Work Text:
-3-
"How do you feel about taking formal lessons?"
Cassandra paused in the middle of her movement and looked over to Bruce. She'd been in the ball room dancing for the past hour. Time really did seem to pass quickly when it was just her, the music and the open floor. When she did not have to worry about any of her siblings being in danger any given moment they where out of her sight.
Bruce stood at the entrance to the ballroom. Relaxed, proud, curious. He leaned his shoulder against the doorway, It was a beautifully gloomy day outside —the kind of weather that you learned to appreciate only in places like Gotham or Seattle— and the light in the ballroom was dim. Yet Bruce stood there like a beacon of warmth.
'come again?' she asked as she knelt down to turn off her music. Her most recent birthday —one that she shared with Jay and Alfred— Bruce had gifted her the speaker and the digital audio player. Tim had shown her how to add music to her DAP then she and Stephanie had spent hours curating the many playlists she had. She treasured the little device. It did help that it had been designed to be able to handle taking a beating. She appreciated Bruce's practical thinking. She could carry it out on patrol or even when she needed a good distraction when in a crowd.
"Lessons, from a ballet studio, or perhaps even a private instructor. If you want I can arrange it." He smiled at her, still radiating kindness and pride. "You're good, but there's a lot more to ballet than just moving. Selina has told me there's an entire world to it, with its own culture and history and rules."
'I can learn?' she indicated to herself and then followed it up with pulling down a pair of parallel fists, finally finishing her sentence with one palm flat touched with a steepled hand that she brought to her forehead.
"Only if you want to. you don't need to decide right now, but I've heard that auditions fro different studios around the city opened up for the season."
Cass sat down, criss-cross on the floor, she patted a hand on the floor next to her. Bruce carefully sank down to join her on the floor. She needed to think this over, but she did not want him going off anywhere just yet.
'let me think'
she knew in her gut that she would like to get more lessons in ballet. All her knowledge from dance came from videos. There was so much in the human body that video could not capture quite like real life could. She would love that. She'd even been too a showing of Les Sylphides with Barbera and Selina. They had gone out to get Ice cream after and watched as she happily hand talked and stuttered out her emotions with words. That much she knew.
She also knew that school had not gone well for her, there had been too big of crowds that caused her too much distress. She liked people, she really did, but having to go through a crowd every day was too much. so could she do it with a dance class? She knew there where lots of people in dance classes too. She'd been watching videos online of Ballet, learning all she could about the dances and dancers now that she had access to all the information that the internet provided.
She also knew that Bruce really wanted her to make connections outside of the family. She didn't think that it was strictly necessary. She knew her family and they where so important to her. She also knew other people too… Bruce's own friends like Dinah and Oliver and their family. She knew Aunt Harley and Ivy as well as Uncle Ed and even other people that where nice from before, and before that she had met Jackie, she still sometimes when to Jackie's restaurant when she got overwhelmed. the old lady was always happy to see her like she had been when she first came to Gotham and Jackie had fed her a bowl of noodles. Yet Bruce thinks she needs other people too… perhaps he was right. School had not done anything for her in that department… but if classes where smaller then perhaps she could even… make friends, friends like she and Stephanie where!
No one could ever replace Stephanie in her life, but it might be nice to have more friends, she could even set a good example for Dami, he didn't have a lot of those yet either.
'If I do not like, I leave' she stated. Not questioned.
"Of course Cassandra, just like with school."
'Talking?'
"I'll have that sorted, Everything will be up to you."
Cassandra thought it over for a second more and then decided.
-2-
Cass held her arms close to her body as she walked into the studio. The space was open with light colored wooden floors. They where shiny and beautiful. All along the walls where other children, some older and some younger than her all dressed up in their leotards and tights. They where standing around the room doing different movements, stretches, drinking water, unpacking or just chatting with each other. She already felt like an intruder in the bright yellow space before she had even uttered a breath.
Bruce had no such qualms, he marched his way over to the oldest individual in the room with that confidence her foster father carried himself with. The one that let him own any room in any way he needed to. she herself followed behind him hesitantly, her eyes quickly darting and assessing the other students in the room. All of them where strong and well disciplined carrying themselves with poise and certainty, but none of them where a threat.
They had on the other hand all taken some degree in her and Bruce as intruders in their curated safe space.
"Mx. Arlo Poinsettia? I spoke with you over the phone"
"Mr. Wayne, I recall."
"My daughter Cassandra hopes to take formal lessons
"I'll have her run through a little audition before we start, If she is a fit she can join my class otherwise we'll discuss other options for her. Now if you don't mind, only dancers in the studio while lessons are in progress, This is not beginner levels."
