Wings are for the Weak

<p><strong>Timestamp:</strong> Mid Dyo, Evening<br /><strong>Setting:</strong> Theater in Ajita, the seats are set up in such a way that the stage is a circle and seats go all the way around with several breaks for stairs (above) and exits for the performers (below). Tumt Femdt is putting on a version of Pyramus and Thisbe<br /><strong>Notes:</strong> Private for Iversia </p>

<p>Backstage everything was chaos.  The players were calm, standing ready while it seemed everyone else and their mother ran around as if they'd lost their heads.  The lights were set to go down in half an hour.  It seemed the only people who couldn't get a handle on opening night were the ones who had admonished the players for not rehearsing enough. Ilu sighed deeply as she rolled her shoulders. The costume was layers of tight spandex with a period coat over it and even though her measurements had been taken more times than she could count, it didn't feel right.</p>

<p>She shrugged out of the coat and held it against her as she struggled to get through the frantic stage crew. One would think that with her stature and position people would try a little harder to get out of her way, apparently not.  She finally found a small undisturbed spot by some costume racks for the second act.  She set her coat down and sat on the floor, her legs as wide apart as she could manage in the small space. <br /><br /><em>Breathe in ...2 ...3. Breathe out...</em></p>

<p>As she exhaled she pressed on her hands and supported her weight on that small point just below her core.  Satisfied with her balance she began to flex her back and lift so she was standing on her hands.  Then she brought her legs up so she was in a straight handstand.  With the same slow discipline she moved her legs to a vertical split then flexed her knees and slowly back to a straight stand.  She allowed her legs to fall forward into a bridge and then she cleanly pushed her hands up so she was standing again.  Ilu breathed deeply once more and rolled her head, not only stretching, but allowing her self to take in what was happening.</p>

<p><strong>"Zhetle'ba please put on your coat, we start in 15,"</strong></p>

<p>Ilu raised a brow, but did as she was told.  She wondered how she'd lost track of that much time, but wasn't surprised, when she stretched it happened.  She began to look around for her partner, she needed the last few minutes to reaffirm the recently changed maneuvers with her.</p>

<p><em>If she wasn't so small I might be able to find her-</em></p>

<p><strong>"Ilu~"</strong> her partner sang out from somewhere in the sea of rushing 'dragons.  Ilu looked around for the tell-tale red and gold costume when she was suddenly bumped into very hard and her partner wrapped her arms around her hips.</p>

<p><span><strong>"There you are, for the opening set, you'll be going from A5 to A7 then I'll catch you at B1 and we'll continue, yes?" </strong>Ilu asked, rattling off the names of the specific trapezes. Once they were moving things would be fine, but it was important they started in the right place or else they might miss each other or worse: fly into open air.</span></p>

<p>Her partner nodded, a very pleased grin on her face.</p>

<p><strong>"Alright everyone, starting in 5!"</strong> the director yelled.</p>

 

<p><strong>OOC:</strong> I got bored of calling Ilu's partner 'partner' so her name is now Nuade. </p>

<p><strong>IC:</strong><br />The lights went down and Ilu ran to the base of the ladder, her partner doing the same thing across the large stage.  The two climbed the slim, metal racks almost silently and hauled themselves up onto the small platforms at the top.  Spotlights flashed on, focusing on both thills as they held a trapeze in one hand.  From where the audience was they wouldn't be able to tell that Ilu was female, some of the waiting 'dragons wouldn't even really be able to see the relatively small bars of the trapezes, the cords that held them virtually invisible.</p>

<p>Nuade looked up at Ilu and nodded.  In synchronization they jumped from the platforms and swung toward the middle of the stage.  Each let go with one hand as they passed and reached for the other, their fingertips missing by less than a few inches as they were pulled back by the physics of the swing.  Ilu moved her hands, turning her body around as the trapeze hit its apex and she used the momentum to carry her to a trapeze that a crew member had sent flying toward her.  She caught it and bent her arms at the elbow, giving her enough space to flex her abs and pull her legs through the small opening and hook her knees on the bar as she let go with her hands. On the other side of the stage her partner was moving from one bar to the next with little effort.  As she caught A7, other performers emerged on either side of her, grabbing at her to pull her back.  One managed to catch her ankle, but she kicked and sent the performer falling into the darkness of the lower stage.  There would be a net to catch them and the audience would see that, but as soon as the other performers were all down at the base of the stage the crew would take the net out and bring a new level of danger to the stage.</p>

