2026-08-08: Christmas Dance

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<Pose Tracker> Kasumi Yoshizawa has posed.

    On the day of the final exams, Ren Amamiya receives a text message...

    Kasumi: Happy last day of exams, Senpai!
Kasumi: I've heard that there's going to be a dance to celebrate the start of Winter Break!
Kasumi: Would you like to come with me?
Kasumi: Not as a date or anything!!
Kasumi: Not as a date or anything!!
Kasumi: Agh, why does my phone choose now?? Anyways, hope to see you there!


It's only a few more hours of stress, until exams are finally over. Pencils are down, sheets are passed to the front of the class, and your fate is out of your hands. Pass or fail, winter break will also finally begin now as well.

As the teachers return to the staff rooms, and friends group up to talk about how they did, runners arrive at the door to each and every classroom.

"Remember, the Winter Dance is in half an hour!"

Finally, the stage is set. The doors open. Snowflakes decorate the walls, and tables with punch are set up in the corners. There's a big dance floor. The dance club and planning committees have clearly put a lot of work into decorating.

However... There's a certain dourness hanging over the students of Shuujin. It's been a weird year. Mr. Kamoshida got exposed, people changing drastically suddenly, and the Phantom Thieves has skyrocketed onto the scene... A few certainly aren't particularly in a celebrating mood, but more are wondering what's next As students join the festivities, scattershot across are some male students pulling their girlfriends to dance, or more disdainful about daring to be asked.

Kasumi, for her part, is fielding a second year's pestering. "I'm sorry senpai," she replies, as her eyes scan the room, looking for her Senpai, "but I'm waiting for a friend." Please come, Senpai...!

[OOC] Kasumi Yoshizawa says, "Bluray "Make sure the date is the Friday, not Saturday""
[OOC] Kasumi Yoshizawa says, "bluray stratch that lol"
[OOC] Ren Amamiya says, "blu-ray adjust the opener so it's on Saturday, the last day of the semester and the day after finals are over/the day when students are getting their grades back"

<Pose Tracker> Kanae Fuyuki has posed.

Kanae Fuyuki is in uniform, but like many of the girls, found a moment in the bathroom to touch up her makeup for the dance. Right now, that dourness hangs over her, too. As the couples couple up, she glances over at Touma Okazaki, a boy of 5'7" with black hair, gray eyes, and silver glasses. They lock eyes--

And Kanae turns away grumpily. He vocalizes a 'Tch' and walks further away from where he already was.

She's looking around for someone... and it doesn't really matter who else she sees in the meantime, except for a couple of people she's also looking for.

It makes her look pretty distracted. 

<Pose Tracker> Ren Amamiya has posed.

    On the last day of finals, Ren is out of school like a shot. There's somewhere they need to be, and they're not wasting time in school. It's just a little time before they get Kasumi's texts. They smile as they read them, and text back:
    
    > Sure. Not as a date, as friends.
    
    That's something they want to make particularly clear right now.
    
    ~~~
    
    The next day, on Saturday, exam results are posted. Ren is pleased with their score; it's not quite top ten, but it's closer to it than they were last time around. After the half-day, it's time for that Winter Dance. It's a nice way to celebrate the end of finals and the start of break, in their opinion. They ditched the Christmas Village; with an invitation from a friend, they're open to attending this.
    
    However... when they arrive, there is a certain dourness. It sure feels like Ren's the only one in a good mood. Their smile, which has persisted all day, slowly fades. The male students seem like they're being especially aggressive... No wondering why that is.
    
    One such aggressive male student is hitting on Kasumi. She has a second or two when Ren locks eyes with her, then ambles over.
    
    "Hey. Sorry to keep you waiting, Yoshizawa," they say mildly, as if not even noticing the other student's there. "You ready?" 

<Pose Tracker> Shinichi Nagisa has posed.

And as Touma Okazaki walks away. He bumps into someone walking by, past him at the winter dance. His eyes behind his glasses cloud over as he opens his mouth as if to say something, but with a glance his way-
 
He decides otherwise, and begins storming away. Of course, Kanae had turned away, so she doesn't see this.
 
Instead, she feels that creeping sensation of wrongness. Though turn as she might, she has trouble spying where 'he' is.
 
Until the moment where his arm slides around her waist, gripping right there. "Hey, babe." One might imagine an ordinary boy to ask their crush with something like 'May I have this dance?' or 'Shall we dance?' Like a question, to place the ball in their court in this social dance between boys and girls throughout the party. Instead he leans over, his fingers squeeze into her side, and he says, in a low voice, "Let's dance."
 
There's no question in it. Just an assumption, like he's taking it entirely for granted that she'd want to.
 
No matter what.

<Pose Tracker> Kazusa Motojima has posed.

It has definitely been a year. As one of the people who suddenly, drastically, changed for a while, she's had her perspective on... a lot of things changed. (And she's still resisting changing her perspective on a certain few other things. IT's fine, don't worry about it.)

Normally she wouldn't come to this type of event--or she would, but just use it as a chance to gossip. She's not feeling that much these days, either... and besides.

She does have a friend she wants to look out for, and a monster to keep tabs on.

She's in her uniform, with her customary silver bracelets and pink nail polish. She spots Kasumi having difficulties--she considers stepping in, but then Ren, of all people steps in. She watches that interaction for a moment Before, she might've had something negative to say.

Now, her look is more considering. She files that away for later.

She spots Kanae and wants to go say hi, to congratulate her on her exam scores, maybe check in with her--but the Homunculus beats her to the punch. Hmm. There's a thin frown, so instead she pivots her way to the drinks, snagging one for herelf and finding a wall where she can hang out and keep an eye on the proceedings. 

<Pose Tracker> Isabeau Fontaine has posed.

    OST: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qwjhoYLtfls Florence + The Machine - Witch Dance

    Exams were stressful as hell. Isabeau was almost comforted about her extremely poor showing -- she easily got some of the worst test scores of anyone in the school -- by the boy she's been seeing for the past week and a half, but...

    ... well, they have a date for today, anyway.

    Yasushi Fujihide is a heavy boy, just like Isabeau is. It's unfortunate that the Shujin uniform is built for skinny people: the way those suspenders strain against the extra size the two of them bring to the table is something that has gained both of them scorn. (The chest that's interrupting Isabeau's is, in isolation, perhaps enviable from her female classmates; almost all of them, though, hate the fact that large breasts and obesity are intrinsically linked, and in this way her received fatphobia receives an extra layer of misogyny.) Yasushi's bad reputation, at least, is largely with the female cohort of Shujin -- they say he's a bad date, not just clearly ugly -- and he's managed to maintain middling popularity with the boys, at least from those who are happy to associate with him because his father's in politics.

    Like many things, in Shujin, it's an investment.

    Shinichi Nagisa has invested in Isabeau, too. It was almost two weeks ago that he assaulted her in the girl's locker room, slapping her once and then once again and forcing her to apologise to the audience of her peers and to him; since then, the students titter, the Witch has been positively tolerable. She's even made reparations with the girl she was tormenting, Kanae! ... they make no mention of the manner in which they were tormenting her, in that Japanese manner of exclusion and expectation.

    No: the aggressive nail gets hammered down.

    And here, now...

    She attends with a hand in his, and when he goes for the refreshments, she just has some water. Her jealous green eyes fall on the dance floor, though -- tight drill curls bouncing in the ponytail they've been gathered into, as her head snaps to see Kanae being approached.

    "..." She scowls, as she sees Shinichi grasp her waist.

    "Hey," Yasushi notices her troubled expression, and he certainly sounds concerned with his happiness as he asks: "Would you like to dance?"

    "... all right," Isabeau responds, in that stilted Japanese. "I would like to."

    And off they step --

    -- and Isabeau angles them to intercept Kanae and Shinichi.

