(My apologies to late voters. Vote early vote often.)
[3] Focus on your study of dance, and try to get into the special class with Ryouko
[2] Conduct an analysis of her comings and goings so that you can be sure to run into her outside
[1] Abstractly Yearn
"All right!" you exclaim, resolving to focus on your practice.
"What are you saying 'all right' for?" asks Asami.
"Were you thinking of going to see Ryouko-sama?" asks Chiaki.
"I'm going to practice, until I'm in the Special Class," you explain.
"Really!!" exclaims Asami.
"That's so cute!" adds Chiaki.
"You can count our support!" says Asami.
You nod, with resolve, as the two head out.
"I wonder if it will be all right?" asks Asami.
"It will," says Chiaki. "Because even if she fails, I'll comfort her."
It is about twilight, and you are walking home from a late practice when suddenly, you notice someone. It's Ryouko-senpai it's ryouko senpai ryouko senpai she's heading past right now she's just floating past like a goddess she's —
actually, something's off. She's in a long nightgown, but the hem is torn, and her hair is a mess.
"R-r-r-r-r-r-rrrr-Ryouko-senpai... are you okay?" you ask.
"I fell out of a window," explains Ryouko, offhandedly.
"Omigosh, are you injured?!?" you ask.
"I don't know," she says, with a shrug. "Kyouko-san says it's just scratches, from landing in the bushes."
You feel a twang of guilt, and begin to apologize. "Oh, I'm sorry, I'm interrupting you, and being weird, I know I'm weird, I shouldn't have said any—"
"I don't think you're weird," says Ryouko.
You stop.
"N-no one's ever told me that before," you say.
Ryouko sits down on the grass, idly, and looks up at the stars.
You're not sure what to do. Should you sit next to her? Would that be weird or is that not-weird too? Is it weird if you're asking yourself whether it's weird?
You interrupted suddenly, as —
(Pictures at an Exhibition - Samuel Goldenberg and Schmuÿle)
— an alien appears.
"A-a-alien!" you exclaim.
"Yes?" replies the alien.
"Good evening, Alienerina-san," says Ryouko.
"Good evening. May I sit next to you?" she asks Ryouko.
Ryouko nods.
"I was just wondering," asks Alienerina, sitting down, "what you happened to think of Simona-san."
Ryouko shrugs.
"Do you love her?" asks Alienerina.
"Not really," admits Ryouko.
"Well then," asks the alien, "would you like to go out with me?"
Ryouko shrugs again. "Okay," she says.
Alienerina beams, and strokes Ryouko's face with a tentacle.
"How lovely," she opines. "Now we can be happy together."
This is too weird this is
too weird....
"I'll... just... be leaving, then," you say, and back away to head back to your dorm.
Then you bump into bump into Simona.
You ... kind of don't want to think about what happens when she finds out what's happening here.
(Pictures at an Exhibition: Ballet of the chicks in their shells)
"Oh! Simona-chan!" you exclaim.
"... Do I know you?" she asks.
"I was just thinking that you probably didn't want to go over this way," you say, attempting to keep her from the scene.
"Why not?" she asks.
"Oh, hahaha, merely to avoid certain unpleasant shenanigans which might happen to be occurring in the general area of this present vicinity," you ramble, taking up time.
But you are soon approached from behind. Alienerina has scooped up Ryouko in her tentacles.
Ryouko, meanwhile, continues to observe the sky, barely noticing.
"My my," says the alien, "if it isn't Simona-san? I'd like to inform you that Ryouko has decided to go out with me now, so...it's clear who's ahead, isn't it?"
"Oh," says Simona, and looks at her, contemplating.
"Goodbye!" says the alien, strolling off with her prize into the plaza.
"... right so I don't think that's right," you say to Simona.
"I'm not worried about it," says Simona, confidently, then smiles. "You're a good person, aren't you?"
You're not quite sure how to respond to that. She's confident, at least.
"Excuse me," says Simona, as she departs. "We'll talk again later."
The people in the plaza, in any event, have taken notice of Alienerina, and can hear exclamations and the murmurs of gossip.
"What? With an alien?" asks one girl.
"Didn't she like Simona?" asks another.
"I can't believe this," opines a third.
The crowd stands around gossiping for a while, until a certain red-headed girl pushes her way through the crowd and extracts Ryouko, leading her back to her dorm.
"You dumped Simona, huh," states Kyouko, as she passes you. "You're a cruel person, aren't you?"
"Do you think so?" asks Ryouko, blandly.
"It's because you don't understand people's feelings," says Kyouko. "That's why doing things like this doesn't bother you."
"Sorry," says Ryouko.
"It's
fine," says Kyouko, with a grunt, leading Ryouko inside. "Just don't fall out of any more windows."
She closes the door.
You frown. Is Kyouko always like this when she talks to people? What a jerk. Why are those two even friends?
"If you take a one-day break from ballet, you will know it," says Azrael. "If you take a two-day break, your instructor and your fellow dancers will know it. If you take a one-week break, your audience will know it. Thus, every day of practice is important, and I assure you, it will pay off during this monthly placement test."
Asami frets. "I don't want to be in the probationary class," she whispers.
"Alternatively," says Azrael, strolling by, "you will also have the opportunity to marry me."
"I definitely don't want that!" you opine.
"You... you don't?" asks Azrael. She seems slightly shocked.
Alienerina interrupts.
"Excuse me, sensei," she asks. "Is the special class always limited to just five dancers?"
"That's right," says Azrael.
"Then I suppose someone will have to drop out, to make room for me," she declares.
Chiaki gasps.
"It's a declaration of war!" observes Asami.
"She's going to steal Simona's place right after stealing her girlfriend!" exclaims an excited Chiaki.
"I will dance a
pas de deux with my partner, Ryouko," says Alienerina, matter-of-factly, and grins at Simona.
> Dance with someone
[ ] Object to Alienerina's plan. Ryouko may need rest, to recover.
-[ ] Insist on dancing with Alienerina yourself instead.
-[ ] (offer some other alternative)
[ ] Stay out of it. Let Alienerina dance with Ryouko.
-[ ] Offer to dance with Simona, who lacks a partner.
-[ ] Ask Asami or Chiaki to dance with you.