Shining blade ((Sapph))

[dana]

Pirates. Every time she saw swords she thought of pirates. Most people dreamt of knights and princess and happily ever afters in some big white castle. But not her. She dreamt of dragons and pirates and adventure – a journey through a desert at night and climbing high cliffs. Battling on the sea and fleeing in the forest. She had dreamt of a life where she wouldn’t be the damsel in distress. She was born from a long line of people who had the courage to love and let themselves be loved, who found happiness in making a home as they waited for a love that would never fall apart. She wasn’t part of that. She was rather a traveller who preferred to fight to make sure things went her way, who found joy in making good things happen. Being the reason for good things happening. And swords made her think of pirates.

Dana grinned and ventured further towards the display of numerous swords hung on the wall. Dana didn’t really have any idea why there were so many swords here as most of the store was filled with clothing. It had a rahter curious mixture of clothes actually – from kimonos to miniskirts and western-style cowboy hats and boots. They had good colour, textile, prints and quality. Dana made a mental note to be sure to visit the store again but for now she left Sapph into the dressing-room she had slipped into with a pile of clothes and wandered closer to the swords stepping around the small counter partially blocking the wall where the swords hung. Dana let her eyes glide over different weapons and the inscriptions on the handles of the swords and the sheaths. Fencing. Dana picked one of the sheaths and draw the sword from inside it. Placing the sheath on the counter Dana admired the sword she was holding with it’s slightly curved blade glinting in the sun. Curiousity getting the better of her Dana raised her fingers to the blade and muttered an oath finding that the blade was sharp.

Before she could do much else a hand snatched hers and Dana observed how the small scratch on her finger was heeled. Which was good too – blood wouldn’t have worked well on her outfit which was completely black. Black boots, black socks, black silk pants, black T-shirt and a black sweater covering it up. Even Dana’s underwear was black as she was still mourning her grand-parents. The only splash of colour was the red rose-blood she carried in her hair, so she was glad blood hadn’t dropped onto her clothes.

Dana eyed the scar running from between the index and middle finger down the man’s wrist curiously for a moment before looking up to see who had came to help so momentarily. The man could fit to become a pirate as well Dana decided not jumping back despite the two deep scares on the man’s face and the right eye that wasn’t where it was supposed to.
„Finest Toledo steel. Hardened to it’s most durable state and smithed by the best. Perfectly balanced – the handle weighs just as much as the blade,“ the man ground out taking the blade from Dana’s hand and holding it on his finger-tips to show it, „You have a good eye for weapons, missy. Interested in fencing?“
„Interested. But have never practiced. Finding that was a touch of luck. Thank you for healing my finger,“ Dana responded with a polite nod as something about the man demanded respect.
The man growled with annoyance waving away the store-owner who apparently was her daughter. The woman glanced worriedly at Dana who smirked. Her pictures at newspapers since The Funeral had granted that some store-keepers had began to know her and how much she was able to pay. This woman was obviously worried that her father would scare Dana off. Dana wasn’t given a very long chance to muse over this before the sword was handed back to her and the man pulled an other sword out. He lashed out at Dana with his sword making Dana instinctively take a step back and to the side as she raiised her sword to protect herself. The two blades clashed and Dana found the ringing sound that lingered in the air for a moment oddly intriguing. For a moment Dana’s eyes met the old man one remaining eye as they danced slowly the swords meeting twice beofre the man attacked quickly and before Dana even fully realized what had happened she was missing her sword and had two blades at her throat.

Dana peered into the man’s eye thoughtfully. He was good with the blades so he wouldn’t cut her up by accident. And he wouldn’t harm a potential costumer in borad daylight. For the first time since the funeral Dana grinned and let out a low chuckle. „You are good, old man. And that was refreshing,“ Dana added with a twinkle of amusement and admiration for the skill the man had shown flickering through her eyes.
„Not bad for someone untrained. You have potential, missy. Ever thought about starting to learn fencing? I used to compete myself one day. Now I tutor above this store,“ the man said as he lowered the swords and placed them on the counter before turning and limping away as he was missing on leg from knee down and walking with the helf of a cane Dana hadn’t even noticed until now.
„I hope you train better than you yourself were. I’d rather not have my face scarred and I’m rahter fond of my limbs,“ Dana called after the man who galnced at her once more over his hsoulder before limping up the stairs while leaving the door leading there open as if in an invitation to come and start learning fencing.

