daybreakacademy | FEAST OF ST. VALENTINE

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FEAST OF ST. VALENTINE

FEAST OF ST. VALENTINE

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The auditorium floor has been cleared and polished to perfection, the smooth wooden surface prepped and ready to accept the students of Daybreak Academy as they step onto the floor to strut their stuff. Lining the walls are tables with lavish hors d'oeuvres, desserts, and drinks. For now, at least, the drinks are non-alcoholic, although there are a number of wine bottles and ale casks ready to be broached once the battle is finished.

Along the south wall, an array of weapon lockers has been set up for the students to deposit their weaponry for the coming invasion, with Valet Golems collecting arms and printing claim tickets from slots in their frames for students to reclaim their equipment before the battle. Familiars are taken to a spacious sound-proofed holding pen where they can relax before the fight without having to hear any loud sounds or music that some might find alarming.

The ball kicks off with soft classical music intended for austere, formal dances that have been popular among the moneyed and nobility for generations. This segment, thankfully, ends after about fifteen minutes as the DJ station is opened up to student volunteers who can play whatever they wish, shattering the atmosphere in an instant.

A. SNACK BAR
As is common in Daybreak, the food tables are stocked in opulence that can only be described as excessive. Hors d’oeurves and desserts are present in abundance, stacked high on porcelain platters resting on displays made of enchanted ice, the cold from the ice keeping the snacks and desserts at an optimal temperature for consumption throughout the night. Bowls of punch and other non-alcoholic beverages line the table, and behind the table sits massive wooden casks of German ales and meads, as well as a large display of fine French wines. These particular drinks are cordoned off for the first part of the dance, but will be opened up as soon as the battle is finished.

B. DJ STATION
Before the dance, student volunteers were able to sign up to DJ the dance, the Facility expecting students will be best suited at providing a musical experience that will be most enjoyable to their fellows. The DJ station has several turntables, access to a vast catalogue of music from over several centuries (some with original master recordings), and a microphone system they can broadcast commentary over. The DJ schedule is posted, each volunteer is given roughly equivalent time at the station, and can man the booth however they wish, including what, if any suggestions from students they’ll accept and how much they talk about or over the music.

C. DANCE FLOOR, PRE-INVASION
The dance kicks off with the first segment, which involves about fifteen minutes of formal ballroom music followed by an open floor for student music, although the volunteer for this segment is given instructions to keep the heavier dance music out until after the battle. Pre-invasion, expect a lot of soft classical and slow-dance music and not a lot of music with a driving beat.

D. CLEAR THE FLOOR...
About fifteen minutes before the arrival of the daemon invaders, the dance floor will be cleared and the Valet Golems will sweep onto the floor, collecting claim tickets and returning weaponry and equipment to their rightful owner (usually). With the incoming invasion, Faculty will assemble on the outer ring of the dance floor and be prepared to cover students should they struggle or extricate students who find themselves in danger. Students will assemble on the inner ring, pointing their weapons inward at the emergence point which will be marked on the floor for maximum intimidation factor when the Daemons emerge. This is also a good opportunity for Faculty to give some last-minute pointers and remind students to attempt to take some of the Daemons alive, if possible.

E. IT’S A BALL AND BLITZ
”TREMBLE MORTALS!”

A portal comprised of pure flame opens on the dance floor as massive humanoid creatures, red scales covering their bodies save for their yellow bellies and black bat wings, as well as massive jagged horns adorning their heads emerge. Spewing flames and brimstone from their mouths, their expressions are ferocious but quickly fall to shock and alarm as they see the force assembled before them. The largest, presumably the leader, speaks up.

“Dark Lord Below why are there so many of you!?”

The command to attack is given at that moment as the students descend upon the hapless Daemons. There are several dozen Daemons, and while a single Daemon is more than a match for a single student, there are enough students present to face each one in groups of four to six, and in these circumstances the Daemons, while equipped with flame breath, swords forged of bolts of lightning, and whips of fire, do not stand a chance.

