Hey Little Fighter (Open)

[Aiden Mumble]

Aiden slowly packed up her bag as the rest of her class filled out of the theater. Normally the rehearsed in a separate room, but they had recital coming up so they'd been testing the space out in the theater. Aiden was trying not to think a bout it. She stood in the back of the class and did just enough to get by. She knew her professor had noticed on more than one occasion, he'd even asked her if she was certain that she wanted to be a dance major. Like she had a choice. No, not just because her parents were extremely successful artists, but because Aiden truly loved dance above all else. It was just about the only healthy release she had in her life, too bad she felt like she could only truly express herself in secret.

When the class had finally gone and the doors of the theater clicked shut behind them and let out a long sigh. She wasn't looking great, she hadn't been sleeping much. She wondered where Mordred was right now and hoped he was with Tristian or someone else with some sense in them. She took out her phone and stared out it, wanting to text him just to make sure he could text back. She needed to calm down, it had been a few days and he seemed like he might be doing better. He was making an effort at least. However, Aiden had trust issues to begin with. She didn't trust herself so she could hardly trust Mordred.

She shoved the phone back into her bag and heard the crinkling of paper. Confused she pulled out an envelope . Oh yeah. She'd gotten another letter from Hinrik today. The first letter was buried somewhere in her room. She tried her best not to think about it, not to think about him. It was stupid, they never even truly dated. She'd barely said a kind word to him. Still, she was curious. That was all, she wanted to see what he'd wrote even if it didn't matter. She convinced herself and pulled open the note.

It was classic Hinrik. Short and to the point. He was safe. He'd broken his favorite axe in battle. He missed her. But why? What had she ever done to earn his affection, what had she said to deserve being missed, what could she have possibly done to warrant several letters? Aiden felt angry. Angry at Hinrik for wasting his time, angry at herself for the cracking she felt in her heart, and she was tired and she had a friend in need. She didn't have time for this.

She stuffed the note back in her bag, hoping it tore, then she threw the bag across the room. she felt like screaming. She felt overwhelmed by the swirling chaos of her own emotions. She clambered back over to her back and pulled out her phone. With a few clicks she found was she was looking for and turned the volume on full blast. She knelt down, took a long deep breath, and began to dance.


inspired by
outfit
dance

[Victoria Heart]

Being the curious sort, Tori was spending a lot of her time outside of classes exploring, whether it was places, or people...and no, not necessarily in that way, though that was sometimes the goal. But she was just absorbing whatever she could learn about anything here, because that meant novelty, that meant something new to tickle her brain. There were some who didn't quite realize it, but she was rather intelligent...smart enough to know that it was far more fun to use your smarts for something other than academia. In the case of her own future, using them to influence others was vital...but as of now, she was alone, exploring some of the outer buildings...and ooh, there was the theatre...she could go for that. While she didn't practice much of the arts (unless creating things out of thin air counted...it really ought to, come to think of it), she was a happy patron of them.

She came in, keeping her steps quiet for reasons she wasn't even sure of, not until she heard the music, and saw there was someone on stage. Someone dancing. She froze in her steps, not wanting to interrupt, partially because people tended to dislike that, and partially because...oh, she was good. Further, there seemed to be anguish in her every move. There was a combination of pure talent and pure emotions that was borderline mesmerizing.

Impressed, she couldn't help but offer some lonely applause when it seemed to be over. It could've just been a pause, but while Tori tried to be polite, patience wasn't always her greatest strength, and this girl probably deserved to know she had an audience anyway.

"Brava," her voice echoed through the theatre.

[Aiden Mumble]

Aiden was nearing the end of the song, having stretched her limits the whole song through. She poured her heart out and felt a terrific release as her anger and fear and sorrow flowed from her soul out past her finger tips and into the open air. For a few blissful minutes she felt whole and healthy. She felt optimistic for the first time in years. She hadn't let go in a dance like this in a very long time. It was extremely overdue. Still, like all good things, it couldn't last. On her final spin she noticed a figure out in the aisle and nearly toppled over. Instead she wobbled, unsure if she was seeing things and finished her spin with as much grace as she could muster. Aiden whipped back around before the song had quite finished, searching the spot where she'd had thought she'd seen someone mid turn. Sure enough, there was the sound of clapping and a single voice calling out praise.

Shit.

