[ COMPLETED ]
German Translations Provided By @vanessanats
BOOK 1 of the ORPHIC series
ZEITGEIST
/ˈtsītˌɡīst,ˈzītˌɡīst/
the defining spirit or mood of a particular period of history as shown by the ideas and beliefs of the time.
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"Trust is like blood pressure. It's silent and vital to good health. If abused, it can be deadly."
Brooklyn, New York June, 1943
LUCY HAD BID FAREWELL to Abraham, and Steve, who'd glowed like the stars when he waved his enlistment card in the air. It had been ridiculously heart-warming to see him with that huge grin on his face, dopey blue eyes innocently shimmering in the night. He'd apologized for ruining the date and she'd assured him he hadn't done anything wrong. She mentioned he might want to stay and spend more time with James, but he insisted studying books about basic training was more important than that- Lucy couldn't disagree. Besides, they'd said their goodbyes, and that must've been enough- at least, she hoped it was.
She hummed softly under her breath as she slid her hand over the door handle- a long slab of roughly painted wood- and gave it a gentle push. The hinges were loose as it swung open effortlessly. Her eyes flickered to the ceiling where soft lights glowed, the scent of alcohol overwhelming any lingering smell of cigarettes- wait, no, she sniffed, the smell was there. She turned her abilities on with ease, eyeing the molecules and turning them into oxygen. She breathed deeply- panic attacks weren't fun to experience, especially in public.
The sound of laughter and jazz music reached her ears, mind lulled by the hypnotic notes. She traipsed towards the bar at a sluggish pace, calculating eyes sorting threats and witnesses apart. Her eyes tracked the dancers as they tapped their feet against the vinyl and lost themselves in the gaze of their dates. Her lips twitched upwards at the sight, and she continued to scan the crowd, until she found James's familiar hat, which was slightly tilted.
He was remarkably swift for a man as broad as him. A joyous grin lit up his face as he swung Connie over his side, caught her swiftly, then threw her into the air. Lucy watched Connie explode with laughter as she landed on the ground and grabbed his hand, spinning in front of him.
Lucy neared the dance floor, the tips of her feet pressing against it. She waved enthusiastically at James as he swiftly flipped Connie over his head. He squinted at Lucy and his eyes glimmered with excitement as he twirled Connie while keeping his gaze on her. Lucy chuckled as he winked, shaking her head at his antics. He turned back to Connie and leaned towards her ear. Over the fast paced music she could hear nothing of his conversation. After a moment Connie nodded with a dejected smile and moved to dance with another man.
Lucy tilted her head as James dodged other dancers and made his way towards her. His cheeks were flushed from the aerobic exercise and he adjusted his hat as he stopped in front of her.
