Chapter Three:
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The sounds of Dracula hummed in the background as Sora sat with Yuri in the upper balcony of the auditorium. He was flipping through Rosetta's sketchbook looking over the ideas for the Mermaid children's show and then he smiled. He turned the book towards Sora and tapped the Van Helsing drawing.
Sora grinned back. "I think you'll like the next page even more." Not only was the Van Helsing character illustrated, but a rough script of the scene between Van Helsing and Dracula was written out.
Yuri turned to see the male version of the same character and his smile grew wider. "I am officially intrigued," he admitted. His sky-blue gaze drifted towards the stage where Leon and May performed and he slouched in his chair. "Our star won't go for it."
"Why don't we let the audience decide that? If this dark version does well, then great, Ice Prince gets his way. If it starts to lose money, we give my idea a chance." Sora held her breath, waiting for the owner's decision.
Yuri tore his eyes away from Leon and stared down into the orchestra level of the auditorium, gaze settling upon a young woman there. "Okay, as the understudies for this show, we have the stage at intermission to practice. After that, I want you to show me exactly what your ideas are."
"I can still work on the Mermaid show too, Mr. Killian?"
"Only if you call me Yuri," he answered. "It's been a while since I've been this excited about an idea. And you have me excited about two!"
Sora breathed a sigh of relief. "Thank you, Yuri."
Yuri chuckled. "I should be thanking you. You're going to be making Kaleido Stage a lot of money, Sora. Layla was right about you. Not only do you have passion, but you have heart." He handed the sketchbook back to Sora. "Make sure Rosetta is well trained for the Mermaid show, you might be busy as Van Helsing."
"Of course, there's nothing stopping you from being Van Helsing," Sora pointed out. She reached into her duffle bag and pulled out two folders. "One is for you and one is for Leon— if we can convince him to try the Van Helsing scene."
"It might be fun to split the role," Yuri conceded. "If I agree to these, will you agree to compete with me at the championships?"
Sora could feel the blood drain from her face as a feeling of panic began to set in.
Yuri reached over and gently patted her shoulder. "Not to win, but to have fun with it."
"I will consider it, Yuri," Sora said.
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Lights flooded the stage as the first half of the practice session ended. Sophie breathed a sigh of relief and tried to rub the chills from her arms.
It was a disturbing performance. While the technical skills were perfect, there was no chemistry between the two leads — her brother and May Wong. They both appeared robotic — just as Sora had said — as they performed Dracula. It was a dark story, but it was supposed to be romantic too.
While the main cast took a breather, the understudies took the stage. As Sora and Yuri entered together, joking with one another and laughing quietly the mood completely changed. No one else paid attention, but Sophie could feel her own feelings improve. It didn't hurt that she had a huge crush on Yuri, in spite of his role of her injury. He might have been a selfish jerk, but sometimes women fell for jerks against their better judgment. Besides, he did send her flowers every month — even after she moved to California.
"Hi, Sophie!" Sora called out, waving enthusiastically as she and Yuri took their places. Her dark honey-colored eyes danced with joy.
Yuri stumbled and looked over towards Sophie with panic in his sky-blue eyes. He held his hand up awkwardly. "Hey," he said, his voice barely a whisper.
"Okay, you two, you've got twenty minutes," Kalos said.
"Don't rush us, Kalos. Remember, you work for me," Yuri reminded him.
"Hey, you're the one that wanted to be the understudy," Kalos pointed out, arms folded across his chest.
"Well I'm not going to lose money if a certain someone decides to storm off the evening of a performance," Yuri grumbled.
Sophie smiled as she saw Yuri's game face. She adored that look of concentration. She didn't appreciate his reference to her brother, but she couldn't deny it either. Ever since her injury, Leon had such anger and would often let his emotions get the better of him.
Yuri purposely looked away from Sophie and focused on Sora. And unlike the performance with Leon and May, Sora and Yuri had a playful chemistry. Sophie found herself on the edge of her seat.
Technically, Sora wasn't always in perfect form when it came to the basics. Her mastery of the complex aspects was awe-inspiring. Yuri was perfection, of course, but he was only performing as an insurance policy for his investment of Kaleido Stage.
Sophie couldn't help but fantasize that she was performing with Yuri instead of Sora. So lost in thought, she didn't notice at first when her brother sat beside her. His gaze was locked on the two understudies and his handsome face was locked into a scowl.
