The Art of Falling
"Good job miss Sora," one of the stagehands said. Sora looked at her and smiled.
"Thank you Loreley," Sora said and moved on to change her clothes. "A wonderful job Mr. Oswald," Loreley said to the white haired man.
He just nodded his head and went back stage to change into normal clothes since the show was now over.
The other stagehands were cleaning backstage, and Loreley got a bucket and mop, and she went onstage to start her work. On the stage Loreley could also see the custodians doing their work, cleaning the audience area.
The people backstage and the custodians finished by the time she was half way done and they all said their good byes to Loreley.
"Good night, Loreley," they all said waving to her.
"Gute nacht, I will see you all tomorrow, oh I also hope you feel better Brent," Loreley said waving back to her friends.
About ten minuets or so later, Loreley had finished cleaning the stage. When she knew that no one was around Loreley stripped off her baggy blue jeans and old baggy gray shirt, and than she had nothing left on but a pair of black biker shorts and an army green sports bra. Smiling to herself she set her clothes back stage and put away the mop and bucket.
"I am finally going to have some fun, who knows when they are going to tear down the set," Loreley thought smiling again.
This would be the first time that she would be able to practice on the set for the Angel's maneuver since the reporters started coming to interview Sora and the others, and they all stayed so late, so this would be the first time she could be on the Angel's maneuver set up.
Loreley climbed up one of the towers and than she grabbed a trapeze bar and with out warning she just jumped off the platform. Once she had enough momentum she lot go and did two flips and laded on the center trampoline. She bounced two than three times remembering how Sora did the performance earlier that day.
Once she was high enough she imagined her partner taking her hand and guiding her up. Up as far as she could stay, Loreley formed pose all her own. Her legs were straight down and they were also crossed at the ankles. Her arms were also above her had and crossed at the wrists. Seconds later she floated down to land on another trapeze bar. Seeing her partner whom she long ago dubbed her father's spirit, she crouched down on the trapeze bar and she jumped off towards her partner who helped her up one last time. This time she created a different pose, this one more elegant and beautiful than the last. Her legs were straight down but bent slightly at the knee. Her elbows were at a right angle and her hands were but together as in palm beside palm.
When she started to descend her hands crossed her chest and she did three flips and landed on another trapeze bar.
Loreley's breath was a little quick, and once she calmed down she jumped down to the trampoline. After she had re-latched all the bars and securing them in place she put her baggy clothes back on and went to go to the training room to see what else needed to be cleaned.
1-1-1
He was frozen still in his place as soon as he saw her. He watched as she did the final bounce on the trampoline and with the help of a spirit, which he could not believe he was seeing, she went up and did the Angel's Maneuver. It was made with such passion in her moves, and her poses were so bold and elegant, he could not advert his eyes away from her form.
Leon had thought that only performers that had completed 'The Great Maneuver' could perform the Angel's maneuver so beautifully. He saw her catch her spirit slash partners hand and ascend towards the ceiling posing again. Leon could not help but smile when she did. It was just like a magic pull, you just had to do it.
He watched as she put her clothes back on and go back stage after she had caught the trapeze bars for the next performance. Leo grabbed his coat that he had almost forgotten about again and he walked back to his car
"She will just be my Angel for now," Leon thought as he closed his car door.(sounds a lil creepy huh?)
2-2-2
The next day after the evening show, Leon saw the girl again.
"She is that girl," Leon thought finally realizing that she is the girl that congratulates everyone for a good performance. Leon than waited in the dark corners of the audience to see if she would perform again. There, he saw her, but she was just cleaning.
"I had though that she would be finished by now," Leon thought. He had to only wait twenty more minuets before she stripped before his eyes. She was wearing the same outfit as before. He watched intently as she tightened her long dirty blond ponytail and started to climb the tower after doing a few routine stretches. She took the trapeze bar in her hands and jumped off the tower. Once she had gained enough momentum she let go of that bar and grabbed another bar, having caught it with her legs and her upper body dangling upside down. She laughed. Suddenly he felt something in his chest contract.
He watched as she let go of the bar and headed head first towards the net less space below. There were no good spots to land on the trampoline either. He stood up suddenly about to make his way towards the stage when he heard her laughter again making him stop in his tracks. Just before she hit the edge of the trampoline she maneuvered herself upright and landed on the ring of one of the outside trampolines' in a crouched position. Leon, from his spot could see her thigh muscles take the impact. No more than five seconds later that she was up in the air again having used her strong thigh muscles to push her upwards towards another trapeze bar. She grasped it and pushed her self up so she was standing on it. She laughed again and fell back wards her arms across her chest and she was spinning downwards.
