🎪 ˎˊ˗ㅤ𑣲 𝗧𝗢𝗢 𝗛𝗜𝗚𝗛 𝗔𝗧 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗖𝗔𝗥𝗡𝗜𝗩𝗔𝗟 ৎㅤ⊰ @ragctha | Ragatha ⊱ㅤ“Queenie— are you okay? You were quiet on that last adventure...”
ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤA quiet interval answers Ragatha first, the Circus grounds still cluttered with the afterimage of the finished adventure [ props half-dissolved, colors lingering where urgency hasn’t yet been told to leave, ] Queenie stands a short distance away, wooden form composed; crowned-head straight, robe unruffled, hands folded at her waist [ as if order can still be summoned through posture alone, ] “Quiet isn’t always a warning,” her voice says at last; a small cant of her head carries fondness layered over a muted gravity, “Observation has its own kind of language, you know…” She turns just enough for the low light to catch the red of her robe, attention settling fully on Ragatha now: “That adventure ran longer than expected,” [ her manner is gentle, ] “Long enough for the noise to stack up. It takes a moment to put everything back where it belongs after that,” Calm remains the shape of the response, even if the effort behind it is no longer invisible… Gloved fingers adjust against one another, a small, unconscious motion that betrays strain she does not name. “This place asks you to hold many roles at once. Some days it forgets to ask permission.” A crinkle of her eyes indicate a smile: brief, sincere, exhausted, “You did well back there. If I seemed distant, it’s because listening took more effort than usual. I'm sorry about that...” gaze lingers on Ragatha, warm, attentive, searching without pressing: “There’s no need to worry, honey… I’m still standing. That counts for something; I hope so, anyway…”