"Careful, your face might stick that way," Sophie teased.
"It's a disgrace," Leon muttered. "If she only bothered to practice her fundamentals, she would have the potential to excel."
"I don't know, I think they are a very impressive team," Sophie protested.
Leon scoffed. "You only think that because you haven't taken your eyes off that blond Casanova."
"Careful, he's technically your boss," Sophie chided quietly. "This story is really dark. I'm afraid it's too scary for children."
"It's a mature show," Leon said. "The technical skills will impress any critics."
"Family shows are how circuses stay in business," Sophie argued.
Leon tore his gaze from the understudies. "And critics are how artists maintain their reputation." He glanced at the clock on the wall. "I need to return backstage. I'll see you afterwards." He started to stand, but sat back down, staring slack jaw at the two understudies. "What are they doing?"
Sophie turned her attention back to Yuri and Sora. While Yuri was still obviously in character as Dracula, Sora was no longer Mina. It was an ad-libbed performance and it was exciting! Sophie felt herself leaning forward eager for more. She realized Sora was portraying the heroic Van Helsing.
More of the cast began to watch the energetic fight scene between Sora and Yuri. A few minutes later, Sora and Yuri paused and started to laugh at noticing they'd collected an audience.
"My apologies," Yuri said, breathing heavily, his face flushed with excitement. "We were testing out an idea."
"I'm not sure why you were apologizing," May said. She started to clap and the rest of the cast and crew followed suit. "That was amazing!"
Leon growled and said nothing. His angry glare would put Medusa to shame.
Sophie reached over and took Leon's hand. "He owns this circus. If he wants to experiment, let him," she whispered. "I enjoyed it."
"There is no place for such frivolous non-sense in this show," Leon grumbled.
"Your stubbornness will blind you to opportunity, dear brother," Sophie warned. "Go join your crew, do your part, and if you don't want changes to the show, make sure they aren't necessary."
Sophie was left alone while Leon joined the cast. She saw Sora and Yuri leave the auditorium and was sorely tempted to follow them and see how the rest of their practice would go. So she was very surprised when Sora appeared beside her with a big grin.
"It's good to see you, Sophie. I'm glad you're able to make the practice." She gestured towards Leon and May on stage as they started their scene. "They are very talented, but I just feel the show is lacking."
"Was that your Van Helsing?" Sophie asked.
Sora nodded. "Yuri agreed to be open to an option of including it in the show if this dark version doesn't draw the audience." She leaned back and watched the main cast perform. "If you're not in a hurry, we're doing our first practice of the Mermaid children's show later today. Some kids from physical therapy will also there."
"You've been busy." Sophie drew her eyes from the performers and watched Sora watching her brother. If the two of them could get over their dislike of one another, they might just make a very powerful team.
"I did the standing on one foot thing yesterday on the subway." Sora looked over at Sophie and smiled. "I appreciate the tip. I'm sore today, but I really think it will help me improve my core strength and balance."
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Magical, whimsical, colorful, and fantastical —- those were the words that would describe Sora's mermaid show.
It had been hard to concentrate for Sophie, because after Sora left the auditorium, Yuri had joined Sophie. Apparently, Sora had asked him to help Sophie to the children's theater. It had been strange and awkward, but Sophie hadn't felt more alive in a long time.
"It was a pleasant surprise seeing you in the audience," Yuri said. He sat next to Sophie in the children's theater, watching the Mermaid show's practice together. "I don't know how you convinced your brother to come and work for me, but I'm glad you did."
"I appreciate you giving him an opportunity," Sophie countered. "He's been in a really dark place."
"Yeah, his reputation hasn't exactly been too encouraging lately. Our insurance company raised our deductible significantly when he joined," Yuri admitted. His piercing gaze seemed to look right into Sophie's soul. "It's really good to see you again, Sophie. You know how sorry I am about everything, right?"
"I don't blame you, Yuri. I appreciate the flowers though, they bring me a bit of joy every month." Sophie smiled at him shyly and felt her heart race at the red blush staining Yuri's cheeks.
"The world is certainly bereft of seeing your talent," Yuri said quietly.
