fandomhigh | Intro to Performing Arts

Class met in the Danger Shop today, which was set up to look like a gymnastics gym, complete with tumbling mats and balance beams of varying heights. There was also - inexplicably - a set of encyclopedias.

"Hey guys!" Annie waved from where she was standing on a beam about four feet off the ground. "I figured today we could work on one of the core skills needed to master a lot of what's coming up: balance. You're going to need to be able to keep your balance when dancing and stage-fighting, and honestly it's kind of just a good idea for your life. These are balance beams, if you've never seen one before - the idea is that you walk back and forth across these without falling." She demonstrated, placing one foot in front of the other and holding her arms out to her sides in a T-shape.

"If this is easy for you and you don't feel like you need to learn to balance, try something a little challenging - you can walk in relevé, which just means on your tippy-toes," Annie added, going onto her toes to demonstrate before jumping up and quickly switching the position of her feet. "You can try jumping. You can do a funny walk. The idea here is to get a feel for how your spine feels when you're trying to keep your balance. If you can maintain a strong, straight spine, you're basically unshakable, and that'll help form the foundation for a lot of what we'll be doing down the road."

"If," she added, "you can't or don't want to get up on a beam, I have these!" Annie hopped down off the beam, crossing over to the encyclopedias and plucking up the A volume to carefully place it on her head. "See how long you can keep a book on your head." And she wasn't looking at anyone in particular, but this was for you, Jules - though knowing what little she did of what they used to put girls through back in the day, she wouldn't be shocked if Enola could carry around A-F on her head or something.

"Let me know if you have any questions," Annie added, waving towards the beams and keeping the book balanced perfectly on her head. She'd probably keep this up for awhile.

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He did, in fact, hide it better than Diego. But only because he didn't get anxious about needles and had no qualms with sewing himself up should the need arise.

"Fine." Then, almost grudgingly, but still somehow sincerely asked, "Diego?"

"Also fine," Annie told him, her smile softening into something a little less obviously forced. "I patched up his arm." By burning it, because that was somehow better than stitches. "That's pretty scary that that happened to you guys, though."

So scary for Annie, anyway. Tell her your feelings about being scared, Five, she was here for you.

It was nice or something like it to know that Diego was happy here. As close as any of them could get to it, at least.

Which meant he'd have to work harder to keep that whole apocalypse thing from happening.

"Not really," he said with a sigh. You know, the real shock was that they'd been there for Diego instead of him! "I handled it."

Control freak.

"I heard," Annie noted, wincing a little in genuine concern. "I heard you handled the hell out of it."

A butter knife.

"So, like, thank you," she added. "And I just wanted to make sure you're all right after that."

Look, sometimes you worked with what you had at hand. And sometimes you had to take the aggression for a broken vending machine out on a room full of people. With an ax.

Five gave her a deeply suspicious look, clearly trying to figure out what her play here was. Because there had to be one, right? Right?

No, Annie was just one of those rare good people who actually worried about others. If anything, her play was trying to get her boyfriend's brother to like her just because it would be less awkward for everyone if they got along. But she was also genuinely kind of concerned! Because butter knife.

"Because, like, I know when I've been in scary situations like that," she continued, "even if you think you're okay after, it can take a lot out of you." Not that Annie had ever been attacked by a bunch of guys in vans in a donut shop, but you know.

That was fake, Annie. Fake.

"I'm not an actual child, you know. I'm old enough to be your father." Because that totally explained everything. Yes, even the butter knife. "Did Diego put you up to this?"

"Yeah, and if my dad got into a bloody shootout with a bunch of people I'd ask if he was okay, too," Annie pointed out, waving a hand. Ignore the fact she didn't talk to her father. Irrelevant. "Diego doesn't even know I'm talking to you right now." At least beyond the knowledge that her class was on Fridays and Five was in it, but all of this worry was pure Annie.

Five pursed his lips into a tight little line, trying to make an accurate assessment of her once again. And not in case he needed to put her down in a fight!

It was deeply uncomfortable and weird.

"I'm fine. It wasn't the first time."

"This isn't the first time a bunch of guys cornered you in a donut shop with guns?" Annie asked, hoping that maybe if she got hyper-specific he'd at least open up enough to correct her.

Annie, that was cheating.

"Something like that, yes."

Takes a cheater to know a cheater.

"Sounds like a lot to deal with," Annie said sympathetically. "I'm sorry. And I'm glad you're okay." Sincerely.

...damn it.

Five's suspicious turned to abject confusion and then back to suspicion. Oop, and right on back to confusion. "...right."

This was not how things worked, damn it.

"And if you need anything at all," Annie added, crossing over to grab something out of her bag, "I'm around." Look, she wasn't dumb enough to think they'd be instant best friends or anything, but she wanted to make the offer anyway. "Like, if there's another fight, too. I throw a mean punch; ask your brother."

Romance.

Five watched her for a moment longer, expression smoothing into it's normal level of grim annoyance at everything and everyone.

"Keep an eye on him for me then," he said before teleporting away like an absolute shithead who could never let someone else get the last word. Just ask Diego. It was a thing.

Also ~emotions~

Ugh, Five, she had a gift for you, damn it. LET HER BRIBE YOU.

At least it would, like, keep.

"Fine," she told the spot where he'd been. "I will."

That was super annoying.

Intro to Performing Arts | Friday, 2nd Period

Re: Talk to Annie | PA2, 1/15/21

Re: Talk to Annie | PA2, 1/15/21

Re: Talk to Annie | PA2, 1/15/21

Re: Talk to Annie | PA2, 1/15/21

Re: Talk to Annie | PA2, 1/15/21

Re: Talk to Annie | PA2, 1/15/21

Re: Talk to Annie | PA2, 1/15/21

Re: Talk to Annie | PA2, 1/15/21

Re: Talk to Annie | PA2, 1/15/21

Re: Talk to Annie | PA2, 1/15/21

Re: Talk to Annie | PA2, 1/15/21

Re: Talk to Annie | PA2, 1/15/21

Re: Talk to Annie | PA2, 1/15/21

Re: Talk to Annie | PA2, 1/15/21

Re: Talk to Annie | PA2, 1/15/21

Re: Talk to Annie | PA2, 1/15/21