6984/A Night at the Ballet

A Night at the Ballet
Date of Scene:	17 July 2021
Location:	Podium at Theatre Row
Synopsis:	Phoebe and Cassandra go to the ballet. It's all going well, when Phoebe spots something in the lobby. What could it be? Scene 1 of 2.
Cast of Characters:	Cassandra Cain, Phoebe Beacon

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Cassandra Cain has posed:
They meet outside the theatre. Cass has managed to look feminine, which is probably due to Alfred's influence more than any choice that she made herself, but she stands waiting for Phoebe to show up and bites the corner of her lip.

She seems to be wearing something that might almost be makeup. How much fighting did that take to get her to wear? Her hair looks nice - must've taken a brush to it as well. And a black dress with no shoulders marks her as a guest, rather than a security guard. For once.

She hasn't dashed inside, but instead waits for Phoebe at the entrance. Which given the fact that she's scoping out the attendees has already made a few of the actual guards a bit nervous.

Phoebe Beacon has posed:
    If you had asked Phoebe Beacon last year if she had considered taking an assassin and crimefighter on a date to the Ballet, she probably would have fushed something about how she wasn't sure that's how assassination and vigilantism worked. She probably also would have said that her mom would have to drive them to the date. Tonight, she had scraped up enough leftover from her trust fund to get tickets, a borrowed dress and shoes. The tickets she left pinned to Cass's door in the Roost, entirely unsure if she even slept there.

    But tonight was the night. Phoebe had fashioned leftover bits of her Persephone-inspired wreath from functions with the Amazons to form a pair of drop-earings, with three flowers etched in silver each, centered by mandable-less skulls. Her hair was braided much more fancily than usual, with metallic threads interwoven through. She wore a silvery-gray halter-top dress, and her ride?

    Well. There were some things that were left to be desired. She stepped off the bus, making sure her heels were well in place as she caught sight of Cassandra, and gives a bright smile.

    She figured that Cass would already know she was behind the quiet Bat, but Phoebe tries to surprise her anyway, tapping her shoulder.

Cassandra Cain has posed:
Honestly she had no idea. The complete lack of tension in those around her though, that decides how she'll turn. Brushing her hair out of the way, Cassandra turns her head to the left. She sees who's there and her eyes brighten, and she turns about to smile at Phoebe, to take her in with her eyes.

The gentle way her eyes turn, the way her smile arches, these make one think that she's reading a lot out of Phoebe's own expressions. And she's certainly blushing.

Extending both hands toward her, Cass offers the Ballet entrance. A well lit theatre with all the trimmings. Music has already begun inside, as the instrumentalists tune up their toys. Cass, of course, is constantly checking to see if this is a trap.

Phoebe Beacon has posed:
    Phoebe gives a small smile, and she digs down into her little hand-bag.

    "I'm on-edge enough for the both of us." she admits quietly, "Crowds aren't my thing after what happened at the bank, but I think, for you? I can give it a try." she states, and then she produces from her handbag a fancy hair-comb, one of those 'pin into place' deals. It is in the shape of lilies, created with black glass and silver beads. "I... uh, I don't know how things are supposed to go, but I made this for you. IN case you didn't have anything to wear in your hair."

    Phoebe pauses a moment, "In case it needed to be up and out of your face!" she continues, looking suddenly nervous, shoulders rising up as she mimes pulling hair out of her own face and pinning it to the side.

Cassandra Cain has posed:
Cassandra puts a hand on Phoebe's own, as she mimes and panics and worries and motions things. If she only knew how easy she was to read, how little she actually needed to do in order to be understood, she'd be simply living instead of doing all of the things!

Cass lowers her hands, then places them behind her back. She sways from one side to the other, showing her hair and smiling. It's so clearly waiting to be adorned with Phoebe's gift, she almost looks like a girl on a date. But that, of course, is clearly impossible.

She tilts her head left, then pauses expectantly.

Phoebe Beacon has posed:
    Totally impossible. Shoud be an ethics violation. You probably should not crush on or date your teammates. Especially when there's the city that needs them.

    Phoebe is completely aware how easy she is to read. She's never had to hide herself or restrain her emotions, but when Cass rocks from side to side, with a smile, it's plain to read her.

    Phoebe gives a smile, taking a deep breath, and then she reaches up. She takes some of Cass's hair, and sweeps it back behind her ear, and then puts the comb in place, the silver easy to pick out, the black of the lilies and glass beads a little harder. She breathes out.

    "... I feel like I should be thanking you."

Cassandra Cain has posed:
A few things pass through Cass' mind. Whether she should have brought a gift? No, Phoebe isn't expecting any such thing. Should she be doing something? No, things seem pretty good as well. Well then.

