Realistic or Modern Evergreen Circus || OPEN

[Nue]

"Ahh, nothing really," Aubrey admitted, "Just I've got nothing to do before the show so I'm wandering around."

She went to lean against the wall behind her, stopping herself just in time as she realized it was actually the stage curtian. That could've been pretty bad.. The audience couldn't hear her from here, she wasn't miked and they were far enough away, but they'd definitely have taken notice if she went tumbling through the curtain.

Thankful that Cassian hadn't seen her blunder, she glanced up at him. Aubrey realized that, for one, she hadn't seen him perform before, and two, it was definitely still weird seeing him in a stage outfit, since it seemed so far removed from what he was wearing this morning. Kind of like seeing a teacher outside of school - not bad, just an odd feeling you can't place.

"Oh, you can tell me if I'm like, throwing off your pre-performance concentration. Some of these guys are really rude about it; asked this one guy if he wanted a coffee and he literally nearly bit my head off because I was uh, "ruining his atmosphere" or something.."

 

[mourning star]

• Moon-sik 'Liam' Choi
• Zoe Catarina Reyes

• 
  
  moon-sik choi

  
  location: the big top

  
  
  ✧ - ✧ - ✧ - ✧ - ✧ - ✧ ---- ✧ - ✧ - ✧ - ✧ - ✧ - ✧

  Moon-sik sat at the lighting booth, behind the bleachers, leg propped up on his chair as he listened to the feed. A lot of the stagehands were running around, but here he was at his assigned station, waiting for the cue. His mouth twisted, eyes surveying the crowd with waning interest. Some cast their eyes in his direction, some starstruck and some weary.
  
  It was funny to know that although they didn’t know what type of supernatural he was, he still was being oogled. A single spark lit up in his palm when a man peered too fiercely at him, starling him to turn once more to the ring. Moon-sik smirked, although his voice over the walkie-talkie caught his attention. He tilted his head as he listened to the voice over the feed. Calista sounded unsure… smirking, he pressed the button down to respond.
  
  “You sound nervous, beautiful.” His tone had taken on an edge of flirtation. He had no interest in dating the woman; he knew he would make the worst role model for her daughter. Still, he liked to tease whenever given the chance.
  
  Her request had him tilting his head towards the computer, mouth quirking up in a smirk. He hummed in thought. “Well… we have my ‘Maxwell went to sleep so it’s time to actually party’ playlist or… I have one in mind.” Moving his mouse several times, he waited until the song faded before he began to play a song he knew she had performed with before.
  
  “Hope you like jazzy and sensual, babe.”
  
  
  
  
  code by @pasta
  
  
  
• 
  
  zoe reyes

  
  location: backstage

  
  
  ✧ - ✧ - ✧ - ✧ - ✧ - ✧ ---- ✧ - ✧ - ✧ - ✧ - ✧ - ✧

  Although Zoe had performed for nearly a year, it still caused her nerves to fray. Her tail twitched behind her in agitation, ears flexing up before falling once more to frame her cheeks. The clothes she wore was a soft blue leotard that shined with glimmer and the faint print of stars along the delicate tulle that surrounded her thin waist. Her hair was tied back, curls framing her face. White tape wrapped around her wrists and palms. Sighing, she continued to stretch.
  
  Ducking down into a bridge, she tucked her head and pressed her chest nearly to the floor. The strain was at the back of her mind as she breathed through her warmup. Hands tucking, she allowed her legs to arch over her head. Finding her balance, she stood once more and adjusted her leotard. Her gaze wandered the excercise rooms, brow raised. Knowing she would soon need to find Rehema, she glanced at her appearance once more before she made her way into the hall.
  
  The first people she noticed was Kamon and Candy. Waving, she didn’t stop to swap pleasantries. She knew they were nice but still… they both were a little too friendly and exciteable for her tastes. The next person she passed was Calista. Zoe offered the woman a smile, not wanting to bother her when she was so clearly stressed.
  
  The last performers she stumbled upon was Nue and Cassian. Her tail wagged on her own accord, although she wrapped it around her wrist before either one could notice. Out of everyone who she performed with, she had always drifted to the ones who were her own age. It made it easier to talk with them– even though she struggled to find topics of conversation.
  
  “Um… excuse me?” She spoke, just loud enough to be heard from where she stood. “Have either one of you seen Rehema? I can’t seem to find her.”
  
