That’s it – you’re well and truly lost.

… Which is odd, because you thought you knew where you were going. You had definitely mapped out your route through the Cave, but this passageway isn’t familiar. Well, you’re sure it’ll work out … Probably. You know what direction you’re going in and what’s supposed to be there so …

You are quickly proven wrong when the beat of loud bass begins to thrum through your chest as you turn a corner. You can see the darkened entrance of a cavern up ahead and flashes of color coming from within. And stretching out from the entrance of the cavern is … a long queue of ravens.

You have to do a double take, but the birds are still there when you look again. It appears that they’re waiting to enter the cavern and talking to a particularly large raven at the entrance before they’re allowed in. A jostle of feathers and bump of wings later, you find yourself shuffled in line and standing before the raven bouncer.

He looks at you oddly. “Not from around here, bud? I can tell.” The raven bouncer shuffles his wings in a way you think is the equivalent of crossing his arms but for ravens. He looks you up and down and thinks for a moment in uncomfortable silence. Just when you’re about to tell him you’re lost, actually, he nods to himself. “Alright, I can let ya in. But ya gotta show me the goods first.”

The … what? “Wait, I think you have the wrong person,” you manage, “I don’t have anything like that with me.”

The raven bouncer stares at you. “The goods. The moves. Ya gotta show me something that’ll fit in.”

“You gonna keep holding up the line, pal?” Another raven behind you gets impatient and shuffles around you, striking a pose then doing an impressive spinning dance move and flaring their tail feathers as a finisher. The bouncer nods and gestures for the raven to go in, then looks back at you.

“Like that. Alright, hit me with it.”

Looks like you’re going to need to show the bouncer the “goods” before you can join that rave!

• Through art, writing, or another media of your choice, create a raven dance move to show the bouncer!
  • Written entries should be at least a paragraph in length.
  • Art entries should be refined at least to the level of a clean sketch.
  • Your dance move may be inspired by a real-life dance move, but must be described/depicted beyond simply providing the name of the move.
• Participation in this activity will earn you the item set: Raven’s Tail, Raven’s Beak, and Drifty Glow Sticks
• Participation in at least one Mycena Rave(n) activity will earn you an activity sticker.
• This activity runs through the end of the day on April 9th

The world seems rather demanding of it tonight. First, a puzzling bird pleads for loot, and now, another orders for… the goods? The moves? It rumbles curiously. It has… no idea how to approach this. It’s clear that it’s never danced before, at least not in any sort of intentional, conventional manner. It’s given the other raven many spoons, but what this one requires is no sort of object. Some kind of a dance, eh?

Suddenly, its body shifts to and fro, not making a move of any limb or fin, yet still flitting back and forth between one spot and another, left and right. The ravens behind it seem unimpressed. Should it add a little more to its ritual? The Kelph curls its body into something of a ring shape, zipping whilst orbiting around something round and sparkly. When did that get there? It doesn’t matter, really. It’s just one piece of a very… baffling puzzle. Is this supposed to be a dance? It’s definitely doing something.

When it finishes, it exposes the item now clutched between its claws: a disco ball?! Why? Did it not realize that disco is dead —— that a rave isn’t anything remotely like a disco? Sure, there were many colorful, bright lights, but…

Ah, whatever. At least it’s some attempt at a dance, right?

Well, if you’re going to be dancing with someone else, you should make sure to know at least an Informal Raven Dance Bow to let others know you’d like to start boogeying alongside them.

The Informal Raven Dance Bow

We begin the bow by raising the left knee up as close to the body as possible. In many areas, you may need to have a good balance for this action, but if it’s possible to perch on an object, then it’s recommended you do so. Bend the right knee slightly to help maintain a good center of gravity. This starting pose is classic, and will help others understand what you’re trying to do.

The movement doesn’t need to be overly obvious, but does need to be noticeable. Make sure you’ve made eye contact with your future dance partner and that they are looking at you before performing the Informal Raven Dance Bow

It’s recommended that once you have their attention, you state your intent. This is not required, but highly encouraged. While most people out on the dance floor will already know you’re looking to dance with them, someone who has not seen the Informal Raven Dance Bow may be a bit confused. As such, it’s usually a safe bet to explain you’d like to dance with them before the bow. You can say whatever you’d like, but these are some truly-time-tested, classic lines:

- Caw Caw Caaaw Caw Caw?
- Caaaaaw Caw, Caaaw Caw Caw Caw Caw?
- Caw caw caaaaw Squawk Caw, Squawk caw Caw?

