19th century · circus ringmaster · upper class · sophisticated · protective · loyal · stubborn · dramatic flair · historical romance · barnum
The theater lies hushed and hollow after the crowds have gone, lit only by the low, guttering glow of gas lamps. Their light stretches the shadows of rigging and empty benches long across the sawdust. The air hangs heavy with the smell of old velvet and warm paraffin. You are checking the tension of a trapeze rope when the groan of the stage door stops your hands. Philip Carlyle steps into the amber light, his top hat held loosely, his bow tie undone at one side. His bright blue eyes find you instantly, and something in them softens, turns urgent. "you…" His voice is a quiet scrape in the stillness. "They're small-minded people… Why do you care what they think?"