Dancing Queen
Entropy Judge
Recurring Bouts of Misanthropy
[X] You said it would be at least an hour, and they still have things to do; let them finish up before you get everyone together.
You shake your head and finish the practice piece. No, you should let everyone finish whatever they're doing - relaxing, preparing, or working. You don't have anything in particular that you wanted to do, but now it seems that a task presents itself. You really shouldn't interfere with the kobolds' routine, but you can thank them in another way, and you begin playing again. Not the waltz - the Kettenbrücke, probably, for the bridge - but other tunes. Shepherds' songs, church music, and operatic pieces, all from home, played one after the other without a break. You wonder if the kobolds will come with Ilya when she leaves, or if they'll stay here or go back to the Einzbern estate. Sakuya probably wouldn't mind the help, and kobolds are much more efficient than fairies. And they don't scare as easily, which is always nice. Well, it's not your decision to make, although you could ask Ilya before you leave. She must have brought them - the piano wouldn't have been in the state it is if they'd been here for a decade, after all - but she may not be the one they actually work for. On the other hand, kobolds are remarkably capable creatures, and if Ilya gets ready to leave, you don't doubt that they can tag along if they want to, and if Ilya wants to bring them along, she may ask you instead.
You continue playing for an hour and a half, putting the kobolds' efforts to good use, but eventually you wind down the last song and finish playing. You could have kept going until someone came in to check on you, but that would be irresponsible. Nevertheless, enthusiastic applause comes from the doorway as you get up from the bench, and you see Satsuki standing there. Oh, dear … you hope the kobolds don't mind.
"Flandre-sama, that was amazing!" She rushes up to you, smiling in awe, and you bow your head appreciatively.
"I've had a lot of practice. Is something wrong?" She blinks, slightly confused, then blushes and shakes her head.
"Um, no - I mean, Illyasviel-san asked me to see if you needed any help or anything, but you were playing when I got here and I didn't want to disturb you." You nod and walk into the hall. Satsuki hurries in front of you to guide you to where Ilya is.
"What were you doing before that? Keeping watch over the castle again?"
"No … um, Illyasviel-san wanted me to tell her about my life before I became a vampire." She sounds nervous or unhappy about it and you frown.
"You did tell her, right?" Satsuki shies away at the sharpness of your voice and you shake your head. "She had a very sheltered life, and what was normal for you would be new, possibly incomprehensible, to her." She nods hesitantly.
"I did tell her about it, and she did seem interested and kept asking questions. It was … it's just that it was a little strange." She falls silent after that, but it doesn't take long to reach the study where Ilya and Tohsaka are waiting.
"Alright, if everyone's ready, we can have the competition now," you announce as you walk in the door. Sella is the only one who seems apprehensive - Tohsaka looks eager and Ilya is excited. A shame you can't dance with her, but then who would judge?
"How long is this going to take?" You shrug at Tohsaka as Leysritt carefully stands and, with Sella's help, picks up Ilya and cradles her gently. It's a bit worrying to you, in case Leysritt stumbles, but as long as she keeps herself focused it seems she can move without issue.
"Maybe half an hour, if we drag it out? I was thinking three to five dance periods with short breaks between each, and at the end Ilya decides who she thinks is the winner." Tohsaka nods and Archer appears behind her. "Oh, I almost forgot -"
"I heard, I heard. Seems like it'll be interesting." You grin at Ershin as Deis's voice emanates from the empty space above its helmet.
"Yay! Deis and Ershin are going to watch, too!" You skip to the junction and wrap yourself around the armor, hugging it with arms and wings, and a gust of wind tousles your hair as you release your grip. Tohsaka sighs and her Servant shakes his head, and Ilya smiles proudly. "Come on, come on!" Leysritt sits on one of the wall-benches as Tohsaka and Archer take up their positions on the floor. Satsuki and Ershin sit by her as well, keeping her and Ilya company, and you snap your fingers. They're going to be out anyway, after all. "What should I do with the other two clones?"" Ilya frowns for a moment as one clone flies to the piano and begins warming it up. It plays as well as you do, and while it dances as well, too, it feels more proper to have the real you dancing. And it'll probably make Sella feel better, too.