Dana chuckled quietly and sheathed the lade the man himself had used before turning and looking at Sapphire who had emerged from the dressing-room at some point. „Ever thought about picking up fencing, Sapph?“ Dana asked her eyes almost dreamily staring into space as she waved the shop-owner away with some annoyance. Raising the sheath with the sword the man had used in his little display of fencing he had demonstrated Dana tossed it to Sapp while picking up the sword she had came to herslef in the first place, „Nice dress by the way. You need new shoes under it though. I think that necklace you have – the one that always reminds me of a tree, you know which I mean – should go with it well.“

[Sapphire Phoenix R7]

Shopping. Not a favourite pastime of Sapphire's, but not something she despised. Besides, it was actually required on this occasion. Her dad had the prospect of being able to take an extended period of time off work this summer ahead of him. They were going to be taking a holiday, as though the travel they already had to undertake was not enough (actually Sapphire was a little excited at going to see places just for the sake of travelling, but wasn't about to voice that to encourage it), as well as going to see her paternal grandparents. Sapphire and Zara hadn't seen them for a while. A couple of years in fact. And she'd never visited them at their house since her dad first took her and Zara back to America. The time since that stage increased steadily every day. She was - goodness, sixteen now. Half a lifetime ago then. She could still remember details properly, but yes, she could believe that time had gone past if she thought of all that had happened since. Since both of her parents worked in the Muggle world, she supposed it would be interesting to gain some insight into another culture's wizarding community, though. She wondered vaguely if it really was that of 'another culture'; what then did that make Britain to her? She had no ancestral claim over the country, but it was the only one she knew much of in terms of the wizarding world.

Sapphire shrugged to herself as she looked without much interest at the shorts and T-shirt she was trying on. She didn't much like shorts. Were they really necessary? Sapphire wasn't about to buy anything that didn't strike her particularly. It was a quality store that she and Dana had looked into, but with that quality obviously came expense as you'd expect. Well, Sapphire's parents might both be quite generous with what the allowed the twins, but that didn't stop Sapphire's natural cautiousness in the area of money. No need to spend money that didn't need to be spent.

As she decided she'd best hurry up for the sake of Dana, Sapphire thought about her friend with a slight darkening of her serious brown eyes. She hadn't actually been aware of the identity of the prefect's grandparents until not so long ago, but now they were gone. It was to the detriment of wizarding politics. She hadn't known either of them, no of course not, but Julien Graas was one of the people she'd respected most on the world stage. Able to stand up for the interests of his own country without offending other people particularly. Always useful and not a frequent combination either. But the deaths had upset Dana so much too, Sapphire could tell, and that in turn made her feel upset to a greater degree than thinking of global loss. She wanted to help, to stop it from being the case, but at the same time she knew well there was nothing she could do - you couldn't wake the dead, you couldn't make things right again. Time would keep on rolling forward. It stopped for nobody. That was the way of things - even spells that supposedly could stop it didn't. You couldn't capture a moment and hold it forever.

Now this dress she liked... Sapphire emerged from the dressing room to solicit Dana's coveted opinion only to find her friend currently had two.... were those swords? at her throat. No need to get involved here then. Sapphire wasn't one for rolling her eyes but she gave an amused half smile which coming from Sapphire meant the same sort of thing as she watched the exchange between Dana and the old man who she noticed looked a little battle-scarred. She smiled at Dana as the other Ravenclaw turned to talk to her. "Fencing?" she asked, an eyebrow slightly raised as she caught the sword a few seconds later in its flight than would have been ideal for her balance. "I think you forget sometimes there's a reason why I'm not on the Quidditch team," she said. Sapphire drew the sword out of its sheath, feeling just slightly fascinated by its sharp edge. That was sharp... yes, and there was no need to test it, she told herself as her hand twitched a little. Sapphire looked at the light glinting off the blade before re-sheathing the sword.
"And give me a good reason why I should?" she asked Dana. "When well you know that most sports are a waste of time and energy?" Sapphire walked over to the prefect and handed the sword back before nodding at what the sixth year had said. There were some things you had to give up on after a while. Like insisting that it really wasn't a tree. "Mmhmm," she agreed with a smile at her friend. "I've got some nice sandals I could make do with you know." she said, pondering the colours of the sundress she was wearing. "Unless you're utterly determined to stop me from being spend-thrift."

