χαρμολύπη | K. Brekker

eight

The silks gripped Cecenia's body securely, her arms dangling over her head as she allowed herself to spin slowly. Her legs were bent to keep herself to succumbing to the overgrowing pull of gravity, her mind blank as she let her eyes close. 

As much as she disliked the silks, they did allow for her clear her mind if only for a few moments. No one dared bother her when she was suspended up that high, finding it too intimidating that if they were to distract her there was a chance of her falling.

"Does this look right?" Inej asked, Cecenia peaking one eye open as Inej came into view. Her hair was flowing around her arms as she stared at the Suli girl, offering her an upside down thumbs up.

"I haven't done this routine since I was fourteen." Inej said, Cecenia letting both eyes open now as she slowly spun. She crossed her arms over her head, her head moving back and forth as she enjoyed their moments of peace.

Cecenia, noticing the silence that was coming from the boy on the ground, pulled her self up so that she was sitting in the silks straight up. The suit on her body was unbearably ugly in her opinion, making her cringe as she adjusted the top with one hand. It was the exact opposite of the one Inej was given, the blue and black ombre making her skin look even more washed out than the black usually did.

The girls made eye contact as they slid down, landing quietly beside each other. Inej slung her arm around Cece as they made their way toward Jesper, the two girl's noticing the stable hand that he was looking at immediately.

"Jesper, you're not even paying attention, are you?" Inej asked as Cecenia scanned the boy with a bored stare. He was quite plain in her opinion, not what she would pin as Jesper's type. She expected a boy with a bit more quirk to him.

"I'm sorry. What now?" He asked, finally looking down at them. Cecenia rolled her eyes, reaching her left hand up and flicking his forehead. Lovingly of course.

"She said, you're not paying attention doofus." Cecenia repeated, Jesper pouting as he looked up toward the sky for a moment.

"I do vaguely remember you both being airborne. Was that recently?" He asked, Cecenia frowning as Inej sighed from beside her. She truthfully couldn't tell in that moment whether or not he was being honest with them. If he was, then she was going to hit him that was for sure.

"Aren't you supposed to be scouting our way out right now?" Inej asked, looking away from the stable boy up toward their favorite sharpshooter. 

"What do you think I'm doing?" Jesper asked, nodding his head as if her question had been unreasonable.

"Making disgusting flirty eyes at that boy?" Cecenia asked in return, her eyes widening as she allowed herself to show how disgusted she was with it. She did not need to think about Jesper running off to tumble with some random boy during their mission, it truthfully would dampen her already sour mood.

"You act like you don't make flirty eyes at Kaz all day every day!" Jesper cried out, Cecenia scoffing dramatically as she crossed her arms over her chest.

"I do not do that Jesper." She argued, Inej raising an eyebrow at the two of them.

"Yes you do. But either way you're flirting with that stable hand instead of doing your job!" Inej said harshly, Cecenia frowning as she looked toward the floor. She honestly didn't know whether or not Jesper was right about what he had said. She didn't want to believe that she actually made eyes at Kaz, but then again who was she to decide what the others saw.

"What stable--oh, him. I supposed he's moderately attractive, but I hadn't really noticed." He said, eyes moving away from the girls and back toward the boy. Cecenia watched as the boy looked up at Jesper once again, a sly smile adorning his face as he looked back toward the horse's tack.