"Hmm … you mean, should you have them dancing as well, so the floor isn't quite so empty?" You nod and Ilya closes her eyes. "Sure, why not? You don't mind, do you, Rin?" The mage shrugs.
"Whatever works." You snort at her lackadaisical response but Ilya just smiles.
"Please, if you could have them form a third pair that would be nice." You curtsy and hurry over to Sella to get ready. You can tell she's nervous and uncomfortable so you smile reassuringly.
"Relax, Sella. Nothing bad is going to happen." That doesn't seem to help, but before you can continue the music starts. Sella stiffens and you whisper, "Relax." After a few seconds of introduction, it's time to begin the dance.
Your clones, of course, spin off perfectly, each knowing precisely where and when and how to move. Tohsaka and Archer start off rather well, although the Master is obviously unsuited for her role. Sella, meanwhile, moves almost as clumsily as her twin, and it takes almost half the music for her to relax enough to not be a complete embarrassment. She looks like she knows it, too, as her face is bright red. When the music finishes, you and your clones turn to face Ilya - you have to drag Sella to face her as well - and you all curtsy politely. Sella manages a bow that isn't too out of sync with your own gesture. After a short rest, the piano begins again with The Blue Danube, and you take a minor joy in watching Archer and Tohsaka fumble slightly with the different music. Sella does much better than before, although she still moves stiffly and her movements poorly complement your own. Again, you finish with a curtsy, although Tohsaka and Archer keep up with you this time. The third piece turns out to be Valses Sentimentales, causing another disruption on Tohsaka's part as she gets used to the music. Still, for their first real 'dance,' they do quite well. As the music comes to a close and you turn for another round of curtsies, applause echoes through the room. Sella tries to stand upright but you keep a firm grip on her arm to hold her in place. All three pairs of dancers stay on the floor, waiting for Ilya's pronouncement, but she waves for you to come closer, and you, Sella, Tohsaka, and Archer approach the bench.
"First, Flan, I would like to thank you for having your clones dance as well. They provided valuable insight as to how you were supposed to dance." You curtsy primly and she smiles. "However, I don't need any more time to decide on a winner - Rin and Archer." Satsuki pouts but you simply smile and clap your hands as Tohsaka stares at Ilya. "Neither pair danced perfectly, of course, but I think that your team showed greater coordination and degrees of closeness. Sella, you in particular need to work on loosening up! You're too rigid and stiff, and it made your partner work harder than she had to." Sella bows meekly as Ilya wags her finger, scolding her.
"Congratulations, Tohsaka, Archer." You curtsy and Tohsaka gives you an embarrassed look. Hmm … maybe if you do this again, you can dance with her and Archer can dance with Sella? Wouldn't that be fun! Archer simply nods, acknowledging your praise.
"Er, well … of course we would have won! Your partner was nearly half again as tall as you." You give her a look and she looks away. Suspicious ….
"Shall we give the winning team a prize? Maybe some special alone time in the bath?" Tohsaka turns bright red and glares at Deis, and somehow gets even redder as Ershin begins laughing. Her shoulders bunch up, but Ilya stops the explosion by clearing her throat and looking disapprovingly at Deis. "Alright, alright. I'm sorry, Tohssaka." Apparently unwilling to trust her voice, Tohsaka simply nods, and Deis shrugs before disappearing. Well, now that the competition is done with … maybe you should get ready to visit the Grail.
What do you do?
[ ] Final preparations and go to the Grail Cavern.
[ ] Other?
DM Note: The roll was for who won the competition, so @Stormgear rest easy. And if it feels like the update sort of slams into a brick wall at the end … well, I think so too. I think I'm bad at transitioning. And a little sleep-deprived right now.