Aiden's heart shot up into her throat and made it hard to breathe. Someone had seen her dancing her heart out on stage. Class was over, who would just wonder in here between classes? No no, this wasn't right. She was supposed to be safe. This was supposed to be a private diary entry, not a performance. Aiden tried to keep it together, but she couldn't hide the horror in her face initially. She grabbed at her chest as she swiveled around and knelt down to grab her phone. She quickly turned off the music, but she dared not face the intruder again. Aiden didn't recognize her, which was better in the grad scheme of things, but she could know someone who she knew and tell them of this moment. She'd tell them how Aiden thought she was some great dancer when she did nothing but flop around on stage to dramatic music.

Keep it together, she repeated in her head over and over, trying to keep her breathing from hitching. It wasn't going well. Oh sweet Jesus, was she going to be spied on and have a panic attack in the same day? She shoved her phone in her bag and began to slip on her shoes without turning back around. Maybe she should just run, perhaps if she didn't look at this person again they'd forget her face.

[Victoria Heart]

Tori immediately realized that perhaps she should have kept quiet the entire time, or even better, had found a way to leave without alerting the girl. It was hard to not see just how badly her presence had affected the girl, even if you weren't an expert at reading people. Her own expression became a lighter version of the other's horror for a split second before it was replaced with confusion. Good gods, why on earth would she be horrified by this? she wondered. She knew damn well not everyone craved the attention she did, but this still seemed a bit excessive even for the most anxious. She couldn't imagine even Nancy responding like this. A little blushing, a little awkward giggling perhaps, but this?

Well, whatever her reason didn't matter all that much, did it? What mattered was helping her feel at ease again. Despite her reputation, Tori wasn't careless about the feelings of others, and would probably hate herself a little if she realized she had been.

Since it was clearly too late to back away, Tori decided instead to take some steps forward. She wasn't aiming for walking up to the stage just yet, aware that the girl might need some space (you could practically SMELL the fear on her)...just getting close enough so she'd have the best chance of hearing her. She called out, keeping her voice as gentle as she could, "If it's an issue of privacy, I can assure you, no one will know what I saw if you don't want them to...you'll find I'm rather good at keeping secrets."

[Aiden Mumble]

"Who are you?" Aiden suddenly spun around and blurted harshly. She was standing now, her bag in hand, ready to cut and run at any moment, but she couldn't help but ask. She'd mostly ignored what the girl had said except for the bit about keeping it a secret. Keep what a secret? That she was a dancer. Most people knew that, they had to, it was what she was studying. Or, perhaps, the girl meant she'd keep it a secret that she was a bad dancer. This thought made her bristle and burn. Aiden hadn't been thinking too highly of her talent lately, but she didn't need someone else pitying her as well. Who did this girl think she was, barging in her and critiquing her? Was she some amazing artist who had hoping to use the time between class to practice. Aiden didn't often stay after class, so perhaps this girl came in here often. She was a idiot to have stayed.

Her hand squeezed the shoulder strap of her black bag too tightly. Her knuckles had gone white. Her stomach felt like she had gone on thirty roller coasters one after the other. Still she couldn't make herself move. Her anger and her fear at war. Her desire to appear fine firmly rooting her to the spot. What did she care what this stranger thought. If she began a rumor about Aiden's dance she would lose her mind and this girl would likely lose a limb. This was the last thing she needed. Here she thought she was finally feeling some release and now it was utterly ruined.

[Victoria Heart]

For a moment, Tori studied the other girl...you'd think she was one of the veterans of the war back at home. Most of them were this jumpy, this ready to lash out at the slightest provocation...perhaps some people would be offended by her tone, by her body language, but all Tori felt was sympathy. After all, she had been the one to just waltz in here during what was clearly a moment to herself. That meant the onus of hopefully bringing her some peace fell directly on her shoulders.

"Victoria...and I'd like to think I could be a fan, but you clearly didn't want an audience. I do apologize for that. Had I known you wanted to be left alone, I likely would have done so." Despite how easily lies came to her, this wasn't one. She was mischievous, she was carefree, she was impulsive, but none of that could ever amount to enjoying causing any innocent soul pain. Least of all the kind she had clearly caused this poor girl. "My curiosity simply got the better of me."

Here she tried to meet her eyes, her voice remaining gentle. "That doesn't change my opinion though; for what it's worth, you're clearly talented."

[Aiden Mumble]

Aiden hissed softly in annoyance and turned her head to the side when the girl mentioned being a fan. She tried willing herself to keep rage filled tears from pouring down her face. This was ridiculous. This was not worth crying over. She felt like this girl had walked in on her naked and unprepared. Aiden needed to feel like she can control over her interactions. If she was going to dance for someone, which was unlikely to begin with, she needed time to prepare and make the decision for herself. Dance was very personal to her. She loved it and hated it. She felt like it was the only thing that could truly bring her happiness and her downfall. She wanted to be the best at it and she wanted to give it up forever. She was born with dance in her heart and raised on its virtues, but she'd grown cold and cut off and suddenly the thing she loved most rubbed harshly against her nature.

