#circus oc

(A/N): (STORY RELATED): (Name) has been changed to be flawed/morally grey, since her only wish is to have fun, which isn't wrong, but this wish is a main factor to her egotistical thinking. She will mature throughout this story, so don't think she'll be like this all the time!

Also, for the older readers who remember my old story, I've changed Clément's name to Romeo, but his REAL real name is still Clément, Romeo is an act.

(Also, one part may or may not foreshadow a future story I'll publish one day shhh)

I'll try redecorating this post since Tumblr on my phone is SO BAD, but yeah. Hope you guys like this chapter!

In a city by the sea and forests, where even the sun gave you frostbites from how monotonous and cold everything was. Today was no different. The first golden rays of the sun that came at dawn hit your face, as the dark grey that coated your closed eyed vision were splashed by all kinds of reds and orange hues. The sandman seemed to have tried to save you from her mundane life as your lashes were slightly sealed by the crust formed on your lacrimal corners.

You scrubbed off the 'sand' that was left in your eyes, finally getting a vision of the surrounding world you met every single day. Stretching your arms, you realised it was earlier than you were supposed to be awake, as the sun wasn't even peeking properly from the horizon. Only a peep.

Nobody was awake at this hour, so you decided to take the liberty to walk around aimlessly, wherever your legs took you. As your bare toes hit the cold glossy flooring, you sat idly on the edge of your bed, preparing to get up without the world becoming a dizzy mess in your mind. Through the high, arched windows streamed the orange light... but this time, something warmer was present in the light. Finally putting your soles on the ground, you walked towards the window, the view leading to the chateau’s garden-forest hybrid while it was still a bit darker as the sun didn’t fully come out yet, with flowers and other types of vegetation planted at the hem of the small hill bump from behind your house, the forest starting on the elevated part of the land. You remembered as a child that you heard legends of giants, and various mythical giant creatures in general, stories of how once they left the world, their empty shells became the bumps of the earth known as hills and mountains. It was a rather silly story, but you couldn’t help but feel nostalgic at the thought of it.

As you were admiring the scenery, a ball of dark feathers flew over next to you, sitting next to where your hand laid on the windowsill. A magpie more precisely. In life, magpies are known to bring good fortune when it's a duo or more. But this time, only one appeared. As the saying goes, "One for sorrow, two for joy", This one lonely magpie was a clear sign of misfortune in folklore.

-"Shoo, shoo!" you shouted, trying to get it away from you by batting your hankerchief with rose patterns, not directly hitting it, but scaring it enough to fly away. You watched as it circumvented towards the other side of the house, so now you ran to the balcony in the front of the house, not really caring if you'd awake anyone up.

You saw a tiding of magpies flying from different parts of the lot and trees as you finally got to the balcony. Grouped together, they flew away from where your house was on top of the small hill right into the lower settlement. The lower settlement was the town where most people lived in, with its costal cottages of pastel colors and dark roofs, they all held a certain charm to them. You don't remember how many times you've visited it, but you know it was less than an average resident, maybe even less than a traveller ever did.

It was quite humbling to admit to this, but you've seldom visited your own birthplace. You were forced to stay indoors all the time, for whatever reason. Your father says you are delicate, and that even the smallest scratch could make you bleed to death. You didn't know if it was true, but you didn't even dare to see if it was just a mere scare or reality. So, you just admired from afar. spending your well reserved time on maps and books. Not really the best past-time, you had to admit, but still entertaining for awhile nonetheless.

The magpies finally disappeared, though a lot before, they were all basically invisible now. Lost behind the houses at the hill's foot. The usual silence the town offered was drowned by a marching type folksong, though distant from where you were dwelling. You wondered how such a song could be heard so loudly, from such a distance no less.

You just had to find out...

Walking towards the staff room, you looked for the room where the clothes were usually washed and dried in during harsher weather, trying to find something more humble to wear, with patches and dirt. Most would say that stealing is wrong... by most I mean non-kleptomaniacs and people who can afford to live. You agreed to some extent, but even that extent would end at some point. Kleptomaniacs stole out of impulsiveness they couldn't control, while those who couldn't afford anything stole out of strict necessity of surviving. You stole out of pure curiosity. selfishness even, but that wouldn't be admitted.

Your plan was simple: dress in rags and go into town. You were careful to leave your clothes back in your room, and cover a pillow with your thick blanket as to make it look like you're sleeping in late-

"(Nameeee)... what are you doing here?" A shrill, juvenile voice was heard from behind you, ruining your plan. Behind you, was obviously the only young boy in this house: Your baby brother, Dante.