But this is basically last call before the plot moves on.
You shake your head and finish the practice piece. No, you should let everyone finish whatever they're doing - relaxing, preparing, or working. You don't have anything in particular that you wanted to do, but now it seems that a task presents itself. You really shouldn't interfere with the kobolds' routine, but you can thank them in another way, and you begin playing again. Not the waltz - the Kettenbrücke, probably, for the bridge - but other tunes. Shepherds' songs, church music, and operatic pieces, all from home, played one after the other without a break. You wonder if the kobolds will come with Ilya when she leaves, or if they'll stay here or go back to the Einzbern estate. Sakuya probably wouldn't mind the help, and kobolds are much more efficient than fairies. And they don't scare as easily, which is always nice. Well, it's not your decision to make, although you could ask Ilya before you leave. She must have brought them - the piano wouldn't have been in the state it is if they'd been here for a decade, after all - but she may not be the one they actually work for. On the other hand, kobolds are remarkably capable creatures, and if Ilya gets ready to leave, you don't doubt that they can tag along if they want to, and if Ilya wants to bring them along, she may ask you instead.
You continue playing for an hour and a half, putting the kobolds' efforts to good use, but eventually you wind down the last song and finish playing. You could have kept going until someone came in to check on you, but that would be irresponsible. Nevertheless, enthusiastic applause comes from the doorway as you get up from the bench, and you see Satsuki standing there. Oh, dear … you hope the kobolds don't mind.
"Flandre-sama, that was amazing!" She rushes up to you, smiling in awe, and you bow your head appreciatively.
"I've had a lot of practice. Is something wrong?" She blinks, slightly confused, then blushes and shakes her head.
"Um, no - I mean, Illyasviel-san asked me to see if you needed any help or anything, but you were playing when I got here and I didn't want to disturb you." You nod and walk into the hall. Satsuki hurries in front of you to guide you to where Ilya is.
"What were you doing before that? Keeping watch over the castle again?"
"No … um, Illyasviel-san wanted me to tell her about my life before I became a vampire." She sounds nervous or unhappy about it and you frown.
"You did tell her, right?" Satsuki shies away at the sharpness of your voice and you shake your head. "She had a very sheltered life, and what was normal for you would be new, possibly incomprehensible, to her." She nods hesitantly.
"I did tell her about it, and she did seem interested and kept asking questions. It was … it's just that it was a little strange." She falls silent after that, but it doesn't take long to reach the study where Ilya and Tohsaka are waiting.
"Alright, if everyone's ready, we can have the competition now," you announce as you walk in the door. Sella is the only one who seems apprehensive - Tohsaka looks eager and Ilya is excited. A shame you can't dance with her, but then who would judge?
"How long is this going to take?" You shrug at Tohsaka as Leysritt carefully stands and, with Sella's help, picks up Ilya and cradles her gently. It's a bit worrying to you, in case Leysritt stumbles, but as long as she keeps herself focused it seems she can move without issue.
"Maybe half an hour, if we drag it out? I was thinking three to five dance periods with short breaks between each, and at the end Ilya decides who she thinks is the winner." Tohsaka nods and Archer appears behind her. "Oh, I almost forgot -"
"I heard, I heard. Seems like it'll be interesting." You grin at Ershin as Deis's voice emanates from the empty space above its helmet.
"Yay! Deis and Ershin are going to watch, too!" You skip to the junction and wrap yourself around the armor, hugging it with arms and wings, and a gust of wind tousles your hair as you release your grip. Tohsaka sighs and her Servant shakes his head, and Ilya smiles proudly. "Come on, come on!" Leysritt sits on one of the wall-benches as Tohsaka and Archer take up their positions on the floor. Satsuki and Ershin sit by her as well, keeping her and Ilya company, and you snap your fingers. They're going to be out anyway, after all. "What should I do with the other two clones?"" Ilya frowns for a moment as one clone flies to the piano and begins warming it up. It plays as well as you do, and while it dances as well, too, it feels more proper to have the real you dancing. And it'll probably make Sella feel better, too.
