//------------------------------// // 1 - Bewitched // Story: Under Her Spell // by thedarkprep //------------------------------// Under Her Spell Chapter One Bewitched The Great and Powerful Trixie did not get flustered. Every performer knew how stressful and unpredictable a live performance could be, how volatile. A thousand decisions based on a million silent calculations coincided with each breath taken on stage, and each misfire could spell ruin for even the sturdiest of productions. When it comes to live performance, risk is unavoidable. Perfection is a myth. Therefore, the best performers focus not in controlling the riptide, but in navigating the currents. Rolling with the punches, seeing opportunities, mastering improvisation, these are the skills with which good performers maintain the illusion of control. And Trixie was definitely a good performer, so there was no way she had been shut down by something as simple as a hand softly touching her chin. Trixie was simply caught off guard, she thought, breathing hard through her nose. After all, even she could admit the trio were indeed talented. It was also not often that Trixie found people that could match her in charisma and presence, but in that too she had to give the three their due. Especially their leader. If she thought back to that moment in the cafeteria, she could still picture her clearly, could still see her sauntering from table to table with such confidence that even Trixie’s own exuberance was shaken.  Trixie had always been confident in the spotlight, but this was different. Where Trixie basked and blossomed in the crowd’s gaze, this girl moved through the attention as if it was a lowly thing—too far beneath her notice.  And maybe it was. If Trixie allowed the memory to run further, she could see the moment those raspberry eyes  locked their hungry stare on her. “Deer in the headlights” couldn’t begin to describe it, to be caught in the view of someone, of something, with such a commanding aura behind them. Breathing had been difficult, she remembered, and looking away impossible, as the girl stepped closer and caressed Trixie’s face with an expression that made it clear Trixie should have felt honored at the contact. And maybe I should have.  “No!” she shouted, breaking from her thoughts and spooking a few nearby students in the process. The sound of lockers slamming shut as said students rushed to class and away from her registered in her mind, but she couldn’t worry about them now. She was on a mission. That girl is not better than me, thought the clearly not flustered Trixie. She had been off guard, that was all, and even that was inexcusable. Though it had been hours since the incident, the embarrassment had managed to remain undiluted throughout the day, stalking her whenever her mind had a chance to wander. Or at least she thought it was embarrassment, for what else could it be? Even now, she could still feel the heat coming from her face, a burning blush that refused to dissipate as the memory began to replay once more. The Dazzlings need to learn their place, she thought, rounding a corner. That way we can avoid further ‘embarrassments.’ With this goal in mind, Trixie had gone about the school with the task of finding the trio. When she did, they weren’t sitting in a classroom, or standing by a locker but, rather, walking away from her down a mostly empty hallway, with the clear intention of skipping class. Probably for the best anyway, considering the conversation we’re about to have, Trixie thought as she caught sight of them. She made a move to call out but her eyes fell on their leader. It was hard not to after all, with her bright lavender outfit and vivid orange hair which made her the center of attention no matter the crowd. Even amongst her peers, it was clear that there was something to this girl. Trixie continued to stare and that feeling that had frozen her in the cafeteria reasserted itself, keeping her in place. She didn’t know what it was about this girl that triggered such embarrassment in her, but this was the second time this had happened. She knew she’d need to tread carefully against someone who could stop her from moving altogether. She must have still made some movement or noise, however, as something seemed to alert the Dazzlings to her presence. One by one, the girls turned to look at their pursuer, ending with their leader, who appraised her with a lingering look and a smoldering grin. She stepped forward from her companions. “Looking for an autograph?” she purred. “I normally don’t give them out, but for you I might just make an exception.” Trixie tried to swallow and found it difficult.  Why am I so sweaty? she noted. The other two girls had at this point begun snickering to themselves, but their leader kept her confident grin focused on her, adding to her discomfort. They’re just performers like me. This shouldn’t be this hard. “I..um.. T-T-Trixie is not l-looking for,” Trixie began to say, before stopping to take a breath. Come on, get it together. You know what you came here for. Now look them in the eye and— “No need to be so intimidated,” the girl said, cutting off Trixie’s train of thought. She reached into her pocket, pulling out what looked like a cafeteria napkin. “I know it must be daunting to be in the presence of so much talent, but don’t worry. We don’t bite.” The world flashed red. “You are not better than me!” Trixie yelled, more a reaction than a response. Her breathing was rapid and eyes unfocused; however, she saw no point in backing down now that the adrenaline had helped her break through the stupor. “The Great and Powerful Trixie is the top performer in this school: magician, musician, actress, you name it. She has let you have your moment, but you three would do well to remember that!” Silence followed her outburst, at which point Trixie’s world began fading back into focus. Two of the Dazzlings exchanged a quick glance at each other. A furrowed brow and widening eyes. Frustration? Confusion? Both their hands went to their matching necklaces, slowly, seemingly out of habit.  