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Chapter 108: The Wings to Fly

Eve started swinging her legs. There wasn't anything else to do. Once, she tried to straighten her knees. Gravity pulled down her legs hard, making it difficult. She pointed her toes and lifted one foot higher.

Her muscles quivered as she held the pose.

She held her breath. Then, she slowly let the rope go. Her arms sloped upwards and her hands extended to the air. She looked up and dropped the smile from her face. A soft gasp escaped her lips. The sun beams passed through her fingers.

Her body felt weightless as if one with the air. Her muscles gradually hardened and executed an elegant flutter kick. It ignited a spark in her spirit. At this moment, she wasn't falling. 

She was flying.

"Hm."

Cale flickered his eye towards the head photographer. "What is it?"

"Is Evangeline a dancer?"

The modelling manager snapped his head back to his model. Pride shined in his gaze. A small smile curled the corner of his lip. "She does make it look effortless, doesn't she?"

"Good shot!" The head photographer yelled out. "Keep it up."

Eve straightened her back. She stretched it by extending her arms and legs in parallel lines. Then, she laced her fingers and cradled the back of her neck. Her knees bent upwards. Her position mimicked the starting one for sit-ups. 

The cameras made sure not to miss.

She relaxed one leg and elongated it. After a few shutters, she let the bent one drop below her. Her torso twisted to the side as her arms spread like wings. The horizon came to her view. The same weightless feeling remained.

She sensed that the ground was near.

For a final pose, Eve pulled up her upper body and did a split. Her arms followed her legs, pointing in the same directions. It was a beautiful shot as if they weren't beside a rock-climbing wall. 

She thought it was over.

But then, her arms went up and touched wrist to wrist. Her front leg lifted up. They tightened their muscles and gained momentum, swinging down until they arched behind her back. The cameras snapped faster catching each frame of the pose.

Eve became a true bird in the air.

The harness swung forward.

She yelped, grabbing the rope and tucking her knees in. She panted for breath and noticed the shiver in her limbs. She couldn't tell anymore if it was from fear or from shock. The poses required tremendous effort and she endured it all.

Hopefully, it was worth it.

Cale was the first to react. He ran towards her, saying, "Evangeline! Are you okay?" 

Eve dropped to her knees as soon as she touched the ground. Her legs had caved in, numbing from the number of executions. They weighed her down like lead. Her hands pushed against the ground, just in time to keep her face clean.

"Yeah," she assured Cale, struggling to stand up. "My muscles just cramped a little."

"Come on, you need to rest." He kneeled beside her and hugged her waist. The workers unbuckled her harness and let her go. The both of them walked over to the nearest chair. Cale immediately asked for a bottle of water and a fan.

"Thank you," Eve said. She bent forward and rested her arms on her thighs. Her eyes closed and blocked out the spinning world. She focused on her breathing. 

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"Compared to her, you look like you're slacking," Jordan joked from the other side of the landscape. He and Mikael stood on top of a hill, giving them a good angle for Evangeline's shoot. He uncapped his own water bottle and drank. "That was exquisitely done. It didn't seem planned either. She really knows how to think on the spot. All the poses flowed well together."

Mikael crossed his arms over his chest. A grunt rumbled in the back of his throat. "Beautiful but"

Jordan rolled his eyes. "Of course, you have a negative comment."

"What's negative about it when it's the truth? It's elegant but" Mikael retorted with a glare. "It doesn't fit the theme for the shoot."

He wouldn't deny the caliber for the execution but they seemed out of place from the big hair and vibrant clothing. It was about outdoor activities where people used a lot of stamina. The poses needed more energy to read the intended goal.

This shoot and the one with Luna's were entirely different.

Jordan shook his head. There really was no pleasing his model. "Maybe that's the case but you forget. It's also a start. It can be a source of inspiration."

Mikael spun on his heel and headed for the next location. Unlike before, he was also working today. He couldn't afford to slack off. 

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"How do I say this" the head photographer breathed out. He rubbed his chin, thinking deeply. "About the poses while you descended"

"They're not appropriate," Eve finished. She wiped the corner of her mouth, removing the excess water from the bottle. She had seen it coming. She, herself, realized it after it was over but didn't dwell on it too long.

They could be counted as stretches for the real deal.

His eyebrows shot up at her words. Nonetheless, he couldn't find a better way to say them. He nodded his head along, explaining, "I do like it though. I think we can use them but we need a better way. Do you have any ideas?"

Eve gazed at the wall. Because it had to be part of the photos, she couldn't do a lot of free movement. She was wedged between the wall and the main camera. They limited her to do poses that required her to face sideways.

Her amber eyes followed the rope. It rose high until its peak and fell down as the cord ended in the workers' hands. A light bulb lit up above her head. "What about"

Once again, Eve found herself in the harness attached to the rope. She did some squats as well as arm stretches. The workers who held her rope waited for a signal. She gripped the rope in one hand and turned to the head photographer. 

The rope danged in front of her.

He gave his thumbs up.

It was showtime.

Eve held tight and bent her knees. She jumped as the rope yanked her up in the air. Her feet stayed under her but she spread them apart along with one arm. She opened her mouth and laughed, keeping it up for a few seconds.

The abrupt sensation added to the authenticity of her expressions. 

As long as she didn't look at the cameras, it would be okay.

"Good! Next!"

The workers lowered Eve back to the ground. They had agreed to pull her up fast but let her down slowly. It was to keep her from getting anxious. She felt grateful that it was working so far.

For the next pose, she leaned sideways and waved her hand as if to greet the audience. If she could, she'd raise a welcome sign. It would have been a good chance for a poster at the front. Since she didn't, she made sure to stretch her limbs as far as she could and to smile as wide was possible.

The shoot continued with a few more jumps in the air. Eve could almost imagine herself on a trampoline. Each time she was mid-air, she executed something. They were spontaneous, impulsive and less coordinated. It was a lot less work than her previous ideas.

And she was having fun.

Cale watched silently. He feared if he spoke a word, the whole scene would break. Despite Eve's commitment from before, he had thought she might back out at the last minute and he wouldn't have blamed her for it. This was far more than she signed up for. It wasn't a simple studio shoot like last time.

He would have picked the safest choice but

Eve jumped to the air one last time. She had stepped back until the rope resisted. It was just an idea but she wanted to try it. Her feet dug on the ground and her legs crouched for better momentum. 

She ran for her previous position.

The rope pulled her up for the nth time today.

Only this time, she swung back and forth in the air. She held the rope and posed as if she swung from a vine. When it swayed backwards, she arched her back and straightened her legs. It was the pose she did whenever she sat on the swings.

Then, she jerked her legs up until they snared the rope. Her upper body changed positions, pointed her head towards the ground. Her two hands tightened around the rope. 

She regretted it right away.

Her stomach became queasy from the constant swing. Her lips curled inwards as her tongue did the same. She closed her eyes and tried to break her legs free. The gagging sensation increased, making her impatient.

Her legs hit the rope many times before 

They lowered her down gently until someone could support her. Hands peeled her legs off the rope. Arms supported her back as they set her upright. They carried a chair over and settled her into a sitting position.

They also directed an electric fan in her direction. 

"Darling, are you feeling better?" Eve heard Cale ask.

She opened one eye, still looking a little green. "Apparently, not every idea is a good one."

Cale patted her head and chuckled. 'It would have been a waste if he played it safe, wouldn't it?'