|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 Posted: Wed Oct 24, 2018 2:46 pm
Ｄａｎｃｅ，x Ｄａｎｃｅ ✖▪ ▪ ▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▪ ▪✖ Side story between Zhang "Lee" Li Jie and Aurelie "Aurie" Nissley Written by Norse and Bunni
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Wed Oct 24, 2018 6:13 pm
 Ｚｈａｎｇ x ＂Ｌｅｅ＂ x Ｌｉ x Ｊｉｅ It hadn't been long since he had started coming here. A few weeks maybe. The school was.... nice. It was different, being somewhere that he wasn't an outcast, or different. Where he didn't have to hide. Not that Lee was the kind of person that wanted to show off.
There were some nice things that the building had. The facilities were more than accommodating for a bunch of kids with more power than they could often handle. He made it a point to thank the Professor every time he saw the man. Showing a great deal of respect toward the older telepath every time they crossed paths was the top of his priority.
Lee stood alone in the kitchen as he filled up his water bottle from the faucet. The buds in his ears played Beethoven as he pulled the bottle from the water when it was full, screwing on the cap before pulling his bag up onto his shoulder. He kept his had loosely secure around the strap for his gym bag as he walked to the stairs, taking them to the second floor.
He turned at the top of the stairs, making his way through the door and toward the dance studio, very much in his own mind. He had been coming to the studio as soon as he had discovered it, putting dance into his schedule along with working out regularly. There was no way that he was going to get rusty just because he was here now.
However, when he pushed his way through the door of the studio, there was someone there that he hadn't seen before. Well, he had seen her in passing between classes, but never here. She was staring at something. He slowly put his bag down, taking a bud out of his ear as he did. He noticed the shoes then. Ballet. Was she here to practice as well?
"They won't move on their own, you know," his voice was low, deep enough to hopefully shake the woman out of her trance.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
iPixie Bunni Vice Captain
|
Posted: Fri Oct 26, 2018 1:44 pm
Life never turned out how one imagined. Her first idea of what the world would give her was a husband, a gaggle of kids, plot of land to farm on. Her love of dance had altered that vision, but ultimately, Mary Auralee had believed that after her Rumspringa, she would have chosen the life that the church encouraged. When her x-gene activated, any chance of that disappeared, gone as quickly as a field set aflame. She threw all of her chips in one basket then, believing that her purpose, her calling, was ballet.
Being expelled from Julliard had once again diverted her path, and now Aurelie felt hopelessly lost. It had been months since they’d pointed her to the door, an eternity since she had shown up at the mansion’s door, misty-eyed and shattered at the loss of her dreams. And though most of the people here had been more than accepting of her, she still grieved, felt a hole that nothing could fill. Someone had suggested she still might find joy in the studio, had urged her to tie up her slippers and practice. She could dance anywhere, they said.
And so she found herself here, sitting on a bench near the wall, just staring at the shoes. Lamenting the changes in her life, the blond hadn’t brought herself to put them on. Her chest felt tight as she fought back the choking sobs that threatened to consume her. Dancing here wouldn’t feel the same. She knew that.
Everything had been ripped from her because of a stupid X-gene - something she had no choice in having. Why had whatever power that was taken everything from her?
Each time she looked at her slippers, flashes of her time at Julliard haunted her, only serving as a bitter reminder of what would never be. It must have been an hour that she sat, frozen as she despaired over her shattered expectations when someone came in and addled her thoughts with a much-needed interruption."They won't move on their own, you know," His voice was low.
Sapphire eyes glanced up, and she schooled her features into neutrality, concealing the pain she felt just being here. Technically, she could make the slippers look like they were dancing, but her heart ached to even touch them. “I know.” She said after a long sigh, unable to keep all of her hurt from coloring her tone.