    "Yo, Shinichi-kun!" Yasushi grins, jovially -- because of course he is seen as jovially fat, not nastily fat, in the way Isabeau is -- lifting a hand in a wave. He adds, to Isabeau, helpfully: "This'll be Nagisa-kun, since he's from another class. Yeah?"

    "I see," Isabeau says, her brow knitting. "Hi, Nagisa-kun. Kanae-chan," she adds, looking to her, and if there's more she's trying to say with her eyes it's not something to be heard by boys. What she's saying -- it's using honourifics. She never did, before. "Are you having fun?"

    With Yasushi's hand snaking around her waist, surely Isabeau must be; and with the way she leans into him, a little, perhaps it isn't just feigned.

<Pose Tracker> Katsuko Yoshinaga has posed.

Katsuko, for her part, did as well in her finals as she always did - that was to say, she finished with some of the highest grades in the school. A scholar through and through, and willing to work herself to the bone to achieve perfection, she wasn't surprised that she'd once more achieved grades that met her exacting standards. In fact, if one was particularly observant, they might have noted the very slight upward curl of her lips when she'd seen her results. It was about the closest she cared to come to a smile, but the meaning was there nonetheless.

And yet, despite that small source of joy, Katsuko could not bring herself let it last for long. The true test of her abilities - the college entrance exams - were fast approaching, and there was little time to spare to make absolutely certain that she passed. A homunculus lurked within Shujin's halls, and she had no leads on how to attack it despite her best efforts at investigating everything the person it had possessed. More importantly, apart from her recent discussions with Kazusa yielding some fruit, her own 'personal project' had made no headway to speak of. The break would begin soon, but she could not afford to let up. Time was of the essence, and she could rest when the work was done.

Her self-imposed workload was but one of the reasons Katsuko was visibly uncomfortable with attending the dance, however. She'd already had to emphatically reject the advances of someone attempting to 'defrost the ice queen,' as she'd heard him put it whilst talking to his friends, and it wasn't even the kind of event she cared to visit in the first place. She'd not even made an attempt at dancing, simply mingling with peers and making small talk with those that had proven to at least be polite enough to not make it weird.

Then there was the elephant - or, rather, the Homunculus - in the room. In some ways, she envied those not Awakened, as they did not have to deal with the gut-churning feeling that pervaded the air. Like a bad odour or a bitter taste in the mouth, it lingered, and even her willpower faltered at times. She turned away when it happened, or stuck to the darker areas, and nobody was any the wiser. But that was only a small comfort, given what that thing wearing Shinichi's skin had promised to do when next they met.

Hoping to distract herself from recent events - and, indeed, the year entire - Katsuko made her way to the drinks. It was only after she'd poured one that she noticed Kazusa, distracted with attempting to distract herself, and made to make small talk - again, an attempt to distract herself.
"Motojima-san. A pleasure." She said, her tone polite and neutral. It was simple, if somewhat terse, greeting that meant little. "How did you do with your exams?" She asked, perhaps a little curious, but mostly just looking for conversation. 

<Pose Tracker> Kanae Fuyuki has posed.

There--Kanae sure doesn't see Touma bumped, but she feels that creeping resonance. Until--

He grabs her waist. Kanae half-jumps despite herself, but tries to play it off as surprise rather than distaste or fear. "Hey," she says a moment later, glancing up over her own shoulder at him. "...Yeah." It suits the 'image' she's given, that Shinichi takes the lead in their relationship and she goes with it. It's just that most people don't realize that it's because she's about to be dancing with some kind of angry tiger.

"I'm in."

They move onto the dance floor and--obviously, Shinichi leads. Kanae is able to force herself to relax after a little while, leaning on him in return.

"...Isabeau-chan," Kanae says, likewise allowing an honorific that feels strange to her as they dance. "Yasushi-kun." Then she puts on a big smile. "Why wouldn't I be?" she asks. "I've got this guy. He knows how to show a girl a good time." And if Touma hears that, maybe she doesn't mind so much right now.

She spots Kazusa and Katsuko, too, but doesn't go over to them; neither does she call out for Ren and Kasumi... though admittedly, she certainly notices both for different reasons.

But that 'more' something--Kanae looks resolved, for a moment. She certainly doesn't seem 'lost'. But it passes and she's all smiles again. "How about you? 

<Pose Tracker> Shinichi Nagisa has posed.

"I know you are." He says, as he flashes her a grin, definitely with the normal amount of teeth.

There's a glance up from Kanae towards someone else, though that arm doesn't move. "Well if it isn't Fujihide-kun."
 
Jovially fat indeed, so long as he's the one making jokes, nobody ever brings up his weight.
 
But that's the only thing besides his Father that keeps him from doing so.
 
"Brought Fontaine-san to the dance, did you?"
 
He looks sideways at Isabeau, his eyes boring into her, as a grin forms. "You make a cute couple." He says in a back-handed way, that may make Isabeau's skin crawl.
 
Like the only reason they're a cute couple is because- he thinks they're alike in body type, weight, in his eyes. Because she has learned her place.
 
"Damn right I do." He agrees to the idea that he knows how to show a girl a good time, as he squeezes her side possessively. "Especially when it's a catch like you."

<Pose Tracker> Kazusa Motojima has posed.

Her eyes narrow as she sees Yasushi and Isabeau entering together--though now it's more for Yasushi than it is for Isabeau. Yasushi's in her class, she knows all the rumor and gossip--she's probably spread some of it, for no other reason than ths could. It's not like she needs his political connections.

But seeing Isabeau like that... sets her teeth on edge. (Well that's probably just taht Homunculus over there.) Why was she using honorifics and letting that boy lead her around? Could... could Shinichi's Homunculus get to her like that, too? Eugh. That monster has to be stopped.

She hates seeing Isabeau like that. And Kanae too, for that matter.

But her watching is interrupted by Katsuko. There's a frown as she glances up, but then she forces a polite smile. "Yoshinaga-senpai. I haven't had a chance to look into what we discussed." And then she asks about finals, and Kazusa blinks. "Oh." She glances back to the dance floor for a moment, distracted and not wanting to lose track. "About as well as I'd hoped, thank you. Yourself?"

When Kanae spots her, though, she tries to give her a small nod, just to confirm that she's there if she needs help. 

<Pose Tracker> Kasumi Yoshizawa has posed.

    As Kasumi receives gets a reply back, she lets out a relieved sigh... Thank goodness. They didn't misunderstand...

>It's a plan!
>It's a plan!

    As soon as she locks eyes with Ren, she lets out a relieved smile. Thank goodness... "Ah, there's my friend now..." She offers an insincere, apologetic smile to the second-year as she links an arm with Ren's. "Sorry. Have a good dance, senpai." The second year meanwhile, looks utterly flabbergasted as the honour student aligns herself with the delinquent. "Are you kidding me?!" Kasumi has to drag Ren away, as the situation is clearly only get worse. "How dare you! I'm a nice guy! Well, don't come crying back to me if...!" He surely starts yelling at their backs, until they can disappear into the crowd.

    Kasumi settles in a spot next to the stage, where they can see the dance club getting the 'party started' as it were. She lets go relatively quickly, and steps back to a friendly distance. She lets out a sigh as she wraps an arm underneath her chest and hugging her arm. "Sorry to tug you, Senpai." She offers a small, apologetic smile. "He's been trying to get a dance from me for a while now, but..." She looks off and furrows her brow. It's gone in an instant. She wraps her hands loosely in front of her skirt now, and gives off a brighter smile. "I'm really glad to see you, Senpai! I was worried since I didn't see you at the Christmas Village..." She pauses for a second. "Is anyone giving you a hard time?"

<Pose Tracker> Ren Amamiya has posed.

    Once Kasumi's pest's mojo is interrupted, Ren glances again around the auditorium. Looking a second time, they see several faces they know, none of them their friends. Well, at least they're here with one friend. They side-eye 'Shinichi' and Kanae in particular, with a flicker of concern for Isabeau as she approaches them with Yasushi.
    