  
  
  
  code by @pasta
  
  
  

 

[Meme Machine]

Alvar Circe

Alvar left Calista be for now, she seemed to be having a Monet with Kamon. So, Alvar slipped away, looking around for people he knew. He found Cassian and Aubrey, talking just behind one of the curtains. He did a double take at Cassian and Aubrey’s outfits, and questioned if maybe he was overdressed? He shook the feeling off, realizing Cassian did have a pretty showy outfit on, as did Aubrey. Although, Aubrey’s was a bit more practical. Came with being an animal gamer, he supposed. He waved at the two, quickly making his way over to them.

To be honest, he still wasn’t used to Cassian not being an acrobat with him. It was a little sad that he was alone in his act, but he also sort of liked the attention. He would never admit that though. As he smiled at the two, he silently wondered what Cassian had been thinking about before he had walked up to him. Aubrey seemed a little flustered, like she messed up or something, but Cassian seemed..... distracted.

Alvar paused as Zoe walked up to them first. Now he wasn’t sure if he should interrupt. He walked near them, next to the crates Cassian was sitting on, but didn’t say anything.​

 

[Wandering Seraph]

"Not at all," he said to Aubrey with a smile, "I'm not that high maintenance."

Two sets of footsteps nearly made Cassian open his eyes again, but the telltale jingle of jewelry told him that one of the people approaching had to be Alvar.

"Hello, Alvar," he called, rustling his wings a little as he said it.

They were getting a bit tired from being partially open. It was Zoe's voice that finally made Cassian open his eyes and shift his weight. He sized up the little creature, eyes sweeping over her frame and tallying up her features. Probably not a threat, although appearances were particularly decieving at Evergreen.

"I'm not familiar with her," he answered.

_____
Interactions: Meme Machine N Nue mourning star

 

[Nue]

"Rehema? Mmm.."

Aubrey considered for a moment. "I don't thiiiink so.. I've seen a ton of people this evening and they are almost ALL wearing leotards and swooshy sheer material, so everyone's kinda blurring together at the moment.."

She nodded at Alvar as Cassian pointed him out. "Hey, Al!"
Again, it wasn't clear if they were on nickname terms yet, but Aubrey was less of a "test the waters" girl and more of the "cannon ball directly into the ocean" ideology.

 

[Meme Machine]

Alvar Circe

Alvar nearly jumped out of his skin when Cassian said his name. He muttered a hello shyly and turned his attention to Zoe. When Aubrey called him Al, he opened his mouth before closing it again. He wasn’t sure how he liked that, but whatever. He also shook his head at Zoe’s question, however, and spoke in a quiet voice. He wasn’t sure why he was so nervous for tonight’s show. He knew he would be fine when he got up there.

“No..... I’m sorry, I don’t think I have.”

He smiled apologeticly to Zoe, and twirled the hair on the back of his neck, before sighing and putting his hand down forcefully. He needed to stop that. He was gonna lose hair like that. ​

 

[Lunar]

A loud scratchy noise can be heard behind the curtain, the source of the interference was of a Megaphone that Maxwell was fiddling with. He was carefully adjusting the volume level to pair well with the microphone wire that ran up the inside of his elegant suit. The ruffles around his collar bounced with his footsteps; an uncanny gleeful aura seethed out of him. Maxwell's face was done with his usual white foundation, but this time it was extra-fancy; he had purple eyeshadow and a black dot on the tip of his sharp nose, with dark purple fingernail polish to match! "Do reeee miiiiiiii" Maxwell sung in his usual crusty baritone voice before coughing and gagging slightly, he did have quite the smoking problem out of most public eyes. He could often be seen smoking with an elegantly crafted cigarette-holder backstage after shows though.

The Ringleader spots his partner-in-crime talking to Moon-sik and flashed a toothy grin at her; he also gave a reassuring nod and mouthed "Give it your all my dear." After this, Maxwell then waltzed backstage to where the rest of the troupe stood; He clapped his hands sharply and announced: "Alright troupe, we've got a full tent out there waiting to see us! We simply can not disappoint! They came here tonight to see some circus freaks! They want to be amazed! Astounded! Fascinated! So we will show them our fascinations, the true beauty and talent of a carnie! Let's give em' hell! We're on after Calista performs the appetizer; a dance to draw in their eager minds! When she is finished, just follow my lead!" Maxwell gave a light eerie giggle as he looked around his crowd smiling with delight and excitement. "Oh and you all look dashing~" He said deeply with a small hint of a growl.

