It's strange how time works in the space that lacks it. For a moment, I saw my guests twice, one where we first met, and the other in the dream I made for them.
Will you be able to transcribe what you see, then?
Dream Cylinder: "The First Knight of Endless White"
<< no. ███████ >>
Registered Guest:
Whimsy, @sunshineandfuchsias
[ Name Expunged ] < @itwasakanonevent >
Style of Recording: Narrative
Route Method of Dreaming:
"Passed out under exhaustion and extreme duress."
Estimated Time: 10 mins
Time Recorded: 4 days ago, Earthen Rotation
The moment The Knight fell asleep- at least, how it seemed to them- they woke up in the library again.
It was a small room of a larger library, they somehow knew. Two stories, but the higher floor was open to the lower on the side. It was like a balcony, in a sense, with bookcases coming down from it to close off some room inside that they had never bothered to explore.
The walls were made entirely out of bookcases. Beautiful, wooden bookcases filled with books. The books were all older in appearance, but their contents shifted and changed. Sometimes they were new, sometimes archaic. Sometimes comforting. Sometimes tragic.
Candles were hung from the ceiling as the light source on the inside of the room, keeping the room from being too bright. It was an old design, iron candleholders dangling from chains, but The Knight quite liked it. The ceiling was complex, wooden beams and iron-clad supports crisscrossing higher than they could imagine. There was a roof somewhere, they were sure, but it was hard to determine where.
A few feet above the second story was where Xiv had hung her hammock. She passed the time laying in that, doing… well, whatever Xiv’s did.
Their own area was on the first story, and diagonally to the left from Xiv. A large window, two or three times as tall as them, rested in a small alcove. It was specifically angled, they noticed, to not block their view of Xiv. They wondered if that was intentional. In this window, they could see beautiful scenery.
Sometimes, it was of a rolling field. Sometimes a mountain. The images shifted like clouds, fading and mixing into one another. The Knight spent hours watching, sometimes. The floor there was covered in pillows and blankets, clearly intended to be a plush reading nook.
This place was their only respite, most days. Sure, being thrown directly from torture into another waking dream might be exhausting, but it was the only way they could get real rest. Sleeping naturally, they were quite prone to nightmares.
The Knight took their crutch that always seemed to be nearby and walked over to their nook. Discarding the crutch, they collapsed on the pillows, burying their face in a particularly plush one. Thank God their brain had recovered, but… things were only getting worse.
They were so, so tired.
XIV carefully descended down into the hammock from an unseen white crack somewhere. Upon her gentle landing, she leans over to look at Her Beloved Knight.
The tail of the ribbons tied behind her back begin to descend, molding into a tiny hand to gently caress their cheek. Then it retreats just as quickly.
Slowly she held out her hand, and pulled out a worn down guitar.
* Now Playing - Cafe 1930 by Astor Piazzolla,
COVER by Alexandra Whittingham and Esther Abrami
Whimsy entered the dream quietly, unlike her usual self. Even more different is her appearance, which was shockingly human compared to her usual for someone like her. Well, more human than they already looked. Her eyes were barely open, though she had her mirrors floating about her, and her hair was longer than they remembered it had been (it was her usual knee-length), but much of it was still the same as how The Knight had met them, down to her constant smile. Though, it was much smaller than usual. Perhaps she had finally realized the direness of the situation. My my, was Whimsy feeling something other than pure happiness? How unusual indeed…
Tonight, she wore a lacey white blouse, which had a large bow at the neck, and a pastel pink jumper dress on top with four gold buttons. Silently, she held her white-gloved hand out, in which manifested a violin, a bow in her right hand. A standard violin, to be sure. As she slowly approached the duo, she began to duet to Xiv’s guitar.
Whimsy remained standing through the duration of the song, in front of a bookshelf by The Knight’s nook that was facing them.
The Knight was used to Xiv’s brief, but gentle touches. What they weren’t expecting, however, was to hear a second instrument join the mix. They sat up in the pillow-pile, pulling themself to be more or less cradled by a bunch of them. After rubbing the blur from their eyes, they looked to see where the violin was coming from, and- oh!