“If you’re here to practice, the floor is yours. You’ll probably be far more productive than I have been.” It was about as inviting as she could be, but she tried to lighten her words with a smile that she didn’t wholly feel. Unable to unload her story on a stranger, she motioned for him to go ahead and make use of the floor. “I’m Aurelie, by the way.” She introduced herself, oceanic depths contemplative. “You’re Li, right? I’ve seen you around the mansion. Welcome to the land of misfit toys, I guess.” A wry smirk played with the corners of her mouth as she attempted to keep some levity in their conversation.
“If you want, I’ll go so you can practice in peace.”
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sun Oct 28, 2018 7:31 am
Ｚｈａｎｇ x ＂Ｌｅｅ＂ x Ｌｉ x Ｊｉｅ The woman seemed troubled, to say the least. Lee wasn't much of the comforting type, either. While he did have sympathy sometimes, he wasn't always sure how to accurately express it. He surely wasn't shown much for sympathy growing up. He was always just told to push through, try harder. So, when she admitted that she knew that the shoes before her weren't going to just up and move on their own, his expression softened, even just a little.
Lee stepped further into the room, slipping his bag off of his shoulder and placing it on the floor near one of the benches. He sunk down onto he wooden surface, opening up his bag. He pulled the other bud out of his ear and slipped the cord out from under his sweatshirt and dropped the iPod into his bag.
“I’m Aurelie, by the way.”
Lee looked up at the blonde, "It's nice to meet you." He returned the expression that she had given to him. He nodded when she asked if he was Li, bobbing his head once. "I wouldn't say that it is misfit." She seemed bitter about something. Perhaps about being here? He was here because he knew it was his best chance at a decent education. However, that was not the case for everyone.
"If you want, I'll go so you can practice in peace."
He shook his head, sitting back to pull his sweatshirt off, the telltale high waist of the tights rose above the rim of his sweat pants. "No, it's alright. Having an audience would be nice for a change. Besides, you look like you could use some inspiration." He looked over at her, a smile on his lips before he stood, stripping himself from his pants and dropping them into his bag before fishing out his shoes.
He held his shoes in his hand, looking at her for a moment, "Unless you would like to join me?" It was an open invitation. She seemed troubled and he was more than willing to help her. Of course, he thought that dance helped him solve an internal conflict that he had most of the time, regardless of the oportunities he had lost. He never lost his desire to dance, and actually, not having the pressure of his family, he found himself loving it even more.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
iPixie Bunni Vice Captain
|
Posted: Sun Oct 28, 2018 9:14 am
Her visage brightened a bit when Li denied being misfit. “Oh, we certainly are.” She said, a smirk that mixed a dry sense of humor with her rancor over what being a mutant had cost her. “That’s why we go to a special school where we are accepted, yada yada.” She waved her hand in the air, the motion meant to convey the long list of reasons for the school. Pausing, she tilted her head and contemplated the rest of the student populace. “It doesn’t mean we aren’t cool misfit toys though. Some of the people here can do fantastic things.” Slowly, she tried to conceal her resentment for the time being, for the sake of first impressions.
She offered to leave him in peace, but as he pulled off his sweatshirt, he shook his head and stated that he’d appreciate an audience. “Besides, you look like you could use some inspiration.”
Leaning forward, she let her feet dangle beneath the bench and gave him a point. She couldn’t really argue that. Especially after sitting here for more than an hour, glowering at a pair of slippers because of what they represented now. The pessimist within her declared that she would heal if she shut out every part of the life she had worked for completely, that she could pick up what was left out of the shambles and find another purpose, another dream. It said that dancing would only drudge up her disappointment that dancing meant nothing now.
She had listened to that voice for months, but slept no easier, had found no replacement for the joy she always felt when in the studio. The part of her that wanted to believe she couldn’t abandon ballet when it had been her core driving factor in life, that part had only needed encouraging from a friend to take hold. Unfortunately, her demons came to roost when she got here, and all she had felt was bitterness when she touched her slippers.
“Something like that.” She murmured, oceanic depths tumultuous with her inner turmoil.
“Unless you would like to join me?”
Her breath caught as she considered, a flood of memories rushing back to her. Her last partner had been the one to out her as a mutant. Images of his disgusted expression when he told her what he’d thought, how bile filled his mouth when he thought about the fact that he’d kissed a mutant. With doing… She banished his speech from her conscience before it could echo within the walls of her skull.