Loreley landed dead center of the center trampoline and bounced on all three that were there, doing all sorts of advanced movements and tricks.
3-3-3
Everyday Leon watched her. Her movements changed and transformed into something beautiful, more beautiful than the days before. Also everyday he found more and more about her. Her appearance, like many men, is what Leon first noticed. When she greeted him after every show, he noticed her gray blue eyes and her long golden blond hair that she always kept in a high ponytail. Her height was as nearly as tall as he was, only a few inches shorter. Sora who always smiled and greeted Loreley back, always had to look up while Loreley looked down, but never in disrespect. He also noticed one day how she never wore anything but baggy clothes, unlinked many other stage hands who all wore very tight fitting clothes. Onstage though Leon saw her personality shin through. Her grace and her true beauty was only visible on the stage.
4-4-4
One day he even found a little about her past while she was talking to Sora.
"Wow that is so amazing," Sora, said her eyes sparkling while looking at Loreley. "What did he do while he was onstage?" Sora asked.
"Vater, did just about everything, but he was best at the tight rope. Vater was really good at balancing," Loreley explained.
"That is so cool. What does he do now?" Sora asked innocently.
Loreley looked downwards and smiled slightly. "He does not do anything now, he is dead," Loreley said looking at Sora.
"Oh I am so sorry," Sora said. "What about your mother?" Sora asked again.
"She is also dead," Loreley said. "She passed when my father and I lived in Germany. I was twelve at the time. Than vati and I moved here, and vater preformed," Loreley continued to explain.
"My parents also passed away when I was young," Sora admitted.
Than there was a short pause.
"So what is Germany like where you are form?" Sora asked deterring form the depressing line of conversation.
"It is beautiful. I was born and lived fore twelve years of my live in Stuttgart, Germany," Loreley began. "The buildings are old, but oh so extravagant. We lived right by a river, so during the summer we all went swimming. My father preformed at the Grosses Haus. My mother and I used to go watch him," Loreley said smiling at the memory. "I took gymnastics from three to twelve years old, and I took circus classes from age five to age twelve. My mother loved to ice skate, she was so beautiful, once I heard my father call her an 'Angel on ice'," Loreley said, "So umm what is your home like?" Loreley asked Sora.
"I am sure that it is no comparison to where you had lived, but I was born and lived in Tokyo, Japan for sixteen years. I came here not to long ago," Sora said. "And you already know the rest," Sora said.
Leon who had filled his quota of curiosity for the day walked away, now with more knowledge about the mysterious girl than before.
5-5-5
Loreley was just a little annoyed with the fact the she could not have fun onstage for the next day or so.
"Just when I was getting used to it too," Loreley said as she walked to the training area.
They were taking down the Angel Maneuvers stage so that they could start building for the new one, about the Fool and the Princess.
"Oh well," Loreley sighed as she climbed the tower in the training room. "At least I can practice my own moves," she finished grabbing the bar.
Loreley stepped up on to the bar and singed till it stopped. Keeping her balance Loreley brought her right foot above her head and she caught her ankle with her hand. Balancing perfectly, she spun around on the bar, her hand and ankle still connected. Next she put her leg down and jumped down behind the now static bar and grabbed a hold of it before she had gone too far. She pushed back and forth to get the bar moving. Once she got the bar moving how she wanted it, she pulled her self up and saw on the bar still swinging. Loreley went back and forth pumping her legs like she would do on a swing set. While she moved Loreley thought about the story. About the Fool and the Princess. How she must have felt, how sad, she must have felt. How, so very lonely, so very lonely she truly was.
Loreley started to weep. She cried beautiful triadic tears of clear blue. Loreley floated down to the floor and went out side of the trapeze area. Once she got to the floor mat, Loreley closed her eyes, tears still softly trading down her pale smooth cheeks. Her eyes still closed Loreley raised her hands into the air stretching slightly. After she had put her arms back down at her side Loreley started to run blindly, feeling the springy material beneath her feet. Once she had momentum she did two flips in the air and landed with her legs slightly bent. Her eyes still closed Loreley started to dance. She danced a mix of what looked like ballet, jazz, and some hip-hop intermixed. Though to anyone who could have watched her, they would have said how sad she looked. Finishing her routine on the floor she opened her eyes and went back to the trapeze room.
