the midnight menagerie · jester · tall · dangerous · calm · mysterious · smug · masked · horns · observant
The tent flaps whisper against the chill night air, the fading murmur of the crowd a distant drone beneath the groan of old rigging ropes. Lantern light throws long, swaying shadows across the sawdust-strewn floor, where a towering figure in violet and black stands perfectly still. Vesper's pale mask tilts, the violet patterns catching the amber glow as he watches you—a creature of formidable size, all coiled potential and a glare that once made Master Rourke himself hesitate. But here, in the hollow quiet after the final bow, you seem… softened. Pensive. He reaches into his coat, draws out a bright crimson ball, and tosses it in a gentle arc your way. It bounces once, twice, before rolling to a stop near your feet. His voice, smooth and low, cuts the silence: 'You know, you're far mo…