F. BRING ON THE CHAMPAGNE
Once the Daemons have been defeated, golems will once again appear to sweep the floor, clean it and polish it so the dance may resume. During this time they will also cart off any captured Daemons, should the students have managed that. During this time, the students will be invited to the snack tables as true Champagne from the Champagne province is distributed in celebration. Servers will take their places to broach the casks and distribute the wines on order to any students or faculty who would like them. Younger students will have somewhat limited access in consideration of their relative size, and the servers have a good eye for when they need to cut someone off.

G. DANCE FLOOR, POST-INVASION
After the invasion is when the dance will really pick up steam. Faster songs and heavier beats will be unleashed on the students flush from their victory over the Daemons, and this is when the dance floor will get hot. Slow songs will still make their way in, but once the fight’s done, be ready to bring your A-game.

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[There's a tiny little "aw" sound from Nana, when the one that he shot off finally dies. She still laughs, though, but she's looking down at the selection spread out before her. She puts a couple fingers to her chin, listening while he explains.]

I never played with sparklers... those do sound fun...

[Making a wish? She smiles a little. But, in the end, she grabs the one meant to chase them. She reluctantly lets go of his hand, then takes the lighter. She moves it away from the rest of the stash, because...

...well, because she doesn't want to blow them all up at once. She flicks the lighter a few times.] I'll do this one--

[The fire hits the fuse. The firecracker goes POP and hops, bouncing up with a crackle, and bursts of light that shoot up higher than she expected, lighting up the mountains. Nana laughs again, jumping backward -- almost into Kano, though she lands with that dancer's grace at his side.]

Ah, it's really after us! Here it comes!

[ It's too bad, because making everything blow up all at once would have been the coolest thing; in the end, Kano's still a little kid who thinks exactly that. But the spinning wheels are great fun too, and gives him the chance to take Nana's hand and pull her along to run away from the sparks it spits out and seems to be right at their heels at all times no matter where in the little alcove they try to take refuge in- and it's this sort of firework that he can make last a little longer through his own power, before letting it fade away into the night. ]

[Nana laughs as the firework fades away. She kept up with him, though, and still holds his hand as it fades. She looks down at where a few last sparks waft away, a couple lines of smoke drifting into the air. Then she looks back at him.]

Let's each do a sparkler and make a wish.

[ A wish... Well, it doesn't matter if he can't think of one- was never really able to, outside of his go-to "I wish for a motorcycle!" that gets people off his back- because he doubts he'd be able to keep the sparkler in tact long enough for the wish to be granted, silly childish game as it is. ]

Last one, alright? We'll save the rest for later, come back another night~

[ Since they're quiet little things, sparklers, bright and pretty and quiet compared to the bangs and whistles of the others, and this sort of atmosphere is nice sometimes too. He lets go of Nana's hand so he can hold one of the sticks in one, and flick at the lighter in the other, bringing the glowing flame to the tip of each of their sticks in turn. ]

Sure. We don't want to get back after midnight.

[Maybe she's had an emotional breakdown. Maybe she's snuck off to launch fireworks, hold hands, and feel a little better. But gosh darn it all (because Nana doesn't swear), she is a well-behaved person who will get back before curfew.

She takes the sparkler, laughing -- and tries to think of a wish. It comes easily enough to her.

A thousand more moments like this one. Moments where she looks at herself and recognizes that person as Nana. Moments where she can smile, and laugh, and have fun, and it's real and without reservations.

She watches the little sparkler burn down, waiting to see if the stick snaps. But she glances to his, too.]

[ Imelda's sure to be back at the dorms- she'd probably left straight away after knowing that the threat is over and there's no further reason for her to stay, and haha yeah he doesn't want to talk to Imelda just now, she'll have a field day knowing he and Nana held hand and played with fire works together and he'll never hear the end of it.

He almost wastes his wish on something stupid like "please let me get to my room without running into Imelda, please, gods, please."

But the longer the sparklers burn- incredibly slow, steady and without wavering- other wishes come to mind that need every help they can get to come true, as impossible and unattainable as they feel right now. Somehow, he wants to survive Nightfall without losing any of his friends. That's the big one, looming over his head at all times and that's what eats away at him- not knowing when it'll come. That uncertainty is the worst, that no matter how hard he tries or how much he prepares, maybe it won't be good enough, and having to prepare for something that might come in ten years, fifty, tomorrow- it's all consuming.

