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❤

After hours-- nay, days!-- of waiting, at last it's salsa night. La noche del ritmo (that’s “night of rhythm” for those who tragically refuse to brush up on their Spanish). Down on solid ground, it’s marked with wobbly turns, missed cues, and bold declarations of “I totally meant to do that.” But up in our little corner of the community hall on the Mnemosyne, it’s all warm lights, borrowed partners, and a playlist that refuses to let you stand still.

The humble chaos has been carefully unleashed by our fearless instructor EVA because she was clearly feeling optimistic! Come try a step (or three), spin someone new, and maybe leave with smoother moves than you came in with. Or at least a good story.

Salsa!

At its core, salsa is a conversation disguised as a dance: a gentle lead, a daring spin, a dramatic pause that says, “Yes, I absolutely meant to do that.” It’s rhythm with personality, flair with a wink, and just enough drama to keep things interesting.

How to Play: Grab a partner and get ready to roll some dice to see how well you take to the floor! For the sake of ease, we're going to say that there's four 'rounds' making up a song, but if you want to keep it going, go right ahead. Each dancer will roll 6d6 and match pairs with their partner.

🕺0 matches: This is a disaster. Someone got an elbow to a body part. Tears might be shed.
💃1 - 2 matches: A little stumble, a wee fumble. Maybe a little embarrassing, but you can brush it off.
🕺3-4 matches: You're finding the groove and looking good. Having a great time on the dance floor!
💃5-6 matches: Flawless chemistry. It's unbelievable. Your coworkers might think you're gettin nasty behind closed doors.

Bachata!

For those brave enough to learn two dances in one night, or who just want something slower, Eva's going to do a Bachata crash course. Slower than its flashier cousins, but no less dramatic, it trades whirlwind spins for close steps and a hip movement that politely insists on being noticed.

There’s a step-together-step, a tap with just a hint of flair, and a rhythm that feels suspiciously like a love song written at 2 a.m. Bachata isn’t about showing off—it’s about leaning in, finding the groove, and letting the music do most of the talking while you pretend you’re not completely swept up in it.

How to Play:Each dancer will roll 3d6, and count the amount of 3's and 6's rolled between the pair. 3 and 6 are the only ones that matter. Again, four ‘rounds’ make up a song.

💃 0 matches: Catastrophic! This is not going well. Maybe you need a new partner
🕺1-2 matches: Not too shabby! Not the smoothest it could be, but you're both feeling confident.
💃3-4 matches: Stunning. You have the room feeling flushed.
🕺5-6 matches: Is it hot in here? It's hot in here. We're all sweating just watching that spark catch.

For the Wallflowers!

Not everyone is meant to take to the floor, but that doesn't mean they have to be bored! Eva's brought a frankly alarming amount of playing cards for people to play the card game of their choice. She has instructions for Blackjack, War, and Trash on various tables. Bets are welcome, but please no strip anything, thank you.

And for those who prefer their thrills less competitive and more snack-shaped, there’s a spread of treats and drinks to keep spirits high. Something fizzy, something sweet, something questionably healthy but undeniably delicious—it’s all fair game. Refuel, refresh, and return to the action (or the spectating) as you see fit.

How to Play Blackjack (or 21):

The goal is to get the closest to 21 without going over.
- Roll 2d12 to simulate real cards (a 12 functions as an ace, so it can be a 1 or an 11 depending on the best outcome for your hand.
- Either 'stay' by ceasing rolling, or continue rolling 1d12 as many times as you like until you're at 21 or as close as possible.
- If you 'bust' or go over 21, you loose.

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Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

"You had dances? In the desert?"

Of all the things she'd imagined in these last few weeks about their lives outside the Veil, dancing hadn't entered the equation. "What were those like?"

"Oh, you know," Bobby shrugs, even though Sloane doesn't know. He's about to play it down and joke about it, but changes his mind last second. "Better than any school dance I went to, really. Nice to have a fun night with the people you love most, you know?" That feels a little too earnest though, so he quickly adds: "Everyone whose feet I stepped on might disagree."

"I don't know that they would." Sloane disputes, imagining it. It's a little bittersweet. She can't call to mind what it must feel like to love that many people at once. "I bet they loved it just as much." But that is too earnest, so she also adds, "I don't know. I never even went to school dances."

"What did you do instead?"

"Smoked exactly one cigarette behind the bleachers and went to parties where everyone was honest to their parents, after." It's even, but tinged with the bitterness always there when Sloane's talking about her Veiled life.

"Even with the parents part you still sound way cooler than me," Bobby says, trying to carefully navigate through the bitterness because he doesn't mean to bring up bad thoughts at what's meant to be a fun event.

"You were surviving on your own in a desert. That's so much cooler than I could ever be." The bitterness has left, and she just sounds resigned again. "And that does mean that most dancing I know is just kinda nodding my head."

Bobby watches everyone dancing for a moment before replying. "If you wanted to learn when your arm's better, there's plenty of people who could teach you." He almost suggests Apollo, but he doesn't know where teaching each other fits with their competing over everything, and he figures they could work that out themselves if she wanted to learn. "But I don't think you have any problem being cool, even if you're just nodding your head."

She smiles a little. "You're cool, too." She decides, with ultimate conviction. Dancing is one of those things for a Life, capital L, that she had never bothered imagining out. It's something that isn't for her. But that's a way too depressing thought, so she just shakes her head. "And I think I'll leave the dancing to the experts."

Bobby gives a short laugh, but he doesn't argue against her conviction despite disagreeing. "'Experts' is generous," he says instead, flipping through the book until he finds the page he'd noted when he'd peered over her shoulder and offering it back to her. "Thanks for sharing."