"Hmm … you mean, should you have them dancing as well, so the floor isn't quite so empty?" You nod and Ilya closes her eyes. "Sure, why not? You don't mind, do you, Rin?" The mage shrugs.
"Whatever works." You snort at her lackadaisical response but Ilya just smiles.
"Please, if you could have them form a third pair that would be nice." You curtsy and hurry over to Sella to get ready. You can tell she's nervous and uncomfortable so you smile reassuringly.
"Relax, Sella. Nothing bad is going to happen." That doesn't seem to help, but before you can continue the music starts. Sella stiffens and you whisper, "Relax." After a few seconds of introduction, it's time to begin the dance.
Your clones, of course, spin off perfectly, each knowing precisely where and when and how to move. Tohsaka and Archer start off rather well, although the Master is obviously unsuited for her role. Sella, meanwhile, moves almost as clumsily as her twin, and it takes almost half the music for her to relax enough to not be a complete embarrassment. She looks like she knows it, too, as her face is bright red. When the music finishes, you and your clones turn to face Ilya - you have to drag Sella to face her as well - and you all curtsy politely. Sella manages a bow that isn't too out of sync with your own gesture. After a short rest, the piano begins again with The Blue Danube, and you take a minor joy in watching Archer and Tohsaka fumble slightly with the different music. Sella does much better than before, although she still moves stiffly and her movements poorly complement your own. Again, you finish with a curtsy, although Tohsaka and Archer keep up with you this time. The third piece turns out to be Valses Sentimentales, causing another disruption on Tohsaka's part as she gets used to the music. Still, for their first real 'dance,' they do quite well. As the music comes to a close and you turn for another round of curtsies, applause echoes through the room. Sella tries to stand upright but you keep a firm grip on her arm to hold her in place. All three pairs of dancers stay on the floor, waiting for Ilya's pronouncement, but she waves for you to come closer, and you, Sella, Tohsaka, and Archer approach the bench.
"First, Flan, I would like to thank you for having your clones dance as well. They provided valuable insight as to how you were supposed to dance." You curtsy primly and she smiles. "However, I don't need any more time to decide on a winner - Rin and Archer." Satsuki pouts but you simply smile and clap your hands as Tohsaka stares at Ilya. "Neither pair danced perfectly, of course, but I think that your team showed greater coordination and degrees of closeness. Sella, you in particular need to work on loosening up! You're too rigid and stiff, and it made your partner work harder than she had to." Sella bows meekly as Ilya wags her finger, scolding her.
"Congratulations, Tohsaka, Archer." You curtsy and Tohsaka gives you an embarrassed look. Hmm … maybe if you do this again, you can dance with her and Archer can dance with Sella? Wouldn't that be fun! Archer simply nods, acknowledging your praise.
"Er, well … of course we would have won! Your partner was nearly half again as tall as you." You give her a look and she looks away. Suspicious ….
"Shall we give the winning team a prize? Maybe some special alone time in the bath?" Tohsaka turns bright red and glares at Deis, and somehow gets even redder as Ershin begins laughing. Her shoulders bunch up, but Ilya stops the explosion by clearing her throat and looking disapprovingly at Deis. "Alright, alright. I'm sorry, Tohssaka." Apparently unwilling to trust her voice, Tohsaka simply nods, and Deis shrugs before disappearing. Well, now that the competition is done with … maybe you should get ready to visit the Grail.
What do you do?
[ ] Final preparations and go to the Grail Cavern.
[ ] Other?
DM Note: The roll was for who won the competition, so @Stormgear rest easy. And if it feels like the update sort of slams into a brick wall at the end … well, I think so too. I think I'm bad at transitioning. And a little sleep-deprived right now.
But this is basically last call before the plot moves on.