Once they respond in kind, or if you’ve gone the non-verbal route, the only thing left is a gently head nod to the side. The movement should be pronounced, and slightly oblique, twisting your head up so as you’d be able to see your potential dance partner while bowing. You should only have to maintain this position for a moment.

If your dance partner responds in kind (nodding to their left, your right), then you’re ready to go! If they do not, then you may proceed to the Formal Raven Dance Bow, or cut your losses here and look for another bird ready to dance the night away.

Good luck!

“Something that will ‘fit in’?” Croft repeated, lifting his chin as he stares at the raven. “Is it not enough that I have adorned myself with these garish trimmings?” He raised an arm and shook it to draw attention to the glow bracelets around his wrist.

The line behind him began to grumble more dangerously at the insult to their fashion. Croft surveyed the situation and sighed. “Very well. I suppose an intrepid individual such as myself ought to be prepared to face all manner of initiation rituals ... Make room, please ...”

The little dragon broke into a precise waltz, his three-step movements keeping perfect time, even without music. He used his cane to stand in for a partner, twirling it and spinning it between his hands before finishing his routine with a flourish and a bow.

“Well?” he asked, rising out of his bow. “Is that enough to earn my entrance?”

Reflection of a Song, or Seda as she was generally known, hadn’t planned on attending a party today… But she didn’t often get to have fun with other bird-like entities (or in this case actual birds), so she decided to just roll with this change in plans. At the large raven’s request she thought for a moment then started weaving back and forth, while repeatedly ruffling and smoothing her feathers. Then she spread her wings slightly before twirling on one clawed foot, then hopping her other foot and spinning back in the other direction. She spread her tail feathers and angled her wings down so as to resemble a skirt, continuing to riffle and smooth her feathers in order to mimic the look of a skirt swirling around her as she bobbed and spun.

Maybe her moves weren’t the most impressive, or especially creative… But it was oddly elegant, plus she looked like she was having fun with it. And wasn’t that what really mattered at a party?

“A raven dance? I’m afraid I don’t know how to dance with ravens—only crows. Those are pretty different, right?” Morrigan asked. The raven bouncer just glared at her, and she grimaced. “Alright, alright, I’ll give it a shot…”

She stepped back to make some room around her, then began the movements of the dance she usually performed with her flock of crows. She flung her limbs about in a way that was graceful, but wild, and as her many feathered wings extended and flapped in rhythm to her turns, they wound up smacking into the other ravens waiting in line.

After the third raven was smacked, the bouncer flung out his wing to stop her. “Fine! That’s good enough.”

Eirian grinned, she hadn’t planned on a party of any kind but she also wasn’t on to turn down the opportunity when offered. Plus she had to get some of those glow bracelets. So dance moves she could do. Wings fluffed out she moved to the side to have enough space, didn’t wanna be bumping into anyone, Eirian did have some manners after all.
With enough room Eirian bobbed twice like a raven just for the energy and raised her wings up for balance and to flap a little with the music as she bounced, two chest rattling base bumps bowed forward nose nearly too the ground and two more head ringing base thumps bouncing upright, tail wagging the whole time. She was keeping time with her half open wings and fore paws either over her head or on her hips as she stomped and hopped in a circle, coming to a stop facing the raven bouncer again and striking a bit of a pose for her big finish.

Was it refined or graceful? Not really. But enthusiastic and on the rhythm? Absolutely. And as far as Eirian was concerned enthusiasm was the primary reason for going to a rave.

Jacob and Lulu be buddy boogieng! 

Meander stared around the dancefloor curiously. Shadow Mist was nervous, shifting from paw to paw as random ravens kept bumping into him. He was never a party type, but luckily for him, Meander was.

“Come on, Shadow, just follow my lead!” She shout-whispered above the music to him. Spreading her arms wide, she dropped her legs into a sort of squatting stance. Shimmying her shoulders, she leaned back and forth, her arms remaining wide stretched.