While not always the case, dancing with a partner often became intimate after semesters spent, clocking five hours of practice a day. And falling for Erik had been easy; his passion for the same things, his devotion… the level of trust they built for stunts.
The pain flashed across her features before she could stop it, but she covered it quickly with a small smile. “I haven’t practiced in months. I should sit this one out so that I don’t cause you injury.”
“Where did you take ballet?” Aurelie asked, genuinely interested in this man’s story. Surely it had to be better than her own.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sun Oct 28, 2018 11:08 am
Ｚｈａｎｇ x ＂Ｌｅｅ＂ x Ｌｉ x Ｊｉｅ He had to disagree with her. He didn’t think that they were misfit toys, forgotten in this place. They were here for their own reasons, some more personal than others, but he certainly felt as if the choice was his own. She had a smile on her face when she said that they were. “That’s why we go to a special school where we are accepted, yadda yadda.” Lee shook his head slightly, though he let her finish.
“I want to just learn more about myself while studying whatever I want. I have more freedom here than I have ever had.” He was given such strict guidelines growing up that the rules of the school were nothing in comparison. He could handle a few rules, curfews. Anything that the school threw at him would be fine when it came down to what he had experienced at the hand of his parents. He pitied his sister in that aspect. While she was achieving the dream of their family, a dream that he had destroyed before, she also would never know what it is like to have a choice. Especially now that he had brought shame to their family.
He offered up to Aurelie that she was welcome to stay, and perhaps gain some inspiration from his own practice routine. Perhaps it was something that she would need. He sunk down to the floor as he stretched his legs out in front of him, looking at her for a moment before he offered up that she join him.
The offer seemed to take her by surprise, not that he was expecting that. He watched carefully for a moment before leaning forward and bending in half as he slipped his ballet shoes on. His toes had been wrapped before he came down to the studio, preferring the privacy of his room over the locker rooms. He still was not sure how the other men in the school would feel about ballet. Not that he was one to care, he just would rather avoid any kind of unnecessary trouble.
“I haven’t practiced in months, I should sit this one out so that I don’t cause injury.” Her reply came not as a surprise to him. If she wanted to practice, she would have been when he came into the studio. “I am not worried about you hurting me. I wouldn’t try to lift you on first practice anyway.” He pointed his toes once his slippers were in place, rolling his ankles before getting onto his feet.
“You have to walk before you run.”
He raised his arms, stretching before her as she asked where he took ballet. “Beijing. My parents enrolled me into dance when I was four in hopes that I would join the Chinese Ballet when I was this age.” He continued stretching every muscle in his body that he could, pointing his toes as he went along, warming up the muscles slowly. “Of course, when I blew up a mirror in the studio, I was banned from any company in the city. My sister was already enrolled in dance and my parents sent me to California to live with my aunt. Rather push the shame I brought off on her than face it themselves.”
He thought for a moment before lowering himself onto the flats of his feet, “I am happy that it happened this way though. I hated dance when I was being forced to do it. I think it showed. I dance for myself now, and it is much more passionate than performing in front of hundreds of people.”
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
iPixie Bunni Vice Captain
|
Posted: Sun Oct 28, 2018 7:16 pm
Listening to his explanation, it seemed he didn’t feel the same way about where they were, which made her wonder if he’d experienced much loss due to his mutation. They weren’t welcome in the real world; most were happier to let them find some dark corner to hide in, to pretend not to exist. It had cost Aurelie her family, her aspirations.
He just wanted freedom; that’s what the X-men represented for him, which was more telling of the life he had before coming here than he perhaps intended. “That’s a commendable, and attainable goal here.” She commented quietly, wishing her own desires were as simple. She felt a void where dancing had been, and she had no idea how to fill it.
He started stretching and the blond offered to leave, but he seemed content to let her observe. He even offered for her to practice with him, and shock momentarily took over her countenance at the offer. Dancing, especially ballet, with a partner was often intimate, telling in ways that strangers might not want. And yet, it was a gesture of kindness to someone he didn’t know. “Naturally not.”