She actually came. That night was a little bit of a blur, admittedly. The Knight remembered how it felt. They remembered the comfort and relief, and they remembered all of Whimsy’s words. By some miracle, however, much of what they’d said had been scrambled in their mind. Both a blessing and a curse, they supposed…
Sheepishly, they adjusted their sweater. They wore a dark green knit sweater here, with some soft black pants to match. Fuzzy socks, for some unknown reason, covered their feet. They were far from as fashionable as Whimsy seemed to be.
Quietly, The Knight paid attention to the music. It wasn’t often you got to listen to a concert from the gods, they supposed. How dire must a situation seem, they wondered, to inspire something like this? It was a beautiful concert, anyway. If that was not an original composition, The Knight might just have to ask what the song was. They’d quite like to listen to it i- when they get home.
Eventually, the song ends.
XIV tilts her head towards Her Knight who is now awake, a permanent smile etched to her face. A soft cheery voice dropped down to greet him, “Had your fill of sleeping? Sorry if the noise woke you up.”
She turned to look at Whimsy, and her smile was slightly wider. A divine sense towards a crack in the facade, a mirror to her own. In this battle of attrition, she will emerge victorious. “That was a great play, Whimsy!”
Whimsy held out her hands again and let the instrument disappear in a puff of glittering pink light particles. She grinned at XIV, a bit of her usual self returning.
“Thank you! That was wonderful, yes! Ah, I missed playing music! Ever since Puppeteer disappeared, and… heh, I’m saying too much again, aren’t I?” Whimsy chuckled, leaning back against the bookshelf.
“I did say I’d visit, so here I am! Hello, █████!” Whimsy turned her attention to The Knight, pulling her gloves further down her palms. “Nice place, by the way. I must admit, you have great taste as usual!~” Both at XIV and the human.
“Anyways, down to business! Do you play any card games, █████?” with a flick of her wrist, a pack of playing cards appeared in Whimsy’s left hand. “You can join too, XIV! Hum, I should visit more, shouldn’t I? I missed this…!” Whimsy bounced over to The Knight and waved for XIV to join them, taking a seat beside them. She took the deck of cards out, discarding the jokers, and began shuffling. Nothing fancy, just a standard shuffle. She wasn’t even looking at the cards, instead having her head facing The Knight while a few of her mirrors pointed in different directions.
Strange, were her eyes white? Or is it just because they aren’t fully open? Who knows.
Whimsy was such an outgoing person, The Knight thought. Very different from most of their friends (was Whimsy their friend? Or just… an especially kind stranger?), but it was a nice change of pace. They sat up a little bit straighter. “Ah- hi, Whimsy. Um… I haven’t played with cards in a long while. I do know the rules to just about everything, though, so if one of you two has a preference…”
They wanted to be as accommodating as they could, even in their dream. Xiv had no reason other than kindness to give them a break from the DMS, and Whimsy had no reason other than her own boredom and kindness to be here at all. The least they could do was offer to let them choose the card game.
The whiteness of Whimsy’s eyes was noticed, but admittedly? It didn’t bother them much at all. Maybe they’d been seeing too much Xiv as of late, but entirely white eyes were starting to look normal now. (What horrifying implications for the future.)
Whimsy and Xiv’s presence, however, was clearly already starting to benefit their mood. This was the most alert they’d been in… quite some time.
“What game are we playing again?” XIV slowly descended from the hammock. “Is it poker? Or..”
“Hmm, let me think…” Whimsy hummed and thought about what game best fit the occasion. “We could play poker, sure! Or something like Go Fish, or Hearts? Ah, I sound old, don’t I?” Whimsy chuckled. They placed the cards down on the seat and riffle shuffled them, the cards quietly slapping together against each other.
Card games. What was their favourite one again? …Dammit, she couldn’t remember. How puzzling.
“Aaaaaanyways, how about it? You can pick, I have no preference! Whatever you think will make you happiest!” Whimsy looked to The Knight expectantly, pausing in shuffling the deck.
Ahhh, um…. They tried to think of any game they had played at some point. “Do you know how to play Blackjack?” they asked. “It’s a good one to warm up with, I think.”
“Sounds good to me!” XIV nodded, she turned to Whimsy, “Well? Shall we?”
“Sure! Let me just…” Whimsy stopped shuffling and with her free hand, snapped her fingers. A small pile of chips appeared next to each player. “I don’t usually gamble, but why not! Might be a little rusty, eheh… I’ll deal!”
Two cards were dealt face up to XIV and The Knight. One face up and one face down for Whimsy. She placed the pile of undealt cards next to her. The card that was face up for her was a Jack of Hearts.
