Flash Fiction February 2025 Day Twenty-Four: Great Potential (Lin)

A/N: Only four more days left of Flash Fic Feb! Time flies, I've really enjoyed this years collection of prompts, and I hope you have too.

Flash Fiction February 2025 Day 24 Prompt: Potential

Watching from afar the practice at hand I’m impressed with what I see. Xiran works with the girl she has taken under her wing, correcting her movements where necessary, and ensuring that she is counting the amount of steps she takes to know exactly where she is in relation to other people or props at all times. In the case of the girl, this is an especially important skill to learn, as unlike many of the other students in the school she is almost completely blind. According to Valan she has some usable vision, but is extremely nearsighted, apparently she was unaware of the existence of the Ministry of Truth floating over the city near the palace of Vivec until her father told her about it. Still, despite this, she has potential. Looking at a pamphlet sitting on a table detailing the opera school's upcoming performance I find it is a tribute to the various styles and traditions related to the ancient art that have developed over the centuries. A former performer herself, Xiran volunteers as a teacher in her spare time to pass on her love of the art to the younger generation, that is a trait we share relating to our respective performing arts- hers vocal and mine dance. The two go through a routine I quickly pinpoint as being from the northeast based both on the style of vocals in addition to the elaborate costume that includes sections of a well known opera that I have seen many times before. For a girl of her size she has a very powerful voice and displays deliberate movements as she makes her way across the stage, including an impressive stunt involving not one but two swords…which I hope for everyone's sake are blunted so as to not cause harm. With the grace of an experienced professional, though dressed only in a basic shirt and pants rather than a costume of equal brilliance, Xiran follows until the routine is finished with a dramatic flourish. From my place at the back of the dark theater I clap upon their conclusion, an action to which the two bow in gratitude, the girls elaborately decorated hat nearly falling off in the process. She really has potential. I will watch her progress with great interest, and make a mental note to drag Ling to the opening night of the performance, case files be damned. There are more interesting things to see after a work day is done than the same dusty old papers.