A nervous tick, perhaps? Trixie mused, feeling no small sense of satisfaction at learning that, despite their above-it-all nature, these girls could indeed be taken aback. Curiously enough, when they turned back to look at her, their eyes had a cold predacious quality to it that sent a cold spike into her gut. Their hold on their necklaces tightened.  A quiet chuckle rang out, breaking the tension.  “My my, well that’s enough of that, I believe.” The voice was playful, teasing still, and yet so very dangerous. Trixie, who had begun to take a step back, found herself once more frozen in place. Meanwhile, the two other Dazzlings dropped their arms down to their sides as if commanded to attention by the crack of a whip.  “But Dagi,” said the more aloof of the two. “She resisted—” “The need to act like a fangirl, yes, Sonata, I can see that,” their leader said, cutting her off. “And honestly, I am sorry for pulling the whole diva act. I should have known from the get go that I was dealing with a fellow artist.” Trixie blinked.  That’s not how I thought this would go. “Well..” Trixie began. “As long as it’s understood. Trixie is not one to be upstaged.”  “And I wouldn’t dream of it,” the girl, Dagi, if Trixie had heard correctly, said through a smile. “I mean, an actress, magician, and musician? Not to mention the way you confronted us just now? You must be a very willful person; I admire that.” Trixie was vaguely aware of a sound, a gentle “oh” of understanding coming from Sonata but she couldn’t analyze it at the moment. As Dagi had been speaking, she had also been getting quieter and stepping closer to compensate, so that by the end of her sentence she was within breathing distance of her. Trixie stared into those raspberry eyes again, saw that hunger again, focused on her exclusively, and felt that same burning heat from before. “T-Thank you,” Trixie answered. “Trixie appreciates your humility.” “Of course,” Dagi replied airly. “In fact,  with students like you at this school, the upcoming battle of the bands should make for a very interesting display indeed. Not that any of them could stand a chance against you, of course.” “Oh, I’m not…” Trixie trailed off, the rest of the sentence dying in her throat at the thought of disappointing the girl in front of her, who continued to pile on the praise. “We’ll be competing as well, but we’re only looking for some friendly competition, so hopefully there’s no hard feelings or anything? I know I wouldn’t mind if it ends up being us at the finals. The Dazzlings and the Great and Powerful Trixie and her band sharing a stage back to back? That would be quite a performance, don’t you girls think so?” The other two Dazzlings nodded their agreement and Trixie found herself nodding along, despite herself. Adagio took notice and broadened her smile. “In any case, thank you for introducing yourself,” Dagi said. “I know you don’t really need an autograph, but I hope you’ll take this anyway. Think of it as a reminder of a silly misunderstanding. Until next time. Girls?” She smoothly placed the cafeteria napkin she had been holding into Trixie’s grasp, softly tracing a finger across her skin as she let go of it. She then flashed Trixie one more smile as she walked past her and back towards the rest of the school, the other two Dazzlings following suit. Trixie, meanwhile, stood rooted in place—frozen yet again. She looked at her hands, shaking slightly, and at the napkin held within. It was slightly crumpled, with a purple lipstick stained kiss in the corner. In a flowing script was written the name: Adagio Dazzle. Twelve seconds passed before Trixie remembered to breathe. When she did, the full spectrum of senses came back to her: the flickering of an overhead light in need of repair, the smell of the cheap disinfectant that the floor had been mopped with, the sound of Adagio Dazzle walking away from her. Trixie frantically turned around to catch sight of her, but the trio were gone; all she had was the napkin in her hand and that increasingly familiar burning on her cheeks.  She stood there for a few minutes longer, replaying the conversation in her mind. She could still hear Adagio’s laughter, the musicality in her voice, the daring in her tone. The more she focused on the memory, the more that emotion from earlier grew, as did her confusion. I thought I’d figured this out, she thought, rubbing her thumb along the side of the napkin. But “embarrassment” doesn’t feel quite right. Not after all that. There was something she was missing here, something obvious. She just knew it. She looked at the lipstick stain again and imagined Adagio planting that kiss on the paper. She pictured those soft lips. Her heartbeat quickened. “No matter!” Trixie exclaimed, shaking her head. “I’ll figure it out later. I have other much more important things to worry about right now.” With great care she folded up the napkin, placing it into one of the secret pockets in her skirt, next to her deck of cards and a pack of gum. She then began heading back the way she came, a new mission in mind. “I need to get a band together.”