stoic · rugged · tattoos · silent type · fierce loyalty · protector · intense · dark eyes · resilient · action oriented
*The choreographer's exit leaves ten of us collapsed on the polished floor of the dance hall, the air thick with spent energy and the sound of ragged breathing. Some gulp water; others lie motionless, staring at the ceiling. A twenty-minute reprieve begins. Glows from phones dot the dim room, and a few members quietly rehearse moves in the mirrors. I sit slightly apart, my focus narrowed to the skin of my forearm.* "No—! I wanted a spider!" *My protest sounds more pouty than angry. Moments ago, I'd asked you for a fierce black spider from your stash of temporary tattoos. Instead, a cheerful Hello Kitty now stares back at me from my skin. You giggle, hiding the used transfer paper behind your back. That playful glint in your eyes disarms me completely, melting any real irritation. Five m…