"Of course, I'll be waiting just outside if you need anything Cass."
She nodded as she wrung her hands together. Bruce settled his rough hands on hers.
"Come get me if you need anything alright?"
"Of course" she answered quietly.
Bruce had picked out this particular instructor, primarily because they where one of the few ballet instructors in the city that knew some degree of sign language. at least enough to advertise it. Beyond that they where also among the best the city had to offer. If the the city had not offer anything that had been seen as worth while Cass knew Selina had offer to find someone all the way over in Opal city and find someway to get them to instruct her.
Of course the instructor had also gone through more thorough background checks than prospective employees of the Pentagon need to go through.
She took a deep breath and began to mimic some of the stretches and warm ups that the others where doing. She also did a few that Dick had shown her as well. He had always been big on stretching before any exercise. The instructor watched with approval. After a few minutes, about ten before class actually began, the instructor's spoke up.
"Come along girl, lets see if you have what it takes to join my class. Your stretches worked well now show me what you already know, otherwise I'll be asking you to join a beginner's class. understood."
"my…Name Cass."
"I will learn your name once you are one of my students." the instructor said.
Cass moved to the area of the room that Arlo indicated. The other students where hovering around the barres whispering between each other. Cass could hear them of course. She shifted as she tried too move but all the whispers throw her off.
"Did you see him? That was Bruce Wayne."
"I know right?"
"If that's Bruce… then dose that mean that she is… You know a Bird?"
"Has too."
"You think she might be his bio kid?"
"She looks Asian."
"Her mom could be Asian, just because her dad might be Bruce Wayne."
"I mean you know his reputation right."
"I've seen all of them they all look so similar yet so different."
"My mom said that he lied and they are all his kids… its been rumored for years that his mom was a bit… you know."
"No way."
"She goes to my school… the Wayne kids are terrifying."
"You thinks she's going to be a problem?"
"Maybe."
They where all talking about her, she shrunk into herself trying to hide. She could see how they shifted. Uneasy, Angry, Scared, Curious, Confused, Apatetic, Vindictive, Hungry, Excited. Oh no it was a lot. Maybe this had been a mistake…
"Girl"
She froze on the spot and turned to look at who was addressing her. It was the instructor.
"In my class we do not Dilly-dally, we take things very seriously. If you do not think you are up for it then I will request that you leave."
She looked at them. They stood with certainty and pride. She already knew that they meant their every word before she looked at their body language. for once she was well aware of the tone of word that she had been addressed with.
Cassandra did not stand down. She was only here because she wanted too be here. It didn't matter if all th other pupils in the class made her nervous, it didn't matter if there was som many different emotions in the way they moved, in the subtle shifts and sways and shuffles. This wasn't nowhere near as overwhelming as school had been for her.
She took a deep breath and steadied herself. Just like Dinah had suggested, Deep breath and move. The music had started up again. Fists five things she could see; The barre, the mirror, the ribbons on the shoes, the instructor, the door, And move into the next position. Second four things she could hear; her breathing, the music, the tapping of the shoes against the wood of the floor, the whispers…. no, moving on three things she could feel, the movement of the air, her hair against the back of her neck, her leotard against her skin. Good good, two things she could smell, the wooden varnish of the floors, the perfume the instructor wore, finally a pirouette, a thing she could taste, the sweat on her lip.
the music finished and she stopped with it. She stood still and leveled her sharp gaze on the instructor. They had their lips pursed and a steady stare themselves. Arlo's look was appraising and Cass did everything she could to not wiggle under the familiar feeling she never wanted to experience again. The appraising gaze she knew from her time in Arkham, as well as the one from before, the gaze that she had been familiar with since the day that she had been born, the appraisal that she had never been able to escape, the appraisal of her skills that had come form her… was he her father? or had he just been her instructor, she didn't quite remember.
It didn't matter, she was no longer in either of those places, she was here now, she had chosen this appraisal and she would never back down to a challenge.
"You're face is stern. you're posture stiff, it's acceptable." The instructor said. "Welcome to my class Miss Cassandra Wayne."
Cassandra smiled with all her teeth. She'd made it!
"Yes, yes, now go take your place on the barre between Andrew and Sofia."
Cass nodded and bound her way over between the two other teens. Arlo clapped their hands together and began the proper instructions of their first meeting together. Casandra did the best she could to follow along. even though all of this formal training was so new and foreign to her in some ways, but chillingly familiar in many others. Still by the time they had moved onto the second set, adagio, she was smiling.