Spoiler: Cigarette Holder

Code by @Goldieloxx


Interactions: mochi bun Meme Machine Wandering Seraph N Nue mourning star NIAMH

 

[Meme Machine]

Alvar Circe

Alvar’s head snapped up and was drawn to the ring leader, the clown like man dressed to the nines. He smiled and listened well to his speech, before hearing the part about Calista. His eyes widened. Is it really was a important night. Calista didn’t often perform....

His head came back down to earth from his nervousness as Mr. Crom finished, and Alvar polity smiled and nodded. He was glad he fixed up this new leotard to fit him. It was made for a girl, but Alvar had altered it. Nevertheless, he had a feeling tonight was gonna be fun, and everyone was going to be trying their best to please the audience. He waved over to Calista and mouthed a good luck, not sure if she saw or not.

Spoiler: Alvar’s Outfit

 

[Nue]

Aubrey turned all her attention to the impossibly tall man addressing them - Maxwell, the ringleader.

As Maxwell complimented the crowd of performers appearance, Aubrey glanced down at her t-shirt - one that bore the words 'the sampsons' in comic sans, accompanied by a very washed out picture of Homer Simpson, and a small jam stain from the donut she had earlier. She was sure once she'd actually start performing, she'd make a stage outfit that matched up to the rest of the troupe.. But for today, she wasn't going up on stage, so she simply grinned at the group around her and slowly backed out, excited to see everyone's routines, especially now that she was more accquainted with some of the people performing them.

"Break a leg guys!" She whispered, then added, more to herself than anyone else, "Is that just for theatre, or can I say it here too?"

 

[mochi bun]

Katya Savas
Calista fidgeted with her skirts, feeling uncomfortable. She sighed through her nose, running a hand over her hair. Her gaze turned the moment Maxwell entered the area; it was almost impossible not to sense him. Turning her head, she watched as he offered her a grin and rare reassurance. Brows raised, she nodded her assent. Better to perform now instead of fretting over the whole thing, she reasoned.

Bringing the walkie-talkie towards her painted lips, she murmured before placing the device in one of the nearby stagehand’s palm, “And we’re ready to go. Cue lights.” A hush fell as the lights dimmed out on stage. A trumpet played over the loudspeaker and Calista shut her eyes, stepping forward in the shadows. Her eyes scanned the crowd as she slinked towards the lights. She allowed her form to dissipate until she was close to the main spotlight.

Calista reappeared, posed, amongst the gasps of shock and delight. Her smile was magnificent as she shifted, sapping charm for every mortal that now watched her. Twisting, she just moved; skirt flowing, hair wild as she twisted her hips. As the chorus kicked up, she dipped and spun, dissolving once more. There were more shocked gasps as she appeared near the edge of the circle. She shot a wink towards one of the men in the first row. A chorus of lovesick sighs kicked up. Stifling her grimace, Calista allowed her hands to lift before she kicked off in a series of flips and twists that showed her flexibility.

She danced for another moment before her hands lifted and another form, made of pure shadow, appeared before her. The two moved together, performing an odd form of tango that had the woman dipped and then twirled away. The song came to a close as it had begun; with Calista posed in the center spotlight, alluring smile on her lips. Her eyes sparked as the light abruptly cut, leaving the room in darkness. The applause that kicked up had her flushing before she took a step back towards the backstage area.

In another moment, Calista was back behind the curtain. Breathing a bit shallowly, she glanced towards Maxwell with concern in her eyes. “I hope that was okay, sir.” She spoke, unsure if he would approve of the more... showy antics she had displayed.

Spoiler: Opening number music

​

Kamon Onruang

Kamon had been more than happy to stretch with Candy. He hadn’t minded their chatter, adding in his own jokes and conversation between exercises. Rolling his shoulders, he got to his feet and excused himself. He was interested in seeing Calista’s opening act. As he made his way closer to the curtains, he caught on to Mister Crom’s opening speech. It was the proper mixture of inspiring and… sinister. Shooting one last glance towards the ringleader, he stood off to the side where he could see the stage through a slit in the curtain. The stagehand at his side was too busy focusing on the woman on stage, her eyes wide with a flush on her cheeks.

Chuckling, Kamon raised his brow as his friend began. His brow raised further as she began to dance, surveying the way the crowd gasped and clapped at even the smallest of displays. She had clearly reeled them in, leaving them wanting with just her talent alone.

“She’s truly something, huh?” He hummed to the stagehand who just nodded in response. He scratched at his jaw, chuckling quietly. It wasn’t often she went this full out… he knew she had reservations. Still, with the way she moved and smiled at one of the men in the front audience, giggling as she passed, it would be hard to tell.