    They've also overheard (eavesdropped on) gossip about what happened in the girls' bathroom, and though the story getting passed around paints the Homunculus in a much better light, Ren can read between the lines enough to be worried, if not outright appalled. The fact that Isabeau has been more demure ever since is especially worrying.
    
    But it's not like their concern has ever been welcome to Isabeau, who prides herself on not needing anyone's help. They still watch for a moment longer, catching Kanae's eyes when she looks at them, before glancing over at Kazusa and Katsuko. He gives them both a nod of greeting, then turns back to Kasumi, finally smiling again a bit. She takes them by the arm and pulls them off to one side, near the stage; they walk with her, fully ignoring the student yelling at their backs.
    
    At the same time, there is a brief rustling inside Ren's shoulder bag, still balanced on their left shoulder now (it sports a green clover pin), and a black-and-white cat face peeks out briefly. If a cat could scowl, it (he) would be scowling right now at Shinichi.
    
    Then, as Kasumi pulls Ren off, he ducks back inside the bag.
    
    Once at the stage, they lean on it, hands in their pockets. "I had other plans, so I ditched," they say of the Christmas Village. "But thanks for worrying." They shake their head. "I'm doing fine. I'm more worried about..." They tilt their head just slightly in a certain direction. "...the girls at this school."
    
    They focus back on her. "What about you? Has that guy been hassling you before today, or just since you got here?"

<Pose Tracker> Katsuko Yoshinaga has posed.

Katsuko did not miss Kazusa's initial expression, nor did she miss the shift in it when she looked up. Katsuko, for her part, remained as still and impassive as ever, more like a block of ice with a face carved into it than a living, breathing, person. She sipped idly as Kazusa made conversation, more out of habit or a need to keep her hands occupied than anything else, before offering an answer.
"Well enough. Enough to help secure a place in college." She said, unwilling to brag, but equally unwilling to display more false modesty than was required of her by social norms.

It wasn't long - barely a few seconds - before she turned around to survey the gathering once again. Most of it was the same as when she'd swept her gaze over it earlier, but seeing Kanae and Shinichi like that... It left her with a feeling that plagued her to her very core. The kind of gnawing, itching, *wrongness* of a Homunculus's presence was bad enough, but to see him dance so brazenly with someone she wasn't entirely sure was comfortable with the situation made her uncomfortable as well. Kanae was awakened too - she *had* to know that something was wrong. And yet she was still there.

Isabeau's situation was no better, but for different reasons entirely. She knew well the girl's usual temperament - she'd been on the receiving end of it, and seen how it impacted others. But there she was, playing the part of Yasushi's woman, in a manner that her gut told her just wasn't right. Were one to look closely, they might've seen the beginnings of a frown on her lips. More, they might have seen it deepen as she laid eyes on Shinichi, or heard the crinkling of plastic as her grip grew just a little tighter.

Nevertheless, Katsuko nodded back to Ren, Kanae, and all the rest, even raising her cup a little by way of greeting. A short signal to let them know she was watching, and that she would intervene if asked. Not that she expected they would ask her, of all people but the offer had been silently made. She sipped again, but after watching everything happening, it didn't taste quite as nice as it had before, and she leaned in just enough towards Kazusa that she could lower her voice and still be heard.
"Pardon me if this sounds odd, but... does something about this feel off to you?" 

<Pose Tracker> Isabeau Fontaine has posed.

    "When she gave us a chance, I realised there was something there," Yasushi smiles, hugging Isabeau a little closer, as he speaks to Shinichi first. "She's not a bad girl, under it all, you know? Maybe we counted her out a little too soon."

    And, of course, the reason they could reconsider is...

    But he doesn't say it so crassly; they're not in a locker room right now.

    (In the locker room, it sounds... a little... different. Perhaps Ren's heard it, here and there -- if not about Isabeau, about some of his other dates, some of those reasons why Kazusa wouldn't have too many regrets about spreading rumours like warnings from the girls' perspective. And would Katsuko have the connections to hear those warnings? Warnings about a boy who talks with his male peers in the locker room about how girls just need to be 'taught a lesson', how they really want someone else to make their decisions for them, how they don't know what's good for them... and about how it's those backstabbing bitches who were stopping him from getting a date.)

    Isabeau, though -- she has been different, ever since that attack. She bites her tongue, more; she cedes ground, more. She 'tries to get along'...

    ... she tries to make sure Shinichi doesn't have any more complaints, that is.

    "I like to perform," Isabeau says, to Kanae. "The dance floor then suits me. It is quite busy, though... can we stick with you, a while?"

    "She's pretty shy under all that bite," Yasushi grins. "It's kinda cute, right?"

    ... just as Katsuko's seen, this isn't how Isabeau conducts herself at all. And when she hears another boy rejected, she looks over to see Ren and Kasumi -- and the boy leaving them. She remembers Ren as a boy who did not care to use 'his' standing to ease her immigration... but perhaps they have developed a little more courage, she thinks, if they've moved in on a girl who seems happier to see them. Perhaps Kasumi, at least, will be all right...

<Pose Tracker> Kanae Fuyuki has posed.

That's sure some teeth.

"They do," Kanae agrees, a cute couple make. But then, she'd agree with most things Shinichi said, wouldn't she? She's that kind of girl, they say. She was like that with Touma, too--before all this. ...But she doesn't elaborate why she thinks so.

Even her compliment is just accepted as his due--which almost annoys her more, but not quite so much as the fact that part of her is glad to be called a 'catch' by this monster. Kanae of course smiles. "What can I say? I like a guy who knows what he wants."

Her hand twitches at the way Yasushi talks about Isabeau, though. She passes it off by setting her hand on Shinichi's waist, and continues, "That makes sense," Kanae says to Isabeau of performing. "It does suit you."

"What do you say, Shinichi-kun?" Kanae says. "Can we stick by my friend?"

She spots Ren with Kasumi--she frowns, for a moment--but doesn't say anything for now. Instead, she meets Kazusa's eyes. She shakes her head slightly--she's fine, for now. 

<Pose Tracker> Kasumi Yoshizawa has posed.

     Unfortunately, Kasumi's been pretty tunnel visioned. But now that she's safe and that her heartbeat is returning to normal levels, she can scan the crowds properly. She sees Fuyuki-senpai with that homunculus... Guess things really didn't work out? It's a shame... She offers a wave towards Motojima-senpai! And marks down Katsuki. She also notices Isabeau with a beau of her own... Maybe later, they'll get introduced properly.

    Still! Kasumi nods, as she locks back onto Ren. "Other plans?" She asks, "Or did you want to make yourself scare?" It's something she respects about Ren, just as much as she worries about for them. At this rate, they might just miss out on all of the school experiences...

    The conversation turns to the weird, misogynistic overcurrent lately. "Me too... I wonder what happened to all of the boys to start acting this way?" She tilts her head. She's heard about the homunculus sure, but she's done her best to dodge the rumours lately so any connection is lost on her. She really thought the school learned a lesson after Kamoshida... "He's been stopping by my locker, asking to me to the dance constantly. I've been trying to dodge him, but..." She lets out a sigh, as if to say, 'Look what happened anyways?' "I really didn't think he'd try again today... Sorry, Senpai."

    Kasumi isn't going to let it ruin her day though! In-between the conversation, she's been looking up to admire the members of the dancing club, tapping her foot along with the music. "They look like they're having fun up there, don't you think?"

<Pose Tracker> Kazusa Motojima has posed.

Kazusa is mainly concerned with Kanae, Shinichi, and Isabeau. But she's also keeping an eye out for Kasumi, too. Even if she disagrees with Kasumi's exact motives for rescuing her, she does still appreciate it. (Has... has she actually said that directly? Probably not. She's working on iT!)

