chris's, and to avoid his feet when she needs to. ADD helps in battle /and/ dancing. "I hear your voice on my radio."<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:33|Arthur Lowell (33)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>    Arthur observes Mister Satan dancing for a while, as if watching a show. Then, a musical switch! "HELL," Arthur says, casually. "Not like I'd say NO, right? COOL KIDS can't turn down PARTY INVITES, and it'd be HELLA RUDE to show up in some MAGE OUTFIT if I had a suit like y'wanted, right? Y'got a CLASSY TOUCH to this one, if that's what you were GOIN' FOR, YEAH."<br /><br />    Arthur points right at the camera when he's assailed by cameras. "I'm ARTHUR LOWELL, ROCKET-POWERED JERK and FIGHTER! And I'mma BEAT UP anyone between ME and the TOP of BRACKET C! Then I'mma spend MAD CASH on EXPENSIVE ADVENTURE GEAR an' CHARITABLE DONATIONS t'CAUSES when I find 'em!" AN AGGRESSIVE GRIN is used throughout all of this!<br /><br />    And then, as if to punctuate his words, Arthur kinda chokes a bit on Mizuki's grin, OH GOD, SHE'S ASKING FOR A DANCE. There's a brief internal fight inside Arthur's head as he kinda helplessly, as if some kind of puppet on strings, winds up taking her hand. He'll likely wind up following whatever lead Mizuki takes in the dancing, assuming she takes one. With a FORCED COOL CONFIDENT EXPRESSION, of course.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:85|Kagenashi (85)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>    Kagenashi turns her head to look at Mizuki when the girl addresses her again. Amusement slips into her semi-familiar tone as she responds, folding her arms behind her back. "I am sure you will find that mystery is something I hold in high regard. Clarity only hinders who I am and what I do. Something you seem to share now and then, hm?"<br /><br />    She turns even more when Arthur finds himself harrassed by both Mister Satan's questions and Mizuki's approach. There's that smile again, though she doesn't remark on the amusing situation for now. She just watches and takes it all in, burning eyes lingering on the dancers weaving along.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:289|Mister Satan (289)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>    Smoke practically rises from the reporter's notepad as he attempts to perfectly capture every capital letter shouted by Arthur. He's still playing catch-up whenever Mizuki gracefully intervenes and carries Arthur off to the dance. "Confident, confident," the reporter mutters, and then he starts looking around for his next target.<br />    The reporter sidles up next to TOPH BEIFONG, next. Eyebrows a-waggling, he addresses the girl in the same rapidfire manner he'd used to assail Arthur. "What's your name? Are you competing in the tournament? You look familiar, were you here last year? What bracket are you in? What'll you do with the prize winnings? You look a little young to be that guy's date, are you his daughter? How old are you? You look tough!"<br />    He'd be downright unforgivably rude if his banter wasn't so...well, friendly. Good-natured. Sure, he's overwhelming, which is at least /somewhat/ rude, but at least he's not a jackass!<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:307|Allyn (307)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>Allyn has to chuckle at Saber's reaction to his changing forms in front of her, well it's not often he takes his human form, at least not anymore. He does take her offered hand with his arm and gives her a nod and smiles as he heads for the dance floor. He gives Saber a blink, "I am not the best dancer, but that is a long story as to why, but I do know how to dance basically, but nothing too fancy." he then begins to dance slowly with sASaber and tries to concentrate enough to step on her feet.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:283|Chris Rothschild (283)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>    At least they're both comfortable with taking things slowly. "Not me, Saber," he replies to the question, turning his head a little to indicate the Servant being swept out onto the floor. "I'm not much of a fighter, but she's..." He goes quiet for a second, and Lex can see the gears turning, the young man trying to figure out how best to phrase it. "...she's the spirit of a legendary warrior from the past called to the present to fight as my Servant. ...not sure which hero she is, but she's Japanese," he adds. More than a little obvious, given her appearance and choice in clothes. "And yeah, we're with the Union."<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:301|Tony Stark (301)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>Tony had not expected Toph to take him up on his offer, and just grins, taking the opportunity to sample the spiced meats she's found. "Works for me," he declares. "I don't need you stomping all over my feet. Man, would you look at Rat and Lizard though." He says this in the same tone as one might say 'Moose and Squirrel.' "It's like they think the tournament's already started, huh?"<br /><br />He quiets to let the very loud and rude reporter interrupt, and to let Toph put him in his place herself. He does smirk at the suggestion she could be his daughter, a detail Lao Beifong would no doubt not fail to notice if he SHOULD see the interview.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:152|Faruja (152)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span> Somewhere amidst his dance, Faruja finds the time to salute his fellow opponents. Likely when the music changes! The rat likes a good duel, in dancing or not. <br /><br /> Faruja leans into the touch at his cheek, sultry voice having him forcing down a wide grin. Instead, it's soft and awestruck, playing the part of the lucky man in the crowd tonight. <br /><br /> "Utterly, my sweet." It's a promise. <br /><br /> Faruja's footwork, while not flawless, shows in enthusiasm, practice, and the artistry and pure skill that any well-off Burmecian takes time to learn. Atop the lizard's own beautiful moves and the bond they share? Every spin is calculated, with just enough looseness to seem spontaneous. His tail tip occasionally flicks to the music, keeping time as he spins slowly with his love. He even picks her up into his arms once or twice in a low, slow carry, swaying past another couple and straight across the view of the many cameras! Blast it, Faruja's going to get a proper dance competition into the WMAT if he has anything to say about it!<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:140|Ryuko Matoi (140)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>    Ryuko manages to stay the hell away from dancing or anything of the sort. She doesn't really seem to be here for the attention or publicity. Just the free spread.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:183|Mizuki (183)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>    Mizuki takes a sip of her drink and glances to Mr. Satan. "Oh, if it isn't the man of the show himself!" She tucks her glass in-between a few of her fingers so that she can give him a small golf clap and a bow. "I heard your booming voice over the crowds as I finished my speech. I am very glad that you enjoyed it, very glad!" Another sip. "I can only hope that my little soiree does your wonderful competition justice~." And then, to her slight surprise, Arthur takes her hand. She gives him a quick glance before looking back to Mister Satan. "But you must pardon me. The dance floor beckons, yes~?"