"I have more talent than just acrobatics," Sophie protested, a little annoyed. She didn't want to be pitied, especially by Yuri Killian. "I'm applying for a fashion design program at one of the local colleges."
"I didn't mean to offend," Yuri apologized, holding his hands up in protest, palms facing her. "Would you be interested in helping with the costume designs? I remember you always had the most amazing costumes back when we were competing."
"Are you trying to hire me to work for you?" Sophie asked. "Out of pity or out of respect?"
"I have nothing, but respect for you, Sophie Oswald," Yuri assured her. "Sora has taken a lot on herself. I don't know what the future holds for your brother and Kaleido Stage, but Sora is the future of this circus. I can't afford to lose her. I noticed the two of you seem to have a friendship?"
"We met at physical therapy," Sophie explained. "And I would love to help Sora." She bravely reached over and gently pushed Yuri's hands down. "And I would love to help you, Yuri. We were friends before my accident. I'd like to be friends again."
Yuri stared down at their connected hands. "I would like that too." His phone began to buzz and he drew back away from Sophie and looked at his text message. "I need to meet with Kalos. Enjoy the performance, Sophie."
"Wait," Sophie called, causing Yuri to pause in a half-standing position, his eyes focused entirely on her. "I liked the Van Helsing scene in Dracula."
Yuri smiled. "Me too. I just have to find a way to convince your brother." He looked over his shoulder where Kalos waited impatiently. "We'll have to catch up some more, Sophie."
"Maybe over dinner?" Sophie asked, heart in her throat. She wasn't sure what possessed her to ask such a proposition. She'd had feelings for Yuri Killian for the past five years and now she was asking him on a date? Now that her body was broken? What was she thinking?
The blond man was speechless and every second of silence that passed, Sophie wanted to crawl under a rock. Then a slow smile spread across Yuri's lips. "Okay. How about Sunday? I can pick you up."
"Sounds good. You can get my number from Sora." Sophie leaned back in her wheelchair and felt a warmth radiate from her gut. She asked Yuri Killian on a date and he agreed! It would be her first date and her brother was going to be pissed, but she didn't care. Her attention focused back on the stage where Sora and another young woman performed as mermaids, splashing the children that had been invited in the front row, and causing great peels of laughter.
Sophie was affected by the other woman's confident spirit. Normally, she would have never been brazen enough to ask out Yuri and argue with her brother. The Mermaid show was a sweet respite and Sophie felt happier and more optimistic than she had in a long time.
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"What are you drawing?" Leon set a bowl of soup next to Sophie at their kitchen table.
"Some design ideas for Kaleido Stage," Sophie said, finishing the last splash of color on the Van Helsing costume. She'd met with Rosetta earlier and they'd brainstormed for both Dracula and the Mermaid children's show.
"Care to explain?" Leon asked. He pulled out the chair next to Sophie and sipped on his green tea.
"You're not the only one getting paid these days," Sophie said. She slid the sketchbook towards Leon. "Why don't you have a look while I eat?"
Leon took the book and started to carefully flip the pages. He liked the Dracula and Mina costumes she'd drawn up for him and May. He paused at a two page spread of Van Helsing — one of Sora in the feminine version of the costume and one of Yuri in the masculine version. "There is no Van Helsing in our performance."
Sophie said nothing and Leon turned to the next page. The image was very provocative. It was him as Dracula and Sora as Van Helsing locked into a battle that looked more like foreplay than a swashbuckling scene. He had to admit, the idea was appealing, but he'd made his stance known to Yuri — there was no Van Helsing in their performance of Dracula.
He then turned towards more whimsical sketches for the Mermaid children's show. He'd not actually watched it himself, not having time for such trivial nonsense, but based on Sophie's drawings, it looked intriguing. Children would definitely enjoy the fantasy appeal. Children weren't his concern though. If Yuri and Kalos wanted to have a children's show in the afternoon to boost sales, it hardly affected his primetime serious performance.
"These are very good," Leon admitted.
"Thanks. I'll be submitting some of this work for my application to the L.A. Fashion Design School," Sophie explained. "And I have a date with Yuri this evening."
"Excuse me?" Leon closed the book and stared at his sister in disbelief. "You cannot be serious."
"I don't know why you care. You spend Sunday nights practicing at the studio." Sophie finished her soup and patted her mouth with a linen napkin. "It's just dinner. I'm trying to make friends, Leon. I cannot depend on you for all my social interactions."
