"Daddy was dumb, said that I'd be something special, brought me up tough but I was a gentle human."

—Life itself, Glass Animals.

     Throughout Trixie's childhood she'd been lonely, never been allowed to be friends with nobody her own age out of request of her mother. All her time was spent perfecting her ballet and learning with her private tutors. The only socialising she was allowed to do was at her mother's never ending parties that she threw to invite only the wealthiest and their snobby children who never wanted to engage with Trixie. They'd throw in comments that made her question everything, rethinking the smallest details of herself.

     By the age of twelve, the blonde was unable to look in a mirror without wanting to throw up at the sight of herself. In fact, the only thing that ever stopped her from driving her fist through the glass was the superstition she'd heard as a child, if you were to break a mirror you'd gain seven years of bad luck. Her life probably couldn't get any worse but she'd rather not try it and test her luck.

     All she'd ever wanted was a friend or a sibling, someone who could take her mind off everything about allow her to be herself. Many times she'd sit in the living room, looking out the window at all the other children her age, laughing and joking with one another as they relished in the normalcy of being a child. It was then she'd get a small nudge, telling her she needed to practice piano or she'd need to work on a certain ballet move.

      Maybe that was why she found herself immediately transfixed in the dregs, constantly saying yes to any job she was offered. If there ever was the chance the mission was dangerous and she never made it back alive, a part of her didn't mind, she'd died with purpose. The freedom she felt with them was indescribable as she was finally allowed to be with people her own age who let her be herself without any judgement.

     Trixie Van Der Woodsen finally had everything she'd ever wanted as a child, yet, she was faced with a different problem now. Longing for someone who was out of reach was one thing, longing for someone who was unable to convey his care for someone was a punishment she wouldn't wish on her worst enemy. It made her feel dizzy and horrible as she thought about it.

A part of her loved the feeling though and she knew she'd fall into line with him with a single command. There was no denying it, she was infatuated with him and no matter what happened she couldn't find it within herself to dislike him. He'd called her an investment, straight up refused to open himself up to her, yet, he'd asked her to stay with him, which in itself took guts.

Now, all she was left with was the indescribable feeling within her as she laid against the railing, wondering why life wasn't as simple as it was in fables.

Hurried footsteps had sounded on the deck as she narrowly avoided the hits Inej sent her way. She sought out the Suli girl, wanting to learn how to fight, how to defend herself if needed. Never had she learnt, mostly just going on instinct or copying moves she'd seen others do. Trixie couldn't defend herself in a real fight and she thought back to the encounter she had before they set off, she'd almost died and she hated the feeling of helplessness that had ran through her.

Relying on the other Crows wasn't something she wanted to do, they weren't always going to be there and she needed to learn. So, mustering any courage left, she asked the one person she knew was more skilled than anyone she'd met, the Wraith. Inej was happy to help the girl, thankful they got to spend time together doing something she enjoyed. They went over the basics first, what you should never do and then they moved onto small tricks.

"Do you think you're ready to try?" Inej had asked and she nodded, accepting the blade the Suli girl had handed to her. It wasn't one of her knives as she had to leave them behind but they would do for a short practice. "Remember what I said, don't let your guard down."

"Okay." Trixie mumbled, pulling herself off the ground as she moved to stand opposite Inej. "Just checking, we are not actually stabbing each other, right, because I can not deal with that again. It hurt like a bitch."

"No, you idiot." Inej shook her head as a laugh passed her lips. "Just press the tip of the blade against the skin and then we'll restart."

"Oh, thats sounds good, less bloody." Trixie nodded as she mumbled it to herself.

Inej made the first move and Trixie moved quickly, glad she had years of ballet practice to dodge easily. Twisting the blade in her hand she spun on her heel, directing an attack towards the Suli girl but she grabbed her hand, stopping it from even getting close to her. Irritation flooded her body as she tried and tried again but Inej was just too good for her. The girl merely laughed as she watched her blonde friend's energy disappear quickly.

Across the deck, eyes trained on the two girls, watching them curiously. Kaz tapped his gloved fingers against his crow cane. Laughter passed by her lips as she tried telling jokes to Inej, the Suli girl merely shaking her head as she avoided any attacks directed her way. The sound reverberated around the ship and he lost himself for a second, completely immersed in the sound for a split second.

"Inej," a thought came to mind as she let out a quiet sigh, "I'm done for today."

"Oh, that's okay, just come find me when you want to continue." Inej smiled as the girl ran a hand through her blonde hair, dramatically throwing herself onto the floor with a huff.

Laughing to herself, she turned to go and find Nina, deciding to check the girl was okay. As she descended down the stairs she stilled, footsteps slowly following her. Turning around, she noticed there was nobody there and she kept her hand near her knife. Cold metal pressed to her throat and she froze before recognising the familiar presence beside her. Amusement shone on her face as she tilted her head slightly, looking at the blonde with a raised brow.

"I thought you were done for today." Inej commented as the girl grinned happily.

"Like you said, you should never let your guard down." Trixie shrugged and Inej reached out to grab the knife, which she gratefully let slip into her grip. "Sorry, I don't like losing."

"I can tell." Inej chuckled, slipping the blade into her pocket as the two girls made their way towards Nina.

Words~1167.
{edited:no}