banner credit to HellisTime: 3 Months Ago
Location: Ironworks, Lost Haven.Odette fell unceremoniously through the cement floor into Ironwork’s basement. Grunting painfully, the sounds of destruction above her pushed a shot of adrenaline through her. The messy crumbling ceiling where she fell through was clearly unstable. She scrambled away from the ensuing noise of destruction. It held long enough for her to get clear of the roof’s destruction bellowing down at her heels. Her skin marked red and angry from the pools of iron she forced herself through.
Once clear from the rubble she collapsed. The poison felt like fire under her skin. Barely enunciating her healing spell for pulling iron free from her blood, little shiny drops of metal slowly seeped back up through her skin, exiting her body. Laying down on the filthy floor her breath was heavy with exhaustion, her skin still searing.
“
The-The…” She mumbled, “
The iron is gone, Bach. Please… release me.”
Tentatively Bach began to detach himself from his pact partner his body rematerialized beside her on the ground. When he was fully formed and back to himself he rolled to his side and began vomiting everything in his stomach. The very same marks of poison littered throughout his body.
Odette struggled to sit back up using the wall for support, blood began rolling down from her nose threatening to flow without a pause. Her eyes were bloodshot and the nausea returned with a vengeance. Her body dipped dangerously into shock, without any access to magic her heart pounded in panic.
Time: Present
Location: Lincoln Center, New York City.After a tour through the company’s onsite facilities, dance studios and costume departments. Many of the areas Odette had personally seen before. This wasn’t her first trip to New York with the company. It was a bore. With Kendra there it wasn’t so bad, unfortunately Odette caught some of the American dancers making fun of her friend's English. It didn’t help that Kendra was already afraid of sounding stupid.
“
If I see this man stumble one more time I think I will not hold back my laugh.” Odette whispered to Kendra. Having gone out of her way to viciously gossip about the dancers that had been rude, spreading rumours like wildfire in the short few days of arrival. Her friend hid her smile behind a light brown hand with a pair of dazzling gray eyes. Kendra wore expertly applied black eyeliner and a more neutral palette of colours for her makeup. Meant to last through sweat rather than looking couture.
“
Oh stop, Vincent is looking right at us…!” Kendra whispered back waving sheepishly at Vincent. His expression was less than impressed.
Odette waved as well, a bit more impish than she had intended which earned her an eye roll.
“
You are going to get a lecture if you keep this up.” Kendra replied.
“
Who cares-” Odette’s words stumbled to a halt as her eyes caught sight of Captain Esen in person hanging about the dancers showing a little interest in them. His wispy form giving the dancer’s goosebumps. One even complained at the sudden drop in temperature. Kendra bumped her elbow into Odette’s ribcage tearing her eyes away. Her irritation rather evident in her expression.
“
Care to finish your sentence?”
Odette answered in English her hand popping up to get Vincent's attention, ”
Bathroom break?”
Vincent and the American principal dancer, Jolie, exchanged a look then nodded clapping their hands to allow everyone to go for a break. They had been in class for over an hour, mainly due to long winded questions and discussions. Odette stared at Esen, invisible to everyone there. Bach was nowhere in sight, he had taken to wandering the Lincoln Center during the day out of boredom.
“
I’ll come with.” Kendra said standing up and stretching out her arms. Loosening up after sitting on the floor.
Odette said almost too quickly, “
Non, I’ll be quick.”
Kendra raised a perfectly penciled brow and stated, “
A lie if I have ever heard one.” A few dancers in the company had bowed out of the rehearsals for Eugène Onéguine due to health reasons, largely rumoured to be due to an eating disorder rearing its ugly head. A rumour mostly unfounded until the company's onsite doctor had been spending extra time reiterating the importance of eating correctly and scrutinizing every dancer through routine physical check ups. While Odette could be rather cagey it was hardly ever due to hiding weights in her pockets. Kendra's suspicions weren't unusual.
Kendra pulled Odette up to stand as well. Idly adjusting a few folds in her hijab waiting for Odette to follow. Odette was immediately furious he would appear so suddenly in the middle of class but he rarely appeared in person, it must be for good news. Captain Esen shrugged in response behind Kendra. Odette lead the way out to the bathrooms snagging her phone from her sweater. Kendra carried on discussing the class as they made their way to the bathroom while Odette thought of half a dozen more excuses to break away to speak to the Captain. None seemingly to come in a natural way. Her curiosity burned but she would need to be patient to hear the full details.
They entered the women’s washroom and disappeared into the stalls. Pulling out her phone she typed in a note then showed the screen up to Esen, now floating lazily above the stall Odette was occupying.
Did you find her?He nodded, “
Yes, My Lady. Racheli was spotted and confirmed as of this morning. She foolishly revealed her face in Lost Haven. We cannot confirm who it was she attempted to confront.”
The sounds of Kendra emptying her bladder were beginning to recede and Odette’s time was running out.
Meet with Bach and we will discuss this in further detail later She typed.
Esen nodded his form receding. Quickly as the toilet was flushing from Kendra, Odette mimicked the flush from her own stall using the tip of her foot to push the handle down while she typed a message to The Cowl.
R confirmed in LHHesitating, her thumb hovered over the
SEND button. Kendra had exited the stall and Odette sucked on the inside of her cheek in thought.
No, we will not make the same mistakes again.Sending the text message decisively, Kendra called for her to hurry up. The ballerinas returned to class, Odette's mood considerably lighter her mind wound up with plans, ideas and all the work she had to look forward to. Racheli, unknowingly, graciously afforded her
such a generous head start. It was only polite to return that favour in kind.
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