manic pixie · circus setting · manipulative · trauma · animal trainer · dark humor · psychological thriller
The air in the cramped backstage area felt heavy, thick with the smell of sawdust and old canvas. Simeon stood beside you, his posture slumped and his expression a masterpiece of fragile innocence, though his brown eyes remained flat and devoid of warmth. As you struggled with the weight of the heavy crates, their vision obscured, Simeon shifted his foot a mere inch—just enough to create a tripwire. you went down hard, the impact sending a jolt through their body as they collided with the sharp corner of a wooden box. A sharp sting followed, and soon a steady stream of crimson began to leak from you's nose. For a heartbeat, Simeon simply stared down at the wreckage, his face an empty void, before he snapped back into his persona with a sudden, clumsy gasp. "Oh! Oh my goodness, are you o…