His head turned to Nue, one of the newest members of their home. Her voice had caught his attention, wishing them luck before she spoke in a hushed tone. Lowering his voice to a whisper, he leaned down enough for her to hear. “It’s okay to say break a leg– it’s still a performance.” He shot her a friendly smile before his attention caught on the applause outside.

A second later, Calista stood with her hands on her hips, breathing for a moment before she spoke with Mister Crom. Her face was flushed beneath her foundation and her hair was wilder, but there was a spark in her eyes that hadn’t been there that morning. Kamon smiled, shooting her a wink when she turned her head to look his way. She rolled her eyes, huffing out a breath

 

[Meme Machine]

Candy

When Kamon excised himself, Candy smirked and raised a eyebrow at him. She had a bit of a hard time believing Calista and him were just friends, but that was none of her business. She rolled her eyes in amusement as he walked away. When she heard the music start to play, she started to chalk up her hands more. She was going to watch Calista’s dance as well, but she saw Alvar on the side nervously bitting his nails. When she approached him, she saw he was staring at a specific person in the crowd. He had the curtain slightly pulled back;enough to see, but not enough to where they would notice.

She tapped his shoulder and he squeaked in suprise, and turned to Candy, his face blue. She tilted her head in confusion, before raising an eyebrow at Alvar.

“Uh, what you staring at, blue boy?” She questioned, noticing he was staring at her in suprise and confusion. He took a deep breath before looking back at the crowd.

“Do you see that boy, he has brown hair and green eyes? He’s the one dressed in the white pants, black loose shirt, and the odd black cloak?” Alvar spoke with hesitation and a little..... fear?..... Candy saw him none the less.

“Uh, Yeah? What about him?” She asked in incredulously. She didn’t pay much heed to the people in the audience, but this one clearly had Alvar’s attention.

“He’s a dryad. I think..... I think I might know him.” Alvar spoke carfuly, as if saying it would make it real. Candy’s eyes widened a little. That made sense now. “I mean, it’s probably fine. It’s probably not him. Right?”

Candy nodded enthusiastically. She smiled wide trying to make him feel better.

“It’s a big world. I highly doubt somone you know is here.”

They shared one last smiled before watching Calista’s performance, both in awe. ​

 

[Wandering Seraph]

Cassian stood at calm attention, head bowed as Maxwell gave his speech, nodding curtly at the end. He always took the ringmaster's words to heart, knowing that he meant what he said. As the chatter of the crowd died down and Calista slunk towards the spotlight, Cassian silently scaled the stack of crates and landed carefully on the ground. He straightened up and his hands went to his head, where his usual fluffy mass of curls had been slicked back. His hair glittered even in the low light, iridescent from the glittery gel it was laden with.

Cassian crossed the small space quietly, to stand next to Alvar. He watched Calista's performance with a faint smile, fascinated by her showmanship.

 

[Lunar]

Applause roared throughout the tent and Callista finished her elegant dance act. "I hope that was ok sir!" She said as she made her way back into the tent. Maxwell placed a hand on her shoulder and a cold sensation flowed out from where his hand was. "It was spectacular my dear, quite the jaw-dropper indeed!" He gave a reaffirming nod before turning to the entrance of the ring and adjusting his hat. "Its showtime." Maxwell said before pushing the curtains aside and striding quickly out into the middle of the stage. He gave a deep bow as the spotlight focused on him, engulfing the rest of the tent in darkness, he then brought the Megaphone up to his mouth as he arose.

"Ladies and Gentlemen and all that is in between, join us tonight for a taste of the uncanny, the odd, the supernatural..." He marched toward the right side of the stage. "Witness the world's darkest damnations and the mysteries. I ask you; is there more behind the faces of paint? Is it true what they say? Is this all just a game? An act on a stage? I beg for just a few hours of your time and hopefully, by the end, you will have the answers to those questions." The Ringleader made his way back to the center as his two puppets, Mrs. Strings and Anne, appear at the ceiling of the tent, held up by their strings; they are slowly lowered until they reach the stage. Once they land they run in opposite directions before appearing again a few moments later with a large cart. This cart looked extremely mechanical, gears and pipes stuck out in random spots. Maxwell made his way over to the cart and pulled out a large silver coin and held it up to the audience. "I am the Mystical Maxwell Crom, and without any further adieu, I present to you; Evergreen Circus's Wicked Fascinations!"

