— spotted in the streets of brooklyn, it’s ISABELLA ADDISON. they have lived in the city for EIGHT YEARS, working as a BALLARINA. the 28 year old will probably be seen around WILLIAMSBURG a lot, seeing as that’s where they live. people say they can be a bit GUARDED and JUDGEMENTAL, but friends know them to be CAPTIVATING and DETERMINED. you know for sure you’ve found them when you’ve come across THE SMELL OF POWDERED ROSIN, DESIGNER SUNGLASSES AND COFFEE PROTEIN SHAKES. welcome to brooklyn, it’s been waiting for you! —
STATS:
birth name : Isabella (Izzy) Addison
nick name : Izzy, Bella (those close to her), Iz
birthday: October 24th (Scorpio)
sexuality: Pansexual
currently residing : apartment in Williamsburg (2 roommates)
occupation : Ballarina at the NYCB
family : Neil Addison (father), Lauren Addison (mother)
relationship status: TBC
notable past relationships: TBC
positive traits: passionate, driven, witty, elegant
negative traits: guarded, cynical, harsh, judgmental
No one should ever have a baby just to keep a relationship together, right? That's what you hear everyone say when the subject comes up but sadly it appears no one gave that advice to Neil and Lauren Addison. Newly married (god knows why), and living in San Francisco, their daughter came into the world only one year after they said I do, but already there was trouble in paradise. Had Lauren not been pregnant they likely would have parted ways earlier, but instead the arrival of the baby ended up keeping them together for eight more years, but they weren't nice years for anyone in the Addison household. It was a place filled with raised voices and vicious insults being throw back and forth, all the while Isabella was just trying to keep her head down as much as possible.
After school clubs became a refuse from the tension of home life which was where she discovered her passion for dancing which then gave way into a love specifically for ballet. Her passion no doubt contributed to her ability to excel at the discipline as well, not to mention her focused dedication. It meant her grades were prone to slipping as homework was done in a hurry to make room for extra dance practice, which did nothing but piss off her parents more. So now they were no longer just mad at each other, they were also mad at her. It was a nasty household to live in. No one who knew the family were surprised when around Christmas when Isabella was eight, her dad walked out and never came back. Isabella wouldn't see or hear from him again until she was twenty five when he came to watch one of the ballets she performed in New York City with the NYCB. Waiting afterwards to see his daughter it was then that she met his new wife, and three daughters, needless to say the two do not speak often and when they do Isabella does it with him very much at arms length, no trust for the man at all.
The divorce had a terrible effect on her mother who sank into a significant depression that she self medicated with alcohol causing her to mostly ignore her daughter. Isabella would argue it helped her to become independent but if you watched from the outside the redhead was just getting harder as she grew up, not allowing in anything that could hurt her as a form of self preservation. And it would only get more pronounced as she continued through her ballet career because there was no way in hell Isabella would be able to go anywhere decent to train without being on a scholarship which ousted her in the opinions of her fellow students from the off. Leaving her mother behind to go and train at The Joffrey Ballet School at the age of eighteen she's only been back to California a handful of times since. All her attention being funnelled into her training, keeping her head above water financially, and then later trying to climb up the ranks of the New York City Ballet with the dream of one day becoming prima.
Time was running out though, and she could feel it in her bones. Twenty eight wasn't old for a ballarina but it wasn't young either and she kept hitting the wall when it came to landing the leading roles in various shows. Directors and choreographers drilling into her that she needed to dance with emotion rather than just technique if she wanted to be the lead but so many years of not allowing those painful emotions in was causing a problem and that just lead to even more frustration for Isabella. She no longer had the same kind of financial struggles as when she first arrived in New York, and no one was arguing the woman was a beautiful dancer, but she was hindering herself from getting right to the peak where she so longed to be.