Cass spins around once, her dress parting from her legs a moment. Then she lifts her eyes to try and look up at her hair, which has the usual standard effect of not working. And then she accepts the situation and takes Phoebe's hand. You know, unless stopped.

She urges toward the entrance. A tug, and step in that direction. She reaaalllly wants to see the ballet!

Oh and she likes the gift. It looks really nice on her, her complexion quite matching the lilies.

Phoebe Beacon has posed:
    A couple of people look at the curious couple, and Phoebe gives a small laugh. She accepts Cass's hand, and she follows the spinning, dancing girl into the theater. "All right, all right, we're getting to our seats --" she trails off. There's ushers with scanners. There's ushers with programs. There's ushers who check their seats and guide them to the correct ones, and as this is the Ballet there's not too much expected to go wroung, and the two girls are allowed to ease into the dark maroon cloth seats of the balcony, towards the back.

Cassandra Cain has posed:
The ushers seem relieved to be done of them; the show is about to start, and the lights are already down. Not that Cassandra minds darkness. Rather a perk, given her usual job. Also she takes a moment to squeeze Phoebe's hand in the darkness, and a shine from a random light comes off of the sparkle in her hair. From the look in her eye it was intentional. She's showing off her new ornament, a bit.

She leans a little closer as the instruments start to play music. Eyes track left and right, and she sighs softly. Somehow she conveys the sigh through their touching hands, and fingers interlace.

The show begins, and a young woman leaps onto the stage.

Phoebe Beacon has posed:
    Phoebe's lips purse in a grin, and her fingers lace with Cassandra's. Her fingers curl against the other girl's, calloused fingertips from years of physical training playing against one another, and Phoebe very gently leans her head towards Cass's as she holds her hand.

    Ballet being one of those artforms where the story can be a little convoluted unless you speak the language of the movement, Phoebe has to watch a little more carefully, to make sure she's getting the most of it.

Cassandra Cain has posed:
Cassandra is getting...everything.

The men who lift the women into the air, every twirl catches her eye. She sees the effort put in by the dancers, every hour of work and the story they tell. The villagers dancing when Prince Sigfried arrives, the girls vying for his attention. The decision to hunt, to avoid his future, it strikes her heart.

When he ends up in the woods, alone, she gasps and holds her breath. She can see it coming, and the backdrop of the pond is exquisite. Cassandra's fingers on Phoebe's tell how rapt she is.

Because the Swan Queen's dance is perfection. Cassandra can not breathe, because there is no room for breath. Her eyes are on a new world that movies can not offer.

It...the Prima is amazing. And she spins, in Cassandra's soul.

Phoebe Beacon has posed:
    Phoebe was always in awe of the effortless grace of ballet dancers, and of some of her teammates. She had to work hard at her own -- her learned martial art was not graceful. It was practical, but turning, peeling her eyes from the stage to watch Cassandra's rapture at the ballet, that was worth it. Every awkward stammer. Even the fear that her powers were what would have attracted Cassandra to her. Phoebe's heart was in her throat, and she gives a slight swallow, her fingers staying against Cass's as she turns back to the stage, and watches the delicate dancing of the Swan with the same rapture that Sigfried would have when stumblign around in the dark.

    Phoebe lets Cassandra have her time with that mute communication between dancers and audience, Swan and Cassandra.

Cassandra Cain has posed:
Somehow Cassandra manages to notice Phoebe's gaze. Considering how much attention she has for the dance on stage, that alone is a herculean feat, but she offers a smile.

Her face goes back to the absolute focus a moment later, and she is lost. I knew it, I knew that guy was bad, she says, her face screwing up when the Sorceror is outed by Odette. HIs arrival, when the two were about to pledge their love, causes her body to tense.

Their separation, the end of the second act, has her chin literally resting on her hands. She joins in the audience's reaction, shaking her free fist in the air! Bastard!

But she never releases the hold on Phoebe's fingers, even if she occasionally might squeeze a little too tightly.

Phoebe Beacon has posed:
    Phoebe survives her hand being squeezed, though she also has a certain dispise of the evil sorcerer, but she watches as Cassandra lives through the emotions.

    Intermission, though, comes, and the ladies room of course has a l ine that goes around the lobby twice -- but Phoebe had seen something. She disappears into the crowd for a moment.

Cassandra Cain has posed:
Cassandra has never in her life (shush, you) needed the ladies room during work hours. I said shut up, she so has not. So she waits for Phoebe as she disappears into the crowd.

She is, in her heart, tempted to disappear as well. She's looking up, wondering if she can get a birds' eye view of the dancers. Shouldn't be too hard. Wonder if Phoebe will climb rafters with me..