Nodding once to his assessment, she started stretching with him reflexively. Just the motion was enough for some iota of relaxation to take over. Curious about where he studied, the way she leaned into the conversation marked her interest as genuine. “Very prestigious.” She murmured, impressed when he spoke of aspirations to be a part of the Chinese ballet. Li continued his explanation, and a frown cut between her brows as he mentioned blowing up a mirror.
“You blew up a mirror?” She asked, astounded, wholly unfamiliar with what his mutation was. “See what I mean? Us misfits have awesome abilities. I made my whole classroom float. Had the whole community in a tizzy.” A small chuckle escaped her as she remembered that scene so vividly. Funny how time managed to relieve her freak-out and make it something she could laugh at now.
He offered her a different perspective when he said that he could enjoy his art now without the pressure. “I’m just the opposite. It’s all I ever wanted.” She murmured sadly. “The pressure, the competition, the need to be the best… the thrill of an audience, the anonymity that the stage gives you…” She sighed, mourning the loss of that sensation. Off the stage, she didn’t like being the center of attention. "That shot of adrenaline. I'll miss it forever."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Mon Oct 29, 2018 9:37 am
Ｚｈａｎｇ x ＂Ｌｅｅ＂ x Ｌｉ x Ｊｉｅ Freedom was something he could get here. He knew that. He knew that better than most. But it was something he still needed to look forward to. After this, he would have the world at his disposal. To do what he wanted. To become a success without dance, and be something that his family would regret letting go of.
Aurelie agreed with the thought, calling it commendable. He stretched through her comment. Though he tried to assure her that he wouldn't try anything risky, or risque, if they were to practice together. He didn't know about how she danced, how she carried herself. He wouldn't try to shove her into a mold or style that he was familiar with, and he wouldn't fit into one for her.
However, he noticed that she was moving, mirroring him as he stretched. Was she considering it? It would be nice to have someone to practice with, to learn more about another dancer, one that did not grow up the same way he had. He mentioned the Chinese ballet, almost a little sour about it. It wasn't his dream, or at least he didn't recognize it that way. Sure, he would have enjoyed it, just as much as he would enjoy anything else. But to him, it was the dream of his parents.
He laughed softly, nodding when he confirmed that he had destroyed one of the large mirrors in the studio. "It scared me, honestly. It happened so fast, at first I thought I had hit the mirror. I looked at my hands and arms for cuts for weeks before my abilities showed themselves again."
“See what I mean? Us misfits have awesome abilities. I made my whole classroom float. Had the whole community in a tizzy.”
He could understand, and was amazed with what she herself could do. "That really is incredible. The kind of show you could put on with such an ability. It could be fantastical." He was imagining an Alice in Wonderland feel to a show, with touches of Cirque du Soleil and ballet. It could be the show of the century.
She gave her own insight into what she liked about dance. About the competition, the stage lights burning down on them like the sun. The attention on them, watching. From judges to the audience, everyone watching every single movement. He shrugged his shoulders, rolling them with ease before he started simple movements, letting his body get used to the tautness of his muscles.
"It is wonderful that two people can come from very different backgrounds and end up with the same passion, however different their feelings toward it may be down. But perhaps you need to rediscover your love for it, much like I had to. Find it for yourself, not for the stage." He was careful when he went to turn on the music, long legs carrying him across the studio. He adjusted the volume so it wouldn't drown out any conversation that they were having.
He returned to the center of the floor and looked at her, his hand out towards her. "It isn't fair to who you were before, or who you are now, to try to erase the desire you have for ballet." He was patient, waiting for her reaction, reading her. His offer would stand, even if it wasn't today or tomorrow, or in the following weeks. If she wanted to practice, to have a partner, or a friend, he would be there. Maybe this was the reason why he was thrown into dance in the first place. To help her.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
iPixie Bunni Vice Captain
|
Posted: Sun Nov 04, 2018 5:39 pm
Nodding along, the blond tucked back a stray lock of hair that had escaped her ponytail as he spoke of breaking a mirror in the studio. “Same here. It was probably another week and a half, and so the community settle down for a bit thinking it was just a fluke.” But it hadn’t been. And the next time Adrian teased her, it happened again. In short order, she was shipped to her English sister in New York and told none too kindly that she wasn’t welcome there. Her dad had given her up without a fight.
