Porcelain

12

It was of very little shock to see one dancer on the stage still in costume. "You should listen to Madame Giry. She speaks the truth, you really should rest up for tomorrow. Opening nights are always so exhausting."

"Good evening, Erik." Fleurette smiled from her standing position. Her face was looking down at the stage and every so often she would elevate onto pointe.

"What are you doing?" He questioned simply, at any other time Fleurette would have taken to trying to find him. Yet she just stood like a little statue moving every so often.

"I'm breaking in my sister's shoes." She said flatly while going onto pointe again. "Good thing we're the same shoe size." She winced, although she could safely say that really this was a silly thing to do. The last thing either needed was for Eleanor's shoes to adapt to the shape of Fleurette's feet.

"Does she know?"

"Yes."

"Does she really?"

"Yes! Honestly she does!" Fleurette laughed and stomped her foot. "I wouldn't steal my sister's shoes when I have a pair perfectly for me." She smiled and shook her head. "I'm doing this as a favour."

"Who else best to break in her shoes than her sister? Well, excuse the fact that those shoes will mould to your feet and not hers."

"I'm merely loosening them. Then they're all hers and she can finish breaking them in." Fleurette smiled and sat down slowly. She was careful of her costume though, reaching down she untied the ribbons and pulled the shoes off of her feet.

Erik flinched when she started bashing the shoes against the stage. "What are you doing?"

"I'm breaking them in." She replied as if that was the most obvious thing ever. She did cast a quick look at Erik, he seemed utterly confused, but also worried about the impact sound the shoes made on the stage.

"Are you sure? You could have fooled me. From here it appears you have lost your temper with them and are now just trying to destroy them."

"That's silly! No, I'm trying to loosen the material." Fleurette explained, "You see usually at home when we'd get new shoes we'd put rubbing alcohol on them and walk around. Casually going on pointe as we go. But there's a big no, no to me using that stuff for some reason. A little strange if you ask me." Fleurette bent the shoe around and nodded. "That's as good as it'll ever be for her I think." She put the shoes to one side and picked up her own. Quickly making sure there was some stuffing in the toe she slipped them on and quickly did them up. She grinned and twirled on the spot, "So much better!"

"How did the rehearsals go? I see you're rather attached to your costume."

"I'm not meant to be wearing it, but it's too pretty to take off." Fleurette said while pulling the skirt slightly so she could get a better look at it.

"Try not to damage it then."

"I won't. I mean...I am just up here there's nothing up here which can damage it." Fleurette said thoughtfully while lowering her arms and straightening the skirt out. "Are you alright?"

"Why wouldn't I be?"

"Well earlier on you left so quickly I thought I had annoyed you."

"You didn't."

"Oh, that's good," she smiled and took to walking around slowly. She was going to run through the routine one last time but couldn't be bothered. Especially after breaking in her sister's shoes, or at least attempting to. "...You don't think people here look glum do you? I think I may have said that without properly looking at everyone." Fleurette said while crossing her arms and nodding. "Also, I'm sorry for mentioning my sister and Christine. I know how you feel."

"Perhaps you shouldn't talk of things you don't understand or have a concept on."

"What?" Fleurette frowned. "My sister hit the nail on the head and I figured it out."

"Be quiet." Erik said deadly serious. This was a conversation he definitely did not want to have, least of all with her. She pulls at this thread and Erik was sure any semblance of normalcy he had built back up, would just fall apart; unravel right in front of his eyes.

"I admitted to you that I loved someone I could not be with. Is it honestly that hard for you to do the same?"

"You should be silent, little dancer." Erik said, Fleurette frowned at his voice coming from several different places around her.

"No." Fleurette whispered and then yelped when a sand bag landed with a very heavy thud in front of her. Her arms flailed in the air as she tried to grasp onto something to stop her falling. But it was too late, she fell from the stage and landed in a small heap with a much quieter thudding noise.

Erik leaned forward on the runway suddenly aware with what he'd just done. Easily managing to get off of the runway, he stepped foot onto the stage silently. Fleurette still hadn't popped up, he didn't mean to let his anger get the better of him, it just sort of happened. Slowly walking to the edge of the stage he peered over, Fleurette laid on her back with her eyes shut and her arms outstretched as they had been trying to grab onto anything to stop her falling motion moments ago.

Jumping down from the stage he crouched beside her and put his hands on her cheeks. "Fleurette!" He exclaimed in a hushed tone. He doubted highly that anyone would still be up, but if someone was he didn't want them seeing him trying to wake her up. Although if there was anyone around the sound of the sand bag thudding to the ground would have instantly grabbed their attention. "Fleurette, wake up." He said practically pleading with her. Yet the woman below him laid motionless and seemingly asleep.

"Stand back," a new voice said. Erik frowned lightly and looked up at Madame Giry as she made her way towards them. She knelt down and put a hand to her neck, then to her chest. "She's still breathing."

"Then why isn't she waking up?"

"Because she must have hit her head hard against the floor." Giry said bluntly, Erik frowned and took another step back.

"Get help to her quickly." Were the last words he spoke before disappearing.

Madame Giry looked down at the unconscious young lady and sighed. "I knew something like this would happen." She paused, "Yet you ignored the warnings." Sighing and looking over her shoulder she swiftly called for her daughter. Meg rushed in and screamed at the sight of Fleurette laying motionless. "She is not dead Meg, but she will be if you do not collect a doctor for her."

"Okay, right away." Meg answered shakily while back tracking out of the space and running out of the front door.

Madame Giry ran a hand down her face. Eleanor was out with Felix again, the elder woman sat trying to decide how she could tell her the news that her sister had taken a tumble from the stage. She was in two minds whether to mention Erik or not. She decided not to, Eleanor would have a hard time processing Fleurette's accident, let alone if it happened because of him.

——

Reedited: 7/Jan/2022