"I am looking for my ribbon. I seem to have lost it." You lied, giving a disheartened, slow yet still disapproving head shake. "Quite clumsy, am I not?"

Dante rubbed his eyes, still rather drowsy from just waking up, but overall trusting his eldest sister's white lie, which was all that mattered to you. "You don't have your science studying hours, do you?"

Dante shook his head "no", which did ruin your plans further since now he would cling to you the whole day. "That's quite swell for you, isn't it? Maybe you can help me find my ribbon?" You asked.

"Hm." He shrugged in passiveness, meaning that he would help you to find this ribbon you don't even know the existence of. "I don't know." the ends of his mouth curled into a small smile.

"But I need this ribbon a lot!" you kept persisting. What an annoying sprog! If your father hadn't view him as his "successor", you would've left him in the streets as an urchin to see if he'd be this stubborn in that situation.

"Okay." he shrugged. "But can I go with you to the festival?"

His smile turned into that one a fox in fables had. And then, you understood...."...I should've known you were this sneaky to see right through me." You turned your back on your brother, while looking through the baskets of maid outfits, yet to be cleaned of soot and cinder.

"Pleaseeee (Name)! I just want to see the festival! He tried grabbing your attention in various ways, which did include trying to get his head in the centre of your view, giving you puppy dog eyes, fidgeting around your waist, and when you wouldn't pay him any attention, he "threatened you". "I will tell papa that you're leaving without a chaperone to see the festival once he returns back from his trip! He won't like it!"

"UGH, fine then, Buttsy-Patsy! Go on then, dress like a pauper!"

Your brother took it like a challenge and began looking through the maid clothing for something their sons would wear in their quotidian lives. He WILL be the death of you! Even if you get caught or not.

"Where do you wish to go, little lady and boy?" Your facades were either very well made, or it was the fact that nobody saw the viscount's children except at balls, but as you and your brother, dressed in clothes that would be deemed for beggars, were walking down the hill (to not be caught by anybody in the chateau), an old farmer saw you two as he was going with a cart dragged by a horse down the same directions as you two, most likely to sell the crops inside the cart at markets. Pleasantly enough, he insisted you two not to "walk such a long distance" and that you could get inside the cart, which you've obviously agreed with.

"Oh, we wish to go to the festival!" Dante gushed with wonder in his eyes. The farmer smiled at him, then looked at you with his one open eye, trying to get confirmation from you.

"Yes... we are going to the festival in the city centre. We've heard it's quite amazing from my buddies." You really were trying to sound as simple as possible, as to not blow off your cover. But it was truly, truly, TRULY hard.

"Ah, festivals! They truly bring colour in every place, don't they?" The farmer smiled, his wrinkles becoming even more prominent. The rest of the cart ride was rather awkward, though it did give you an adrenaline rush from how rebellious you were this time, you will admit. Farmer Dicky, whom you've only learned his name in the cart ride from his various life stories he told with joy, most likely from how lonely he was on his cart rides, was rather sweet towards you and your brother, treating you two like his own grandchildren in a way. It was quite sad to part ways once you got to the town centre.

It felt rather embarrassing to be in rags all while in the richest part of this town. But you had to deal with whatever you had at the moment. It was better to be humiliated by the upperclass instead of getting a hand whipping at home for even thinking of going to such events.

"Don't talk to anybody, got it?" you whispered to your brother, who scrunched his nose and raised a brow. "They'll take you to a shoe factory, and not as a visitor. Now go look at whatever you please, just don't bother anyone!" you sighed, trying to scare him from snitching.

The young boy rolled his eyes and left you so he could look over at the candy stores, not saying a word. All you could think was "one less nuisance for my peace.".

Other than seeing the city centre for the first time as it truly looked like, you'd also begin to notice how majority of the noise that wasn't the chattering of people was the same cabaret-ish music you've heard before from your balcony. This time louder.

People were gathering at a certain part of the festival grounds, where the music was powerful too. That part was on the steps of a cathedral, built on architecture from what you've presumed is from the late middle ages. You've made your way through the crowd, slightly pushing them, not too hard to make them notice, and you've finally laid your eyes on the scene, with some very colorful people, just their aura making you shiver of odd whimsicality they were bringing, as well as their instruments.

Their costumes were out of this world, similar to what you'd believe jesters would wear in those fantastic medieval stories, or just theatre performers in general. Their masks, a dark charcoal like color, covered their upper face, leaving only room for their lips to be seen.