<p>The trapeze that Nuade had caught was built differently than the others on the stage. Below the main bar was a triangular set of bars on a ball bearing.  The small thill caught it and with her legs together though slightly raised, she twisted herself.  The second set of bars spun freely, picking up speed as she was thrust upward.  She let go and for a moment, she was in the open air, her back arched, one leg straight, the other drawn upward slightly as she lifted her arm.  She looked as though she belonged on the ground with a ballet.  As gravity came into play, she began to fall and she stretched both arms over her head as she caught Ilu's wrists and felt large, strong hands wrap around her own wrists.  Ilu let the trapeze swing the two of them back as the two looked at each other.  On the up-swing she used the natural momentum and her own strength to send Nuade soaring directly upward, a half front flip as her dainty feet touched the topside of the bar and she stood, holding on to the cords.  Without the same momentum to use, Ilu used her brute strength to curl her upper body and grab just above where the cords met the bar.  She pulled herself up, bypassing a sitting position as she crouched just next to her partner and then stood.  Ilu wrapped on arm around her partner and the two shared a chaste kiss as the upper lights dimmed, drawing the audience's attention to the lower stage.</p>

<p>While the leads had been flying back and forth the crew had used the distracted attention to roll in large trampolines of varying sizes.  The ensemble, playing parts of the two warring families were now engaged in mock battle when suddenly, both Ilu and Nuade dropped down from the impossible height to the center trampoline, by far the largest. They embraced as the springs slowly brought them to a still.  Both sides of the ensemble grabbed hold of the two performers and forcibly pulled them away, leaving the two to reach for one another as the lights changed from soft yellow to a momentary black. </p>

<p>When they came up again Ilu and Nuade were breathing hard across the stage from each other, standing on lower platforms than those for the trapezes.  They tentatively stepped out into what seemed like nothing and walked across a thin tightrope, each looking over their shoulder every few steps.  The ensemble that had been playing the family members were no where to be seen as the two met each other half way.  They embraced and mimicked a short dialogue though they spoke no words and with hands clasped they stepped to another tightrope and split up, though it was understood that they were in the same setting.  </p>

<p>Ilu smiled though she knew the audience wouldn't be able to see her expression.  She felt a fierce joy bloom within her as she ran the length of her rope and sprung up at the end, flipping back and landing with the rope firmly running through the middle of the soles of her bare feet.  She spun and let herself fall back, past the rope until at the last moment she reached out with her hand to catch herself.  She pulled herself up onto the rope, much in the same way she had pulled herself on to the trapeze.  She sat and watched Nuade dance and move through the various wires, smiling as she let herself down on to the rope Ilu was currently sitting on.  She walked to her and extended a hand, Ilu took it and stood, now following what her partner was doing across a small distance to a new wire.  They flipped and spun in almost perfect synchronization, clearly gleeful until they met up once more, holding one another.  The lights began to dim and they dove off the rope headfirst as the house lights came up for the short intermission.</p>

<p>They ran off the stage and into the mass of waiting crew members.  One handed Ilu a bottle of water and she took it, grateful, though she couldn't drink it yet.  She took her time catching her breath.  It didn't matter what kind of shape she was in, performing required her to give everything she had to the point where she struggled to breathe in enough oxygen.  Once she was no longer gasping for air she took a small sip of water, it was all she had time for before it was taken from her and someone began to manhandle her to get her out of her current costume.  She spread her arms out to let them take off her jacket and unzip the spandex beneath.  She was left in her undergarments as she slipped into the next costume.</p>

<p><strong>"Can I have my water back?"</strong> she called out.  Someone materialized out of thin air and handed her a plastic cup full of water that she took and drank greedily.  She was still drinking when the water was taken back once more.  She was ready to yell at someone until she realized it was Nuade.  The small thill was drinking from the cup now.</p>

<p><strong>"Did they take yours away too?"</strong> Ilu asked.</p>

<p>She nodded and handed off the empty cup to a passing crew member before her eyes rolled back in her head and she crumpled to the floor.  For a second, everyone back stage stopped moving, you could've heard a pin drop.  Ilu scooped up her partner before a panic-stricken crew member trampled her.</p>

<p><strong>"We need a medic!"</strong> she yelled.  The small sentence sent everyone back into frantic motion.  They didn't keep doctors on hand during shows because they were so rarely needed, generally any injuries could be handled by another performer or a crew member. Someone ran off in the direction of the tech crews, there would have to be a medic of some kind in the audience. </p>