But that means she does catch Ren's glance and nod. Kazusa blinks in surprise for a moment, and then nods back. .... Hmm. Well, Kasumi seems to get along with them, so... they're probably fine over there.

But Katsuko did well, as well. "Congratulations, then. I'm sure college entrance exams are still a concern, though."

Her gaze flicks up to Katsuko as the other girl leans in. "... in what way, senpai?" Oh, yes, she can hear the klaxons sounding, but she can't just spill her guts about her concerns to someone she doesn't know is Awakened. Better to let Katsuko lead the conversation.

Yes. Of all the people she's victimized, Yasushi might be one she's had fewer qualms about. (Though, she inevitably second guess herself from time to time. If she's trying to be nicer, doesn't that mean she should be nicer to everyone?)

(... right in this moment, though, seeing Isabeau like that, she doesn't have any regrets.)

She sees Kanae shake her head and sighs, but gives a nod that's mroe resigned. She's fine, so Kazusa stays put.

There's a wave from Kasumi. Does she have to be so energetic? But Kazusa just gives her a nod and a much smaller wave by way of greeting. They can talk later, perhaps.

If there's someone pestering Kasumi... Kazusa might hav eto do something, if it's affecting the club. 

<Pose Tracker> Shinichi Nagisa has posed.

"Yeah I get you." Shinichi gives Yasushi a look of understanding. Like he completely got what he was saying, "And hey, I've gotta hand it to you, I bet she'll be just what you need."
 
Indeed, he doesn't put it quite so crassly either, but well... there are stereotypes he's thinking of.
 
"Real cute." He agrees with him. "All she needed was a firm hand to train her how to act right."
 
It's pretty terrible, the two of them chatting about Isabeau like they're training a dog. Rather than a girl- neither of them really talking at her like she's a person.
 
"Heh. I'm glad." He does finally agree with Kanae, "If you want something- you can't just let it walk away from you.
 
A beat.
 
"I heard that loser you were dating gave you up without a fight. What kind of girl wants a guy who won't even fight for what he wants?"
 
Kanae gives him a request, to stick by Isabeau and he glances her way, "Well, was looking forward to tearing up the dance floor with you- but sure... hey, you called her your friend."
 
He grins at the realization, "Look at you two, getting along now. Heh, the way you were going at it before. It just wasn't right."
 
Kazusa and Katsuko may be chatting to themselves. And Shinichi seems distracted... but every so often, the pair might catch him looking at the two of them... and smiling.
 
A stark contrast from the look in his eyes.

<Pose Tracker> Ren Amamiya has posed.

    There's an unfortunately large number of boys at Shujin who make gross comments about girls like that. Ren doesn't immediately recognize Yasushi as one of them. Maybe they'll remember later and worry.
    
    They'll only really worry if it keeps up after Shinichi's Homunculus is dealt with, though.
    
    Same goes for the rising tide of misogyny. They're dubiously fortunate there; they can pass as full-time male. Kasumi asks if they didn't want to make themself scarce, and they smile slightly as they shrug. "I really did have other plans," they reply. "Something I'd set up since way before that announcement."
    
    They might have missed a once-in-a-lifetime event, but they don't regret it at all.
    
    That smile sinks into a deep frown as Kasumi wonders. "A bad influence is making them bolder," they reply quietly. "You can ask Motojima-san about it if you want to know more--but you didn't hear that from me." Their frown deepens to hear that boy from earlier's been harassing Kasumi for a while now. "No need to apologize," they say, shaking their head. "If he keeps hassling you, let me know, all right? And feel free to use my reputation to protect yourself if I can't be there."
    
    They follow her gaze up to the dance club on stage, and they relax some. "They do," Ren agrees. "They've got some slick moves."
    
    Being next to the stage as they are, they could set their bag down and bust a move on the auditorium dance floor, themself. Themself and Kasumi, really.
    
    "You wanna follow suit?" 

<Pose Tracker> Katsuko Yoshinaga has posed.

Katsuko's network did indeed expand far enough that she could pick up on Shinichi's change in demeanour - and, indeed, the thoughts on that of the student body at large. However, she'd not needed to use that network for two rather distinct reasons. The first was that she was awakened, and thus could feel the Homunculus's presence wherever in the school she went. The second was that she'd almost been forced to the floor by him, and it was only through quick thinking and luck that she'd managed to escape his wrath.

But that was then, and this was now. She hadn't the time nor the energy to spare to think about something as trivial as what that thing had done to her. She could not think about it, she would not think about it, and that was the end of the discussion. Even if she had to silently insist upon it to herself.
"Fontaine-san and Fuyuki-san don't seem to be themselves. And Nagisa-san's been acting strangely as well." She paused a moment upon mentioning that part of things, before continuing on. "I think he might be having an effect on the rest of the boys here."

Katsuko was unfortunate enough to catch Shinichi's gaze when it flitted over to her, and when she saw the thing smile, she felt a little of the drink trying to claw its way back up her stomach.
"...Though some were always like this. At least they had the courtesy to hide it." It was a rare moment when Katsuko allowed enough emotion into her voice that a layman could pick it up. it was perhaps unfortunate, then, that the emotion she allowed to creep into her voice - even if only for a scant moment - was abject bitterness.

She saw Kanae shaking her head no to Kazusa, but even so, she watched the group dancing like a hawk. It made her sick to her stomach to do it, but she couldn't afford to look away. If doing so cost her vital information, she'd have kicked herself to kingdom come for her folly. 

<Pose Tracker> Isabeau Fontaine has posed.

    Isabeau's discomfort with the talk between boys is growing more clear, as she listens to them. But... she can tell Shinichi isn't a person. What if Yasushi has some sense of that, too, even though he's a regular person...? He might realise how dangerous it is to go against him, too...

    He might be trying to cede space for safety, too.

    ... Isabeau can think like that, of course, because she isn't part of those gossip chains Kazusa helped to engineer before she made her resolution; she hasn't heard a word about how Yasushi's a missing stair. Or about how convenient it is he's moved in on her, and now the unpleasant fatties are keeping each other occupied it's the best solution for everyone. (In this part of the gossip, of course, one girl will take the role of social smoother and gasp about how her friend can't call people that... but she inevitably agrees that it's true.)

    So when Yasushi hugs her with one arm and agrees, "I've really been enjoying getting to know her," Isabeau reasons that the discomfort in her gut is just the diet she's put herself on. (As if she decided it all on her own, without his comments.) When Shinichi says she needed to be trained, anger flashes over her eyes -- but Yasushi's arm cuts her off before she can do more than hiss air through her teeth. "Hey, c'mon, man, it's not like she's some kinda pet," he speaks in her defence, though the eye contact he makes with Shinichi tells a different story. "She's just not from around here, y'know? Like... take how she used to be rude talking to people. Turns out, no one had ever told her how honourifics work! No wonder she was so worked up... she must have felt like everyone was against her when she didn't get how stuff worked. But as soon as she calmed down enough to hear me out, I was able to give her some advice... she figures it out really quick when it's in a way she understands, right?"

    ... he's trying to advocate for her, apparently, but he's also talking about her in the third person to the boy in his class.

    He does grin, though, as he looks to Isabeau. (He's actually an inch shorter than her five-foot-six, so he has to look up, a little.) "Bro's right, isn't he? You wouldn't respect me if I didn't fight for you a little, wouldja? If someone won't try, you'll just run away, huh... right up and over that fence, ha ha!"

    "Ha ha," Isabeau laughs, a touch weakly. She glances to Kazusa, remembering the way she fled from her trying to give her her number, and supposes: "... I guess I do walk away a lot."

    Leave aside bolting from that train away from Kanae.

    "Kanae-chan gave me another chance," is how she explains things, to Shinichi. "I am thank you." Grateful, she means, but her brain skips over the phrasing with that horrible pressure from someone she thinks of as an it.

