OTA

[winter_wisp]

It had been some time now since his attack, and though he still wore a few faded bruises that stubbornly refused to fade, the streaks of purple and blue across his fair skin were not what was bothering the pixie. Guilt clung to him, weighing him down, waking him in the night, and dampening his mood. It didn't matter how many times his friends and kin insisted he'd just been protecting himself, pain stabbed through his heart any time he let his mind wander to that night.

He'd replayed it over and over in his head, the man's words, the feeling of his fists and the pain that had left him weak and breathless- And the feeling of ice as his power had reached out to protect him. He hadn't meant to harm the man, but there was no undoing what had been done. All Winter could do now was live with the pain of knowing he had taken a life while defending his own.

Not wanting to be fussed over or worried about, he'd taken to going out more during the day. Wandering the city and wasting hours at the library or the shops. Anywhere quiet and calm, really.

Some days he made his way over to a small ballet school near the centre of town. Through large glass windows he'd watch the girls inside learn their positions and practice their jumps. They were so graceful, all smiles and giggles, even when their teacher's voice grew stern and they all rushed to get back into place. Winter found he envied them- But also found comfort in watching them dance.

Usually when the class ended, Winter would leave, but one day the instructor had signalled for him to come inside, and Winter had been curious enough to do just that.

"This is the third time you've watched one of my lessons," she noted. "Do you dance?"

Winter bit his lip, then shook his head. "Not like they dance," he said as the girls shuffled past him and out onto the street. "They're very elegant. I'm not sure I could be that."

The instructor raised a brow, then smiled. "No? Well, I do like a challenge..."

He'd been going daily since, learning at a rate that Miss Fairlite insisted was very impressive. She waxed on about natural grace and ability, but Winter found, for once, he wasn't interested in the praise. He didn't come to be told he was good or talented- He came because it felt good. Because the music made his heart patter in a way most of the music he devoured usually did not. ...Because for nearly an hour a day he felt free of his guilt and worries, his full focus on the dance and Miss Fairlite's instruction.

It was wonderful. Better than ice cream even.

(OTA. Feel free to have seen Winter dancing through the window and either come in to watch, or meet him outside after. :D)

Comments

[akatawitch]

Sunny had been watching him.

It wasn't exactly a surprise that Winter would take to dancing, just to this kind. She knew from Aunt Chinwe's stories the sort of discipline ballet training entailed. It was demanding, painful, and any dancing mistress worth her salt took absolutely zero shit.

She had been drawn to this sort of music all her life, but she'd never quite had it in her to do ballet. Anyanwu could move to anything, but she could not.

When it looked like things were starting to wind down, she came in to see the end of it.

[phouka]

Everyday the Phouka followed Winter and he watched the pixie dance through the window. One day he thought he might have been spotted so since then he had only gone in his raven form, perching on a pole across from the studio where he could see him.

Not today, though. Today the prince had him running errands to shops and while he was out he had stopped at the tailor where he'd collected new finery to wear. He had barely had time to take a taxi to the studio and even then he had nearly missed Winter entirely.

He opened the door as soon as he had seen the pixie come out of the studio. Surely he knew he had been watched all this time. Surely he didn't think the Phouka would let him out in the world without a guard after the attack. Though he had hoped to not be obvious about his attention.

There was little he could do now about being obvious as he stood up from the back seat, there in front of the studio. In front of Winter.