Pomefiore Dorm - Ballroom
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Strike a pose. Now step, two, three, four. Get down, two, three...
Stop, stop! You're completely off-base, Spudling Two. |
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Huh? Is Spudling Two...me? |
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Who else would it be? |
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Yeah, I'm number one, apparently. |
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You're too focused on your hands. You're completely neglecting your feet.
And all of your motions are stiff as a board. Do you have a two-by-four tied to your back? |
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S-sorry. |
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You're not much better, Epel. You need flexibility for jazz hip-hop. |
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But all these girly twisting motions...
I don't...want to do those. |
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I'm sorry, what was that? Are you seriously gendering MOVEMENTS?
What complete and utter gibberish. You sound like a lunatic raving in his sleep. Not that I'd give such drivel a pass even then. |
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O-owww! Please, not the ear! |
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Since our darling apple seems to be dozing off while it's still light out, I'm helping you to hear more clearly.
Listen—twisting motions only look good when your inner muscles are properly toned.
When it comes to attire and dance moves, there is no such thing as "for boys" or "for girls."
The whole idea of boys being ashamed of doing effeminate dance moves is so last century.
Did you grow up a century ago and then take a time machine to the present? Hm? |
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N-no, sir... |
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Now, now, Vil. There's no need to get bent out of shape about it.
Epel, I know it can be a little embarrassing at first, but just lean into it and exaggerate your motions. That'll make it more fun! |
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Kalim's right. There's no beauty to be found in weak-kneed fidgeting. |
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Huh? That wasn't what I meant—mmph! |
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Kalim... Shush. |
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That settles it. Starting tomorrow, you're getting a separate training regimen from the rest of us. |
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What? |
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You'll be taking ballet lessons alone until I say otherwise. |
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Huh? Valet? You mean when you take someone else's vehicle and park it for them? |
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Try to pick up on context clues. Just because your face is soft doesn't mean your brain has to be.
I'm referring to the dance performed by ballerinas, of course. |
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Whaaa?! M-me? A ballerina?! |
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I won't ask you to perform a relevé and stand on the tips of your toes, but I expect you to at least master the art of turning with grace.
And more to the point, I expect you to toss out your antiquated notions of things being "boyish" or "girly." |
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B-but, you can't expect me to do that overnight... |
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...... |
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Yikes. He's even more demanding than Vargas in flight class. |
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We'd better keep our heads down. Wouldn't want to end up in his crosshairs. |
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Excuse me, Vil? |
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Yes, Spudling Two? |
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May I join in on the ballet lessons? |
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Are you NUTS? Why would you volunteer for that?! |
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For what reason? |
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I also fall into the trap of viewing things along a spectrum of so-called manliness.
I've passed the ensemble auditions. If we're aiming for the top, then I want to pull out all the stops. |
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Deuce... |
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Very well. With enough ballet lessons, even a scarecrow might limber up enough to resemble a human.
Today's session is adjourned. |
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Oui. Come, let us all return to Ramshackle Dorm and enjoy a nice dinner together. |
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Maaan! I'm exhausted!
I can't believe Vil made me get down on all fours and wipe the ballroom floor with a dustcloth after rehearsal. That's just mean! |
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He made me clean the windows with really broad wiping motions. My arms and back are killing me... |
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Who knew cleaning in earnest could be so difficult? |
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I'm absolutely famished... |
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Yeah, I'm right there with ya. |
| Good hustle today, guys. | That really was some hard training. |
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Hah hah hah! The effort you spent on cleaning was not in vain, I assure you.
Floor-wiping and window-washing are both forms of training that strengthen the muscles we need to do to win.
It's a trademark Vil regimen, to ensure that both the practice area and your physical shape are beyond reproach. |
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You've got a real understanding of Vil's methods, don't you? |
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Sounds less like understanding and more like being a yes-man to me. |
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My life is enriched by the mere existence of beauty in all forms.
Beauty has the power to grant salvation to its beholders, or to drive them utterly mad.
But it is also fragile and ephemeral. The moment you take your eyes off of it, it could be lost forever.
Which is why I make it my goal in life to protect and support beauty to the fullest extent of my abilities. |
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The way you talk about Vil, you make it sound like he's a flower or a work of art.
I mean, yes, he certainly ticks all the boxes...
But Vil doesn't strike me as someone fragile or ephemeral, much less someone in need of protection. |
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Same here. Vil seems more like a diamond to me—firm and unbreakable. |
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It's true. Vil has no need of my meddling.
Were I to extend my hand to him, I would be on the receiving end of a thirteen-centimeter-heel axe kick.
What I wish to safeguard is not Vil himself; it is the notion of beauty he embodies. |
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Dude. Now you're making even less sense. |
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Pomefiore students are so weird sometimes... |
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I'm a Pomefiore student and it barely makes sense to me, either. |
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If YOU can't puzzle it out, the rest of us might as well not even bother tryin'. |
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Heh. I'm sure you'll all grasp it eventually.
Your eureka moment will come once you meet someone whose mere existence illuminates your life like so many sunbeams. |
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