[dana]

Pirates. Maybe not as complete pirate outfit as she had worn to the Halloween Ball. But something a la that style. Maybe black silk pants as leather might get uncomfortable to wear during practice. Black pants and a wide leather belt. Like that one that was at least twice as wide as Dana’s wrist. Not only would it protect her stomach a little it would also enchant her waist-line. Add a white silk-blouse. Perhpas with a bit of masculine cut from a bit medieval time. Opened collar, a bit wider sleeves that were pulled together at the cuffs. Maybe even wear a tank-top under it and make the blosue see-through. Not the black boots with steeled toes she had – those would make moving hard, but most definitely black boots or shoes with stiletto heels. She might as well look classy. Blinking Dana turned her head and grinned at Sapph setting out around the store theftly picking up the clothes she had imagined in her head within a minute and returning to the counter with them. She would wear the same pants she was wearing right now. Maybe a bit theatrical but as all these pieces of clothing were here, Dana wasn’t the only one who liked flashy effects.

„Ah, but you caught that perfectly without any hesitation. No reason why you might not be a successful chaser. Or a keeper perhaps. Keepers catch balls too,“ Dana raised the blade she had picked up herself previously peering closer to the flying bird engraved into the handle and then the same motive repeated on the blade. Fitting theme. Raven would fit Dana’s sword rather nicely. Would match with her house crest as well, so everything should be in the best of order. Letting the blade glide back into it’s sheath Dana placed it tenderly onto the counter next to the pieces of clothing she had picked out and turned fully towards Sapphire. She knew her friend. At least knew her to the extent Sapphire let herself be known and so Dana knew fully well that Sapph didn’t like or practice any sports. It was just her luck she was naturally slim and fit. But it would be a lot of work to convince Sapph to try out fencing.

„And yes, fencing. Don’t tell me you never dreamt of heroes and dragons when you were a kid? Gallopping off into the sunrise to fight for the cause you believe in? To dance in the desert with beduin princesses? Now this is your chance. And you don’t even have to get on a horse to fulfill this fantasy,“ Dana said with a charming smile grabbing a red scarf from a hanger and throwing one end over her head and holding the other before her face so only her eyes and a bit of her forehead were visible to Sapph. While Dana might not work as an exotic princess or a belly-dancer, such an idea might be enough to amuse Sapph and therefore make her a bit more open to the idea. Fluttering her eye-lashes for a moment Dana let the scarf drop and shook her head easily, „And fencing isn’t really a sport in that aspect. You aren’t expected to run around with a ball and trying to throw it at some pointlessly small hoops placed ridiculously high. Fencing all about grace and co-ordination. It’s based on mathemathics and arithmancy a little as you must calculate your every move. It’s a social activity that requires tact, a little bit of practice, manners. Fencing could be compared to having a walk in a summry park after a nice picnic. How can such a pleasant way to spend an afternoon be a waste of time? It would rather recharge your energy as it would let you relieve yourself from stress.“

Dana grinned and palced Sapph’s sword next to the one she had already picked out for herself, feeling certain not to let her friend get off that easily. It might take a lot of time, but Dana could be fairly stubborn when the occasion demanded it. She would at the very least give her very best to convince Sapph into trying this out. „Which sandals? And the dress looks great. You setting out to steal someone’s heart while you’re at it? If the sandals are with heels and straps, maybe throw in an anklet as well for a bit more exotic appearance?“ Dana offered grabbing light cowboy-hat from a near-by rack and dropping it on Sapph’s head as she passed her with the pile of clothes she had picked out earlier. Dashing into the dressing-room Dana changed the clothes quickly. The blouse she had picked out was to be slipped on over her head and it was a bit too big for Dana, but it created just the effect she had been looking for. The wide belt rested snugly over her hips as well making her appear slim and rather flexible. Stepping outside of the dressing room while trying to close the buttons between the couple of ruffles at her wrists Dana twirled once to let Saph see her fully.