They glanced down at their hand.
…what the fuck. A jack of diamonds and a jack of clubs.
“....I will stand.”
On XIV's end, 2 of Spades and 5 of Clubs. 7 in total. “Hit.”
She picks up a card and flips it face up.
7 of Spades. 14 points. “Hit.”
She picks up another card.
A King of Hearts.
Busted! XIV giggled with excitement. “Whoops! Guess I'm out!”
“Aww, shame!” Whimsy flipped the face-down card up. A four of spades. “Hm, hit.”
Another card drawn. Six of diamonds. “Hm, guess it’s a draw! Wanna go again?”
XIV turns to her Knight, “Ready for another round? Because I am.”
She licks her plastic lips.
They nodded with more energy than Xiv had seen from them in a long while. “Yes, please.” How long had it been since they got to do something silly and fun like cards? Just. Ignore the fact that it’s a dream. And they’re playing cards with gods. And this was just silly, fun, and innocent.
XIV nodded in acknowledgement. “Well then, who is the next dealer?”
Whimsy gathered up all the cards again and sorted them out. “Hmm, I can deal again, unless one of you guys want to?” Whimsy’s eyes were closed, but it seems like she can still see. How odd, but perhaps not the strangest coming from gods. Her usual smile had returned too.
“Hehe, this is fun!”
The Knight spoke up hesitantly. “I can deal,” they said. Butting in to deal cards to gods was probably not a typical nighttime activity, but hey… who were they to play normal?
“Alrighty then!” Whimsy handed the deck of cards to The Knight, waiting for them to shuffle and deal. The mirrors spun slowly and reflected the light of the library.
XIV silently watched, her elbows to the table and palms under her chin.
With slightly shaky hands, The Knight performed a bridge shuffle twice, to ensure that the cards were properly mixed. They weren’t entirely sure when they’d learned how to do that and felt it best for their mental health not to try and figure it out. They dealt two cards to Xiv, two cards to Whimsy, and then two to themself. The one face up on their deck was the queen of spades.
“Alright,” They said.
XIV smiled at the sight of her cards,
4 of Diamonds, 5 of Spades. 9 points. “Hit”
She draws another card.
A Queen of Spades. 28 points in total. “Busted!”
Whimsy glanced down at her cards.
A Jack of Spades and 6 of Hearts. “Hit.”
Whimsy drew another card.
9 of Diamonds. “Ahh, busted!” Whimsy chuckled, unfazed.
Turning their other card to be face up, The Knight revealed that they had a queen of spades and a nine of diamonds. “Nineteen. I am the winner by default.”
“Well would you look at that! Congratulations!” XIV claps her hands. “I’ll be dealing for this round. Let's see how far that luck is going to take you.”
With a wink and a beckon, all the cards came to her palm. “Honestly, you think so little in dreams. You can always get creative!”
She holds onto the deck and tosses it in the air. One by one they begin to fall and surround her like a halo. She held up her right hand and the cards began landing towards it in a single file.
Upon completion, she smacks it with her other hand, forming an accordion pattern. Cards begin to flip on 9 of Hearts, 5 of Spades, and Jack of Clubs.
With another slam, she starts distributing 2 cards to both Whimsy and Her Knight, her card face up and face down.
A Jack of Hearts.
“Hehe, that’s true…!” Whimsy had to agree there. Alas, right now she was content with being plain. It was nice to not think so much after… recent(?) events.
Two fives, one of Diamonds and one of Spades. “Hit!”
Another card drawn. Four of Spades. “Hit again!” Unfortunately, it didn’t seem like she had very good luck. The next card was a King of Clubs. “Aww, 24! Busted, that’s too bad!” If an average person had lost twice in a row, they might be a little (or a lot) annoyed. Not Whimsy. She seemed fine with just about everything.
The Knight examined their cards. An eight of diamond and a ten of clubs. That was… tumultuous. “...stand,” they decide. Best not risk it, right?
Eh, perhaps they could’ve tried, but what were the odds they got a 3 or lower? Slim to none, honestly. Unless Xiv did something to the deck.
XIV unflips her card.
11 points with the Jack,
and now 15 with 4 of clubs.
Another card and it was a 10 of Hearts.
25. Busted.
“Well well, guess you won again!”