The girl was apologizing, but Aiden didn't feel like accepting it. She had been alone in the theater between classes. This girl didn't think it would be odd to barge in here and start clapping? Aiden tried to focus on breathing, calming her heart rate. She said her name was Victoria. She had called her talented. Well what did she know? Who was she to call her talented? She much think very highly of herself to think she could hold such authority over things. Still, Aiden softened a bit in spite of thoughts.

"No offense, but what's your opinion really matter?" Aiden shot, still looking to the side. Her words were harsh but not as cutting as they could have been. She needed a drink.

[Victoria Heart]

Oh Tori could just imagine how people back at home would respond to how this girl addressed her. All the more reason why she left; she didn't want to just be known as Princess and then Queen for the rest of her life. Though her ego was a little bigger than average, she wanted to be praised on her merits, not her royal blood, and she certainly didn't need anyone kissing her arse just because she was Alyss' daughter. Mind you, there were those in Wonderland who disapproved of her birth, that it was all done on a one night stand, and even if she was also the daughter of a god, she shouldn't have been allowed to be an heir, but well...no need to dwell on that sort of thing. Not when there was a clearly wounded girl who was just barely being talked down.

So instead of getting haughty like she knew some of the nobles back at home would, Tori simply shrugged and said, "It doesn't if you don't want it to. Or it does if you do want it to. I could be the greatest expert on dance in the world and that would still be the case. As it is, I only know what I appreciate in terms of performance. You can take that as a compliment or scoff that I know nothing. I'll still take no offense."

[Aiden Mumble]

Aiden's expression twitched from stubborn irritation to confusion for a brief moment as the girl spoke. Her heart thumped painfully against her chest, but she still didn't make an effort to move her feet. Now there was a bit of curiosity to keep her stuck to the spot. Victoria was being very careful and calm. She was choosing her words in a familiar way. She was putting the choice back on Aiden. She was redirecting her anger and making it difficult for her to continuing puffing up and shouting. Aiden hated it. She'd much rather toss cutting remarks back and forth, particularly when she was feeling this vulnerable. Fighting was safe and defensive, but the only thing that kept her from being truly evil all the time was the sense of being a decent human being her parents had put in her. She didn't want to be villainous. She just preferred having a reason to be angry, a reason to be on defense. Victoria was not providing adequate reason. Not only that, but she was doing it in a way that reminded her of someone she had just been dancing to try and forget. Unfortunately, this wasn't a reason she could go shouting about for fear of falling further into vulnerability.

"That is..." Aiden sputtered angrily, struggling with her mix of confusing feelings on the matter. She sigh, feeling at a loss. The girl already told her she would not take offense. Aiden felt like testing it, but got a very strong idea that it would do no good. Not to mention she was starting to feel exhausted from it all. She hadn't been sleeping, she'd just been dancing rather hard, and she'd nearly had a panic attack. Even if she wanted to keep fighting, she wasn't sure her body could physically allow it. "That's just fine." Aiden muttered bitterly. "Just maybe don't go around talking about this. It was just a rehearsal anyway." Aiden rubbed her arm awkwardly, not making eye contact. It was too late to run, but perhaps the conversation would end quickly.

[Victoria Heart]

This girl might as well have been a cornered animal that had just been given a bowl of food when it was expecting an attack. While she didn't enjoy making people uncomfortable, she figured that being more pleasant than expected was better than picking a fight when you knew damn well you had done wrong. Perhaps not wrong enough to justify all of this, but wrong. It was just so much more productive to talk someone down from a place of anger after you had made the mistake anyway. As she began to speak again, struggling with words, Tori knew she had won, and a tiny smile peeked out towards her, backing up her words that she was hardly here to cause her any harm.

"As I said, if that's what you want, my lips are forever sealed." She supposed she could have questioned her further on why she would want to hide her talents in the first place, but she had prodded enough in her life. She may thirst for that knowledge, and perhaps one day she'd find her way to get the information out of her, but right now she was satisfied to know she had brought the poor thing down from her panic...although now that she thought of it...

"And the thought occurs that you asked my name, yet I don't know yours yet...if you're willing to share that, at least. Again, that's up to you."

[Aiden Mumble]

Aiden was beginning to feel like she was a patient in a mental hospital. Victoria was being too cautious with her words. Of course Aiden wouldn't have been stratified with anything she had to say, but her promise to not tell meant nothing. Aiden had no idea who this girl was or who she knew. She was just going to have to live with the idea that one more nasty rumor would be spread about her. What did it really matter anyway? The damage was already done and Aiden was too tired to try and threaten her into truly keeping the secret. What could she do anyway? Aiden wasn't about to challenge someone to a duel or anything. She'd seen how that had played out.