She isn't a bad person. She doesn't mean harm. But seeing nothing but animosity in her formative years she never really managed to sooth the scared little girl that still lives in her chest. So instead she covers it with a large personality, judgmental because if she lashes out before someone else can then maybe she will be able to stop them from hurting her - right? Outside of ballet she loves collecting designer sunglasses both vintage and modern, and watching period dramas are a soothing technique for her as well. No one can deny that whatever Isabella Addison does she does it with style, the style can just be pretty sharp if you happen to get onto the wrong side of it. Then again if you get on the right side of it, gain her trust, foster an environment she can be softer in, you might be surprised by the goofball you find underneath.
" 𝐲𝐞𝐚, 𝐚𝐥𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡 𝐚𝐝𝐝𝐢𝐬𝐨𝐧 𝐫𝐚𝐞 probably couldn't do the dance moves that you can do. " the other seemed very confident in her abilities. he grabbed his camera, taking a test snapshot of her, making sure the light looked good on her or if he needed to adjust. " i see, well then i guess give me the best moves that you have and i'll get every shot. " he responded. jupiter changed the settings from his camera, wanting to get the crispest shot he could and making sure her skin glowed. " alright, let's just start with a plie. i just want to make sure the lighting won't wash your face out. " he responded.
“Oh, I thought you meant there was some Tiktoker called Isabella Addison which certainly would be news to me. You’re right though, Addison Rae wouldn’t stand a chance in an actual dance company.” Shrugging her shoulders without a single care that she sounded incredibly big headed because Bella was confidant in her own abilities. The blonde practiced and worked at her craft every spare second she got, so if she could be outdone by some internet famous idiot she’d probably have to crawl under a rock. All dignity would be lost. Nodding her head she moved so she was a little further away from the camera, putting her feet into the exactly correct first position, alignment and weight distribution perfect. “Do you want me to look at the camera, or not?” Bella barked, one eyebrow raised. @jrndlph
The reaction that Tae received from Bella was hardly a surprising one —- in fact, it happened a little too frequently. It was amazing really, how she was constantly surprised by his presence, despite the fact he'd lived there as long as she had. "No, I'm very much here..." he murmured, brows lifting as he looked over the top of the notebook he had in his hands. "How was it?" The question came out at pretty much the same time that hers did and he let a breath go, putting the book down and dropping his feet down off the coach. "I'm surviving," he answered her. "Too many shifts at the restaurant, not enough gigs." Story of his life really. "He's around somewhere... sleeping probably. Can't blame him."
Truthfully, the reason Bella never really knew if she would see Tae or not was she had no concept of his schedule. Just like he no doubt had no idea about hers either, sometimes she was out until the small hours of the morning in the rehearsal room at the theatre to nail down a particularly hard move. Or gone before dawn to go to the gym. “Clearly.” Her own brows raising a little a well in relation to the way his had done the same, mirroring him. “Yes, it was fine. I could have done without it to be honest because time would have been much better used here in the city, but Sophie had a nice time which I guess is the important thing. What with that being the point of ‘friendship’ or whatever. Give and take.” Hell would freeze over before she admitted the break had actually been needed for her as well. “Any gigs at all? Surely you are just looking in the wrong place. Or worse, you’re expecting people to come to you - you’re not doing that are you? Because that’s not how ‘showbiz’ works.” Still looking at him steadily from where she was leaning against the sofa. @oftatteredwings
" 𝐲𝐞𝐬, 𝐣𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐥𝐢𝐤𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐞𝐭, " he nods. thank you to his mom for the most interest name. " like the tiktoker? " he chuckled. " well nice to meet you isabella. " he shook her hand quickly before walking back to his place. he turned to her when she questioned him. if it wasn't obvious. he nods. " that's right. and hopefully you can give me more life than the poor girl before you. she must have had a bad day or something. " he responded. " do you all have some try out or something happening? " perhaps the girls were just tired of waiting, who knew, but jupiter was here to do his job, and he wanted it to be the best work, nothing mediocre.