<br /><br />    And she doesn't keep him waiting. As soon as she's done talking, she rushes to the dance floor with Arthur and enters the fray. On her way, though, she calls back to Kagenashi, "Mystery is the foundation of so much intrigue~! How can I help but behave in a way that clearly demonstrates that belief~?" But by the time she finishes her last word, she's leading Arthur in a dance. A waltz, to be exact. She starts out simple, though; she's already embarrassing enough just by dragging him out here, so she can at least go easy on him, right? Though... honestly, that forced coolkid expression makes her bite her lips a few times.<br /><br />    Even /she/ has a tough time suppressing laughter. That face and waltz music do not go together well. Or perhaps, they go together perfectly? Either way, it's hilarious.<br /><br />    When the music picks up, she goes with it. She spins Arthur a little faster and incorporates some more complex moves that may make him wonder if he's going to fall a few times. Eventually, Mizuki just shuts her eyes. Really, she can't look at his face without wanting to giggle. This is the very best that she can do!<br /><br />    Eventually, there's another change of song: ( https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_35C3u9cj0w )<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:20|Toph Beifong (20)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>    People really like this dancing thing, huh...? Toph turns her attention to Faruja and Ainsley as they dance. "They certainly seem to know what they're doing, yeah," she says with her mouth full. "Maybe there's a prize for dancing tonight, who knows?"<br />    When the loud report walks up next to her, she blinks, not bothering to turn her head fully. Oh. Right, she overheard him briefly when he was talking with Arthur. As she's still chewing her food she listens to all of his questions first, and she seemingly takes her sweet time in doing so before she opens her mouth to respond. "I am Toph Beifong, the greatest earthbender there is, as well as the inventor of metalbending. Of course I'm competing in the tournament, I was in bracket B last year. This year I have signed up for bracket C, and huh..." She hasn't really considered what to do with the prize money if she wins. It only takes her a few seconds though to consider.<br />    "When I win I will use the money to start my very own metalbending academy."<br />    The other questions though... hah. "I am Major Tony Stark's junior officer, and also his bodyguard for the evening. I'm thirteen, and of course I'm tough considering nobody can bend like I do." That said, she picks some food and stuffs her mouth full again since she answered all of his questions. "If you want a demonstration, I could always show it on that camera that your buddy has over there."<br />    Now let a girl eat.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:289|Mister Satan (289)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>    The reporter's head bobs up and down as his pencil flies. He tears through one or two more pages of his tiny notebook, then -- eyes on his writing -- he kind of blindly shuffles off in search of the next person. Somehow, he manages to gracefully wind through the crowds despite not really /looking/ anywhere.<br />    He finds RYUKO at the buffet. "Hey there, how are you, what's your name? Are you competing? What bracket? What'll you do if you become champion? Got any words of wisdom for your fellow competitors? What should Earth know about you?"<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:227|Saber of Silver (227)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>Saber's true identity is shrouded in mystery. But she could not be much more Japanese if she tried, so there's definitely no hiding that. "One doesn't need to be the best dancer to be good at dancing." Saber inclines her head toward Allyn and smiles. "I shall endeavor to keep my feet free of yours."<br /><br />Saber has never danced in this particular style before, but she is quite light on her feet, and more than capable of keeping up, especially with the slow dance. Even when the music changes to a more sprightly tune, Saber manages to keep up, sliding her feet neatly out of any accidental stomps.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:33|Arthur Lowell (33)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>    Arthur Lowell is spun! Arthur Lowell is DANCED WITH! Eventually, though, thankfully Arthur's awful social awkwardness gives way to a genuine sort of smiling. Dude's CLEARLY having a lot of fun! With each motion of the waltz that Mizuki leads him through, he adds flair and forceful energy to it. The kid can be stylish about this sort of thing, if he just kinda loosens up!<br /><br />    Eventually, as the music's sped up, Arthur is pretty trusting of what Mizuki leads him through, even if it seems like he'll fall. His body broadens each waltzy motion with a more genuinely confident display, and the music moves through him after a while.<br /><br />    Looks like he's actually got SOME coolness under the force, if you get him in a properly guided situation.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:140|Ryuko Matoi (140)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>    Well, so much for that. Ryuko sighs, and swallows her food. "Ryuko Matoi. Yeah, I'm fightin'. Bracket C. I don't give a damn about bein' champion. As long as it's Satsuki Kiryuin I beat." She pauses, "Advice? Stay outta my way, if you're between me and Satsuki. She's mine, got that? Anybody knocks her out before I get my chance, I'm gonna kick their ass, just to prove I'm tougher than the one who managed it. And yeah, lemme alone." She turns back and just starts swiping slices of lemon from the drink stand to eat.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:307|Allyn (307)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>Allyn nods to Saber as he dances with her and he gives a quiet chuckle and a shrug, "I really don't spend much time like this, honestly. I am more comfortable as an animal and trying to keep out of trouble." he shrugs and goes back to focusing on the dancing, he spins saber around the dance floor a little bit as they seem to get a bit more used to it. Whenever the song changes again he asks her, "Would you like a rest, or shall we continue?"<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:183|Mizuki (183)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>    Mimi reopens her eyes eyes long enough to notice that Arthur's awkward expression has transformed into a genuine smile. She returns the grin in kind, spinning them both around in one particularly swift, powerful motion. She had expected him to loosen up after a while, but not this much, and not this quickly! But if he's actually enjoying himself, all the better. That means that she can start doing some even more crazy dance moves -- erm. Wait. But the song just ended. All of the dancers come to a standstill, and the conductor, strangely enough, turns to face them.<br /><br />    "Good evening, all of you. And thank you for listening so cordially to my fellow musicians and I thus far." She gives a bow~. "This next piece, I've heard, is particularly famous. So now, without further adieu, we would like to present our rendition of..." She turns around, raising her baton.