„It’s not really even that hard, now. First class is free of charge, it’s just up here so we can leave at any point we wish.“ Dana threw an arm around Sapph’s shoulder and winked at the other girl leaning closer as she lowered her voice a little, „And it would help you learn to duck from knives a bit easier, when we deicde to join a travelling circus after all.“ Taking a step away and returning to the swords Dana uplled herself to sit on the counter as well waving to the show-owner to charge her for the clothes she was wearing, „So you can get the dress, se eif there’s anything else here that catches your eye, find something for you to fence in and we can just head upstairs and see for ourselves as to what is going on.“

[Sapphire Phoenix R7]

Sapphire shook her head, looking down to hide the smile that just wouldn't go away before looking at Dana with that same smile still on her face. "Hardly." she protested. For hesitation there had certainly been - the split second it took her to decide she was not paying for a quality sword if it was broken. Or the floor of the shop which would probably break first she decided now. "I've to be wary though; you have ambitions of throwing lethal objects at me carelessly whenever you get the chance. I know I'm tiresome, but perhaps you should wait and see whether OWLs get me first? Give them a chance. The teachers make valiant efforts." Sapphire smiled at Dana before adding in response to the suggestion that she would be able to play Keeper, "Nothing would induce me. As you know full well, Dana." She did mean those last words sincerely, but she grinned as Dana proceeded to make creative use of a red scarf. "I've no need to deny it," she said even though she smiled at Dana's flight of fancy. "You know already it isn't the case. Dragons weren't actually allowed though." she said. They hadn't been encouraged either. Her mother had not been best pleased to find that on top of being an American nuclear scientist her dad was also a wizard. Dragons hadn't been permitted as a result - anything to do with the wizarding world was off-limits. That was why it had been so much more intriguing to Sapphire when she did get to rejoin it (though perhaps not so much the dragons part, she thought, thinking over a conversation she'd had with William Senetta, a while ago now). Sapphire looked at Dana seriously for a moment before continuing on in her previous frame of mind soon after. She didn't actually have a clue how much of her own past she'd actually told Dana - she really couldn't remember - although she'd be comfortable with the prefect knowing most of the things there were to know about her. She'd come to trust the other Ravenclaw as well as she did her own twin sister. But no burning desire to divulge anything right now - what hadn't yet been told could remain just that - yet to be told.

She grinned at her friend's words. "No, nor fly around on a ridiculously hard to handle set of twigs trying to dodge ridiculously dangerous iron balls." Her own words bringing up a memory unbidden, Sapphire's eyes darkened for a moment and she shook her head, suddenly serious. "One experience has been enough to dissuade me from participating in that forever. But a walk in the park?" she asked, amusement returning to her voice in her last words as she pushed sombre thoughts behind her. "Surely you should be convincing me it will be challenging? Intellectually stimulating." Sapphire hugged her friend suddenly on impulse before withdrawing with a smile on her face, pondering Dana's arguments for a moment as a cowboy hat was deposited on her head and the other Ravenclaw exited into the dressing room. She wouldn't have challenged Dana to convince her had the idea not appealed to her slightly. It was no fun having someone in your ear about something that couldn't interest you less. But otherwise why not leave the work to someone else? More convenient than having to argue with yourself.

Sapphire smiled lightly at the combination Dana had chosen as the other Ravenclaw emerged from the dressing room. "I don't think there's any need to go stealing hearts." she said. "You have them all covered. The sandals... quite wide straps. The light green ones with raised heels. No point on the heel. And if I'm joining a travelling circus I've no intention of doing so as a beduin princess." She pulled out a loose fitting blue checked shirt and some well-tailored jeans that looked as though they would allow movement. Since she had come shopping in some practical but still quite flashy brown boots a quick trip into the dressing-room had her clad in these clothes, cowboy hat still atop her head. The dress she'd tried on previously went on the counter and Sapphire eyed her friend for a moment. "Nothing else either." she said. "Not if I've to have these to fence in."