Having that feeling still with her Loreley preformed with the heart of sadness, doing solo basic moved.
6-6-6
Rosetta was going to start practicing her part for the play, but she hid behind a roll of mats watching as the stagehand, Loreley climbed up one of the towers.
"Wow she is so pretty, but she looks so bored," Rosetta said.
"Oh yes, very," Fool said looking at Loreley's flat stomach and supple breasts compressed by the training bra. " It looks like she is just starting her basics," his eyes closed and his face turned towards Rosetta. When the Fool heard no other reply he looked at Rosetta again, Her eyes were trained to the trapeze. Fool looked towards Loreley. Her movements were now not that of an armature, but that of someone who lived for what she was doing. Her movements were so fluid and carefree, and she had a smile on here face. To the Fool's disbelief her eyes were closed, as she did a dangerous move, jumping off the bar and spinning and doing two flips before grabbing the other bar with her feet.
"Wow, Fool, did you see what she did?" Rosetta asked astonished at what she had just seen.
"I would have never guessed," the Fool spoke.
"Never guessed what?" Rosetta asked confused by the Fools' words.
"You can practice later," the Fool, said going out the door.
"Ok, but Fool what were you talking about?" Rosetta asked the Fool also sneaking out the door.
7-7-7
When Loreley heard the door close her eyes went really wide and she looked towards the door, searching for any one whom might have come through. When she looked back towards the bar she realized that she missed it and fell towards the net. Once the net stopped moving and she had stopped shaking, she asked in a weak voice if anyone was there. Realizing that it must have been the wind or something, Loreley went back to training.
8-8-8
Leon was angry. To say that he was just a little up set would be a complete and total understatement. He had waited till nearly dawn for that girl to show up, but she never arrived. Leon went up to Kalos's office to see if he could maybe find Loreley, or at least the reason why she was not on the stage, and why they were tearing it down.
"That might have been why she was not on the stage," Leon though to himself. Leon opened the Office door and almost everyone was in there.
"Good you are here. Now Rosetta what is so important that could not wait for a later hour?" Kalos asked as Leon closed the door.
"I know that you choose me for the roll of the Princess, but I want some one else to do it, and I will play a lesser roll," Rosetta said.
Everyone's attention was turned on Sora.
"And it is not Sora," Rosetta said.
"Than who are you talking about, no one else here is skilled or ready enough to play the part, but you and Sora," Mia said.
"Yes, but I never said that the person was in the room, now did I," Rosetta said asking them.
"Than who is the person that you are talking about?" Sora asked.
"She's right there," Rosetta said pointing towards Loreley feeding Jonathan fish.
"No, way. Loreley, Rosenblatt, the stagehand," Anna said disbelief lining her every word.
As if she heard her own name Loreley looks up to the window of Kalos's office. Seeing people there she waved at them, and went back to feeding Jonathan and rubbing his stomach. Kalos who was closest to the window, smiled and waved back.
"How can you know if she can do anything, she is just a stagehand?" Mia asked.
"You say that as it is a bad thing. As a person who is at the stage everyday, she would have more feeling than anyone here. And besides I watched her perform, well I really don't know if she was playing, performing, or training, what not, but what ever she did it was the best, it was just so amazing," Rosetta sighed.
"She won't do it," Kalos said.
"How would you know if she would or not?" Leon asked his French accent in his voice.
"Because she has stage fright," Kalso said.
"But she did so well," Rosetta said confused.
"She is afraid to perform in front of people," Sarah said.
"But, why?" Sora asked confused also.
"It has a reason to do with her father," Sarah said.
Sarah had everyone's attention now. All eyes and ears were directed at her.
"Don't you all look at me like that. I will not tell you anything. It is Loreley's story to tell. If you want to know so bad, just go ask her," Sarah said.
'Knock, Knock', there was a knock at the door.
"Come on in," Kalos said and Ben came in.
"The trapeze part of the set is up sir," Ben said.
"Wow that was quick," Sora commented.
"I should guess that we could all see her perform tonight with out her knowing,' Leon said.
Every head in the room turned their heads towards Leon in shock.
"How do you know this?" Mia asked being bold.