"Step right up, step right up!" One of the performers sung, before putting his lips on a flute, as the music continued. You felt glued to your place as you were mesmerised by the song, and everyone thought alike, as more and more people approached. The pale brunette was truly talented at playing the flute.... you've barely even noticed a child screaming for dear life... wait, A CHILD WAS SCREAMING FOR HELP! This wasn't good. You ran away from the crowd, hoping it wasn't your brother as you've finally found him running towards you.

"(NAME)!!!!" Dante had tears in his eyes, wailing like a banshee as he found himself hugging you tightly.

"What's wrong, Dante?"

"The...the...the"

"THE WHAT?!" You've yelled, almost causing a scene if people weren't listening to the performance. "What happened?! Are you hurt?"

But your brother couldn't stop crying. Before he could talk about what happened, you've seen a dark mist, engulfing the surrounding buildings, a huge circle of mist, more specifically closing in closer the centre where the performers were making a fanfare.

Your city would be full of fog and mist a lot of days, but never this deep royal purple, almost black, mist. In one swift motion, you've put your brother behind you, and without thinking, you've put your hand in a stopping motion towards the dark, without even thinking it would do anything....

But (to your shock), the mist seemed to have recoiled when you've made that sign, going as far away from you as possible... what had just happened?

"I want to go home!" The little boy cried, hugging you.

"We'll go in a bit! Now stop blowing your mucus on me!" You've pulled him off, opting on giving him a handkerchief.

"The mist was trying to take me away..."

"How-"

"My oh my! Why is the little boy crying? Did something happen?"

You've turned your face at the new voice that was speaking. It was the man with the flute. He looked at you with genuine confusion, and then at your brother. He knelt at his height and gave him a thaumatrope. You've also had one when you were younger, yours being with a bird and a birdcage, but now your brother's was of a lion jumping over a fiery hoop, like in circuses. And it looked... oddly artistic. Instead of simple shadows like you were used to, it was fully coloured. "Here, take this!" the man smiled, his mole under the lip going upwards together with his curled lips. "You need this more than me!"

"...Did you see the dark mist too?" You've whispered in genuine confusion, but the man looked even more confused, his green eyes glimmering with curiousity.

"No...? I'm not sure what you're talking about, milady." He smiled at you in a charming manner, making you almost forget what had happened. "But you surely have the eyes as sharp and wise as those of an owl, so I can't debunk what you've seen."

The man bowed before you, giving you something as well (just as he gave your brother). A rather medieval looking necklace, a rose carved on the gold. "I can't help but gift such a beautiful rose among thorns an important necklace with a rose engraved on it!" he laughed charmingly.

"Wait... this necklace is important?"

"Of course it is, my dear. Haven't you heard the story of this country's past? How back when it was split in kingdoms, the northern kingdom's princess was being courted by the cold king of what would now be a part of the modern country of Gerwinlandom. He was absolutely enamoured with her, to the point he had destroyed millions of kingdoms who also pursued her. And I've managed to get my hands on this beauty!"

You believed he was making up everything, but who knows. "My, how charming! Might I know the name of the one i should thank?" you've batted your eyes, though everything was in a playful manner.

"Brighella. But between us, my name is Romeo." he said in a seductive tone, which you couldn't help but feel a little embarassed at. "And might I know who's beauty bestowed me?"

You really shouldn't share your name, but you've decided to do it anyway. There are dozens of (Name)s in this world. Hell, maybe even that princess from his story might've been named (Name). Who knows? It still wouldn't matter, as these are travelling performers, not people who would tell your father in an instance. "Oh, my name is (Name). Pleasure meeting you...Brighella."

"The pleasure is mine!" He winked, before walking away back to his crew. Yeah... he was making you feel strange... in a confusing way.

"Let's go home, Dante... we'll find a farmer to accompany us back home." You've told your little brother as you both began walking to the farmer's market. You've seen everything there was to see, and now you could simply go back home. (Also because everything is weird outside in your opinion)

As you left his view, Brighella walked towards one of the performers who was sitting on a step, drinking from a waterskin while resting. "Pulcinella. I think I've found a magician for the tent."

The man looked through his pale violet eyes, his very long yet light-coloured eyelashes basically covering them a bit. "Oh, you did?" he laughed sarcastically-monotonous like the rhythm of a slow motor engine starting.

"I'm not scheming or joking like I usually do." Brighella frowned. "She managed to stop it."

"Who did?!" a higher, screechier male voice asked, joining the conversation, pushing his red hair off the forehead.

"Our next newest member, Capitano." Brighella smiled. "Our next magician."