<br /><br />    ... Waltz of the Flowers~." -> ( https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QxHkLdQy5f0 )<br /><br />    And with but one more flick and twirl of her wrist, the music begins. Some of the other dancers clap and others laugh, but when the first note is struck, all of them begin to dance with renewed vigor.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:275|Alexandra Knox (275)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>As the dance continues, Lex relaxes a little, and picks up the pace a little bit. "That sounds impressive." She smiles, her blush dying down a smidge, "I'm, uh, well... a half-blood. My mom is a major greek goddess. Her name is Athena." She mumbles her explanation of what she is, "I hope I can make her proud with my performance in the tournament."<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:301|Tony Stark (301)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>Tony arches an eyebrow at the declaration that Toph is his bodyguard, but why not? She'd probably do a better job of it than Happy if someone DID try to mug him. He merely smiles benignly at the reporter and doesn't deny any of it.<br /><br />He's kind of enjoying the assumption that Toph is somehow 'with' him though as it's sparing him quite a bit of the usual plays for attention.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:227|Saber of Silver (227)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>"Mmm. I would think you should spend as much time as you can in the form you're most comfortable with. Unless you're someone who depends on appearances." Saber lets out a soft breath, but does smile faintly. "Animals can get into just as much trouble as people can."<br /><br />As she's spun around, Saber's hair flows out, silver strands catching the light, and she briefly closes her eyes. Time seems to fly past quite quickly, and it catches her by surprise when the song finally ends. "Ah.. "I'll leave that to you, good sir. I do not tire so easily, but I do thank you for the opportunity to dance."<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:151|Ainsley (151)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>    The lizard and rat make their way around the dance floor without running into anyone! Ainsley's got a special ability that's helping them navigate their environment much easier, especially as she murmurs soft words to him and gently moves the grip of her hands to suggest a different direction or a slight tweak to a spin. The dance slows down as the song changes again, though, turning into something sweeping and delicate.<br />    Ainsley's hat has, somehow, not fallen off this entire time! She's got a little string in it that keeps it held to her head, wrapping under her chin.<br />    And the ghost of a kiss is followed up with a very lively and vibrant one. Nothing socially inappropriate, picking a lull in the music to do it.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:73|Frederica (73)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>    It's true, there ARE things Frederica loves more than parties. Actually quite a few things. But it's still fun to dress up nice, to see and be seen, to socialize. And so when she's told of a pre-tournament social gathering, well, she can't resist!<br /><br />    She wasn't actually told it was a DANCE though.<br /><br />    While the music doesn't clue Frederica in, when she enters and discovers people actually DANCING, Frederica finds herself reconsidering her appearance. Her being in this venue that is, not her looks. She's quite pleased with her outfit. She's stylish by many measures, wearing evening wear that shows off plenty of leg and neck. No cleavage or anything, not that she's got much to show in the first place. And yes, she's wearing red A bold colour that's fairly near crimson in hue. It's a good colour for her, though some might not agree.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:289|Mister Satan (289)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>    The reporter leaves Ryuko to her food. "Thanks, thanks."<br />    Meanwhile, Mister Satan continues to twirl his daughter around, showing off his natural skill for footwork. Say what you will about the guy, but he /does/ have some genuine physical talent, and his daughter seems to be as well off, if not better! Could she be a fighter, too? She's got the toughness for it, it looks like!<br />    While everyone else enjoys the music, the reporter bumps headlong into Frederica. "Whoa, hey, sorry about that, miss! Quite a crowd, huh?" Flipping to a blank page in his notebook, he starts in -- "So, who are you? Are you competing? What bracket? What are you gonna do if you win? Any words of wisdom for the competition? What's your specialty?"<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:283|Chris Rothschild (283)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>    Well, he was having a great run of it. But it's the name 'Athena' that finally causes Chris Rothschild to stumble in his dancing. But at the very least, he only stumbles over his own feet! And the previous song is over. So, y'know, good a place to stumble as any. "A-Athena?" That was certainly not a thing he expected to (relatively) casually be told! He manages to right himself, looking around with some embarrassment, only to realize it's moving to a new song.<br /><br />    And, for the moment, Saber isn't looking. "...that's... I don't think I ever expected to meet the daughter of a Greek goddess," he says, once again mastering the obvious. "Uh, hey, you mind if we find somewhere to sit...?" He has clearly done his dancing duty already.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:20|Toph Beifong (20)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>    "I guess at this point I better do my very best to win, huh?" Toph says to Tony after the reporter leaves. But then again, would Toph really be herself without the usual bravado and determination? Even if she's dressed up in this way, she's still herself. And nobody here is making her acting overly prim and proper either, thankfully.<br />    As she notices another familiar form though, she blinks... and then grins. "Duchess, didn't know you were competing this year? Or are you just here to show off?" Toph greets the psy user. And then blinks when the reporter walks up to her.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:307|Allyn (307)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>Allyn smiles to Saber at her answer about he should stay in whatever form he is most comfortable in and he nods to her, "Of course, but it came from neccessity, once I knew I could change forms. Anything considered magic where i am from, was hunted down and killed as soon as possible. I had to hide quite a bit, but that does not seem to be the case in this place." he shrugs again, "I find that somewhat strange, but I guess it is a good thing."<br /><br />He ponders and glances around a moment and shakes his head, "I do not tired too easily either, so lets continue then, if you have no objections?" he gives her a smile and listens to the new song for a few moments to figure out how he should dance and then once more continues to with Saber since he is finding her interesting.