“The tiktoker?” Nothing but confusion on the blondes face, no idea what he was talking about. Sure she watched tiktoks, she could doom scroll with the best of them but she’d never actually posted anything. “No. Like the ballerina.” As if he was an idiot, and she was having to speak the obvious to a toddler. Glancing to her left her mouth twitched into a small smirk, she’d thought the same about the girl who’d gone before her but said nothing, even if the whole company knew she had the same ability to convey emotion as a piece of plywood. “I’ll give it my very best shot, I’m sure it’ll be incredibly difficult considering her consistently wide range of emotions.” Sarcasm dripping from her tone. “They haven’t announced the casting for the next show yet, which puts us all on the same level playing field for a couple of days, it always makes everyone here especially bitchy. Trust me, I’m the worst.” No hint of joking in her voice this time. "They need photos for the poster regardless, hence you being here." @jrndlph
For: @oftatteredwings (Tae)
Where: Their shared apartment
“Oh Jesus fucking christ on a bike I thought you were out or in your room.” Bella screeched as she rolled her suitcase into the apartment and suddenly saw Tae out the corner of her eye. She’d been gone for about four days visiting a friend upstate, hence all the luggage. Still she was glad to be home that was for sure, sometimes the travelling took it’s toll on the ballarina so even she just wanted to familiarity of her own bed - as far as this could be considered home, she was so much on the move out all hours at the theatre or working out, it sometimes didn't feel 'homy' - especially since she'd never really let her roommate in n her personal life. Though ironically he was probably one of her closest friends anyway. Leaning back against the doorframe she tried to catch her breath from the shock, sighing softly. “How have you been? How is my tiny feline bestie, didn’t want to come greet me? Rude!”
CLOSED STARTER FOR @bxllaaddison
LOCATION: lincoln center
𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐣𝐮𝐩𝐢𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐚𝐬𝐤𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝐩𝐡𝐨𝐭𝐨𝐠𝐫𝐚𝐩𝐡 the dancers of the new york city ballet, he was thrilled. jupiter was a fan of ballet. when he was young, he remember going to see shows at the theater and ws always so fascinated with it all. so of course, he was excited to shoot the dancers. once he finished the last one, he walked up towards the next dancer and he smiled. " hi, nice to meet you, i'm jupiter. i'll be taking your photos today. " he extended his hand for the other to shake.
“Like…the planet?” Bella asked as soon as he introduced himself, looking down at his hand with her wide eyes before begrudgingly reaching out to shake it. Making a mental note to use the lavender hand sanitiser she had in her dressing room when she went back later, not because he looked dirty but she just didn’t really like touching people she didn’t know if she could help it. “I’m Isabella Addison.” The blonde introduced herself back, a tight smile that didn’t reach her eyes. “You’ll be taking my photo today?” God he better be good at it, she didn’t have enough time in the day for it to be wasted by some kind of amateur. @jrndlph
Lia took the briefest moment to take Bella in. How she so effortlessly commanded the small space, how confidently she held herself, and that damned outfit. In any other instance (or perhaps, with anyone else), she'd feel some form of shame at so blatantly checking someone out. But she couldn't care less. Over the past week, they'd had small but meaningful text conversations. Conversations that Lia reveled in as she could feel the shift, the want to be vulnerable underneath Bella's clearly carefully crafted responses. She'd learned small things, things that if she blatantly pointed out the observation, it would be met with a quirked brow. She'd gathered fairly quickly that Bella wasn't a touch person. Not this early. Not without approach. So, it was with small, measured steps that Lia entered her personal space. Close but not too close. Her smile soft as she gently brought the other woman's left hand to her lips in a stupidly cliche gesture before squeezing it and releasing. "Nope," She popped the 'p', as she stepped back, closer to the table. "That's just for you, babes." She snagged one of the smocks off of the table and offered it up. "Apparently, we will have our subject soon. It'll be a painting we attempt to recreate. Until then, please feel free." She gestured over to the small spread once the smock was out of her offered hand and went to putting her own on. @bxllaaddison
