Pale skin shining in the light of the stage. A graceful flurry of movement of a scarred, yet beautiful body. Each movement captivating and beautiful to watch, even as she tried to remind herself to watch the crowd. Such was her purpose being here, she was one of a few hired Hunters acting as guards for the young, booming performer. Her voice, she had heard time and time again that it had been a beautiful voice. One to capture the crowd without fail every time she took the stage. Though... she couldn’t hear that now. Not beyond the distortion of recordings, and it hurt to discover such after seeing the Maiden herself. After the few times they had briefly met and she had made small talk with her, the robotic and emotionless replacement being the voice she met.
It took her only a short few searches to find the articles made of the young woman’s misfortune. Of a deranged, obsessed fan, the writers assumed, who had kidnapped and harmed the Nobleman’s daughter. A horrid man, who she was sure still roamed somewhere. Sickly satisfied with his work, though he had torn a proper career from such a budding flower and sent her life spiraling into a hellscape of pain and parental prison. If she ever met the man, if he was still alive, she was sure she’d strike him down. Either make him suffer the way he made her, or end him outright even. No matter the consequences she may face if such a thing were to happen.
She felt for the young Woman, after all. Not just pity, or empathy given the loss of her eye she faced just a short time ago. Those were present, to a degree of course, but she was sure the Performer had more than enough of such treatment from the many others she interacted with. Even with as few as they may have become, given how much her parents had begun to restrict her life. No, she had admiration for her, for pushing onward to continue what she wished to do even with the state her body was in. She wasn’t able to sing anymore, and she would forever wish she could’ve heard her actual voice in it’s prime. Though her dancing... those legs were so scarred, yet she persevered. Continued her dance, through the pain, with medication aid likely, of course, and shortened to reduce strain on her body overall.
Admiration, but not on it’s own, there was a desire to know her better, to meet the Dancer herself. Learn about her, from her, not from the others around her and their distorted views of the wounded Woman. Wanted to get to know her, the person behind the Performer. To possibly be her friend, at some point, she hoped. Someone who expects nothing from her, who won’t push her to do things she wished not to or tell her she couldn’t do this or that because of her condition. Of course she would advise for the sake of her health, but she wouldn’t deny her her wishes outright. Not like she was sure her parents and personal guards did.
Nerissa Amechania... Amechania, however... she doubted that her parents would ever allow it. More than aware enough of the fact her ancestors despised her family. A feeling apparently carried through the generations between when the people of Kaigan first became a part of Mistral to even the present day.... Hopefully things could be different between her and their youngest if they were to ever properly meet...
Sighing, she lets her eyes close briefly to take a brief meditative breath. To calm her mind and focus herself back to her task. Turning her gaze back to the crowd within the spectating seats watching the dance intently. All save for one she picks out fairly quickly... some distortion over his figure, of a vile and malicious kind she didn’t like the look of one bit. She would need to be swift, but all the same subtle in approaching and halting the man as she watches him rise from his seat in the back.
Stepping ahead to leave the side of the stage, climb the stairs between the seats, direct for the man proceeding down them. Eyes drifting to his hands, seeing one tightening and rubbing at his thumb a bit with a nervous fidget. His other reaching behind himself for something, too dark to tell what, but she could tell he gripped at an object of some kind. Picking her pace, she sets upon him in the next few seconds, seeing him bring the arm forward just slightly before she reaches to grasp at the wrist and stop it. Stepping around behind in a swift motion to grab and force his other behind him before he can even understand, and guide him to turn with her to begin up the stairs to the doors to leave the room.
A swift, quiet execution in halting what she finds is a small knife, like of a thrown kind given it’s shape, and removing him from the performance entirely. Passing him off to the security proper to handle arrest and removal from the building as a whole. Returning quietly to the performance after, stepping aside from the door and watching both the crowd, and the dance, once more.
' you don’t have to go through this by yourself. '
“And what the fuck do you know, princess?” Adrastia spat that last word out like it was poison. “With such the charmed fucking life you’ve lived! Oh, yeah, because you would really understand anything about me. You can’t even help yourself! Anything you were good for got ruined ages ago! Me though? Oh, I’m ripe and fucking ready for abuse!”
Not just because he was under the impression that his former captive wanted nothing to do with him, but also because he figured that she would be barred from stepping foot anywhere near him. Though perhaps the bars of a jail cell maybe adequate enough protection in the eyes of her corrupt, power-fueled father. "So what is it,” he asked, resting his cheek against his palm. “What brings you out to see this rat in a cage?”
The dancer is as elegant as she is tragic, spinning around on her stage like she is the only one who exists, glittering shades of delicate chiffon && diamond latticed shawls. The length of her hair seems to melt into her clothes, blooming out as though she was under the sea.
It’s his first night as the bodyguard of the young woman, && he’s decided to observe her practice from a distance, the lights of the stage reflecting off of her dance clothes && throwing rainbow light in dizzying spirals around the young woman.
When the performance is over, Mercury makes himself known, clapping softly.
“You were lovely.”
The stars align under a thousand skies,
She, @seiriina, makes the fates weep at her ethereal designs.
bow dances along taut strings, it’s melodies soft && gentle; waves against the seashore in the dead of night. a creaking door, && the song ends abruptly, it’s player turning with rose in her cheeks. ❛ oh, i’m sorry ! i thought i was far enough from the guest rooms ... to not be heard ... i didn’t mean to wake you. ❜
Pale eye watched from the corner as her friend bobbed the bad in her drink before her first sip. A little smile curling across her features seeing the little hints of enjoyment. It’d been a long time since she’d prepared tea for herself, much less for someone else, never had the time whenever she thought of it. Any time she had tea the past few years was due to Harley, though she’d given her the okay to take the day off. She’d been doing that a lot lately.
“You can think of my home as a second home, Nerissa, honestly. Any time you ever want to, you’re free to come here. To hang out, relax, have a snack, just missed me, anything. I just hope I can keep making good tea every time you want some.”
The Huntress expected some kind of tensing in the woman’s form from her doing this, it wasn’t something she did often, and she knew that she wasn’t used to it. Yet they were getting closer recently, and after having just got back to Mistral, she wanted to be with her, if not for the night then for just a short while at least. It always helped to be with Nerissa after hunts lately. So much had happened that she’d yet to bring up, clueless how to even begin with any of it with her friend. The only thing that was clear being that everything felt better around her, but she had to answer somehow sooner or later. In response to the posed comment and question, she snickers again and lifts her head to press her cheek to the Dancer’s as she takes a breath to answer.
“Just coming back from a hunt, wanted to at least stop by to check on you before I went home for the night. You’re up late yourself, Nerissa, you alright?”