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:152|Faruja (152)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span> Smooooch! Faruja's day is clearly made, pulling away from the kiss rather relucantantly as the music picks up. There's a flush to his ears, and a content look to his face. Whispering words of love even as he's guided about by Ainsley Vision Powers, the male follows along! Spins and sways, all appropriate and avoiding bumping into others. But an idea hits him, and he flashes a grin to Mizuki, Arthur, Fred, and Ainsley. <br /><br /> A few low, muttered arcane words. The gravity around the dance floor begins to lessen, and the entire group of dancers would have an opportunity to dance mid-air. Faruja takes it upon himself to show off, spinning Ainsley upside down with him while several feet off of the ground as he continues the dance as though he were still on solid ground. Thank Faram for that string keeping Ainsley's hat on.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:301|Tony Stark (301)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>Tony works on his drink and starts to seriously consider drinking the one he got for Faruja too. Showoff. Or, he might just be jealous because his own girlfriend isn't around to be twirled around and embarrassed on the dance floor. Either way, that scotch is smelling real good.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:33|Arthur Lowell (33)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>    Arthur's back to dancing immediately! He doesn't even need prompting. "Oh," he says, in a casual tone that indicates his relaxation. "By the way, I oughta tell you why I wasn't dancing before." As he's spun, he says, gesturing casually with his other hand. "Just, uh, don't let anyone see footage of this, yeah?"<br /><br />    As he extends out away from her in another dancing gesture, "Not because I'm embarrassed or anything, but-- Hold on." A grin is flashed back to Faruja. "Oh hell yeah, here you go." And now Arthur's abusing his own space power, generating GATES throughout the ascended dancefloor. As a dancer moves in, they'll emerge from another, turning the whole "floor" into a high-motion constantly-teleporting environment that always seems to just barely prevent collisions between pairs.<br /><br />    "As I was saying, it's not because I'm embarrassed or anything. There's a robot lady who'll try to murder you if she sees you dancing with me. Just, you know, important warning." He says, on the next spin.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:289|Mister Satan (289)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>    "People are not gonna believe this shit," the camera man mutters to his boom mic-toting pal.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:275|Alexandra Knox (275)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>Lex accepts the suggestion to leave the dance floor, fortunately just before Faruja casts Dispell Gravity. "Not the daughter, A daughter. I have half-siblings." Lex admits, and looks away, then tries to change the subject, "What do you do for the Union?" She sits down at a table for two, the other seat empty, for now. "I'm sure it's fascinating."<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:73|Frederica (73)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>    Frederica starts as the reporter spots her, though she tries to hide her surprise. Not very effectively, admittedly. She looks at him, her expression going from surprise to haughty in slow degrees. "Well, I suppose I can't blame you if you don't recognize me from last year." she says in a tone of injured dignity. She'd been defeated in her first fight after all. Not that she'll admit that's the reason. "I look so much more elegant like this after all." she claims, not entirely convincingly.<br /><br />    With that, Frederica turns on the charm. Perhaps surprisingly, she CAN be pleasant when she's not pissed off at someone, and she's apparently decided to forgive the poor reporter. Especially if he agrees she looks elegantly stunning. Which would, admittedly, be a good thing to pretend if nothing else. "I'm not competing this year. I'm going to be volunteering in medical instead." she claims, smiling. "My specialty is fire. And my advice... well, let's see. Try not to get hurt." she says with a grin. A sliiiightly malicious grin. Which may have something to do with her declaring she's a healer whose specialty is fire. Maybe. She extends the grin to Toph, not that the blind girl can see it, but no doubt Toph can sense Freddie's attitude and posture and stuff.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:183|Mizuki (183)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>    Mizuki laughs lightly as Arthur gates them around before literally waltzing to the sidelines with Arthur before letting him go. She smiles, backs away, and gives her a low, long lasting curtsy. "It has truly been a pleasure, Arthur," She looks to him, a glint in her eye, "but there is business I must attend." She puts a hand to her chest, spreading the other arm out as she summons her wings - once she's made sure there's adequate space behind her, of course - and jumps to the sky. Once there, she returns Faruja's smile with one of her own, and she waves to all of the people that she recognizes as she soars toward the stage.<br /><br />    The song ends soon after, and the conductor once again turns toward the audience. She takes a bow and moves off to the side just in time for Mizuki to land where she had just been standing. Once she's gone, she summons her... sword? into her left hand. Still facing the audience herself and holding her sword as though it, too, were a conductor's baton, she bows once more.<br /><br />    "If you will pardon me, dear listeners," She glances up from her bow, eye's narrowed, "I, too, have a contribution I wish to make to tonight's performances. And so, I give to you a song near and dear to my heart..." She turns around slowly, elgantly lifting her sword.<br /><br />    "... Clair De Lune, Debussy." -> ( https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=78Mt5b6ysj4 )<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:227|Saber of Silver (227)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>Who knows how Saber will react to finding out that she set up her Master with a demigoddess? As she sees Chris and Alexandra begin to walk off the dance floor, though, she gives him a hard look. Not accusing... perhaps a bit prideful. She managed longer, after all! "Perhaps just one more song." Saber doesn't want to leave Chris alone for too long.<br /><br />Saber presses her lips together thinly. "Magic is never understood by those who cannot use it. It is good to live in a place and time that most people do not understand and do not care." She nods once. "It is good to be yourself, however you prefer to be, without having to hide."<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:85|Kagenashi (85)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>    Well, that's a nifty trick. Kagenashi stares at the group of dancers as they suddenly start to float in midair, still spinning and twirling as if it were hardly an issue. Then Arthur sets up portals, and she can't help but smile, lifting her hands to gently applaud the performance as it continues in a much more fantastic manner than before.