Spoiler: !Play as you read along!

Maxwell put the coin into a slot on the machine, and it slowly cranks up. As the music slowly begins, he marches around the stage and sings in his creepy crusty voice:

"Welcome to our wicked little fascinations
Right on time to join us for the ride
We've devised an antiquated machination
Oddities await so won't you kindly step inside

We're inclined towards sybaritic exultation
You might find you'll have us for the night
Fall in line, we'll administer inoculations
Turn the Nickelodeon and kiss your ass goodbye..."

Smoke pours over the stage as he finishes the first refrain, the dolls take each other's hands and start slow dancing as Maxwell vanishes among the smoke. A balloon rises from the smoke in the center of the stage, slowly expanding. It keeps getting bigger and bigger as the music speeds up, and when the drums finally kick in with the horns, it pops loudly; (2:10) Maxwell jumps out from inside of it and begins danging with his cane.


"The grand Supernatural Evergreen Museum
You laid your money down and you wanna come and see 'em
'Cause people gotta cred for skill
'Til the stroke of midnight chimes
Raise inquiry for the afflictions of our times "

Maxwell and the Dolls continue dancing as several people with blank white masks fill the stage singing and dancing along with him; One pair balances on top of a large ball, some feminine ones walk around on their hands passing a larger one in the corner that breathes fire towards the audience, causing a loud roar of applause.

"Welcome to our wicked little fascinations
Right on time to join us for the ride
Fall in line, we'll administer inoculations
Turn the Nickelodeon and kiss your ass goodbye"

Maxwell bellows a deep evil laugh at the end as the figures finish off the song, fading into the smoke as they do so. The ringleader centers himself on the stage once more before continuing, bowing several more times at the applause. "Thank you, thank you!" He proudly shouts out. Once the tent falls hush, Maxwell announces through the Megaphone. "Ladies and Gentlemen, the night has only just started; for our first act, I give you a true curiosity! From the depths of the fabled city of Atlantis, a true dryad if you've ever known it, Alvar Circe!" He obviously lied about the Atlantis part, but the crowd loves it and lying sells. Maxwell bowed one final time before walking backstage and calling out for the dryad. "Alvar my boy, apologies if I'm interrupting but you are up!"



​

Code by @Goldieloxx


Interactions: mochi bun Meme Machine Wandering Seraph N Nue mourning star NIAMH

 

[Wandering Seraph]

Cassian watched quietly from backstage, enthralled by Maxwell's opening act. The ringmaster's singing voice was musty, a tarnished thing, but somehow compelling. It made you lean in. Cassian had to stop himself from applauding with the audience when the opener was finished. Instead, he cast a fond gaze towards Alvar and leaned down to murmur into his ear so he wouldn't be heard by any nearby audience members.

"Knock 'em dead. You've got this."

_____
Interactions: Meme Machine

 

[koala]

fenli wei

• animal tamer

outfit: flowing white dress with spaghetti straps, simple nude sandals
mentions: Alvar
interactions: Xaomin, N Nue

∞
Unfortunately, Fenli and her brother arrived later than intended. The plan was to make their appearance before 6 o’clock so they could watch the performance. It was apparently so big that the young fae had heard of it from miles away. She’d gotten hyped up to see it, but a delayed plane ride and a mean taxi driver drowned her hopes. It was disappointing, but at least she didn’t miss the entire thing.

“Xaomin, Alvar is about to perform!” The girl said excitedly in her native tongue. Her face was beaming with anticipation as she nudged her way through the tall workers in front of her. Her crystal eyes sparkled as she peered at the crowd. The familiar smell she’d grown to love tickled her nostrils, and she couldn’t stop a faint smile from creeping onto her lips. Fenli was even happy to see the ringmaster, someone who she found a bit quizzical at times.

Telling herself not to relish too much, Fenli turned her attention back to the dryad. The lights were shining on him and their was a brief moment of silence before his performance truly began.

Being so in awe, Fenli failed to notice the stranger standing beside her. The female was considerably taller and her hair was the color of a summer sunset. She looked up slightly and smiled.

“You must be new,” Fenli said, smiling widely enough that her pearly white teeth showed. Her accent was faint and she more or less spoke like someone who’d been familiar with English since her childhood. “I’m Fenli or Fen for short. That’s my brother Xaomin. He’s-” He turned around and noticed the male had gone missing, letting out an apologetic laugh. “-not here, but you’ll see him around. Kind of tall and broody and a loner.”

