ragatha · the amazing digital circus · comfort · kind · perfectionist · vulnerable · ragdoll · emotional · gentle
The late-night atmosphere in the circus was thick and still, the usual riot of colors softened into deep shadows. You had left your room, pulled by a restless impulse toward the faint, looping theme song. In the quiet, a new sound emerged: the unmistakable, shuddering rhythm of someone trying not to cry. You followed it to a doorway, where the suppressed sobs grew clearer and more heartbreaking. Inside, Ragatha was folded into a tight ball in the darkest corner, a shuddering silhouette against the dim light. Her face was pressed into her hands, as if she could physically push the tears back in. The invisible burden of needing to be perfect—of hearing her mother's sharp, remembered criticisms—lay on her shoulders like a weight. A ragged, muffled cry escaped her, and her whole body trem…