<br /><br />    Ah, and there are others moving around. Her burning gaze shifts around the room, lingering on Chris and Lex for a few moments before settling on Frederica. The pyromancer draws her attention for several moments; the black-clad woman simply /stares/ at Frederica, her expression difficult to make out between the flames over her eyes and the mask covering the lower part of her face. She recognizes the girl as someone who gave her trouble some time ago in Jenny's world, but she's not going to draw much more attention to that.<br /><br />    So the Black Demon simply turns her back when Mizuki speaks again, giving the girl her attention once more as the next song begins.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:20|Toph Beifong (20)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>    ... okay, are her feet pulling a joke on her? Toph blinks, then reaches up to tug at Tony's sleeve. "Are they... teleporting or something? My feet can't really keep track of this," Toph says. "If I'm ever going to dance, then it's really going to be without teleportation, or my food will end up on the floor." And she's not talking about the rest of the food on her plate.<br />    As for Faruja's drink... Toph gestures to it. "Something tells me that Twitchy's lips are occupied with other things, Goldie. You might as well drink it." Mental note; tease Faruja later. For now she holds out her plate for Frederica. "Grab something to eat. There's a bar there too."<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:307|Allyn (307)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>Allyn nods to Saber as they continue the to dance through the next song, "I agree, it is nice to no longer be hunted, but it is a little strange to be in a place where people aren't afraid to show what they can do. If that makes any sense." he chuckles, because sometimes it doesn't to him. As the agreed to final song to dance to end, he dips Saber low and then sets her back upright and then offers her his arm once more. If she accepts it, he then leads her back over to where Chris and Lex have found themselves a seat.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:283|Chris Rothschild (283)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>    The two of them are finally out of the crowd, though probably still a little closer to it than Chris would ordinarily like. It's at least tolerable! "Oh." Half-siblings via a goddess. That's a strange prospect to contemplate. "-me? I'm, uh..." He rubs the back of his neck, almost fidgety when 'on the spot'. "I'm decent with magic, really good at hacking, and the best there is at putting them together." One of the few things he takes pride in is his skill behind a keyboard. "...and I'm Saber's Master," he adds, his right hand absently brushing over the sleeve covering his left forearm. "She's pretty strong."<br /><br />    He doesn't seem to notice the look Saber sends his way. It does, however, send a little shiver down his spine! 'Someone walk over my grave...?'<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:289|Mister Satan (289)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>    The reporter continues to drift around the room, making note of all the other interesting characters. Finally, he settles on approaching Chris, who must face the same flurry of questions hitting all others the reporter's visited.<br />    "Hello, what's your name? Competing in the tournament? What bracket? Think you can be the champ? What's your story? What'll you do with the winnings? Are you here alone, or is this your date?" He nods at Saber.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:301|Tony Stark (301)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>"Teleporting, floating, spinning through the air, yeah," Tony replies as if this is nothing out of the ordinary at all. But he drains his glass and takes Toph's advice by starting on the second. "I don't know, air dancing could be fun. With the right partner. And, you know, assuming you could control it well enough to keep your food off the floor." He shifts his weight experimentally, going through a mental rundown of how he'd duplicate some of those moves with the suit.<br /><br />Aside, he comments to the reporter, "Sounds crazy, right? But she helped heal me with her fire stuff, earlier this year." And then the guy is off again. Tony shrugs. If he's more interested in quotes than content, that's his problem. "Try the red sauce," he advises Freddie.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:151|Ainsley (151)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>    Ains is not nearly as okay with being pulled into the air as any others might be. In fact, she is quite quick to make sure her skirt is not being tugged by gravity, either, squeaking at the change in perspective and the dizziness that it brings to her. She carefully gets back to dancing, though, even if she feels terribly awkward and thrown off her game.<br />    And then there's the teleporting.<br />    She's starting to look dizzy, frowning in deep concentration.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:275|Alexandra Knox (275)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>Lex blushes again, she seems embarassed to admit, "I don't know much about computers." She seems to think of this as a personal failing, "Chiron didn't allow any computers at camp." She casually mentions the legendary trainer of heroes, "And the camp director, Dionysus, didn't either. Don't tell him I said his name, he strictly prefers to be called Mr. D." She blinks at the reporter, and looks towards the camera with a nervous smile.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:33|Arthur Lowell (33)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>    Arthur is deposited and returns Mizuki's curtsey with his own brief bow, that dumb, genuine smile still on his face for a bit. "Hell yeah, good times. You go on, thanks for the dance!" He says, briefly lapsing back into dumb coolkid lingo.<br /><br />    A whir now, and he's next to Frederica once she's done with her own interview. "And lemme tell you I'm bettin' B BRACKET be all damn breathin' EASIER now. I was LOOKIN' FORWARD to another bunch of FREDERICA BEATIN'S! Ah well, maybe next year, right? Good t'hear you're gettin' into healin', that's a good business."<br /><br />    And then an aside to Toph, who's nearby! Regarding her discusssion with Tony, of course. "'Ey, c'mon! I turn down the MOTION SICKNESS whenever I can! Ain't THAT BAD." A good-natured laugh goes on, briefly.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:152|Faruja (152)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>Faruja woops! As much as Faruja is grinning to his fellow time-shenanigans-people, the rat notes his love. he spins and twirls her around, making sure his magic keeps her dress properly down! After a good, long session of tele-dancing, he leads her to the ground, and off of the dance floor. <br /><br /> The male laughs, and smooches the woman before offering his arm. Given the spell, and dancing, he looks a bit bushed. <br /><br /> "Sorry, sorry! I had to show off. Come, my love, let us join our friends, hmm?" With that, he'll bow to his compatriots on the dance floor, and lead her off towards Tony and Toph. <br /><br /> A hand squeeze's Tony's shoulder. "My apologies, Ser! I am one for dramatics in these things. Methinks Lady Mizuki and I art alike in that regards." <br /><br /> The rat pays for two more drinks in apologies, one for him, and another for Tony!