Don’t worry about the future.

[mansionstaff]

Who: EV ERY ONE
What: Graduation. Prom.
When: The evening of May 31st.
Where: The Stadium.
Warnings: WHO KNOWS

It's a beautiful spring evening at Smash Academy, the barest hints of summer just beginning to touch the stadium floor, which had been rearranged into a platform overlooking neat rows of chairs meant to seat the gathered crowd of faculty and students. Towards the other end of the complex was the arrangement for the prom that was to follow. Food and drink, chairs and tables, each with a floral centerpiece, and, of course, a dance floor.



Before everyone could get their party on, however, there was the main event of the evening. From his place at the podium, Master Hand watched students and staff alike find their way into the stadium. With the recent shadow bug invasion, there seemed to be tensions in need of dispelling. If the Headmaster knew one thing, however, it was that some silly antics were not going to ruin this esteemed event. Not tonight. Not if he could help it.

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HEY DUDES! Here's how stuff is going to work. We kick off the log with GRADUATION. This part of the log will be divided into separate threads. I'll post them all at once, so feel free to hop around, mingle, post whenever, wherever.

HOWEVER, once the PROM starts, it will be up to you guys to post your own threads. Please check out last year's log if you'd like an idea of how this works. Everything after the thread titled "DISMISSAL" (I will post that in a bit, so don't post prom threads until I have that up!) will be considered prom, though don't let that stop you from continuing to post in the graduation section.

Please label all your threads appropriately! (Examples: "SHENANIGANS AT THE FOOD TABLE", "DANCE-OFF", "THE PUNCH IS SPIKED", "BOTHER X" In general, a location + what is going on in the thread is the way to go. Obviously, more than one thread can take place at the same location. 

Linking back and forth when and if you thread hop is very much appreciated. If things start to look a bit laggy, we'll bump to the next page. Most importantly, TAG YOUR DUDES, HAVE FUN, and let a mod know about any problems or concerns you might have!

Comments

[welikeike]

He exhaled in thought. "I can't say I don't sympathize with them, it's true. I never know what to do when I'm at a festival."

(He could imagine being scolded for not knowing how to relax and have fun. By Mist, Ranulf, Gatrie... There were lots of people who have said so.)

"I know how to do my job as a mercenary, but I'm not so great with leisure time."

[heartofarapier]

"I think... I can relate."

And she could, though in a way she'd wished she couldn't. Not knowing how to calm down and take things as she could wasn't in her list of strengths. Especially not with what she'd come from Magvel holding in the back of her mind.

Patting his arm reassuringly, she smiled lightly. "Well, while we're here, why not dance with me? It's a good start to this leisure you are speaking of."

[welikeike]

A sidelong glance at the dance floor. Urgh. He should have taken Shantae up on her offer for dance lessons, but he never found time between finals, projects, practice, weight room time, and more practice.

TIME TO FESS UP ABOUT THAT. "I'm not so great at dancing. I'll probably end up stepping on your feet at every turn. Are you sure you want to dance with me?" he asked, giving her a doubtful look. He wasn't sure whether to expect her to change her mind, or gladly dance with him anyway.

[heartofarapier]

Words that didn't surprise her. There weren't many who could dance any kind of ballroom. Most people just 'moved to the music.' But she wasn't going to say that. It didn't really matter to her if he could dance or not.

"I don't mind," she replied with a curve in the mouth. "I can help you, if you'd like. If it's not too embarrassing for me." Because she knew something about guys experiencing humiliation a lot easier than she did.

[welikeike]

"Only if I don't embarrass you by being a sorry excuse for a dance partner," he commented, and held out his hand for her. "I'd be alright with giving it a try. Shall we?"

[heartofarapier]

His very reaction made it hard for her to resist a laugh. "Not at all," Eirik replied as she took his hand carefully into hers. "Lead where you are most comfortable. A man should lead anyway. It looks odd if a woman does." Especially considering Ike was taller than her, something that was no great surprise to her.

[welikeike]

Ike shook his head in disbelief as he lead her to a spot on the dance floor that wasn't cluttered with moving feet and entwined couples. How was he to lead if he didn't know how to dance? Somehow, he supposed. She would help him, and he had faith in that.

With her in front of him, Ike lifted his hands but quickly stopped. "Here's the first problem. How should we be positioned?" he inquired, his hands still suspended in mid-air.

[heartofarapier]

...Oh, Ike.

That was sort of precious because Eirik was almost certain he was older. But age didn't necessarily mean informed and the life in a castle (even one of war) was very different from the life of an adventuring mercenary. She looked between his hands before she took his right. Grasping for his other wrist, she settled it to about her waist, which would have been easier with a cupcake dress, and in the back of her mind she made a note to consider that for future galas.

"Is this all right?" she asked him, careful and tentative. Who knew what Ike would or wouldn't be okay with.

[welikeike]

Ike didn't seem flustered or bothered in the slightest. He nodded.

"If that's what's right," he responded simply. "So what now? Do we just spin around like this?"

That was the most simplified observation ever. It proved that he knew how to dance in this form from witnessing it, but he'd never done it before. He was pretty sure there was more to it than met the eye. Nothing could ever be simple.

[heartofarapier]

She tried not to. Really, she did. And instead, found she couldn't resist laughing. It was quiet, obviously subdued, but present all the same.

"In a simplified term, yes. Music theory has a count and measure. Modernly, they'd put it as keeping time with your feet. The man leads, and the woman follows." She pulled him into a simple three-four footing to demonstrate. "Like so. Does that make a little more sense? I was always told that wielding a sword is akin to dancing. You're probably quite good at it once you understand what you're doing."

[welikeike]

"Wielding a sword, huh..." Ike repeated in some wonderment, trying to see if he could understand what she meant. He glanced at their feet and looked back up to meet her eyes with a short nod.

That must mean that intuition played a role, if he was understanding correctly. "I'll think of it like that, then. Let me know if I mess something up."

He hoped there wasn't some strict convention to follow, or that perhaps the music theory would be forgiving. If there was anything like a dance when he thought of swords, it would be the way a myrmidon moved. He was no myrmidon in technique, but he knew how it felt to move smoothly on his feet the way his body felt best. So when he was ready, Ike nodded to Eirik and stepped forward, hoping that she would catch on.

[heartofarapier]

Let him know if he messed something up? What a silly thing to say. Eirik wasn't about to point out something he was doing wrong. The dance was only for enjoyment, not so she could evaluate his technique and teach him the finer points of waltzing. Well, unless he wanted her to. And if he did, she could see herself giving into that.

She let him lead, to gain some confidence in doing so, and she was well-versed enough that she could match his steps appropriately. Or whatever would have been expected of her. Her mouth housed a smile, for as composed as she was about the whole thing, she could have sworn that Ike looked more than a little determined.

"You're doing fine," she finally reassured him with a nod.