Bella might look impossibly confident and calm but that was from years of pretence, she might be a ballarina but really the blonde was an actress. She had been ever since she was little because pretending everything was fine even when it wasn’t was an art that had to be honed. Pretending her home life didn’t leave her ruined everyday, that she wasn’t in pain so often at the ballet, in fact just pretending she didn’t have any kind of emotion at all a lot of them. It was all coming in clutch in making her look calm as she arrived with her date with Lia. Still she could feel the woman’s eyes on her and it was enough to make her cheek flush a soft pink as she smirked. Watching as she kissed her hand, the simple gesture making her soften because it was so innocent - she’d never actually been greeted like that. Sure maybe it was a bit cheesy but she could overlook that…just for now. “Well I feel so special.” Flicking her hair over her shoulder while she gave the girl a look, now being just as shameless as she checked the blonde in front of her out, eyes flicking up and down them. Ophelia looked beautiful if she was being honest with herself, she felt her stomach flutter like it was full of butterflies before she could stop it. Shit. Damn this girl for doing this to her a second time as if their first meeting wasn’t enough. There was just a softness about her that made Bella feel safe, but at the same time like she could protect her if she needed to. A soft strength. “Our subject? Well, as long as it’s a painting. I don’t really feel like staring at a naked stranger for the evening.” Reaching out to take the smock, she put it on carefully making sure to tie the bow in the back perfectly. Just because she couldn’t see it herself that didn’t mean standards could slip, Lia could see it after all. “You put this food together yourself?” @desideriumfms
Lia flitted around the small space she had reserved for their date. She stepped back and surveyed what she had lain out. Two easels with canvases, arranged far enough apart, but not too far apart that there wouldn't be an opportunity for brushing elbows. A small array of paint scattered across the wooden table with accompanying paint brushes. A bottle of champagne sat in a container of crushed ice with a charcuterie board that Lia had spent way way too much time making visually appealing. Matching smocks laid out neatly across the backs of two identical chairs. Lia nervously adjusted her hair, sweaty palms wiped against her jeans before pulling her phone out of her back pocket. Her heart seemingly going into her throat at the "I'm here!" text. She had paid her friend at Handsculpt a little extra to give her and Bella this more... intimate corner and she was suddenly worried she'd gone overboard. All of that nervous energy seemed to dissipate as Bella rounded the corner. Lia couldn't contain the cheeky grin that took up residence on her face. "I told you I could plan a damn thing, didn't I?" She gestured towards the set up behind her, eyebrow wiggling.
Isabella hadn’t been on a date in…a while. Probably because most people took her at face value, assumed she was a bitch who was too up herself for them to actually enjoy actually spending time around, and turned sharply the other way not long after meeting her. She’d made sure it was that way after all, keeping people at arms length was far safer because allowing them in also allowed space for weaknesses to be found and there exploited. After all, that’s what she did when she found things out about people in the ballet company she wanted to overtake in the rankings - but those bitches all deserved it. They gave as good as they got. Ophelia had been different though, entirely unexpected, she’d just been at the flower shop to find out what all the fuss was about not walk away with the viral florists number. Yet here she was walking towards Handsculpt Studio dressed in an outfit that had taken far too long to pick out (what did you wear to go painting for gods sake, overalls? Well she didn’t own those) and feeling a slight bubble of nerves in her stomach that made the blonde frown. Still, pushing inside the studio she was directed to a specific corner where she was told Lia was already waiting, breaking out into a small smile as she was greeted with a defiant statement, taking in the display. “You did, you mentioned you could plan a damn thing. Is that always how you greet your dates or am I getting extra special treatment alongside all this?” Hand gesturing to the table which did admittedly look amazing. @desideriumfms
"Well damn, I see you are a ray of sunshine. What did someone do to you to make you such a sour puss." She said to the woman as he looked at her. "I come here because it's really inviting and they normally play good music and I like to just enjoy the vibe of it." He said to Bella while shrugging. "Well not my doppelganger but that's my twin." He chuckled to himself a bit. "If you seem so unsure about this place then what brings you here?" @bxllaaddison
“Bit dramatic, I hardly think some excellently executed sarcasm would constitute being a sour puss. Witty if anything.” The blonde shrugged as she took a sip of her drink, refusing to be taken in by the man’s goading. Instead looking over at him with a smooth smile, knowing it wasn’t reaching her eyes but that was reserved for very special people and she didn’t even know his name. “Ah, your twin. That makes more sense I guess. I’m here because despite the …” she gestured around with her hand lazily. “…they mix a good drink here. I guess I have your twin to thank for that....?” waiting for him to insert his name. @rxshingpxlse
Starter for: Thomas & Isabella @bxllaaddison
Location: Rainbow Rhythm.