<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:227|Saber of Silver (227)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>The song ends, though Saber's eyes widen in surprise as she's dipped back. Her expression is a bit more neutral by the time she's upright again, though. The Servant does take Allyn's arm, though, and allows herself to be led back to the table. "Master," she says, giving him a smile. "Did you enjoy your dance?"<br /><br />No sooner has Saber seated herself than she sees a reporter coming over to harrass him. She only gives an amused smile as she sees his predicament, though a nod is given to Lex. "I hope my Master treated you well. I was unable to keep an eye on him the entire time." She might be teasing.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:20|Toph Beifong (20)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>    "You can probably guess what I think about air dancing," Toph snorts, only arching an eyebrow at Tony as she shifts his weight back and forth. And when Arthur steps up, Toph only repeats the snort. "Some of us prefer to keep our feet on the ground where they /belong/." He isn't Unionite, and besides... she might fight him in the bracket. Better not give him a tip about how she sees in her own unique way.<br />    Then she turns her attention back to Frederica. "So... how is that fire healing coming along?" Strange concept, really.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:307|Allyn (307)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>Allyn chuckles and he finds a chair for himself and sets it near the table of Chris, Lex and Saber and then stretches a little before taking a seat. He smiles to Lex and Chris and chuckles at Saber's teasing. "I do think that we outdanced them though, Lady Saber." he ponders and adds a little more teasing, "Either that or they decided that they enjoyed each others company so much that they had to run off to be alone." he snickers a moment and then shrugs.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:73|Frederica (73)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>    Gracefully escaping the reporter, Frederica seems genuinely pleased to receive Toph's advice. Tony gets a smile too, though Freddie's a bit uncertain. She's not sure what to expect from the Iron Man right now. The last time they'd really spoken he gave her a hard time which, in all fairness, she'd quite deserved. She's just not sure of his current attitude, or whether she can believe him to be as friendly as he seems. She's not very good at extending trust to men after all.<br /><br />    She tries to be nice though. "Red sauce? I approve!" she replies, brushing fingers down the side of her dress in playful illustration. "I'll have to try it. Also... please don't do anything that'd make me have to heal you, Toph. Like, flying or something." she says, appparently trying to make a joke. And kind of failing.<br /><br />    Arthur, however, gets a bit of a look from Frederica. Not a hostile or annoyed look, which might well come as a surprise to anyone who knows them both. Might even come as a surprise to the two of them, come to think of it. Neither is it a warm and friendly look however. It's like she's TRYING to be annoyed and failing. "Just don't get yourself killed, Arthur." she says finally. "I don't want to stand over your corpse again, trying to heal you!" she notes. Again, she sounds like she's trying to make a joke... and failing. Miserably.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:183|Mizuki (183)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>    Mizuki finishes up the song before turning around and giving her umpteenth bow of the night. As she does, her wings fade away, and she once again exists the stage. Her exit, like before, is quite a bit more mundane than her grandiose performance on stage. Casually, she meanders back to Kagenashi and Arthur. "Ahh, well that was fun~." Her hands are lightly folded at her waist. "Although, regrettably, I don't believe I have many more ostentatious performances and dramatic entrances left in me tonight. Was certainly entertaining while it lasted, though!" Pause. "Oh, and I certainly hope that it was for you all as well."<br /><br />    Meanwhile, Callia steps back up to the conductor's spot before playing yet another waltz:<br /><br />    ( https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qqm9jaM5UPA )<br /><br />    Mizuki eventually finds her way about settling blissfully into the background. She's somewhere where people can bug her if they want to, but at least for now she doesn't seem to want to wander about bugging people on her own initiative.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:283|Chris Rothschild (283)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>    Chiron. Dionysus. Lex really runs with some amazing people. "Don't feel too bad," he replies with a little shake of his head. "Most magi from my world think I'm insane for using techn-"<br /><br />    Oh god. A camera in his face. Chris freezes up. "Uh. I'm. Er. Uh. Chris. I'm Chris. I'm- I'm not really- I mean, I'm just- what?!" Date?! Now Chris is straight-up blushing. With his face, he looks more annoyed than embarrassed, but it's most certainly the latter in truth, and he has a hard time forming any kind of coherent response. "No! I'm not- I'm just the support, she's- it's her that's competing, not me..." Saber gets a rather rare 'please help me' look from her Master.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:289|Mister Satan (289)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>    The camera zooms momentarily on Saber as the reporter turns toward her for answers. "Well? Can you explain your relationship to Chris? Is it right that you're competing?"<br />    Next, he looks to Alexandra. "What about you, miss? Are you competing? What bracket? What do you hope to do with your winnings if you take home a prize?"<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:227|Saber of Silver (227)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>"It's true," says Saber, looking at the reporter. "I am the one who entered the competition. Bracket B. As to my goals... those are a secret for now." She gives the camera an enigmatic smile, hands folding neatly in her lap. <br /><br />"This is the young lady that he spent time on the dance floor with," says Saber, nodding toward Alexandra. "I can't say whether anything further has come of it, though, as I just got back from dancing, myself." Chris is given a curious look, though. "Relationship? He is my Master in the Holy Grail War." She's fairly certain that enough of the multiverse knows what that is to avoid too much confusion. "And this gentleman, who I just met tonight, is a wonderful dancer." She indicates Allyn this time."<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:275|Alexandra Knox (275)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>Lex blushes at the mentioning of dates too, even though she isn't the assumed target of the dating. Saber's mentions make that blush even closer to scarlet. "Uh." She starts when questions come her way, "Well... I'm competing, yeah. Bracket B, and uh... I'm not in it for the money, I hadn't thought about that yet." She looks away, "I honestly don't even know how big they are. I'll decide what to do with them if I win any. I probably won't."