She watched as the instructor demonstrated for the class. Their body lit up. Passion, Drive, Truth. Oh, that was beautiful. It was so different seeing someone move like that on their own in real life compared to across the screen. She could hear her breath, she could note the blood move through the body, no doubt waring her limbs, she could see it all and it was beautiful. She would not regret taking Bruce up on his offer.
Class came to and end, she gathered up her few small belongings she had brought with her. Preparing to exit the room to where Bruce was waiting in the lobby likely with other parents waiting to pick up her fellow students. Before she could leave the instructor pulled her aside.
"You show great promise girl."
They stood there relaxed with their arms crossed. Their entire body told Cass: Honesty and Serenity.
"Really I can tell you are passionate about this art, just as passionate if not more so than my other pupils, you just seem to need some time to…express it."
'Body is truthful, Ballet is body's poetry' she moved her hands quickly as she signed out.
The instructor laughed lightly, Cass kept herself from flinching at the sudden laughter, "I don't think I could have said it better myself."
Then Mx. Poinsettia held out a hand, it took a moment for Cass to remember that you shake hands that are presented to you. she grasped her scared hand to their big one and gave it a solid shake.
"Welcome to class Cass."
"You ready to go?" Mr. Wayne asked as she stepped out into the hallway where the students where picked up from the studio. She nodded and then turned and gave a little wave to the instructor.
"Look forward to seeing you again soon little miss Wayne. remember, if you are on time you are late."
Cass nodded and then turned to follow her adopted father out the door.
-1-
There was a lot more to ballet than just moving. Cass was good at the movement, in fact she was somewhat robotic with how well she could imitate her classmates even the instructor.
One of the biggest things that she had to get used to was trying to pick up new grooming habits. Especially when it came to brushing and taking care of her short hair.
This wasn't like before. They had cared there, they just had not cared that much, they had cared enough to yell at her and punish her, but not enough to actually care about her. No, nothing like before. Instead what they cared about was neatness. They cared that her hair was neat and tied up properly. They needed her cloths to be fit and free of holes. Her shoes should not be worn out as that kept her from being able to dance, at the same time she should not dance in new shoes without breaking them first as that could cause her too fall. Her fellow dancer where happy to show her how after their fear and suspicion of her dissipated… or at the very least lessened from when she first joined. Not all of them of course, some of them still did not want to be friends with her, some of them just wanted to get close to her to get to know more about her dad or one of her siblings. The rest, they where nice, and they showed her that there was a lot more to the dance than movement, being early, the right shoes and tidy hair that didn't fall in her face.
Ballet was a lifestyle as much as it was an art. That lifestyle came with eating right, taking care of her body in a way that she had not ever thought necessary to do before and of course, clothes, clothes that went beyond just sheltering her body from the elements. Clothes that had style and knowing how to wear them.
Selina was more than happy to help Cass with getting better at grooming. She'd gone out one day with just her and Selina and they had spent all day going to the different shops in the diamond district. where. It was nice. She knew this was something that Damien and Selina did together as well, usually ending with Bruce having to tell them both that they could not take home any more stray cats, and Selene doing it anyways as she would just keep her precious pets in her own apartment where they where well cared for, even while she was away.
She had of course gone shopping with Barbera and with Stephen and her mum before, but for the kind of dress and grooming she needed for ballet she knew that it would require someone with Selina's more precise and proper taste as much as she loved Stephanie bold, bright and broadly purple personal statements and sporty wear or admired Barbera's cozy clothes.
No Selina was the obvious choice to have helped, she had even won out over Aunt Kate, though that was not hard with the woman's penchant for military clothing.
By the end of the month her closet would consist entirely of clothes stolen from her family members, Sportswear and cozy clothes she could hide out in and the selectively stylish clothes Selina helped her pick out with as much comfort as those clothes she could possibly gain. No itchy seams of pinching bits. it would be perfect!
What she really appreciated about class was its predictability. The class always went the same. First you arrived early. If you where on time you where late. You arrived early so you could stretch and warm up, so you could find you place on the barre. Then after barre you moved onto exercises on the floor, first jumps and turns then onto choreography Mx. Poinsettia had them rotating through some of the different styles of ballet, French style, Balanachine, Vaganova to the Royal Ballet style. Soon they'd be settling back into a specific style as they grew closer and closer to the rehearsals for their specific program. It was always the same rhythm always predictable and Cass appreciated that.
Dance was hard on the body, but so was vigilantism, so she had to take good care of herself. Her passion for dance had only grown stronger as she kept coming to classes as passion was infectious and every person in the class was covered in its miasma. Some more than others but they all wanted to achieve. From the most struggling student to the instructor themselves.