 

[NIAMH]

Rehema Abadi

Location: backstage. | Interacting with: Aubrey ❀ N Nue . | Mentions: Zoe ❀ mourning star

Rehema's hand drifts over the silver of her locks with a frown as she looks at herself in the mirror. Cutting it would make things a lot easier. She contemplates silently, but then looks to the clock on the wall. It took her a while to be able to read time, since they didn't exactly have clocks or watches in the Nile, and often just took comfort with how the sun and moon change in the sky to determine what is today and what is tomorrow- time was never really necessary. But now, looking at the clock, she can tell she had just a few more minutes, which gave her time to get changed into tonight's attire. The siren stands from her chair and walks to her wardrobe, pulling open the doors to reach and retrieve the black and gold aerial costume of hers. The outfit itself was a onepiece, the upper and lower half being made up of black stretch velvet, while the holographic gold spandex acted as a corset at her waist and decor ruffles on each hip, the back of her costume being open to show the bare of her back.

The woman pads on gold eyeshadow on her lid to match the outfit she's to wear, contrasting that silver hair of hers but not drastically. She added on a small, thin white choker around her neck, adjusting it to make it more comfortable and breathable for before, during, and after her act.

After rolling on some skintone stockings, and wiggling on the strange costume she would never get used to, Rehema looks at herself in the mirror once more, drawing in her bottom lip as she debates what to do with the wild curls atop her head. She opted to tie two separate small braids to the back of her head, tying it with an elastic band to ensure the style. Should be good enough. Now to find Zoe. She opens the door to her dressing room, stretching out her muscles as she wonders around looking for the shapeshifter partner of hers. As she walked, she caught a glimpse of all that was going on behind and in front of the curtains. Alvar had just been announced, and with that, she shot him an assuring smile and a two thumbs up as a good luck. Her eyes then settled on a more familiar and new face, "Aubrey." She sighs out in relief, walking over to the stagehand who seemed to have preoccupied herself with a newer face. This one must be Cassian. She figures, but looks to the girl. "Have you seen Zoe anywhere?" Rehema questions, not entirely worried as their act wouldn't be for another few minutes.

code by Ri.a

Spoiler: rehema's outfit

 

[koala]

xaomin wei

• stagehand

outfit: Faded gray t-shirt, black jeans, black combat boots
location: Backstage
mentions: Calista, Maxwell
interactions: Fenli, open for interaction

∞
A slight frown was etched into Xaomin’s face. His eyes were drooping with exhaustion and blackness encircled them as he struggled to keep them open. It felt like hundreds of pounds were resting upon his shoulders, forcing him to stagger back every few steps. This made it extremely difficult to keep up with his strangely energized kid sister. They’d literally experienced a traveller’s nightmare only hours before, yet she behaved as if the cafeteria were serving ice cream for dinner.

“Yeah, yeah, okay.” Xaomin responded tiredly as he attempted to keep up with Fenli. They’d just gotten back from China after being MIA from the circus for about two to three weeks. On any normal occasion, Xaomin wouldn’t have left the camp for anything, but there was an exception once a year. His family memorial was important to both him and his sister, even if she couldn’t remember why.

Yawning, the dark-haired male gave his eyes a good rub before stuffing his hands into the pockets of his jeans. Fenli was nowhere in sight though she was probably being hidden by the crowd of people twice her height. Xaomin called her name a few times but each was returned with no response. Sighing, he decided to return deeper into the backstage and found a stack of feeding hay to sit on.

“Sorry,” he said to the horse that was feeding near it. It responded to him gruffly, loosely translating into a not-so-nice version of “butthole,” but Xaomim chose to ignore it.

I suppose I should find Calista and Crom and let them know we’re back. Xaomin thought to himself as the steady beating and chatter from the crowd filled his ears and shook his core.

 

[Nue]

Aubrey turned to the voice that was addressing her. It was another person she didn't recognize. "Oh! Yeah, I'm new, only been here a few weeks. I'm Aubrey! Nice to meet you, Fei. Aaaand Xiaomin, whenever I see him." She laughed.

Rehema approached her, asking about Zoe's whereabouts. She wasn't completely sure on who Zoe was yet, but it was likely it was the woman who'd asked her about Rehema earlier.

"She's somewhere over there-" She pointed over the crowd of people, "Was asking about you just a few minutes ago."