    She's doing more talking than dancing on the dance floor, admittedly... but she has a date, of course she's having fun!

<Pose Tracker> Kanae Fuyuki has posed.

Just what he needs... That's what Kanae is afraid of, regarding Yasushi. But she was just being a bitch about it, right? Isabeau wants that. ...Right?

Kanae glances away, too caught up in her own thoughts for a moment to school her features. That means Kazusa might catch it--before Kanae catches herself.

But you can't let it walk away from you...

Shinichi brings up Touma, and Kanae's expression darkens despite herself. "Oh, he fought," she mutters. "Fought me, instead. Said it was my 'half' that was the problem. But you like it, don't you?"

"You like how I am."

And maybe only a monster would. That's a thought she keeps to herself, and could temper with other words she's heard, later; right now she's in a bad mood.

Kanae was never able to 'advice' Isabeau here like that. She's still dubious of Yasushi, but second-ugessing herself. Instead though...

Kanae says nothing of Isabeau running.

She glances to the stage, where Ren is, and back to Shinichi. "Anyway," she says, "I don't wnat to think about that guy. I'm a girl who likes focusing on the present, right?"

"So let's dance." 

<Pose Tracker> Kasumi Yoshizawa has posed.

    Kasumi nods, relieved at least a little bit. "I understand.~" They don't offer anything else up, so she gets the sense that she shouldn't press. "It went well, at least. The first years sold out all of our cakes, and Seven Sisters' pulled out signed pictures of Akechi-san as bait." Kasumi giggles. "Beyond seeing that rush, you just missed seeing Motojima-senpai and I do a show to advertise the Shuujin booths."

    "Bolder, huh...?" She wonders for a second, only for it to click. "Ah! Nagisa-senpai, I'm guessing?" She nods. "Motojima-senpai's already filled me in, but I wasn't aware that it was... Like that." The way Kasumi does it, ignorance is a sin.

    Kasumi still isn't used to taking up space. Her instinct is to dismiss herself. "Thank you, Senpai, I appreciate it. I feel like you're always saving me." She lets out a bashful chuckle. Just like when they were still acquaintances, back when they were going to the park clean up, or when Kasumi found herself in Principal Kobayakawa's Palace. "One day, I hope I get the chance to return the favour."

    Ren offers a dance, and Kasumi beams. "I'd love to, Senpai." It's the one area she can take the lead in. She offers a hand, and leads the way into the dance floor.

<Pose Tracker> Ren Amamiya has posed.

    "Sounds like your booth did great," Ren replies, crooking a smile. They utter a low 'pffft' over what the Seven Sisters third years did; now they almost regret missing it, just a little bit. "I'm glad you had fun."
    
    However, Kasumi clarifies that she does already know about Shinichi's Homunculus--from Kazusa, even. Ren, not knowing what to say, says nothing. They worry about her obliviousness sometimes...
    
    At least that doesn't last. "Don't worry about it. You're my friend," they reassure her.
    
    Kasumi accepts. Ren grins briefly, then sets down their bag with care, making sure Morgana gets to face the dance floor to watch.
    
    "Have fun," Morgana says from inside.
    
    "Thanks," Ren murmurs, and accepts Kasumi's hand to follow her lead. 

<Pose Tracker> Kazusa Motojima has posed.

Kazusa's trying not to be too obvious about keeping an eye on Kanae and Isabeau and also Shinichi. (Well, and Yasushi but she's not really afraid of him the same way she is of Shinichi.)

But her smile grows thinner whenever she catches Shinichi's Homunculus looking her way. It makes her tense, even if she tries to hide it behind a sip of her drink.

Kazusa did, in fact, both warn Kasumi and ask for her help, as Ren suggested she might do. Though she's concerned about Kasumi's seeming hesitance...

Kazusa is, frankly, concerned for both Kanae and KaIsabeau, but she's not really sure how to express that concern to Katsuko. Nor about the Homunculus. "Kanae-chan can handle herself," Kazusa says in response to Katsuko's concerns. "... as can Fontaine-san."

As for Shinich, or the otehrs feeling more empowered... "Well, you know what Shujin is like." It's as close to a neutral statement as she can make, and even then, she still wants to agree.

She could act like nothing's wrong. She could just... go with it, as Kanae is and as she hopes Isabeau is. But after being trapped in the Cocoon... after having to reclaim her life from what the Homunculus would have made of it... it's hard to go back, even as an act. It makes her skin crawl.

It's not her True Self in any sense of the word. She just can't bring herself to do it.

Kazusa should try to warn Isabeau, or at least check in with her--maybe she'll get a chance, onthe break. She's been too busy avoiding Shinichi lately to do much more than retreat to her studies.

(She is also of the opinion that diets suck. She has to be so image conscious, given her sport, and maybe that, too, is part of the negativity she's reflected on others in the past.)

When Isabeau looks her way, Kazusa's got a complicated, but ultimately concerned look for her. There's a lift of her eyebrows, as if she's asking a silent question. 'Are you really okay with this?' (She definitely remembers that exit on the inside of the stairwell. Just because Isabeau is also incredibly exasperating doesn't mean Kazusa can't also be concerned for her.)

She catches that look of Kanae's, the questioning look slipping back to a quiet frown. 

<Pose Tracker> Shinichi Nagisa has posed.

"Heh. Yeah, sorry man. She was just such a bitch before." As he doesn't even apologize to her but him for treating her that way, "Huh? Oh yeah, I noticed. Her Japanese is kinda- I've seen first graders speak better. But, hey, if she's shaped up enough to be your girl, that's what matters."
 
Then, when Isabeau says Kanae gave her another chance, he grins, "Hey, that's swell you two girls worked it out. Though... I think your Japanese is a little mixed up. It's 'I am. Grateful.'" As he enunciates it out, "Not, 'I am. Thank You.' But hey, a mistake like that-" His eyes cut over to Yasushi, "-is pretty cute."
 
As Kanae mentions Touma he listens then, "What a tool. For you? It's not a problem. It's an incentive. Like it?" As he lowers his voice some into what sounds like an aggressive, hungry growl, "I fucking love it."
 
It's as if it adds something to her. Something other girls around the school don't have. That air of 'nice girl' but 'still exotic enough'. The kind most guys would hesitate to take home to let her meet their parents.
 
To the Homunculus's twisted psyche, she's a status symbol, something to be envied- to make the other girls jealous of her while yearning to be in her place, and other guys jealous of him.
 
But Kanae indicates she doesn't want to think of that guy, and he says, "Me neither. All I wanna do is show you the time of your life." And with that, he too leads her out onto the dance floor.
 
This is gonna go great.

<Pose Tracker> Katsuko Yoshinaga has posed.

"I'm sure they can." Katsuko said, for more reasons than Kazusa might have suspected. She'd seen them both in action, and Kanae's rare ability made her a force to be reckoned with. She knew well they had the both the strength of will and arm to see their objectives through. Yet, there they were, dancing with a literal monster, and someone she'd not heard favourable things about in any regard. She paused a moment, analysing the situation again. She studied their expressions, whenever they came into view. She glanced at the movements of their bodies, trying to ascertain if there was something - anything - that hinted at what she could do to tip the odds in her favour.

But when she saw the look Kanae wore, just for a moment, the only thing she could think to do was intervene.

Katsuko cursed the thought, and rejected it with every fibre of her being. Striding recklessly in had been how she'd scuppered any chances of finessing information out of the Homunculus - she was on its radar now, and an entire avenue had been shut off to her. She had to listen from afar, and work from the shadows. But that look... that goddamned look. She felt her jaw clench and her lips tighten, and despite her best efforts, a little of it manifested in her features.
"...But that doesn't mean they should have to."