Thomas had wandered into Rainbow Rhythm to listen to some good music and have some amazing drinks. He was on his second gin and tonic when the woman had showed up next to him. She managed to sit a couple of seats down from him but he decided that he was in a talkative mood. He smiled and looked her way. "Whatcha having, precious? First round on me." Thomas offered.
Bella was torn, she wanted the free drink obviously, plus the man wasn’t the worst looking person in the world (actually he was hot but she wouldn’t inflate his ego by offering that up right off the bat) instead she just raised an eyebrow at his words. “Precious? What am I, the one ring?” Referring to his use of the nickname ‘precious’, laughing a little before glancing back at the bar where she didn’t yet have a drink. “Skinny margarita, since the first round is on you. Who am I thanking?” @rxshingpxlse
Oliver let a breath go slowly. He'd never really been the most enthusiastic about his art, at least, not when it came to complete strangers who he bumped to in the middle of coffee shops anyway. It took a little more than that to get his passion out, the situation needed to be right, he supposed. "That last part was supposed to be a joke," he responded lightly. "Which is why I'm not a comedian..." That was the very last thing he could be, to be honest. "I just wouldn't want to be big-headed about it or whatever." @bxllaaddison
“Ah, well…it was very funny.” Except she hadn’t laughed because it had sounded like the truth when he’d said it, making her wonder how much of it had been intended as a joke. The thing Bella understood though was allowing yourself to be somewhat vulnerable when it came to your chosen version of the arts, and from what she could see he was actually very good at it. Plus the addition of the comedian had her lips quirking a little at the corners. “Don’t be big headed, but you might as well back yourself if you’re going to do it. No?” @oftatteredwings
She took another sip of her drink before continuing on with the talk about her date. She outlined the details for her friend and even explained how bad of a kisser he was in detail, she was honestly just horny and bored and she went through with it. "But anyway, at the end of the day I learned my lesson and won't be going on any more random tinder dates. I have officially deleted the app." She let her eyes pop for a second, "She still has her job? How did you let this happen, she's going to get someone seriously hurt."
Bella listened to her friend chat about her conquest, or lack thereof because of how bad he was at kissing and conquest implied some kind of victory. This encounter seemed like anything but. “See, this is why dating apps should allow you to give people reviews after in person dates like trip-advisor. Then at least you could warn people away from people who are masquerading as a catch when really they are a dud. “So what are you going to do to find Mr Right? Just walk the streets of Brooklyn with your resume, throwing it around a la Regina George with the pages of the burn book in Mean Girls?” Lips twitching as she smirked while watching the way Stella’s eyes popped wide at her information regarding Maddie, the exact reaction she’d wanted. Obviously. “She still has her job, I mean I guess as long as I’m not the one she’s hurting - is it really my problem? Maybe she’ll take out someone useful and I’ll get to dance lead one of these days.” It might sound cold but the ballet world was dog eat dog that was for sure. “And I’d be lying if I didn’t say she was cute to look at, so I’m not going to get her fired just yet. As long as she keeps her distance from my ankles. Otherwise i'll literally have to take her out - and not in a fun way.” @stella--ashford
Watching her friend deal with a situation was one of the best things she could sit back and witness. She never wished to be in her line of fire, and she knew that no one could ever say no to her. She bit back her smile as she sat back down. She took in the situation and downed her own drink as she returned to the table, "You know this, but I'm obsessed with you." She said as she flagged down the trembling waitress, and asked for a refill. "It's silly, it was just some bad date, I can't believe I even slept with them I was just bored. My boredom is going to get me in trouble one day." she shook her head, "We can move on to something different. How was your week? Anything fun happen at work?" It was always nice when they got a day off together and they could catch each other up on the goings on on their respective stages.
