The problem with Axel being known is that he has also come to the attention of the prima ballerina of the icorps de ballet/i, and she doesn't like the little girl he drags along with him trying to topple her and take her spot. Larxene is twenty-three, still in her dancing prime, a hard-faced woman with slicked back blonde hair in a permanent bun, blue eyes sharp and hawk-like, bird-faced and bird-boned with her tiny frame. She's vicious when she speaks, too, and she holds court outside the ballet school, cigarette between bony fingers, the other girls laughing at her harsh words and strong gestures. She was Russian-schooled, and some of that particular way of life seems to have rubbed off on her; she's closed off, her dancing perfected through hours and hours of practice. Her work ethic is admired, if not her attitude, although she never shows it to the choreographers and artistic directors, all smiles and acceptance of criticism, as if they don't know that afterwards she will dance for hours to get herself up to the standard they expect. It is simply a part of who she is, and it is only seen as a good thing, her willingness to accept that she needs to change to fit their vision. As prima ballerinas go, she could be an awful lot worse, everyone says, whispering of when Kairi had been at the peak of her career, dancing with Sora, before the fallout which had occurred with both of them cheating on each other with Riku. Kairi had been terse, vicious, violet and frightening, cowing the members of the company with her rage. She had once removed one of her shoes and hurled it at the artistic director for daring to correct her steps, and followed this up by flinging the other at the choreographer who tried to soothe her ruffled feathers. She had always been the very essence of a prima donna, as if she though that throwing a strop would make them realise that she was a star, and to be treated accordingly, but she had simply become worse after their indiscretions with Riku had been revealed, and Sora stopped trying to calm her down, choosing instead to slump onto the stage and lie there as she stomped around the stage, ruining pair upon pair of shoes, and screaming at anyone who had the misfortune to be standing near her. Their dancing had suffered, the company had suffered, but all anyone really remembers of that time is Kairi's legendary temper tantrums, which had gained her the nickname of 'Princess'. Only Riku was left, out of the three of them, their careers shattered by sexual misconduct, but more so by the anger and fallout, which had resulted in Sora's lapse of concentration one night, failing to lift Kairi properly, dropping her and breaking her hip. She could walk, now, but she was never going to dance again, and no one wanted to partner Sora after that, so he bowed out of ballet altogether. Riku remained, still dancing, still trying, but everyone knew that main roles would be out of his reach until he began focusing more on dance than on revenge and hatred.
"Axel, right?"
Axel isn't expecting to be hailed by one of the gaggle of girls outside the door to the main practice rooms, and turns his head sharply.
"Partner me in Marluxia's class?" Larxene says, smiling, "He said you're the best in there, so I thought I'd try the ipas de deux/i with the best."
"Only the best for the best, hm?" Axel says, laughing, "Sure, why not? I'd be honoured."
"Smoke, beforehand?"
Axel has never been one to turn down anything which is given freely, so he accepts the proffered cigarette and hunkers down on the porch. The girls have gone almost silent now, and he takes the first drag before looking up at them.
"So, what were we talking about?"
Immediately, there's a flurry of movement and voices, as each of the young dancers tries to tell him, but they are cut off by Larxene, who looks imperiously over them all.
"We were discussing who is auditioning for The Nutcracker for the winter show in the lower school. Obviously, I'll be out with the company at that time, but we were wondering who would audition for the part of Clara, and who would be a perfect Nutcracker to partner her."
"I'll be auditioning." One of the younger girls says, forcefully, dark hair swinging – Axel is pretty sure she was called something unusual, beginning with an X, but hasn't bothered to commit it to memory.
"I suspect Naminé will be going for the role, too?" Larxene asks, and there's a tiny flash of poison in her tone, but nothing concrete.
"Possibly. What are the company doing for winter?" Axel says, non-committal.
"Coppélia." Larxene says, her time spent in Russia obvious in the way she accents the name, "I am playing Swanhilde, of course, with Olette as Coppélia."
"And your Franz?" Axel asks, already slightly tired of the conversation. He knows the ballet well, anyone who has studied dance does, and is regretting his decision to join the girls.
"Well…."
There's a moment of shuffling feet in hastily donned outdoor shoes.
"It's Riku, isn't it?" Axel says, not even bothering to sound annoyed.
"Yes, but only because we are short of good idanseurs/i, I mean, it's not like he would be ipremier danseur/i if we had our full complement of men." Larxene says, hurriedly, like she does not want to be associated with Riku, for whatever reason there could be, "Since Marluxia retired, and that… debacle with Sora and Kairi, there just haven't been any strong contenders for the main roles."
"Until now." The black-haired girl says, softly, and then clams up as Larxene shoots a look at her.
"It's time to go in." the blonde says, and obediently, all of the girls follow her out of the cold air and into the warmth of the ballet school.
Axel expected it to be strange, dancing ipas de deux/i with someone other than Naminé, after two or three years of partnering her exclusively, but actually, it is freeing, because without their connection, he is able to focus entirely on movements, on the placement of his feet, of his hands on Larxene's body, and, as one would expect from the prima ballerina, she is exquisite, light on her feet, easy to lift, always exactly where he expects her to be. Naminé is good, it's true, but this is the first time that Axel appreciates what a difference there is between being good and being skilled, working towards things and being competent. Naminé is beautiful when she dances, her face lighting up, even through pain, but her footwork is not as elegant, not as controlled. Clearly, she has a lot to learn if she ever wants to become the principal dancer for the company. Axel has no doubts that she will get there, but this is the first time he realises just how much work she is going to have to put in, and just how much improvement she will have to show. Larxene is dainty, all hard edges, but when she dances, she is grace personified, all of her corners rounded, her angles impossibly soft with practiced and innate poise. She is stunning, and Axel realises that this is the first time he has thought this about a woman. Marluxia, the man who had been the ipremier danseur/i until five years ago, when Sora had taken over and he had gone into retirement, is a hard taskmaster, but he's got a soft spot for Larxene, despite never having danced with her, due to their age difference and the pair of dancers between their time on the stage. He admires her perfectionism, because it is much like he was starting out, apparently, and he is vicious with Axel as he dances with her, all of his previous praise in heavily accented French becoming sharply shouted words. It is clear that Axel, despite his skill and love of dance, is still not up to Larxene's standard, at least as far as Marluxia is concerned. He is prodded, poked, shouted at in irascible and incomprehensible French, and slips once or twice, causing screeching from both the teacher and his partner, but he can feel himself setting the steps into stone, and each repetition has fewer and fewer mistakes, his feet landing square where they should, every time. Axel ends the class breathless, aching, sweating, but grinning from ear to ear as Marluxia approaches him.
"Today, you danced better than ever before. Larxene, she is good for you. You learn plenty today."
Axel leans against the wall to catch his breath, and considers it.
"Yeah," he says, finally, "Yeah, I've learnt a lot, today."