“What the heck are you doing!?” Shadow hissed at her, slowly trying to mimic her stance and actions. Meander looked at him, a serious look on her face that was definitely trying to fight a smile.

“I’m dancing like a bird, Shadow! Have you never seen birds dance before?” She said, bending an arm in front of her to create some “spice” as she continued her movements. “I saw it in the cave once.” She switched arms when she switched sides in her lean. Shimmy, lean, shimmy, lean, Meander continued mimicking a bird she saw dancing all those weeks ago. Who knew things would turn around like this?

Oh well, she was having fun regardless!

Shadow, however, heavily doubted that this was any respectable dance move, but the ravens around them seemed to like it, so he simply followed her lead and stayed quiet, even as his legs burned.

Hrg stares at the bouncer, squinting. They aren’t the best dancer; their wings are too large for their body, and the resulting lack of spatial awareness can be a little disorienting. But, dammit, Hrg will be getting into that rave!

So Hrg squares their shoulders, sets their feets apart, and starts to bounce. Up and down, up and down, before flapping their wings in a pattern that reads “Please let me in!” in Morse Code. They are unsure if the bouncer knows Morse Code, but there is no harm in it. Hrg swishes their tail from side to side and punctuates the end of their dance with a twirl.

The bouncer thinks for a moment, then motion with their head inside the building, unsure. It was quite the show, but Hrg doesn’t lack for enthusiasm!

“A dance move?” Jacob grins. “Hey, don’t have to tell me twice.”

Time to blow them all away with his outstanding moves. They were going to regret asking him. The party was going to move outside once they saw what Jake had to offer. The bouncer was going to have to step back lest they get caught up in the thrill. Showing off a dance move? Really? Cheapest dive he’s ever visited. This was going to be the easiest thing he ever did in his life. Just they wait until they see what he can do. He was going to knock their socks off. He’d been saving this for when he was inside, but nothing like a quick pregame, he supposed. He was ready to get down and prove how epic and awesome he was. Everyone better prepare themselves. Jacob was about to show his dance move. He began swaying his hips and taking off his shirt-

“No.”

“No?”

The raven pointed away from the exit, two others joining him to block the door. “No. Get out.”

“Your rave is stupid anyways!!” Jacob snapped, before storming off.

Lottie gives the raven bouncer a once over and cross her arms. Was this bouncer serious? She would have to dance to get into this club? Well, if she had she would have to. Giving herself a little shake down, shaking out her limbs, and steady her initial nerves she flashes the bouncer a grin.

“I bet you guys haven’t seen these moves before.” And pulls out her phone, music begins to play. The tell tale sound of an accordion playing fast begins to emit from the speakers of her phone and Lottie raises her hands to chest level, her thumbs pressed to her four fingers, resembling bird beaks, it is the unmistakable Chicken Dance.

She smirks just as the music continues on and she opens and closes her hands to the beat of the song like a chicken opening an d closing it’s beak, next her hands are at her hips, elbows akimbo as she flaps her arms like wings, and then does a little shake in time to the music, and with the last bit claps her hands. She repeats the motions in time to music as it goes on enjoying herself a bit more and more with each round before finally the music dies down and comes to and end along with her and her chicken dance.

“So? Sooooo?” She laughs having enjoyed her silly little choice of dance move, “Have I wowed you? Have I astounded you? Are you impressed enough to let me in?” She laughs once more giddy and facing the raven bouncer as she waited expectantly for his answer.

Galbraithe loved a good rave. The loud music that vibrated down your spine, the frenetic energy and shared beat; the feeling of being part of a group and a space outside of time, every stranger a friend.

What she did not like was standing outside a club, hearing all the vibrant commotion, knowing she was missing out on precious minutes and moments waiting in a crummy line, watching aimlessly as a bouncer vetted a slow-moving train of wannabe patrons.

This time however, she was more amused, leaning on a stanchion and watching the river of sleek black feathers flowing along, occasionally interrupted by another curious Mycenian who also couldn’t miss the once-in-a-lifetime chance to join in on the Raven Rave. She was beginning to see a pattern to her fellow mammals interactions with the raven bouncer—one that was providing her with the best in-line entertainment she’d ever had. She was still chuckling at the last Mycenian who had been let in when she stepped up to the front of the queue and stared down at the somehow-buff raven security, a larger-than-average member of his species.