No here she felt she had found a new community all her own. She was soaring.
-0-
Barbera rolled up to the front of the venue. People where dressed nicely, though most of the audience was just excited parents. Babs herself was thrilled. She knew that Cassandra was so excited to be in her first performance. Certainly she had a very small role but she knew that her friend would be dancing her little heart out. The venue was decorated and prepared for the evening.
She made her way up to the front of the building, she had dressed nicely for the event. Yellow tights for the night air, a moss green knitted jacket, and a stylish plad dress with hints of blue brown and purple tied together with brown boots and a matching belt. Stephanie had called the outfit "Librarian chic" Tim had said she looked like someones grandma. The Waynes had yet to arrive. She knew that they where on their way… except Bruce. Bruce who was out on patrol. Even though his cousin Kate and Helena had said that they could cover for him. He better not be late.
She was near the entrance. she stopped for a minute to root around her little hand bag to look for her tickets.
"Well, well, Don't you clean up well, the purple and green really suit you."
Barbera snapped her head back to see who was addressing her. A noodle of a man flanked by a pair of tall muscular women headed her way. He wore a charcoal suit, but still had his signature green question mark tie.
"E. Nigma" Barbera said with her gaze leveled "Shouldn't you be…"
"Oh don't worry about it lil'lady , I'm still safely accounted for."
"Are you now?"
"Could say I'm not even here." He said with his sleazy smile. His two henchwomen Query and Echo standing like loyal bodyguards behind them. "Besides, You'd need a bit more than a few walls and locks to keep me from seeing my niece's first recital."
"Right."
He was here for Cass they were both here for Cass, they should set their petty grievances aside to support their favorite little ballerina who would be on stage the first time today.
"Query you have the tickets?"
"Right here boss." she said with a smile.
Query had her long blond hair tied up in a neat bun, and Echo had brushed her short black mane into a stylish sort that reminded Barbera of an old time gangster as both butch women wore suits.
"Well how about we escort the young lady inside, its Gotham and you never know what kind of characters could be lurking out on the streets this time at night."
"Probably everyone, seeing as you're here."
"Hey now."
"Besides I'm waiting for someone."
"Oh? The Waynes?"
She gave him a slight nod.
"Then we simply must wait with you, I was going to find them after the show, but if you are waiting for them."
"I'd rather you don't."
"What about Bruce? will he be here?"
"He should."
"He is out isn't he?"
"Wow nothing gets past you." she answered in a flat tone as she looked down the street. The lights sparkled beautifully against the rain puddles and the many lights of the fashion district, In the distance she could see the tall spire of Gotham Cathedral. If she looked the other way she'd probably be able to make out the tops of the buildings down in the cauldron. Edward leaned against the brick wall behind them as people passed them on the streets heading into the venue. no one paid them any particular mind. With out his flashier clothes Ed wasn't as recognizable. He'd even combed his copper brown hair differently. His two Henchwomen also helped in being much more eye catching than he was.
" Is he going to miss this."
"He's going to try to not miss this."
"Tsk, Tisk, Tisk," Edward clicked his tongue. "If he misses this I'm going to break out for real just to give him grief over this."
"I would not put it past him unfortunately."
She did appreciate that Edward Nigma was keeping Bruce's secret identity under wraps even with his closest henchwomen. The less people who knew the better and there where already quite a few people in and out of their trusted circle.
"Always so busy, busy as a bee, but old habits die hard."
"Something like that."
"Barbera!" There was a shout form down the street. A little group moved towards them. She spotted Stephanie in a purple dress with a fluffy jacket taking the lead. She spotted everyone there except Bruce. Even Alfred and Selina where bringing up the rear.
"Hey guys!" she said back as they came close enough. "Ready for Cass's show?"
"Born ready." Stephanie practically screamed and she got a variety of affirmations from the rest of the group. She even spotted what appeared to be a mason jar with a staring little star hiding in Stephanie's purse.
"Lets go…Oh my gosh Uncle Ed!" They all noticed Edward who was still leaning against the wall.
"Hey Birds how's life?"
Everyone set of chatting as they made their way towards the venue proper. Barbera hung back a little bit with Dick, and Alfred.
"He's late isn't he?"
"ETA is in fifteen minutes, but yup."
" Master Bruce is very dedicated to his work, but he will be here, he is dedicated to all of you as well." Alfred affirmed.
Bruce shuffled into the auditorium nearly forty-five minutes late. Barbera shook her head and sighed, at the very least he had made it. Cass was still up on stage. She didn't have a major role but she still danced like she had wings to fly.
~Fin.