((I've come to the conclusion I wasn't terribly negligent in leaving the punctuation at the end out after battling to get these speechmarks in forever. Hopefully having some writing after that will work which is why this is here. )

[dana]

Dana couldn’t help but laugh at Sapph. They hadn’t been friends since 1st year. Especially not so as they weren’t even in the same year but the point stayed the same. But over time while living in the same Hogwarts house they had learned to know each other and gradually became good friends. Dana appreciated Sapph’s perfect grasp of irony and her quick wit. It was amusing, pleasant even if she sometimes laughed about her, and it was unique and something so completely Sapph. “Now, I always give you a bit of a warning before I toss something your way. Besides I am yet to harm you with any of those possibly lethal objects, have I? And I find annoying you pleasing enough so I’m not going to let you study yourself crazy before the OWLs. Even if preventing that will require kidnapping you and locking you in the Slytherin common room until you come to your senses. Actually that might rather be the perfect excuse to practice for the DADA OWL,” Dana replied easily while waving Sapph’s words aside as she kept a keen eye on her friend. Dana knew how much she disliked sports, so talking her into agreeing with trying out fencing might be a bit of a trick.

Dana snickered quietly and gave Sapph two thumbs up sign: “You caught the real essence of quidditch perfectly. Maybe I should take a couple of pillows onto the broom with me for the next game? I will tell Jazz it was your suggestion when she freaks at me before the game and my original attire. I think I might manage to fit 3 pillows around my waist. What do you think? It would help me avoid injures because of those flying cannon balls,” Dana asked with a slight smirk and a shake of her head trying to imagine how freaked Jazz would be before the first game she had to lead, “And I wasn’t trying to recruit for quidditch right now. Trust me, you would know if I put all the weapons into play to get you into the team. But we are getting far away from the topic here. And just like you said – fencing is not only relaxing and graceful way to pass time, but it is as stimulating for you calculus skills as for example chess is. You have to calculate the most effective way to move the blade, the exact way how to position your legs and how the air will hinder the sword movements the least.” Dana made a slight grimace and blinked not really knowing if the thing she was speaking even had some sense in it for Sapph’s ears. For Dana herself it sounded like complete nonsense.

Dana returned Sapph’s hug as she grinned lightly: “Got all the hearts covered? I’m afraid not. Don’t know a single guy who even has a crush on me. No, wait, there was this guy in Marseille this summer. He was perfect. But I know that he was only flattering me because he wanted to drive the car my… I ah, received for my 16th birthday,” Dana said forcefully pushing back the sting in her heart as she almost mentioned her grand-parents, “And the beduine princess look would work for you. Or perhaps someone more mystical. A long white gown with slashes of blue in it. Tight bodice. Maybe something at the waist. A blue sapphire tangling between your eye-brows while it’s attached to your hair. Hmm, I must think about this.”

As Sapph disappeared into the dressing rooms yet again Dana smiled to herself almost pensively staring off into space for a moment. Jumping to sit on the counter Dana swung her legs back and forth lightly while picking up the Raven-blade once again admiring the way it fit into her hand. It looked like a true masterpiece. Felt like it as well. Dana was drawn, maybe by her fantasies, but something felt right about fencing. As if it was something she was destined to do. She decided silently that she would take up this offer even if Sapph would not. Looking up as Sapph came into view again Dana blinked upon hearing her words before letting out a loud whoop of joy and jumping to the floor again. Country-style and befitting Sapph. “You look dashing, my dear! Dashing and young and truly lovable!” Dana danced around Sapph as she was saying this before walking over to the door leading to the fencing hall on the 2nd story and while holding the door open bowed low: “After you, Sapph. Just grab along a sword and we shall face the adventure of a lifetime together!”