She knew he was going to come obliquely at her shoulder. She didn’t know how she knew, but she did. Later she’d look back at it over drinks and some reflection time and realize she’d been reading his body language, his eyes, and also running it along an equation of past experiences.

“Oh, neat,” she breathed, as she couched her own lance. She had an idea-- something a bit crazy, and she might get hurt, but god, she wanted that gym badge. So as they approached, she jumped up; she landed on Ana’s back, and used her newfound height to extend her arm as far out as it would go, going so far as to tumble forward and off her swan. Anatida squawked, but the two were in sync, now, so she ducked her long neck and serpentined in the air, catching Cyg as she fell-- though she was facing backwards, now, and flying the same direction as Alexei, just underneath him.

“You could’ve named her Odette,” she said, breathing heavily, amazed that her stunt pulled off. She didn’t even know if she hit him, she was just jazzed. “Or Odile.”

---

HEDD7Rtm

wearing

Alexei Ivanov

☉

ANATIDA ♀ HYDRATION hurricane, brave bird, tailwind, defog, fly, dive