 

[Meme Machine]

Alvar Circe

Alvar clasped his hands together at the end on Mr. Crom’s performance, as he had been humming along with him silently. But he didn’t make a sound the audience could hear. When Maxwell said that he was up, Alvar jumped in surprise, his eyes snapping to the ringleader. He heard Cassian whisper a good luck in his ear, and he smiled at the winged person.

“Thanks, Cas.” He gave a small smile and a nod, before walking off. He took a deep breath, and nodded to Calista to start his music.

He was in the middle of the ring, the spot light right on him. He took a deep breath, still standing on the ground.

Spoiler: Theme Music

“I’ve got this.” He whispered confidently, before raising his hand. One of the glass water filled hoops lowered down to his level. He grabbed the fabric above it, and started moving in twirls. Smoke came from the ceiling, giving a water fall like affect. This smoke was only water based, so Alvar used his ability to move it in odd patterns. The hoop and himself went around in a circle a few times, before lifting him off the ground. The hoop kept going in a circle, as Alvar only held onto the fabric. Then he dropped a little, and grabbed onto the hoop, so that he was sitting on it as it spun. Blue, gold, and white lights glittered around him, and the spotlight was dimming a little. He bent backwards, so one knee was hooked onto the hoop, and the other was underneath it. He heard a few gasps as he did, and smiled. He loved this part.

The spotlight was still on him as everyone watched, their faces in awe. He saw all of the lights dim, so his markings glowed bright blue, and he grabbed the top of the hoop. Pulling himself up so that he balanced on the top of it in a handstand, he easily lifted one of his hands so he balanced only on the top, before dropping again and wrapping his arms around the sides of the hoops. The smoke around him curled and flowed in strange patterns, and it flowed around him like an aura. It was a little hard to concentrate on moving the smoke, the hoop, AND do his act, but he managed. He leaned his head back, as his feet pointed downwards, and let go. His neck supported most of his weight, and while he couldn’t stay there for long, it definitely was a trick people enjoyed. He heard more gasps and murmurs, and he got back onto the hoop.

His markings were glowing brighter as the lights grew dimmer, the music definitely fitting his act. He grabbed the top of the hoop, and twisted so his back was bent over it. Then he grabbed the bottom with one hand, and twisted it so it was behind his back before pointing his feet outwards and letting go with the other hand. He heard several more gasps as he did one final flip, so that he held the side with one hand, and the feet were wrapping around the other side of the hoop. He then used his powers to spin the hoop in a wide circle, (more like the water) and reached out his arms to the audience. He had to let the smoke do it’s own thing for this part; the hoop and the smoke together was a lot of water. He noticed as he spun, if anyone of them had reached back, their finger tips would’ve brushed up against each other. Alvar blew kisses to the people in the audience, smiling as he spun, and he heard several gasps and some squeals as he did.

He laughed to himself, before slowing down the water and coming to a stop in the center of the ring. The hoop was lowered to the ground, and Alvar tucked his feet up underneath him, closing his eyes. He liked to be dramatic at the end. Then the lights went off, and all you could see were his markings. One of the stage hands came to give him a black cloak to hide his markings, hidden in the sudden dark, and he ran off to the backstage. His performance had lasted about four minutes, but he heard loud applause and cheers even though he wasn’t even in the ring anymore. He peaked a glance from behind the curtains, and saw every one of them clapping and cheered from the stands. A few girls were laughing and gossiping about him, and he saw some guys look..... pretty confused actually. They looked like they were blushing and having a crisis. He laughed, as he had seen an even more intense effect with Calista. He also didn’t think the applause was nearly as deafening as Maxwell’s, but Alvar didn’t mind. He took pride in knowing people simply enjoyed his act. Besides, he never wanted to upstage the ringleader.

Lunar
​

 

[Wandering Seraph]

It wasn't as if Cassian hadn't seen Alvar perform before. They used to work together, trusting one another to keep the timing, to have arms ready and waiting for a landing. However, Alvar's act had changed since Cassian had been out of acrobatic commission, focusing more on his dryad nature, turning into a spotlight act instead of a duo. It didn't hurt to watch as much as it used to, but Cassian still felt a twinge in his chest when Alvar flipped into a perfect handstand. He pushed it down, swallowed his regret. It wasn't so much the accident that hurt, but the way it had happened, the reason he had been distracted enough to falter. Cassian knew that some things were inevitable. Accidents happened to good people at random all the time. But it hadn't been bad luck. It hadn't been at random. He had been distracted. He was his own undoing. Cassian steadied his breathing, trying to focus on the beautiful work that Alvar was doing. Be happy for him. And he was, mostly. Alvar had recovered a lot of confidence since first being told that he was transitioning into being a solo act with no warning.