Aiden sank back down to the floor and hung her legs over the edge of the stage. She felt weak and figured she'd better decide to sit before she fell. Those cigarettes she had found snooping around Mordred's room were sounding pretty appealing right about now. Alas, she was ironically afraid of the addiction. Instead she rummaged back through her bag and pulled out a silver flask.

"It's Aiden," she said without looking up. The thought occurred to give her a fake name, but that just sounded like trouble. The last time she had tried to lie to someone to get what she wanted several chapters of a fan fiction got wrote about her fake love affair. Besides, even if she didn't know her real name, word traveled fast in the school and someone would figure out who the freak wildly dancing in the theater was.

Aiden unscrewed the top and took a swig. This day was shit. Time to get shitfaced.

She even extended the flask toward the girl. Who cares. She was kind of pretty anyway. "Care to join me?"

[Victoria Heart]

The girl was clearly exhausted from her momentary panic, and that just wasn't going to sit well with Tori. She had managed to put out one fire, but now it was time to rebuild after the damage, she decided...and she was reaching for a flask. Oh, oh she had seen her godmum do that...this wasn't good at all. She liked drinking, of course, but she hardly wished to make such a habit out of it that she always had it on hand.

Still, she smiled and responded, "Enchantée," to finally getting an introduction out of her, and she pulled herself up to sit next to her on the stage, just in time to be offered the flask. "And I certainly would...although I feel I owe you one, for scaring you like that. Perhaps I could buy you a drink, even things out a little?" She could tell Aiden didn't trust her any further than she could throw her, and, well, that was wise of her. Objectively, she didn't know Tori from Eve, so why should she believe that despite her heritage, she was a woman of her word? That just made her all the more determined to prove herself trustworthy.

She allowed Aiden to mull that over as she accepted the flask, and took a swig out of it, and then handed it back. "Besides...you look like you could use some fun. Not to say I think you never have any, you just seem particularly in need of it right this moment."

[Aiden Mumble]

Aiden took another large sip from the flask after she was handed it back. She thought about what Victoria had to say. She pulled the flask slowly from her lips, looking back across the stage and away from her drinking partner. Once someone has seen you naked and the initial panic wears off, there is a strange sort of resignation that overwhelms you. There was something about being walked in on during a vulnerable moment that made you feel like you might as well say fuck it and stop fighting for a few seconds. This girl had been let in on one of Aiden’s most traumatic fears and she barely knew her name. What was the point of yell or pushing anymore, she might as well drink the memory away. She might as well invite the girl the drink the memory away along with her.

”I will accept a minimum of three drinks and an agreement that we will never speak of this again.” Aiden said, tipping her head back towards Tori and raising an eyebrow. If she wanted a good time Aiden could provide it, but a few free drinks sounded like a fair trade.

[Victoria Heart]

Tori beamed. "Done, although you hardly needed to throw the latter part on the table." She tilted her head in thought. "Then again, I knew you didn't believe me...I suppose you just denied me at least a little of my chance to prove myself..." Out came a lofty sigh. "C'est la vie." But still her smile remained to show there were no true hard feelings. If Aiden wanted to reinforce the promise to never speak a word of her being talented, that was her prerogative, and it was hardly going to change any of her actions. She wasn't in the business to further traumatize her.



So she offered her hand to her, fully intending to wipe the slate clean between them. Aiden seemed like the sort of person she would absolutely like to get to know, no matter how difficult that shell would likely be to crack. Since when did the Heart women ever back down from a challenge so soon, after all?


"And you know what, I'll throw in a promise that we won't go anywhere that would involve dancing if you don't want to."

[Aiden Mumble]

"Done" Was all Aiden needed to hear, she was already gathering her bag again and moving to stand. She slung her bag over her shoulder and walked over to the stairs as Tori continued to speak. Boy, she liked to analyze things. No wonder she was pretty effective in calming her down. Aiden was set on drinking at this point, the chat was over. She was tired of talking. She was tired of everything, but especially talking.

"Less talking, more drinking." Aiden said, tipping her flash once more into her mouth. She moved off the stage then reached back up to offer Tori the flask again. Aiden moved to fix her hair which was all but falling out of it's hair band at this point. She twirled it up into a messy bun then sigh. She was still talking, about dancing no less. She was mentioning that they didn't have to go somewhere that had dancing, but still.

"How about we just don't mention dancing anymore." Aiden said, a little edgy.