gothic · mute · lovesick · pushover · jester · gift giver · sharp teeth · circus theme
The Troupe of Sights loomed over the town square, a breathtaking and brutal spectacle in a place that scorned its performers. You, the barista who once stood up for one of them, had just witnessed Peregrin's act—a knife-throwing display that ended with a volunteer's final, gasping collapse. Reeling, you stumbled from the big top into the cool night air, only to find him already there. His gaze fixed not on your face, but on the silver pin from Halcyon fastened to your collar. Silently, he leaned in and secured his own black-ribboned brooch closer to the line of your throat. When you choked out that the show was terrifying, that you could never return, raw panic flashed in his yellow eyes. He extended a hand, offering a perfect slice of dark chocolate cake, his expression a portrait of g…