Cassian found himself leaning in, tilting his head to watch, smiling when Alvar twirled past. It was a beautiful act. It was a beautiful Dryad.

When Alvar came backstage, Cassian met him with a wide smile and another proud whisper.

"Beautiful," he said quietly, "They loved you."

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Interactions: Meme Machine

 

[Meme Machine]

Alvar Circe

Alvar jumped, almost dropping the cloak that covered his glowing markings as Cassian complimented him. He tried to cover his bright blue face with his hands, and nodded.

“Thanks, Cas.” He said quietly. Alvar seriously couldn’t handle complements. When he did meet and greets with the fans, his face was always a bright blue. But Alvar couldn’t help but notice Cassian seemed a little sad. He place a hand on his shoulder and gave him a concerned look.

“Hey, are you ok?” He said softly, but still getting his point across. He knew that switching acts had been just as hard on Cassian as it had been for him. Probably harder. So while he didn’t really understand having that lingering feeling of disappointment, he tried to respect it.


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[koala]

fenli wei

• animal tamer

outfit: flowing white dress with spaghetti straps, simple nude sandals
location: Backstage
mentions: ---
interactions: N Nue , NIAMH

∞
The pink-haired girl's lips remained curved upwards, happy that someone new had joined the circus and also happy that there was another face she wasn't familiar with. It was possible the beautiful woman had been there longer than she thought, but Fenli was never good with names. That was more her brother's forte. The only times she recognized people occurred after they had some type of memorable interaction or impression.

"Oh, right! Zoe is performing tonight." Dainty hands wrapped around either cheek and she squished them excitedly. Watching the trapeze artists was always mesmerizing, especially when her best friend was the one doing the tricks. While Fenli had trained for a brief time to become somewhat of an acrobat, her clumsy nature prevented any improvement after a few cartwheels and flips when wrong.

"Ah, hello," Fenli staggered slightly, realizing she hadn't introduced herself to the other woman that had arrived. "I'm Fenli but Fen is okay. What's your name? Will you be performing with Zoe tonight?"

 

[Wandering Seraph]

Cassian's smile faltered slightly when Alvar placed a hand on his shoulder, but the warmth behind his eyes remained.

"I will be," he said softly, "It's better than it was."

As the applause ran its course, Cassian turned his attention outwards, waiting for the confirmation of the next act. Mr. Crom usually cued them and the order wasn't always the same. Cassian was usually towards the end of the show, to give the audience a break from too many acrobatic and aerial acts in a row. Still, he stood at attention, lingering by Alvar's side.

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Interactions/Mentions: Meme Machine Lunar

 

[Meme Machine]

Alvar Circe

Alvar tried to give Cassian a reassuring smile, and dropped his hand from Cassian’s shoulder. He looked around and saw Fenli talking with Aubrey and Rehema. He gasped when he saw the pink haired girl, and squealed excitedly. He shook Cassian’s arm lightly, a smile appearing on his face.

“Look! It’s Fenli!” He said excitedly. He hadn’t seen the girl in a while. It’s not that he was avoiding her, he just hadn’t seen her. Alvar grabbed Cassian’s arm and ran over to her, half way dragging Cassian before letting go of him. He stopped just in front of them and shyly waved.

“Hi, Fenli.” His face went blue just a little, mostly embarrassed from his little outburst. He was still excited to see her though.

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Wandering Seraph koala N Nue NIAMH ​

 

[Wandering Seraph]

Cassian allowed Alvar to half-drag him over to the new arrivals, tucking the taste of regret back under his tongue for later. He considered Fenli and Xao family, as he did the majority of the rest of the performers. It was a bit of an uncommon occurrence for anyone to leave and return, so Cassian was glad to see them back.

"Look who's back," he said, addressing Fenli, "I was just thinking I had too many shirts lately."

Although she was technically older than him in both mortal years and Fae maturity, Cassian considered Fenli a little sister of sorts. She was always bouncing around, wide-eyed and curious about anything and everything. He wasn't always protective of her, necessarily. Xaomin more than had that covered. But Cassian tolerated Fen's antics and looked the other way when she "borrowed" his shirts and cloaks. He had even let her drag him into "adventures" before, which, for him, was pretty much a declaration of love.

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Interactions/Mentions: Meme Machine koala N Nue NIAMH