“Haha! Perhaps luck does favour you after all!” Whimsy laughed. Ah well, they could use this after all the misfortune they’ve been through.
“I’ll deal now!” Whimsy hummed as she gathered all the cards, shuffling them. It’s rather unusual how plain and basic her shuffles were today. Since when did she not want to put on a show? A cascade shuffle to finish off a sequence of plain riffle and overhand shuffles. How unusual indeed.
“Humm.. say, █████?” Whimsy tilted her head at The Knight as they dealt the cards. “How well do you think your friends would fare in this game? I mean, luck’s been on your side clearly!”
Looking down at their own cards, Whimsy got a Jack of Clubs for the one that’s face up.
“I think █< Piece of Connection >█ would do oddly well,” They said. “She tends to have a knack for things she claims she’s never done before.” It was easy to talk freely here, as, well… The Knight was in their dominion. Anything short of insulting the two gods, and they felt whatever they did would end up being more amusing than anything else. Hell, maybe even if they insulted them. Not that they wanted to, of course. “As for █< Knight of Hearts >█… I believe it would go bad. Immediately. Just shitty luck.”
Their two cards were a two and four of diamonds. “Hit me.”
Nine of clubs, bringing their total up to… fifteen. “Hit me.”
Ten of diamonds. Fucking diamond. Son of a bitch. “Fuck.”
“Just goes to show that you can always get unlucky!” XIV laughs to herself before looking down at her cards. 7 of Spades, Queen of Diamonds. 19 points.
“... Stand.”
Whimsy giggled, flipping over her card. Two of Clubs. “Hit!”
Another card drawn. King of Spades. “Ah! Busted! You win, XIV!” Whimsy clapped in delight. “Only one bad card can really mess up your whole hand, hmm?”
“Yay!” XIV held her hands in the air.
The Knight laughed as well, finding that it was hard not to get wrapped up in Whimsy’s unending mirth. “I think diamonds are cursed for me,” They joked. “It’s rather convenient that one of them ended my win-streak.”
Granted, that win streak was… what, two games? Three? “I haven’t played Blackjack in years,” they said. “Last time I played, we…” They flushed. This was an embarrassing story. “We were gambling for the last bottle of vodka.”
“Hah! Really?” Whimsy laughed. “Oh, right! Yes, I remember briefly seeing that…! Heh, it was quite an interesting time indeed!” …Wait. How long had Whimsy been watching The Knight, then? Who knows? Sometimes, out the corner of her eye, they simply saw things.
“Hum, diamonds, huh? Now that reminds me of someone…” Whimsy tapped her chin, thinking. “Ah well, best not to dwell on it! Your turn to deal, █████!”
As much as inhumanly possible card shuffling tricks would’ve worked, The Knight decided to save those for a different dream. (What dream? Probably one that would never come to pass, but regardless.) They shuffled the cards together in another bridge before passing them out along their trio, leaving one of theirs face up. A Jack of hearts.
Wait. “Wh- you saw that?” They asked. “How did you… know I was alive?”
XIV quietly observed their conversation, the ribbons trail off elsewhere and return with a small bottle. Slowly filling with what believed to be star candies.
She looks down at her set. Ace of Clubs, and 10 of Hearts. 21 points.
“11 Ace Points. Stand.”
If XIV could smile any wider, she would.
“Oooh!” Whimsy giggled and looked down at her cards. Four of diamonds and six of spades. “Hit!”
Another card drawn. Seven of diamonds. “Hum, 17… stand!”
Whimsy watched as the star candies filled the jar. “Hehe, let’s just say that human lives are fascinating to watch! I’m not sure if it rubbed off from them or not, but either way I don’t mind!”
The Knight was so fucked. They would lose if they didn’t try, so… “Hit.”
Oh. Holy fuck.
“...it’s a tie.”
What were the fucking odds The Knight got a Jack of Hearts, 10 of Diamonds, and an Ace? What the hell?
“Is… is this game rigged? This doesn’t feel right.”
“Ha. Haha!” XIV tilted her head back to laugh. “So it seems to be a push.”
“Hehe! So it does!” Whimsy, miraculously, hadn’t won a single game, yet she was incredibly patient. Her time would come, eventually. Besides, she had all the time in the world!
“Rigged? Haha, why would you ever propose such a thing?” Their brows wrinkled in slight confusion, though her smile persisted. “I must admit, this is a fascinating display of luck! Makes me wonder if…” but Whimsy didn’t continue her sentence, instead letting it trail off into silence.