The words came before she had a chance to stop them, and Katsuko silently swore at herself for not maintaining control. Attending the dance had been a mistake - she had no friends there, only classmates and acquaintances. She had no love of dancing, the drinks were mediocre at best, and every second was plagued by that *thing* wearing Shinichi's body like a skinsuit. And now she had to deal with losing her cool far more than she was at all comfortable with. But, she supposed, it at least could serve a purpose. Appearing concerned and willing to help was an admirable trait, as far as she was aware. Something that might endear her to people worth endearing herself to.

"Maybe we should say hello." She suggested, taking a sip from her drink. It was more an excuse to stay quiet for a moment and gather her thoughts than something born of actual thirst, or any desire for the taste of the drink. "I'm sure they wont' mind that much." Her hand clenched a little at the thought of approaching Shinichi again. It would have been a silent and subtle gesture, if not for the short, sharp, crinkling of cheap plastic in her hand. 

<Pose Tracker> Isabeau Fontaine has posed.

    It's 'like that'...

    There are a lot of ways people say Isabeau is 'like that', too. Because she's big -- and she's French -- and she's abrasive. She's not a good girl, like some of them. She's never put all the labour into keeping the act up, like Kanae did.

    They say that Isabeau went to the Red Light District in search of the gays, just because some girls teased her about no one here being like that... and they say she was raised by sex workers, because French girls really are sexually liberated. They say that she'll actually take up anyone who really does offer to date her, and that's how a bunch of boys get their laughs, setting her up on fake dates.

    Not all of the rumours are true, but there is, in them all, a grain of truth. Enough of them are true that the false rumours still sound like they ought to be.

    "It's 'cause she doesn't speak it at home," Yasushi explains, on Isabeau's behalf. "Apparently when she was living with Japanese people, she actually got a lot better... she was really struggling in Inaba. You would have seen it, right?" He asks, looking to Kanae, addressing her for once. "But now she's living with her dad, they're speaking French at home again, so she doesn't get as much practice. It's cool, though," he adds, looking to Isabeau. "Now we can practice, right?"

    "Yes," Isabeau nods, and she feels embarrassed to hear the way she struggled get said so plainly, but... well, Ren would know as much as Kanae would just how choppy her Japanese was when she was a child. The other children mocked her mercilessly for not doing the work to fit in -- for not even being respectful enough to understand how to call an obaasan an obaasan properly. It wasn't a matter of respect -- it was the fact that she struggles with language, especially one so different to hers, not even using the same alphabet -- but by the time she'd moved to Japan, she was already used to fighting for her place in the world...

    "I am grateful," she repeats Shinichi's teaching, her hand curling to a fist beside her. "Excuse me. I forgot the word." Every conversation is a translation, in her head -- a running attempt to remember not only the word but the correct flavour of that word, the right way to say it to attend to sounding articulate instead of just comprehended, and even the high-low tonal system that she's liable to mix up if she isn't careful. Everyone says she's stupid, since she got one of the lowest test scores in the whole school... and few of them realise how much extra brainpower it takes to even talk to them.

    When she meets Kazusa's eyes, her chin jerks, slightly, to Shinichi, as if to say that she knows where the problem is. She doesn't see as much of a problem beside her... because Kanae says that Shinichi likes how she is, and it takes that effort she makes to keep it happy and runs for a mile.

    "Let us meet again after dancing," she insists, hearing that --

    -- because she can't stop the dance, can she?

    Shinichi leads her off... and Yasushi looks to Isabeau, a hand to her shoulder. "You're worried about her, right?" He asks, with concern. "I know girls like to talk about you getting new boyfriends, and especially since he's a lot more popular now... hey, don't worry," he says, giving her a little squeeze. "You're looking out for her, now, right?"

    "... yes," Isabeau says. "He is just... a little pushy, yes?"

    "Hey, don't worry. It's cool you're worried about her... and it's pretty normal, since you haven't really done this much. Just don't get yourself in trouble about it, okay...?" ... he sounds worried about her.

    "I will be careful," Isabeau assures him, and she is vulnerable, in that moment, as he slips a hand through her bangs.

    "You'll be okay," he promises. "I'm looking out for you now, too." And so, leaning forward --

    It's easy to miss a first kiss, in all the lights of the dance floor.

    It's easy to miss a lot of signs when things are this loud.

    But Isabeau is happy, when she moves forward to dance with her date.

<Pose Tracker> Kasumi Yoshizawa has posed.

    Kasumi leads Ren out into the dance floor and leads him in some steps. Very casual at first, shuffle feet and swaying the arms, much like how most awkward teenagers like to call a "dance".

    Once they get the beat, Kasumi starts to kick it up a notch. Steady footwork, moving with intention now. She starts leading Ren in a loose partner dance to get more comfortable. Although she's largely leading, she does have Ren spin her around.

    Once Kasumi's satisfied, she calls for an intermission. She steps away, and offers a few moves as a question, leaving Ren to answer her. It's a chance to breath, until Kasumi starts offering some pretty tricky movements for Ren to follow up on.

    "We're making a pretty good pair, huh, Senpai?" She giggled as the two pass each other. "I'll make you sweat now."

    By this time, the other students have largely caught on and offered a floor. Some cheer them on. Some whisper to their friends. Whether they're disdainful about the pairing, making disgraceful comments about the redhead, or anything else. It doesn't matter to Kasumi. Here, she can't hear them, they can't touch her. Here, she's in her element.

    The show truly starts now. Reconvening to press their palms together, Kasumi and Ren circle for a moment. Then, Kasumi breaks off to the crowd, circling around and around, using her hands and arms for effect. Her vibrant red ponytail follows her like a ribbon, as she creates a trail through the floor. She does a hop, and then again, doing the splits in midair. Then around again, as her ruby red shoes slide against the waxed wooden floor of the gymnasium. She does a little hop, spinning in midair.

    (Experienced dancers will note that Kasumi's style is excessively bold. She keeps doing little flourishes, and threatening to topple over during the more intense moves.)

    It's time to end it. Kasumi finds a spot and starts to spin around, and around, all the while making complicated arm movements. Her skirt flaps and spins along with it, taking up air. It's visually impressive, but.

    The look of pure joy, suddenly turns panicked. Her ponytail flies up, as the rest of her topples back down to earth. She lands onto her ass, with a thump barely audible over the music, but visible to all. Her arm catches herself, so she's left sitting, slumped, legs crossed. Her hair ribbon comes undone and her hair falls down all around her.

    Kasumi doesn't register the pain. It takes a beat for the crowd circling to process what just happened. Then, they break out into horrified gasps and loud laughter. Kasumi is left frozen, caught in lights and unable to react. Her head sinks a bit, hiding underneath her bangs. It will soon be midnight.

<Pose Tracker> Ren Amamiya has posed.

    Ren's content to let Kasumi take the lead and match her rhythm; they're not threatened in any way, and that alone might make them stand out. Like Kasumi, they pay no attention to cheers and whispers alike. When she signals a spin, they spin her; when she starts upping the ante with bolder moves, they keep pace with grace and panache.
    
    "Oh, will you?" they murmur, smirking at her 'sweat' comment. If they thought she was trying to hit on them, they'd worry more about that; as it stands: "Do your worst."
    
    Ren is no gymnast, but they are a former athlete; more to the point, their covert activities as a phantom thief as well as their daily exercise means they have plenty of stamina and flexibility alike. They spin with her, close enough to be a pair and far enough not to interfere with her movements. She's objectively a better dancer than them; they don't think they could do that mid-air split anywhere outside of a supernatural space.
    
    However, she's pushing herself hard and getting a little reckless. No, a lot reckless, with how polished the floor is. When Ren realizes she's starting to fall, they lunge to try to grab her hand and save the dance, but they slip a little too and reflexively have to correct their own footing, making them miss her by a hair. They grimace when she hits the floor and immediately move to help her up.
    
    "You okay?" they murmur to her as they also pick up her ribbon. They suspect her spirit is more damaged than her body right now... 