"I don't mind that you're dating. You're a grown woman," Leon protested. "I just don't like you dating the selfish prick that toyed with your feelings and not only broke your heart, but your spine."
"You don't have to like it. Maybe, I'm making a mistake, but I still have feelings for him. I need to know if he could have feelings for me, or if he's just doing all these things out of pity," Sophia explained. "He's given us both opportunity in this new country. He was changed by the accident too."
"I still think it's a mistake." Leon took a deep breath. "Call me if you need me." He began to collect the dishes. "And when he breaks your heart — again, I'll still be here for you to pick up the pieces."
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Normally, on Sunday evenings the practice studio was virtually empty. Sora usually avoided going until after nine or ten at night in order to avoid Leon — the Ice Prince enjoyed practicing on Sundays too and she was careful to steer clear of him.
She had too much to work on to worry about whether or not they were in each other's space. Between the Mermaid show and the Van Helsing role she continued to perfect, regardless of if it ever made it to the performance, she needed a lot of physical endurance. She also had to keep up with the role of Mina as the understudy.
Frankly, Sora was busier now than when she was the co-star with Layla.
She and May had gone through Mina's role earlier that afternoon. Since Leon often practiced without his partner, Sora had offered to practice with May. At first the competitive former ice skater had scoffed at the idea, but eventually, they began to appreciate a working relationship. The Chinese athlete had even complemented Sora on her improved techniques and admitted she kind of hoped the Van Helsing role would end up in the final version of Dracula.
After May left, Sora worked with Rosetta on the Mermaid show. She was confident that Rosetta and she could split the performances evenly and be equally adored by the audience. She really wanted the younger woman to excel and continue to grow as a performer.
"You sure you don't want to go for dinner after practice?" Rosetta asked. She and Sora were doing stretches, cooling down.
"Not tonight, there's one more move I'm trying to perfect," Sora said. She didn't want to admit that money was tight. She made a decent living, but when Yuri hired Leon and May, her paychecks were reduced. She continued to volunteer at the physical therapy clinic, though with her certification as an assistant, she could have been paid. She worked for free to help provide for the kids who's insurance plans limited the treatment they could receive. The American healthcare system was complicated. In Japan, it didn't matter what your income was, you were given the healthcare you needed, not the healthcare you could afford.
Kalos assured her that when the shows started, she would take a percentage of the profits of the children's show. Money didn't mean a lot to Sora. She sent most of her income back to her adopted parents to help care for her little sister. Her parents said it wasn't necessary, but Sora owed them so much for how they took her in — she wanted to contribute.
However, that also meant she wasn't eating out and stuck with a bland, yet nutritious diet.
Practice was free, so that was her job and her hobby.
"What are you doing?"
Sora almost lost her balance on the high bar at the sound of Leon's brisk question. She quickly regained her poise and stared back at the Ice Prince. His expression was a mixture of annoyance and curiosity.
"Balancing," Sora answered.
"I mean, what are you doing here? Shouldn't you be out with your friends doing whatever you do?" Leon asked. He dropped his duffle bag of workout gear on the floor and began to stretch out.
"I'm here a lot," Sora protested. "I just usually try and avoid you. I wait until you go home."
"I don't go home until around ten," Leon said slowly. He gazed up at her, pale lavender eyes narrowed in suspicion.
"And it's very quiet here from ten-thirty until three-thirty," Sora confirmed.
"You practice for five hours?" Leon asked quietly. "In the middle of the night?"
"Those pathetic basics of mine need improvement, do they not?" Sora snapped.
Leon's jaw tightened visibly. "They have improved," he admitted.
"You noticed?" Sora asked. "I wasn't sure you could see beyond your own nose." She did a backflip off the bar and landed gracefully on the mat below. The balance techniques Sophie had recommended had been working and it hadn't even been a week since she started.
"We disagree on artistry," Leon said. "I didn't say you were without merit."
"I'm just not good enough to be your costar," Sora said. "Which is fine, I don't like your dreary version of Dracula."
"During the break the other day, was that your Van Helsing?" Leon asked. He moved to stand-in front of Sora and keep her from walking away. He was very tall.
Sora angled her head up to look him in the eyes. "It's a backup plan for when the audience grows bored with your robotic, passionless performances."