The Knight frowned and tilted their head to the side. Not an expression of pain or disappointment (unlike usually…), just one of… curiosity. “Wonder what?”
“Yeah Whimsy, you have interrupted your pondering for quite some time now.” XIV leaned back, crossing one leg over in a lax position.
“Hum… yes, I suppose I have!” Whimsy hummed. “Well, I was wondering if █< Piece of Connection >█ would really be so good at Blackjack like you said, heh!”
Whimsy sighed, standing up and smoothing her dress. With a curtsey, she exclaimed, “Hum, this was fun! I’ll come back again sometime later, perhaps! For now, goodnight!” Walking a few steps away with a wave, they disappeared just like that, leaving the dream.
…oh. Had they said something wrong? With the frown still present on their face, The Knight waved. “Ah… bye, Whimsy.”
XIV silently watched Whimsy leave, and she slowly stood up. She turns to face Her Knight “... How are you feeling, █████?”
“Stay strong… I will find a way to save you.”
Ah. The Knight settled back into the pillows that they were nestled in before, mulling over the question. They were feeling… “As alright as I can,” they said. “It was nice to play a game. I… I’m just tired, though.”
So, so tired. But- “I know you will,” The Knight replied. “Thank you. I’m… I wish I could do more to save myself, but I just.” It was hard enough not to completely lose their mind. To even attempt to escape… they feared the consequences too much. “I don’t know what to do other than to rest and wait for things to settle. As much as it pains me. I imagine you have better perspectives, though.”
“I understand, and I do not blame you for being as you are.”
They are starting to sound so eerily similar, It’s funny if it weren’t so sad.Through the back of his mind, I find…
“Staying strong, saving what’s left of your sanity, and being resilient is all you can do, patience will be your key to your freedom.” XIV knelt in one knee and bowed. “You will suffer, but that suffering will make way for something greater.”
Ribbons tugged away, causing her body to be lifted off the ground.
“Stay strong… For I believe in you so.”
Just like that, XIV falls into the white crack above and disappear
"Th-This place sucks," Comet mumbled as he walked, ears pinned against his head. The howling wind was uncomfortably to them, and the blinding whiteness made him squint.
The random collections of art pieces were incredibly interesting, and the hedgehog wouldn't have minded taking a closer look were the circumstances better. Right now, though, he just wanted to go home.
The boy didn't even remember how he got here.
"Is anyone else here...?"
Comet turned and nearly had a heart attack at the sudden sight of... himself? But different. Uncanny. He stopped and stared, ears perking up as the eerie doppelgänger spoke.
You are in a place that is windy and blinding. A White space carrying nothing but pockets of desolate works of art. You wander the empty expanse, feeling its texture of nothing.
You turn and find someone leaning and staring back at you. It’s meant to look like you, the shape that is familiar to the world you left behind.
May an antique clock dream? A thought takes me away. When dreamless things ask, once fell to sleep, will a being be merciful to grant them a wish to dance in their dreams? It seems to me I must return.
May an antique clock dream? A thought takes me away. When dreamless things ask, once fell to sleep, will a being be merciful to grant them a wish to dance in their dreams? It seems to me I must return.
It's dreadfully dull here!! I'm afraid I'm a little... off my game today! Would you mind if I popped by shortly? It's odd, but it's nothing a good game can't fix I'm sure!! ^v^
May I ask for an explanation as to what XIV is? I apologize for not sending a poem ask as an introduction. I would love a quick retelling of the character and anything I could utilize in my poem. I am much obliged.
Oh? Someone is curious about me? A follower or a future godslayer?
How sweet! :3
I'm just a cloak that lives in a place beyond the winds of time. Nothing of note at all. ^ ^
Fascinating... Are worms capable of dreaming, desiring more than what their birth has given them? Do they even grasp that they're born, moving into the ebb and flow of existence?
"Cheeers~!" Whimsy tossed a wave behind her as they turned to her dance partner with her ever-present bright smile.
"Ahah! No, of course not! Why would I care?" Whimsy tilted her head to the side, seemingly confused but genuinely not caring. "C'mon, let's dance!" And they took 14's hand and began dancing, spinning the other around with a bounce in their step.