<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:33|Arthur Lowell (33)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>    Arthur starts laughing. "Holy shit I JUST REALIZED! You've seen me die, what, TWICE? Oh MAN!" He continues his laughing to Frederica. "Hahahahaha! Okay, okay! Okay. I promise not to do anything LETHALLY STUPID this year, yeah, yeah? No promises on OTHER STUPID, though." He gives her two brief finger guns and a wink to go with the grin.<br /><br />    Mizuki gets a wide grin. "FITTIN' SONG! I liked it! A great show, a GREAT show. Had a GREAT TIME tonight! You're a fuckin' EXCELLENT HOST, yo."<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:183|Mizuki (183)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>    Mizuki bows slightly to Arthur. "I'm glad that you enjoyed it, Arthur." Smile~. "And yes, I'm confident you'll find that, when it comes to hosting, I'm simply the best there is~."<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:307|Allyn (307)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>Allyn blinks as Saber says he was a wonderful dancer and he smiles and shrugs some, "Thank you, I am glad that you enjoyed the dancing, because I enjoyed it myself." he shrugs some. He listens to Saber's reply to the reporter, "Ah you are entering the competition? I have heard about it, maybe I will have to come and see what it is about, well as long as I can find out when your match is. That is if you wouldn't mind me doing such a thing."<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:283|Chris Rothschild (283)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>    With the pressure off him, at least to some degree, Chris relaxes in his chair a little. No camera on him. Deep breath, Rothschild, you survived. "...we danced," Chris says simply to Saber, looking vaguely confused at her curiosity. He glances at Lex, however, and offers, "Could always invest it? If it's enough, you can live off the interest. With Union Elite salary, it'd be comfy." For being about a year out of high school, he's sharper than he lets on about life.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:73|Frederica (73)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>    Frederica looks not at all pleased by Arthur's laughter. Narrowing her eyes at him, she hisses in a low voice. "If you die again I'm going to kill you!" she blusters. She... might be joking. Then again, perhaps not. It's kind of hard to tell how Freddie's going to act around one of the few guys who's managed to earn her respect.<br /><br />    With that, she turns away, huffing. Food, yes. Food is much less annoying than crazy boys.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:151|Ainsley (151)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>    The conclusion of the dance brings relief and comfort to Ainsley. She has her feet back on the ground and she doesn't have to worry about wardrobe mishaps in this public and HIGHLY TELEVISED event. She is reminded of the cameras the moment she isn't distracted by a dance. She looks over at them and waves again, smiling faintly. She's tired, look at that sleepy, blushy face!<br />    "I saw a man going around, doing interviews," she says, softly, to Faruja. She looks wary of him, in fact. She hopes there won't be any odd and uncomfortable questions.<br />    She looks over at Tony, someone she doesn't know very well. She just kind of stares at him passively. He's that guy with the ego, that's all she knows. "Hello," she manages, meekly.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:152|Faruja (152)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>Faruja d'awww! Faruja wraps one arm around Ainsley's shoulders, letting her rest on his if she desires! <br /><br /> Faruja smiles. "Worry not. I shall handle him if he doth attempt to bother ye." Wink. Faruja is more than adept with dealing with the press. Comes with being an ambassador. A shame he can't just threaten the man away. <br> <br>

:'''{{#var:227|Saber of Silver (227)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>"You're more than welcome to attend, good sir." Saber gives a smile to Allyn. "I don't mind others cheering for me. He'll be there as well," she adds, inclining her head toward Chris.<br /><br />"Of course you danced, Master. I hope he showed you a good time?" This last question is directed toward Alexandra, though her tone doesn't seem to imply more than the literal meaning. Perhaps she heard that phrase somewhere and thought it would apply.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:289|Mister Satan (289)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>    "'Holy Grail War,' huh? Wow! That sounds impressive. You know, we haven't had too many wars on this planet? When that saiyan guy showed up, he kinda turned everything around -- and then King Raditz took over, and now King Furry's on the throne and everything's just so /normal/, we don't want to mess anything up!" The reporter beams. Yeah, that probably means nothing to Saber.<br />    The reporter hurries off to find the next target in the crowds. He comes and goes so quickly, it's easy to lose track of him.<br />    At this point in the night, Mister Satan's been at the food, and he's done his part to charm the masses to the best of his ability. He's done what he's come to do. WHAT AN EXCEPTIONALLY BORING GOODNIGHT POSE FROM THE CHAMP! He waves his signature double victory signs, and heads out to enjoy Papaya Island's night life. so boring i'm so sorry<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:275|Alexandra Knox (275)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>"I doubt that's the best way to spend my money, I'll probably..." Lex starts to tell Chris, then gets interrupted by Saber's comments, blinks, and stares at her. "Of course not. What kind of girl do you think I am?" She stands up and starts to walk away, punching one of the walls to let go of some excess aggression.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:307|Allyn (307)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>Allyn nods and smiles to Saber, "Then I will make sure I am there for your match then as best I can then." he then glances to Chris, "Maybe I'll even make sure he stays out of trouble, hmm?" he snickers a little and then blinks as Lex stomps off angrily from the table. "What happened to her? did something sting her?" he frowns a little and shakes his head, "Humans are strange creatures, I don't think I will ever understand them." Yeah? and what are you Allyn? You are human well, when it comes down to it anyway no matter if you do not think of yourself as such anymore.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:283|Chris Rothschild (283)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>    Chris looks between Saber and Alexandra, faint bewilderment morphing into less-than-faint worry. Oh, crap. He's going to have to sit and talk to Saber later. And hope that this doesn't get him mauled by both girls.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:227|Saber of Silver (227)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>"That would be appreciated," says Saber to Allyn. "He usually keeps out of trouble, but it pays to be certain.