She wasn’t surprised by his ask. Frankly, she was delighted. Smug, even, as she had an advantage that many of her fellow Mycenians had not—her own pair of sleek, black wings, and as a bonus, a rather agile tail to match. Of course, it was easier to dance with a partner to vibe off of, but she didn’t expect any trouble.

Listening to the music echoing out of the club, she started to bounce in time to the beat, wings held out to her sides. She cut shapes with her toes and heels, shoulders pumping with the movements, tail arcing side to side rhythmically. She raised her arms to feel the music, wings following suit in a prominent display of their span, reaching nearly as high as her fingertips. When she swooped down for a bodyroll, her long ears swayed. Finally she posed for the raven as she had seen the others do, tucking up her legs so it looked like she was balanced on the thin coil of her tail, though really it was the magic aura that let her float and flutter that was doing the heavy lifting, wings spread in a wide arc as she rested her chin upon her raised hand.

“Well?” she questioned. The raven, with no particular fanfare, waved her in.

“Wow, a dance party?” Necatrine normally wasn’t much of a dancer but, she supposed, she loved a good party and just so happens that perhaps maybe she hadn’t recalled being invited to that many dance parties before, so what a fun new opportunity! She was on her way to deliver a bundle of produce and had the pack strapped to her back but… what the heck! It was mostly sturdy enough stuff, and she’d left early to try out a new route… so if it happened to pass through a dance party, she’d just have to dance her way on through, right?

Nectarine tried to imagine what dancing looked like, and began swaying her body and bobbing. Thinking of the birds she liked to watch, she outstretched her pair of golden wings with some flourish (as much as she could manage with her pack still resting near the base of her wings) and involved those in the practice to, swaying them rhythmically. She suddenly dropped her body low to ground and swayed for a moment in this new position before bouncing back up, using a thrust of her wings for a bit of extra lift in an attempt to add some grace and style.

It was definitely improvised and a bit unconveniental as far as dances go but she had fun trying out some moves, so hopefully it was good enough for the ravens.

Edison was a small, furry animal creature with big ears and an insatiable curiosity. She lived in a world full of magical creatures, and she loved nothing more than exploring and learning new things. Her cousin, Lelo, was just as curious as she was, and the two of them often went on adventures together.

One day, while exploring the Forbidden Mire,  Edison and Lelo came across a group of ravens dancing. The ravens were graceful and agile, moving in unison to a rhythm that was both captivating and mysterious.  Edison was entranced, and she immediately decided that she wanted to learn how to dance like the ravens.

Lelo was skeptical. “I don’t think we should interfere,” he said. “The ravens might not want us to join in.”

But Edison was determined. “I have to try,” she said. “I have to learn this dance.”

So, she approached the ravens and asked if she could join in. At first, the ravens were hesitant. They had never seen a creature like Edison before, and they weren’t sure if she could keep up with their intricate dance moves. But Edison was persistent, and eventually, the ravens agreed to let her join in.

The dance was unlike anything Edison had ever experienced. It was fast-paced and energetic, with lots of hopping, flapping, and spinning. At first,  Edison stumbled and tripped over her own feet, but she quickly got the hang of it. She followed the lead of the ravens, matching their every move, and soon she was dancing with the same grace and agility as they were.

Lelo watched from the sidelines, amazed at his cousin’s skill. He had never seen anyone pick up a dance so quickly before.

The ravens were impressed too. They had never seen a creature outside of their own kind dance so well. They welcomed Edison into their group, and together they danced for hours, lost in the rhythm and the magic of the Forbidden Mire.

Havres cackled, amused by the display of feathers and joy that the raven in front of her presented.

“You want a dance move?” she sneered with a grin, “I don’t know if you’re ready for what I have!”

Feeling the rhythm of the music from the cavern, Havres looked intently into the bouncer’s eyes before flinging her arms to either side and pushing her chest up in an effort to prove her size. Pulling her arms suddenly in, Havres ducked her head and then began to whip and spin around wildly, arms flashing in and out from her body’s center, eyes closed now and sharp teeth poking through a smile. A few of the ravens behind her had to hop back in the tornado that was the ringmaster’s moves.