As the two twirled and spun to the music, Whimsy never failed to smile and sway to the beat. Her mirrors reflected the golden light of the ballroom but never bounced the light into their dance partner's eyes. That would be quite rude, after all!
For once, Whimsy wasn't really talking. She was focusing entirely (or at least mostly) on the dance. They haven't danced in a loooong time, which is quite unfortunate, so they ought to take this chance and savour it.
Neither did 14 speak as the music sways their dance into motion, the way the star like mirrors sparkle around his dance partner, brought quite a beautiful fascination in his eyes.
Sensing the dance coming to a close, 14 gently spun her into a wide arc hand in hand.
As the song came to an end, so did the dance. Whimsy twirled 14 one last time, watching as their partner spun, and then let go right as the final note played. As any dance partner should, Whimsy curtsied as the song finished, lifting her skirt and bending her knees while bowing her head and keeping their back straight.
"That was wonderful! Thank you very much, 14." Whimsy smiled.
Whimsy stilled, whipping around to look towards the door. Her eyebrows were raised, and even though her smile didn't fade it was very clear that something was wrong.
"Hmm?" They stared in the direction of the door for a solid minute. Did something happen? All her mirrors were turned in the direction of the door, too.
"Hmm." Whimsy didn't take their eyes off the door, despite them still being closed. So, perhaps mirrors, then? "Yes, perhaps...!" She turned back to 14, feigning innocence. Nothing's wrong at all!
"Well then, perhaps I should get going soon! Maybe I'll return here once again another day... if this ball is still going, of course!" she chuckled.
"Cheeers~!" Whimsy tossed a wave behind her as they turned to her dance partner with her ever-present bright smile.
"Ahah! No, of course not! Why would I care?" Whimsy tilted her head to the side, seemingly confused but genuinely not caring. "C'mon, let's dance!" And they took 14's hand and began dancing, spinning the other around with a bounce in their step.
As the two twirled and spun to the music, Whimsy never failed to smile and sway to the beat. Her mirrors reflected the golden light of the ballroom but never bounced the light into their dance partner's eyes. That would be quite rude, after all!
For once, Whimsy wasn't really talking. She was focusing entirely (or at least mostly) on the dance. They haven't danced in a loooong time, which is quite unfortunate, so they ought to take this chance and savour it.
Neither did 14 speak as the music sways their dance into motion, the way the star like mirrors sparkle around his dance partner, brought quite a beautiful fascination in his eyes.
Sensing the dance coming to a close, 14 gently spun her into a wide arc hand in hand.
As the song came to an end, so did the dance. Whimsy twirled 14 one last time, watching as their partner spun, and then let go right as the final note played. As any dance partner should, Whimsy curtsied as the song finished, lifting her skirt and bending her knees while bowing her head and keeping their back straight.
"That was wonderful! Thank you very much, 14." Whimsy smiled.
Whimsy stilled, whipping around to look towards the door. Her eyebrows were raised, and even though her smile didn't fade it was very clear that something was wrong.
"Hmm?" They stared in the direction of the door for a solid minute. Did something happen? All her mirrors were turned in the direction of the door, too.
"Cheeers~!" Whimsy tossed a wave behind her as they turned to her dance partner with her ever-present bright smile.
"Ahah! No, of course not! Why would I care?" Whimsy tilted her head to the side, seemingly confused but genuinely not caring. "C'mon, let's dance!" And they took 14's hand and began dancing, spinning the other around with a bounce in their step.
As the two twirled and spun to the music, Whimsy never failed to smile and sway to the beat. Her mirrors reflected the golden light of the ballroom but never bounced the light into their dance partner's eyes. That would be quite rude, after all!
For once, Whimsy wasn't really talking. She was focusing entirely (or at least mostly) on the dance. They haven't danced in a loooong time, which is quite unfortunate, so they ought to take this chance and savour it.
Neither did 14 speak as the music sways their dance into motion, the way the star like mirrors sparkle around his dance partner, brought quite a beautiful fascination in his eyes.
Sensing the dance coming to a close, 14 gently spun her into a wide arc hand in hand.
As the song came to an end, so did the dance. Whimsy twirled 14 one last time, watching as their partner spun, and then let go right as the final note played. As any dance partner should, Whimsy curtsied as the song finished, lifting her skirt and bending her knees while bowing her head and keeping their back straight.
"That was wonderful! Thank you very much, 14." Whimsy smiled.