<Pose Tracker> Kanae Fuyuki has posed.

Kanae says she can handle herself; so far, that seems true. Of course, it could go south very easily...

But it hasn't yet, so that's fine, right? Regardless, Kanae bites her tongue on the matter of Isabeau's Japanese. Even when Yasushi explains it so reasonably. "I saw," Kanae confirms, though she doesn't say a ton; he doesn't give her a lot of room to talk anyway. Shinichi gives her a little more. and he calls it an 'incentive'... She feels hot, her uniform a little too warm. The aggressive, hungry attraction he seems to feel for her registers on one level, and the utter discomfort of why he's into her along with what he is wars with that. She's got a weird collection of feelings that all settle into...

"Cool. It's nice to be appreciated."

It's disgusting. What was it that the dance teacher had said? That she should be proud of where she comes from...?

"Then show me." A good time.

At least Isabeau's happy. Kanae pretends to be. It helps; being angry and being sexy look really alike, if you do it just the right way.

She said she'd be 'wild', and that means danger. She can handle it.

However...

Kasumi and Ren are amazing dancers; Kanae can't help but notice them during one of those mid-air splits. And she is looking right when--

Kasumi falls, and Kanae winces, her anger dulling into sympathy.

"...Rough," she says, even to Shinichi. Because for just an instant she forgets what he is.

But at least Ren has her... Right? 

<Pose Tracker> Yua Ijuuin has posed.

    Off to the side, one of the dance's chaperones, Ijuuin-sensei, watches Kasumi push herself further, and further... and fall.

    As her partner picks her up, the health and physical education teacher -- though not Kasumi's teacher -- looks down, her single working eye shadowed by the sorrowful crease of her brow. She is seated; for some time, now, she has given her instruction in dance class as encouragement more than demonstration, given the swell in her belly.

    She feels sorrow that one of the girls outside her instruction has fallen; what she does not feel is the power she holds to stop what the children may do as they respond. She's a part-time teacher; she only works here one day a week, and a half-day, at that...

    She is one symbol amongst many of the power vested in Shujin -- where it exercises itself -- and where it does not intervene.

Yua Ijuuin has left for Red Light District - Main. 

<Pose Tracker> Kazusa Motojima has posed.

Kazusa would call Katsuko crazy and yell at her for trying to get information out of a Homunculus if she realized that's what her intentions had been. But luckily for Katsuko's dignity and Kazusa's blood pressure... Kazusa doesn't know.

'...But that doesn't mean they should have to.'

"... true," Kazusa allows quietly. She understands Kanae's plan--she even agrees with the motivation, to keep its attention away from other, unprepared girls as much as possible.

She just hates the method.

Her eyes flick towards Katsuko as she reacts. She feels some of that concern, oh she does. But she doesn't want anyone unprepared dealing with taht thing, either. "... Senpai. This will pass. So leave it alone." But at the suggestion of saying hello, Kazusa's skin crawls a little. "They're in the middle of the dance floor. it's not like it's the best time to hold a conversation."

She's not at all on friendly terms with the Homunculus. And she can't pretend that she is, not after what Shinichi almost made her do in that hallway.

... frankly, she's afraid of what that Homunculus could do. (And she was concerned even before she saw him in action.)

When Isabeau jerks her chin towards Shinichi's Homunculus, Kazusa's gaze flicks over to him. That is a problem, certianly, but... there's no look complicated enough tconvey her particular scene. Not without making a scene, which she very much does not want to do.

But she remembers Isabeau speaking of her struggles, in that conversation they'd had. She'd even, for a moment, been thinking of how to combat that--before Isabeau going over the railing of the stairwell had completely distracted her.

Her eyes widen.

But her attention is pulled away by Kasumi's energetic dancing. "She's really getting into it..." she says quietly to noone in particular. (Okay, sort of to KAtsuko.) But she frowns as she sees the signs, her eye trained for small imperfections in a routine catching the almost topples. This time, definitely to herself, she mutters, "... come on, Yoshizawa-san. You get docked if you fall..."

There's a gasp when Kasumi goes down, and she's already ditching her drink in a garbage can as she rushes over. "Hey!" she snaps. "Let me through!" she demands as she pushes through the crowd.

She carefully kneels, though she's wincing as her back complains but she powers through it. "Yoshizawa-san. Are you okay? Did you injure anything?" 

<Pose Tracker> Shinichi Nagisa has posed.

"Inaba?" Shinichi doesn't know where Inaba is, it being a rural town, but the very fact he hasn't heard of it but can parse it as a Japanese word tells him it must be a rural town. "Wow, I had no idea she used to live in a place so 'inaka'. No wonder she's so shit."
 
It's a pretty big stereotype that people with certain rural dialects speak Japanese so poorly, after all.
 
"Yeah... Fujihide-kun's real good at Japanese lit, so he's the right guy to give you some of that one on one tutoring." He says, as he decides to do some impromptu wing manning. One can almost see the invisible thumbs up and a wink to him on what the 'one on one' means.
 
But it's true- no matter what Isabeau does, she can't stop the dance.
 
The two are out on the dance floor. He leads, and expects her to follow. There's something that's simple middle school 'waltz' in the steps, but- what's surprising perhaps, is the aggression in it.
 
The possessive closeness in how he holds her and swings her around the floor. The Homunculus can't improv a dance Shinichi Nagisa doesn't know.
 
But it can put more energy into the steps than one might expect. He can make it more dynamic, not an exercise in intimacy, but desire.
 
But- the way Kasumi and Ren dance, even he gets his attention drawn to it. Then-
 
She falls.
 
"What she gets, for trying to show off at a school dance."
 
Right before he dips Kanae, extra low, hand at the small of her back all that is supporting her from falling. As he leans down close- almost like he might go for the kiss.
 
Instead, he thumbs the edge of a single lip, as if to tease, then brings her back upright. The impression of going further with a PDA that is too bold for almost everyone in Japan, without actually going there.
 
Except, that Kazusa... might swear, that while his right eye never left Kanae, that when he had dipped her, his left eye was somehow upon them as they tried to go out to Kasumi.
 
Human eyes don't move that way though, right?
 
... Right?...
 
"I'd rather show you off, personally." He says to her in a muted whisper.

<Pose Tracker> Katsuko Yoshinaga has posed.

Katsuko was many things, ambitious perhaps one of the most prominent traits amongst them. Attempting to manipulate a Homunculus - Shinichi's especially - into giving up details about how its mind worked and thus gain how best to defeat it was perhaps a a supremely dangerous venture, but so were a lot of things she did.

Katsuko knew little about Kasumi, and cared about her less. She was, after all, just another unremarkable first-year. There was no point in wasting time or energy thinking about her when there were more pressing matters to deal with. However, as she watched her dance, she couldn't help but admit to herself that the girl had no shortage of skill. The moves were beautifully executed, and the style enough to catch even her discerning eye. But, as someone not particularly well-versed in that particular art, it took her a moment to realise that the boldness on display began to verge on recklessness.

"Too into it." She said eventually, noticing much later what Kazusa had already surmised. Kasumi's fall didn't shock Katsuko, but even so, it took her a moment to think about what to actually do about it. By that point, Kazusa had already moved in to offer assistance, and the rest of the student body seemed to be having their fun at the girl's expense. She didn't join them. Instead, she slinked off into the crowd, hoping to to angle herself just enough that she could observe Kanae and Isabeau out of the corner of her eye.

She couldn't hear anything above the chatter, but to look at them both made her supremely uncomfortable. It was in no small part due to the Homunculus (something she, for her own sake, chalked up to its aura and nothing else), but Kanae and Isabeaus' reactions certainly did not help assuage her feelings. But Kazusa was, unfortunately, correct. It was hardly the best time to interrupt, and she doubted the Homunculus would appreciate her swooping in after the dance to talk to 'his' girl. She was in the weeds - she had no allies to speak of, no network to consult about the matter, and no plan to follow through with.

