fandomhigh | How to Blend in and Courtly Dancing and Defence: Periods 3 & 4, Week 7

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How to Blend in and Courtly Dancing and Defence: Periods 3 & 4, Week 7

A note had been sent around to all the students in both How to Blend In and Courtly Dancing and Defence telling them to meet at the Danger Shop for both the 3rd and 4th periods.

The Danger Shop was set up with racks of costumes again - formal clothes with many, many masks of all different sorts to choose from.

Aly was smiling as she glanced around at the students though her eyes were sharp to pick out injuries or worries from the weekend. "It's good to see all of you in one piece more or less after the past weekend. Sadly for you, because we won, you all still have class today," she teased. "Next time, keep that in mind."

"As I'm sure you've all noticed, we're going to have both classes together today. For a masquerade ball. Students learning how to blend in? I think the mission here is obvious. Watch the Danger Shop generated attendees and the Courtly Dancing class and remember the rules of disguise and taking on a character. Courtly Dancing? Your 'special accessories' are on that table" Aly pointed to a table full of weapons. "Everything else you've learned - flirting and dancing will come in handy. Those of you who were in both classes? You have a head start."

"All of you can mingle, dance, learn what you can from each other or the other attendees and generally have fun. And before you get dressed, let me just say I've enjoyed having all of you in class these workshops. If you ever want to stop by, feel free, and I hope to see all you in another class of mine sometime soon."

[OOC: ~~Please wait for the~~ OCD is up!]

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It was his legacy, he didn't know how any other mission was supposed to compare to that. "What if I'm wrong?"

"Do you think you are?" Aly asked.

He didn't know anymore and he shrugged his shoulders, his hands slipping in the pockets of his pants.

Aly turned to him, looking to meet and hold his eyes. "This is what being an adult is," she said seriously. "It's finding something that you need to do more than anything else. And if it comes to it, giving it up again. Don't do it halfway, Zuko. Make your decision and go for it."

"I did!" he protested. He had been sure, but the images were stuck in his head now and the nightmares hadn't really gone.

"It wasn't a criticism," Aly said. "It's a reminder." She looked at him for a long moment. "What happened?"

He deflated instantly and stared down at the tip of his shoes to avoid that look. "I'm not hurt."

"Not physically, no," Aly agreed.

"They just locked me in a room for two days," he argued. There shouldn't be anything wrong with him from that.

"Which is bad enough," she said, still watching him and putting together the reactions of the other ones who were taken by the demons. "But I don't think that's what has you doubting everything."

He shifted his weight from foot to foot and seemed to be thinking of a good excuse before he finally gave in. "They were just dreams."

"Nightmares more like," Aly said. "Everything you don't want to think about how much you fear it?"

He swallowed and nodded once.

"There's a chamber like that in my world," Aly said, apparently changing the subject. "After those who want to be knights finish their training, they go into it for the Ordeal. All their fears, weaknesses, everything they're terrified of is thrown at them to test their worthiness to be a knight. Not everyone survives."

Zuko frowned, trying to understand what she was saying. "You think this will show if I can handle it?"

Aly tilted her head. "I'm saying that if you face the worst now, it can't surprise you later. Also...if you ever wanted to be a knight, I think you'd qualify."

"Oh," he paused. "Is that a compliment?"

She couldn't help half-smiling at that. "It is."

He glanced down, almost shuffling his feet if that wasn't too un-prince-like. "Thank you."

"You're welcome," Aly murmured. "I'm not saying to put it out of your mind. That would be stupid because you probably can't. But don't let it overshadow you."

Zuko nodded slowly, not that he entirely knew what she meant. He rarely seemed to anyway. "Okay."

She watched him for a long moment. "If I let you go, will you just brood some more?" she asked.

That was a difficult question as brooding was what he did best and he had a lot to consider too. "I don't know?"

"Give it a try," Aly advised.

Edited 2008-06-25 22:39 (UTC)

He nodded again. "I'll try."

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