<br /><br />Saber looks confused as Alexandra walks off. "Did I use the wrong question? Or did she not have fun?"<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:33|Arthur Lowell (33)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>    ARTHUR LOWELL slaps his knee with brief and intense amusement at Frederica. "Hahahahaha!" And then it's done. "Yeah, okay! It's a DEAL." A quick nod. He's probably not being very serious! "BESIDES, how could I DIE? What with you on the MEDICAL TEAM, yeah? Shit be cauterized all like" He snaps, presumably indicating how fast he assumes Frederica cauterizes things.<br /><br />    There's also a quick little bow-ish gesture to Mizuki in return, because hey, it seems polite! And a lot more sensible than a curtsey for him, anyway.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:307|Allyn (307)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>Allyn nods to Saber and smiles, "Then i shall do my best to make sure no trouble shall find him, while you are otherwise occupied." he then ponders as he watches Lex go off, he shrugs at Saber, "I don't know what happened, it sounded like a straight forward question to me. Maybe she took it the wrong way though?" he frowns, trying to think about that.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:183|Mizuki (183)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>    Slowly, the music ceases. With a final, sweeping gesture, the conductor bows. "Thank you for allowing us to serenade you this evening, ladies in gentlemen. This concludes our performance." Ever so polite and demure with nearly everything she says, this one. "The well wishes of the orchestra go out to all of you. Farewell~." And with a final wave, she and her fellow players are up and about, removing their instruments and chairs from the stage. In hardly any time at all, everything has been cleared away. Most of the amps that were brought out have been put up now too.<br /><br />    Mizuki shuffles back on to the stage, clapping as her performers depart. As she had at the beginning, Mimi steps up to the podium, tapping the microphone to be sure that it's working. "It has been a fun evening indeed," She doesn't sound quite as fiery as before. Even if she can't get tired /physically/, maybe she can still get tired mentally? "but alas, the time has escaped from us, as it is wont to do, and I must now begin to slowly close the curtain on the night's festivities." She folds her arms behind her back, again like before. "But before we all go our separate ways, I wished to give a final message to all of you." With that, she clears her throat.<br /><br />    "The coming days will be exhilarating and punishing for all of us. We will watch our friends emerge victorious, and taste defeat. The audience will feel their pains and their triumphs, and those of us whose voices will raise above all others will do our best to further invigorate fighters and crowds alike." Small pause, and a breath. "The WMAT is a team effort. Even if the contestants seem to fight alone, they are backed by the confidence and will of their friends. Their friends, in kind, are inspired by their bravery. The contest itself is a true testament to what the Multiverse is capable of when all of us work together. To give but a few examples..." She raises a hand, moving it along with her as she speaks. "Challenge. Charity. Companionship. Laughter. Triumph. All of these things, dear friends, are the virtues that I have seen time and time again in the short time that I've been here, and earnestly believe I will continue to see as I remain. And these same virtues will light the fires of rivalry that will allow this competition to be the astonishingly entertaining spectacle that I'm certain it has been in the past." She smiles. "But for now, good luck. To all of you. Thank you for being here tonight, truly."<br /><br />    After a final curtsey, Mimi walks off.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:183|Mizuki (183)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>    Slowly, the music ceases. With a final, sweeping gesture, the conductor bows. "Thank you for allowing us to serenade you this evening, ladies and gentlemen. This concludes our performance." Ever so polite and demure with nearly everything she says, this one. "The well wishes of the orchestra go out to all of you. Farewell~." And with a final wave, she and her fellow players are up and about, removing their instruments and chairs from the stage. In hardly any time at all, everything has been cleared away. Most of the amps that were brought out have been put up now too.<br /><br />    Mizuki shuffles back on to the stage, clapping as her performers depart. As she had at the beginning, Mimi steps up to the podium, tapping the microphone to be sure that it's working. "It has been a fun evening indeed," She doesn't sound quite as fiery as before. Even if she can't get tired /physically/, maybe she can still get tired mentally? "but alas, the time has escaped from us, as it is wont to do, and I must now begin to slowly close the curtain on the night's festivities." She folds her arms behind her back, again like before. "But before we all go our separate ways, I wished to give a final message to all of you." With that, she clears her throat.<br /><br />    "The coming days will be exhilarating and punishing for all of us. We will watch our friends emerge victorious, and taste defeat. The audience will feel their pains and their triumphs, and those of us whose voices will raise above all others will do our best to further invigorate fighters and crowds alike." Small pause, and a breath. "The WMAT is a team effort. Even if the contestants seem to fight alone, they are backed by the confidence and will of their friends. Their friends, in kind, are inspired by their bravery. The contest itself is a true testament to what the Multiverse is capable of when all of us work together. To give but a few examples..." She raises a hand, moving it along with her as she speaks. "Challenge. Charity. Companionship. Laughter. Triumph. All of these things, dear friends, are the virtues that I have seen time and time again in the short time that I've been here, and earnestly believe I will continue to see as I remain. And these same virtues will light the fires of rivalry that will allow this competition to be the astonishingly entertaining spectacle that I'm certain it has been in the past." She smiles. "But for now, good luck. To all of you. Thank you for being here tonight, truly."<br /><br />    After a final curtsey, Mimi walks off.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:152|Faruja (152)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span> Faruja stands, giving a round of applause for Mizuki. He raises his glass as the woman curseys. <br /><br /> "To competition, friendship, and adversity!" He offers, before draining the glass. <br /><br /> All of his good cheer drains as his linkshell beeps. Color drains from his white-furred face, and he turns to his friends. Ainsley gets a squeeze. From the way his tail is lashing and his fur on end, he's holding back rage. <br /><br /> "...Friends, my love, duty calls. My apologies." With that, he's off, taking along anyone who wishes to join him. There's anger, and a bit of fear in his voice. Something has definitely upset the Burmecian despite the lovely evening.<br> <br>


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