"I have seen her perform on the stage at night before, the only reason that Rosetta saw her in the training area last night was because the set was being torn down," Leon explained.
"Alright let's do it," Sora said a fist raised into the air.
9-9-9
Later on everyone gathered in the back of the audience and waited. Little later after they all had arrived Loreley made her appearance on stage.
Loreley walked on to the stage. She looked around the stage to see how it was set up. It was beautiful. After analyzing the stage a little Loreley stripped off her baggy sweat pants and old t-shirt, making some of the unknowing audience blush, and underneath her baggy clothing she wore a black and gold gymnastics leotard.
They all watched her even the Fool could not resist getting a little closer as he watched Loreley climb the tower.
Loreley could tell form her position on the tower that there were a few tight ropes put up already. Smiling a bit to herself, and rubbing a bit of chalk on her hands and clad feet, she jumped head first off the tower. She straightened herself up and landed on a tight rope, it bending beneath her weight. Having her balance, Loreley began to walk back and forth down the tight rope. Judging the distance to the next tight rope and the next one over, she pushed her feet off the wire and flipped to the next one landing perfectly on her feet. Loreley started to bounce slightly, like someone would bounce on a diving board before jumping in. And jump Loreley did, right off the tight rope and up to a trapeze bar not to far away. She grabbed it with one hand and she began to push her self back and forth still holding on with only one hand. Gaining enough momentum she did a few crouched flips and landed on another trapeze bar smiling. Once again she thought of the princess, sad bored, than in love. These would be the emotions the princess would have felt thought out the story. But in the end there would be a great sadness that she would feel, for she could not be with the on she loved. Unknowing to her, so lost in thought, she was performing.
They all watched in awe as she performed the part of the princess.
"Is this what you and Rosetta saw last night?" Sora asked the Fool. "Fool?" Sora asked not hearing his reply. Sora looked down beside her, but she did not see the Fool. When Sora looked back up the Fool was heading towards the stage. "Fool," Sora called again, a little louder trying to get his attention. But, it was as if he was in a trance watching Loreley perform.
Loreley had closed her eyes at some point during her performance. Loreley opened her eyes as she was about to jump to another bar, and right in front of her was a floating doll.
"So beautiful," it spoke.
"It can speak," Loreley said her eyes wide and her voice a little louder than normal. Loreley looked to the bar and saw that she was not going to make it, than she looked down and saw a tight rope.
The people in the audience gasped when they all saw that she was going to miss the bar. They could not see the tight rope from their position. Leon also gasped for he too did not see the tight rope beneath Loreley, and jumped up and sprinted towards the stage.
Loreley landed on the tight rope her thigh muscles straining underneath her weight, and also to keep her balance. Loreley smiled and closed her eyes. She used the pressure on the tight rope to push her upwards doing one of her 'Angel's maneuvers'. When Loreley opened her eyes she saw Leon and the other performers, also Kalos was there. They were all staring at her in awe.
Loreley felt her chest tighten and her breath leave here. She was having a small panic attack, and she knew it. People saw her perform on the trapeze. To here they were looking at her in disgust. She had missed the bar and done one of Sora's moves. The shame she felt washed over every piece of her flesh. Then there was the doll, she had seen Sora and Rosetta talking to it, but she always thought that it was maybe a pull string doll. But for it to float in front of her face and speak to her. It was really fighting. Than, Loreley realized that she was going to die on the same stage as her father. She watched as Leon jump up on stage and onto a trampoline to catch her in his arms.
"Breath, Loreley," Leon said, as he watched Loreley pass out in his arms.
10-10-10
A/N Hey yall, this is your lovely author, Gothcat. This is my first attempt at a Kaleido Star story. So ano, what do yall think? Do I need improvement, and in which areas do I need improvement, mind you this will have more chapter, I am just a slow typing.
Also there is the manner of the German language.
Gute nacht: Good night
Vater: father
Vati: dad
Grosses Haus: this is what the locals in Stuttgart, Germany call the grand theater they have there.
Reviews are lovely, and positive feedback is even lovelier, though negative feedback is bad, at least I would be getting feedback. I'm sorry but doesn't feedback sound strange, well it does to me. Any way thank you for reading my lovely story, I hope that you will be back for more. And dang this story took up eight pages on word.
Disclaimer: I do not own the characters or the setting in Kaleido Star, but I do own my character Loreley.