She was, once again, on her own.
But that didn't mean she could sit pretty and do nothing. Even if only so that she could say she tried, Katsuko stole a glance at Kanae - and Isabeau, if the chance arose - while she thought their partners weren't looking. There, she offered the closest thing to concern that her usual stony demeanour could afford, before glancing back to Kasumi with that same expression. It wasn't suspicious if she was just worried about the person that had fallen over, after all. 

<Pose Tracker> Kasumi Yoshizawa has posed.

    Ren offers Kasumi a hand, and she takes it for comfort. Well, she's really just taking the first hand that crosses her field of view. "I'm sorry, Senpai..." She whimpers as she apologises reflexively. Her butt and hands are stinging, but they don't hurt even a fifth as her pride is right now.

     Then, Kazusa is there too. "Oh, Motojima-senpai...." Kasumi is not good. From the way her voice trembles, she's trying desperately to keep from crying. "I-I'm okay..." She says, mostly lying. She didn't injure anything, but she's definitely not okay.

    Using Ren to rise up to her feet, Kasumi's eyes lock onto the ribbon in their hand. She could take it and run. She should be able to get out of the school in good time. But with her friends around her, her legs just won't move. Her body just isn't moving like it's hers. "Please... Can we get out of the way...?" She asks the floor.

<Pose Tracker> Isabeau Fontaine has posed.

    'Inaka'. Isabeau doesn't recognise the invective, off the top of her head. She'll ask Yasushi, later, and feel embarrassed. Right now, she just looks across the crowd, as if she saw someone she knows; seeing Katsuko look at her with something like concern, she lifts her pale hand in a wave. But she has to look back and put on a smile, when Shinichi suggests one of her new boyfriends' strengths. "That will be useful."

    And she can't be. Useful, that is.

    ... so she might as well enjoy herself.

    (She doesn't realise how outrageous it is, to kiss her in the middle of the dance like this. She doesn't know what kind of a statement it makes about her. More's the pity...)

    Isabeau, it turns out, is a pretty good dancer herself (though she also hasn't enrolled in the dance elective). She's learned a thing or two from Bambarina, alongside her voice coaching, even though the cynical old hag insists she'll never make it out there. It's a good thing, too -- because Yasushi has two left feet, so he really needs someone to make him look better.

    If there's one thing she knows, though, it's how to keep her footing -- in parkour, that's the difference between a broken bone and an impressive climb, and it's almost as important in tennis for much subtler reasons. Besides that... Isabeau just isn't feeling in the mood to lose all her inhibitions, knowing a monster is on the dance floor.

    It's a dampening lever which positions her to instead witness Kasumi. Her own movements slow, as she does. "She overextends," she says, frowning. "Tchah... the star of gymnastics forgets herself."

    Isabeau, as it happens, is much like Kasumi -- but she's the rising star of Tennis, not of Gymnastics. She knows her name, and she knows her face; consider it interdisciplinary interest.

    And she is judging her.

    Particularly when she does fall.

    "What were you thinking?" She asks, scowling, and she is one voice in many but her own talent might just make it cut deeper than the others. "When is your next competition, Yoshizawa?"

    "Yoshizawa-san," Yasushi corrects her, a hand at her arm.

    "Yoshizawa-san," Isabeau addresses her, the first time she's heard an honourific from her lips. "If you are so free with your injuries, you will let them down --"

    "Hey," Yasushi says, putting an arm around Isabeau. "I'm sure she gets it. Sorry," he says, turning his jovial smile to Kasumi. "She's just worried about you, y'know? We're working on it."

    'We' are...

<Pose Tracker> Ren Amamiya has posed.

    "Nothing to apologize for," Ren reassures Kasumi quietly. They glance over at Kazusa when she charges in to express her concern to Kasumi, essentially the only person to do so; they see some others who seem sympathetic, like Kanae and that pregnant teacher who's presumably not able to get to her feet right now, but most faces are gawking at best and mocking at worst.
    
    They don't contradict Kasumi when she clearly lies to Kazusa about being okay. They just nod at her request, offering their arm in support. "Sure. Let's get out of here."
    
    They won't go back for their bag, though they do shoot it a glance over their shoulder as they gently guide Kasumi out of the auditorium, away from Isabeau and her criticism as fast as Kasumi wants to go, including if she lingers to hear it. Morgana catches that look and soon slinks out after the two. 

<Pose Tracker> Kanae Fuyuki has posed.

Kanae takes a little splash damage from Inaba; after all, she lived there, too. But Shinichi isn't talking about her, so she shouldn't mind, right? She 'overcame' her country past. But they dance. They dance, and it's Kanae who has to work to keep up with his aggressive moves. She expected possessiveness, but this is a kind of energy she couldn't quite act on. 'Desire' is right. He wants her.

...And she doesn't want him. So she pretends it. When Shinichi says it's 'what she gets', Kanae says nothing at first--which is just as well, because she has something else to think about in that moment, her eyes widening as he goes for a big PDA--

...And then... doesn't.

"I-I--"

There's that stammering again that she thought she'd conquered. Kanae fumes with herself for a moment before that whisper prompts her to answer, "'Give', right?"

That's what he said. Give and take...

It makes her angry, thinking of why he must have gotten that set of ideas.

She isn't watching Kasumi or Isabeau, now. She is looking up at Shinichi's Homunculus.

What will the 'real' one think of all this, later...?

"It's nice to keep a little mystery though, right?"

She hopes Kasumi will be all right. 

<Pose Tracker> Kazusa Motojima has posed.

Kazusa, as it happens, misses the dip. (Don't worry she would hate it though if she saw it.) She shivers, just a little, at that split look, though she doesn't know the cause.

And it's a good thing she can't see Katsuko's thought process as regards Kasumi. But KAtsuko is the least of her concerns right now.

She might be bad at being a genuine and caring person, but she can still see how not okay Kasumi is. "Mmm. Right." She's skeptical. Kazusa shoots Ren a look and tries not to think too long about how she's about to ask them for help. "Amamiya-san. Can you...?" She can help Kasumi up, but probably shouldn't. And Ren, at least, would know why that might be. It's a strain to stand again, too, (but not as much as if she was also helpig Kasumi up.)

Isabeau, though, renders an opinion, and Kazusa bristles for just a moment. "Hey. I'm handling this, Fontaine-san." Her voice comes out as a snap--harsher than she'd mean to, but she's a bit stressed and on edge.

She'll second guess it later. For now, though, she walks on Kasumi's other side, ready to at least help if Kasumi ends up needing it. And at least the majority of her concern is for Kasumi herself, and not for the club. "Come on, Yoshizawa-san, we'll get you some fresh air."

She does spare a glance for Kanae as she steps outside, though. She'll be back in a moment, right? Just as soon as she makes sure Kasumi is okay. Hopefully nothing happens before then. And then she's gone. 

<Pose Tracker> Kasumi Yoshizawa has posed.

    Isabeau directly attacks Kasumi, and doesn't say anything that Kasumi doesn't already know. But to hear it reinforced makes it hurt all the more. Not even Yasuhi's attempts to smooth things over helps. (Actually, it really rubs Kasumi the wrong way.) What an awful 'beau.'

    She wonders if this is how that Suzui girl felt. But that's not how Kasumi Yoshizawa is supposed to feel.

    Kasumi's knuckles are bone white, hands wrapped tight around Ren's, as she shakes... It's easily assumed to be tears, but she's angry. She's angry, she's angry, she's angry. Why is she angry?

    Thankfully, Ren leads her away, with Kazusa on her flank. They leave together.

    One of the dance club members tries to salvage the mood. "Let's keep this party going, folks!" He calls out, to cheers. There was nothing to worry about, there's more to celebrate today after all.

    Midnight passes, and she's a girl once more. A Kasumi will always be a Kasumi.

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