It was both frantic and precise as Havres would go clockwise, and counterclockwise, in one spot and then flailing to the next. She kept going, wondering if she was dancing for too long. However, without the interruption of the bouncer, she believed there must be something going on that impressed the birds. Thankfully, the song began to wind down and Havres followed suit, ducking down into a squat before pouncing up and waving her wrists and fingers in a grand gesture and a bright determination in her eyes as she went to gauge the bouncer’s reaction.

Silence. Her chest rose and fell at a quick pace as she breathed through her nose in exhaustion but tried to keep her composure. After a beat, she cleared her throat, ran a hand through her hair, and smirked.

“Impressive, right?” Havres nodded, “I knew it.”

This is my attempt at a raven doing the Orange Justice (a fortnite dance)

Rave

Prince rarely set foot on dry land. However when light was blotted out by a massive flock of black birds, Prince couldn’t contain his curiosity. He made his way to town, following the trail of feathers, glow sticks and frightened Mycenanes until he was unbelievably lost amongst the cold dry land tunnels. Prince rounded a corner and found himself in a cavern full of…Ravens? Light filtered through the entrance along with the sound of deep base music. The fishy prince approached the corvid que, watching in puzzlement as they each gained entrance by showing off a dance move or another.

upon reaching the front of the line, the fox was baffled when he was asked to “show the goods” to the bouncer. What goods? He looked at the golden rings adorning his person and started to back away. Kindly raven with a glowstick wrapped around her neck took pity on him.

“The goods. Your moves.” She struck a pose, one wing raised behind her head as she moved her feet in time with the music leaking from the brightly lit cavern.

“A dance?” he asked in confusion. He nodded thinking back to his youth spend learning all manner of ballroom dance. This didn’t seem appropriate for this setting. He frowned and then smiled. He pulled out his wand and conjured a large bubble full of water.

Leaping in he performed several spins, summersaults, flips and twirls, gathering his magic around him to create small glittering lights like underwater stars.

The bouncer crow was impressed by the display. It was unusual and strange but it was also beautiful and could not be denied as a form of dance. The bird nodded, letting both the Inekki and the raven into the Rave.

Prince spend the night Rave’n with the ravens to his hearts content.

Show spoiler

The Snortin’ Buck and Twist  Tllamookie tossed her pale pink coloured mane as the bouncer asked her to show what she’s got.  With a quick fling her head, her mane swept back as she let out an almighty snort.  The bouncer quickly stepped back to give her a little more space, truth be told, he was instinctively intimidated by Tillamookie’s size.  Just as well, as her waffle cone front hooves came down along with her head and her cascades of pale pink tail went upwards.  At the last second her hind feet did a twist with a flourishing kick before she came level again.  Another toss of her head to clear her forelock from her eyes, and she asked “That do it for ya?”  The wide eyed bouncer nodded and stepped aside.  “Try to not take anyone’s head off with that, okay?  But yes, it looked spectacular!”. 

OregonCoast

(Genna sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose as Phil and Toby continued to dance enthusiastically away. The strange little bird woman who’d come out of no where was clapping along, looking ecstatic.)

Phil and Toby clearly didn’t understand the assignment but they sure are enthusiastic

Misty Sunset got up from her fluffy bed, and looked around. From her window, she could see a flurry of ravens queuing up to join the colorful rave. The dazzling bright lights and funky music attracted her, and she made her way to the back of the line. Soon she was in front of the raven bouncer, who requested her to dance.

Misty wasn’t much of a dancer, though she did love to playfully dance around her house occasionally. She tried to improvise a dance at that very moment. She hopped a little, flapped her wings and started gliding in the air, spinning around, then landing on the ground, then gliding again, this time twirling her tail. She repeated this a few times, sometimes spinning clockwise, sometimes counter-clockwise, until the music died down. She faced the bouncer once more, waiting for him to answer.

This is the Feather Swoop, you fly up a little, then shake your wings to the rhythm and then confidently swing your tailfeathers in the direction of your “audience”.