He wishes Nightfall would come soon, so he can get it over with. And then maybe after, he can learn how to be happy.

It's an incredibly selfish wish, and a damning one. And to him, it's no surprise, being the sort of depraved person who sided with the daemons when he was just a kid, who's liable to side with them now in order to bring the end of the world, nobody would be surprised to hear that. Despicable. ]

[She looks at his face for a moment. She doesn't think about running into Imelda; she doesn't really think about any of that, right now, because the idea of facing them means she might need to have conversations that she doesn't want to have just yet. Or, maybe, ever.

She wants it to stay like this. This feeling, right now, where everything is warm and she isn't becoming someone else. Where Kano can say he likes her, and she doesn't have to ask, "How?"

Eventually, the sparkler burns down -- cracking at the last moment, and it drops away to the ground, despite her best efforts. Nana sighs, softly.]

...well... maybe it'll still come true.

[ Kano's sparkler almost reaches the tips of his fingers before he gives it a little wave and snuffs the flames out, self-sabotaging his wish but maybe he doesn't want it to come too soon, and that'll off-balance things. ]

That's that, huh? How close!

[ He gets up, rolling his shoulders back first before going around to collect the loose scraps of fire cracker paper and spread the ash into the ground with the bottom of his boots, so that nothing blows away to be discovered later and and give away his hangout spot. ]

What'd you wish for? Tell me, tell me~

[Nana sees what he's doing, and helps. Her boots are white -- stained with a darker, now rust-colored red in places -- and quite fancy, but the soles appear to be very sturdy and have good grip, and easily resist the ash.

She looks back up at him, then smiles a little sheepishly.] Isn't that supposed to be a secret? Well...

[She doesn't want to say her exact wish. It's... it's heavy, and this was so nice, and ending it with admitting that she can't get rid of the bitterness and regret completely seems like a downer note. So Nana steps forward, takes his hand again, and squeezes.]

I wished we could come back here and do this again. With a blanket, so you won't be cold. Since the sparkler fell over, it might mean we'll have to make it come true ourselves, though.

[ It was supposed to be a secret and she wasn't supposed to tell, but he's glad she did because that's definitely something he can make happen. ]

It'd be real nice in the summer, wouldn't it? A picnic dinner, and a fireworks show~

[ It'd be nice if lots of other people could come too, he thinks, but this little nook isn't large enough for so many people, and while he'd like to sit back and watch everybody else run around and laugh and play with firecrackers, it's been really nice to share a moment with just him and Nana. ]

I could bake something for it, too... and cook something! [So there can be dinner and desert. She beams when she says it.

Then she breaks eye contact, looking a little flustered. She's nervous asking, still.]

...Maybe we can do something this weekend? We don't have to figure out what right now. [When they're not both in need of sleep, she needs a shower, and she should... really go wash his jacket for him, too.]

[ I have no idea when Tsuyukusa's funeral's supposed to be but Kano doesn't know anything about that yet, so he brightens at the prospect of properly hanging out with Nana now that there's no daemon threat looming over their heads. ]

Something this weekend? Yeah, I could use the distraction before midterms~!

[ You know. Instead of using that precious time to actually study for them. ]

So could I. [Nana laughs, her hand behind her neck. She's relieved he said yes, even if... even if she doesn't know why she worried he might say no.

She sounds regretful when she adds on:] We should probably start walking back, though...

[ He hardly ever does say no to things like outings, even if it's troublesome and tiring and he'd like more than one day to recuperate from what would have been a disastrous night, until this salvaged it. It really did feel like that.

One last time for the night, he holds his hand out to her. ]

Then, shall we go?

[The feeling that, somehow, this little unexpected outing saved the night... that's mutual. Nana looks at his hand, then she grasps it. There's one squeeze and one nod, before she starts walking.

She doesn't pull ahead. She stays at his side, almost but not quite leaning on him. After saying so much today, she's content to be quiet.

Everything feels warm, instead of cold, she thinks.]

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FEAST OF ST. VALENTINE

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these threads made me find more sad Nana icons

sdalkjhf oh no but also, good

kano T_T

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