Once Bella had sorted out the issue, well she hoped it was sorted and soon the server would return with her food correct because she really couldn’t be bothered to argue about it anymore. The blonde was hungry, and when she got hungry, if it went too far then she got cranky. Her tongue could be incredibly sharp in that case, meaning it could do damage, and like mentioned before she knew it wasn’t the waitresses fault but she would get the brunt of it. “Thank you darling, I’m obsessed with you too.” Shooting her a charming smile as she flipped some hair over her shoulder, following it up with a smirk. “Who was it? Like tell me more about them. Did they at least scratch an inch?” Raising an eyebrow as she nodded towards Stella, sort of down, she’d know what the ballarina meant. “Probably, but I’ll enjoy watching it from the sidelines. You know it entertains me endlessly. At work, anything fun? No I wouldn’t go that far. That PA I told you about - Maddie? The one that tripped me by mistake and practically ruined my career….she somehow still has a job there. Can you believe? I could have ruined my whole future in ballet if she’d caused me to like…break something. Which would have mean i'd have to ruin her - luckily she escaped this time. What about you, how are the kitties?” @stella--ashford
Emmanuel walked into the bar as he was always one for supporting his brother's job and he liked to hang out there himself. He looked around before sitting down on the bar stool and ordering himself a drink and then went on to scroll through his phone. He saw someone sitting near him and he smiled softly. "Well hello. What brings you in here tonight?" He asked her. He was trying to make more friends so he was attempting to be more social which was something he struggled with at times.
A dancer she had been partnered with in the company a couple of years ago had chosen the location for drinks tonight, and Bella wasn’t the hugest fan of Rainbow Rhythm (Maybe because it so fervently promoted joy) but it wasn’t the worst place in the city. Just incredibly bright and sometimes too loud. Taking another sip of her margarita (skinny), she noticed a man smiling at her softly and after appraising him meticulously in a matter of seconds she smiled back, head tilting to one side. “Hello to you too. Oh well that would be the culinary excellence of the place of course.” Sarcastically, the food was usual bar food so he’d know that wasn’t the truth. “What about you?” Glancing over at the bar, she knew she'd seen someone who looked like him before, the guy who was behind it. "Keeping tabs on your doppelgänger?" @rxshingpxlse
"It's a good start." Oliver was never going to argue with that, it was amazing how much simpler things became when you got some caffeine inside you —- but he really did love a good cup of coffee, especially so when he was working. A slightly breathy laugh escaped him at her question, and he added, "Try to be." Maybe it didn't scream confidence in what he did for a living, but he'd never really been the type of person to act that way. "It pays the bills, you know?" A shrug and he turned his sketchbook around so she could see.
Bella raised an eyebrow, taking another sip of the coffee she now had - thank fuck of the caffeine that would soon be coursing through her veins. Most people would assume she was picky about the kind of coffee she drank, the quality, but truth be told she wasn’t. As long as it was hot and strong, she was on board. “Try to be, but it just pays the bills? Doesn’t sound like there is a lot of passion there - so why bother?” Her tone was dry, a shrug of her shoulders, thinking someone should bother engaging in art of any sort unless they were truly behind it. They really wanted to do it. Because that shit was hard, soul destroying a lot of the time, but worth it if you really wanted it. @oftatteredwings