Her features became sheepish when he mentioned the use of her powers in a show, and Aurelie’s gaze trailed down to the ground. “I never really used it for dance, save to learn the proper placement for when you do jumps and such.” She answered honestly. “I didn’t want to cheat.” Her tone said that now though, his idea had merit. She was outed as a mutant; what more hurt could it do?
Sorrowful, she couldn’t fully mask the emotions she fet as she reminisced about what she missed most from dancing. All of the things she would have had as a professional ballerina was now completely out of her reach. Never again would she feel that rush from performing. That grief felt as real as losing a loved one. Heaving a sigh, she listened to his suggestion that she find her love for it for herself, rather than her love for the stage, and she shrugged. His suggestion had merit, but she couldn’t yet distinguish between her love of dance and her ambitions. “I’ll always love dancing.” She admitted quietly, stretching along with him. “It’s just… it still represents the life I can’t have.” And without it, she was still so lost, no idea what to do with her future. It was all she had ever wanted since being ousted from her community.
Once he adjusted the music’s volume, he held a hand out to her and she hesitated for a moment, seemingly unable to decide if she really could separate pieces of dance from the whole experience. Biting down on her lip, she felt the weight of the world bear down on her shoulders, as if one single dance with this man might repair her broken soul, might allow her some genuine joy back in her life.
"It isn't fair to who you were before, or who you are now, to try to erase the desire you have for ballet."
Slowly, she raised to her feet and put her hand in his. “One dance, but you’ll have to promise not to make fun of me when it’s been the better part of six months.” She said, the ghost of a smile adding some levity to her visage. She fell into first position and looked over to Li, ready to follow his lead.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Mon Nov 05, 2018 7:12 am
Ｚｈａｎｇ x ＂Ｌｅｅ＂ x Ｌｉ x Ｊｉｅ Aurelie spoke of her own situation, how after a while, everything seemed to calm down. Things returned to normal and perhaps it had been nothing more than a fluke. The way she had trailed off, and the fact that she was here, told him that it was certainly not a one time thing. He almost felt sorry for her. To have everything taken away in a flash. However, she was here, rather than being experimented on or worse.
She became more reserved in herself when he mentioned using her abilities in a show, rather than hiding them. “It isn’t cheating anymore. It is entertainment rather than competition, and perhaps it can change the world of dance, allowing it to adapt and grow with the world we live in now.” She spoke as if she knew this already, but he said it out loud. Giving the words and ideas life rather than just a simple seed planted.
She was regretful. He understood, but it didn’t have to be that way. It could be something more now, for both of them. Rather than just sweeping the talents they had under the rug. They would fund their own place in the world again rather than sitting and crying over what was lost. They had to grab for it though. To take if forcefully and prove that they deserved their place. It would not be easy, nothing worth having rarely was. But it would be worth it in the end.
She stretched with him, her body awakening to the familiarity of the movements. She declared her love for dance, even if it represented something lost to her. He was the opposite. He relished in the freedom he could down express without being under the demanding watch of his parents.
Still, he held his hand out to her. Offering more than just a moment. But he offered her the leap, the risk to try again regardless of how hard she had fallen. To him, it was the only way. To not give up on the dream, but the change it into something more than what it had been. Something greater.
Finally, she took the hand he had offered. Coming close and falling into first position as he did the same. “I wouldn’t dare.” He moved slow and fluid, allowing her to follow before the dance. The moves were basic, easy to follow, but not quite beginner. He certainly was not going to dive into Swan Lake with her, especially while being rusty. There was strength and confidence in his own stance, hoping that it would fuel her own.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Reply