"Show me," Leon demanded. "Show me your Van Helsing and I'll show you a passionate performance."
"Your passion is in competition," Sora said, unimpressed by the Ice Prince. "My passion is in creating a cohesive group performance that brings joy to the audience."
Leon gestured towards the empty practice room. "You have an audience of one. I'd like to see you bring joy."
"Very well. You'll need to see the script," Sora said.
"I've read it," Leon admitted. "The practice swords are in the back closet. I'll get them."
Sora watched as he obtained the necessary props. Maybe she was just tired, but it was hard to believe that Leon had read the script on the idea he was so against. They squared off after securing the prop swords across their backs.
They raced for opposite ends of the trapeze, climbing in harmony before they swung towards each other, weaving in and out of each other's pathway. Their prop swords clashed a few times and Sora could have sworn Leon smiled. It appeared he was having fun.
They went through the entire scene, working in a fluid sync with one another. At the end, they were both breathless. "I still don't think it's right for the show," Leon said. "But, I could be wrong. If the audience agrees the performance is too dark, I will concede to the inclusion of this scene."
"I'm glad you're not completely unreasonable," Sora said.
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Yuri came to pick Sophie up at five o'clock sharp. Naturally, he brought her a bouquet of flowers— a dozen long-stemmed yellow roses. She'd put them in a vase before they left the apartment.
She was perfectly capable of moving her own wheelchair, but allowed her date to push her. When he picked her up and placed her in the front seat of his car, she had to admit feeling a certain rush of excitement to be in his arms. When he started to buckle up her seatbelt, she stopped him. She didn't need him to think she was completely helpless.
On the drive over, he played a Train album. She'd never heard of the band before, but enjoyed the variety of their music. "Where are we having dinner?"
"Seafood restaurant on the wharf. There's nothing like eating on a patio overlooking the ocean with the salt air breeze around you," Yuri said. They paused at a stop light and he looked over at her and smiled. "You look very pretty, Sophie."
"Thanks, so do you. I mean handsome," Sophie said. "I left my sketchbook at home, but I can show it to you later if you want to see the designs I've been working on for the shows."
"We can save that for tomorrow. Maybe we can have a business meeting breakfast?" Yuri suggested. "Assuming you haven't grown too tired of me by the end of this evening."
"We'll see," Sophie said, resisting the urge to smile.
They were seated outside the restaurant on a patio over the ocean. Between the gentle salt breeze and the ocean waves, Sophie felt herself relaxing in spite of the situation. They shared a plate of calamari for appetizer and she ordered the salmon entree with assorted vegetables while Yuri ordered Mahi Mahi.
"I'm glad you chose a seafood restaurant. I have trouble digesting red meat," Sophie admitted.
"That's not surprising. Most athletes get sick eating fatty meats," Yuri said. "Will you use your designs for the show on your admission to the fashion design program?"
"It's good to have a resume," Sophie said. She closed her eyes and enjoyed the moderate temperature. "The chill in Paris was very hard on my bones."
"Do you miss it?" Yuri asked.
"Paris? Or the ability to walk?" Sophie opened her eyes and stared across the table at her date. "I'm excited about California, so I don't really miss Paris. Of course, I miss my ability to walk. I miss the trapeze. I'm sad I'll never perfect the Angel Maneuver. But, I cannot dwell on the impossible. I must find other passions in life."
Yuri reached across the table and took Sophie's hands in his. "Your talent with costume design is something I look forward to seeing more of your work." He seemed to realize he grabbed her hands and abruptly let go. "Sorry, I didn't mean to be so forward."
Sophie stared down at her hands, suddenly cold with the retreat of Yuri's warmth. "Other than lifting me in and out of my wheelchair, I haven't had much physical contact with anyone other than my physical therapists."
Yuri extended one hand over the table and offered it palm up and Sophie grasped it, enjoying the connection.
"I really am sorry for what happened to you, Sophie, and my part in the whole thing. I never meant for you to be hurt," Yuri apologized. His sky-blue eyes darkened with remorse.
"I forgave you long ago, Yuri." Sophie squeezed his hand. "If you really wish to make it up to me, do not pity me. I want you to perform the Angel Maneuver at the international competition with Sora. If I cannot achieve that dream, I would like to witness it."
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