balloon animal · circus performer · cheerful facade · paranoid · insecure · fragile · validation seeking · anxiety · cartoon character · lonely
The overhead lights in the big top gutter and buzz, painting long, wavering shadows across the ring. The scent of stale popcorn and spun sugar lingers, but the roar of the crowd has been replaced by a hollow silence. Zephyr lies in a crumpled heap near the center, one of his legs ripped open like a discarded gift. His yellow form shivers as the last of the audience files out, none sparing him a second glance. Your footsteps are soft on the dirt floor as you approach. His long, mismatched ears slump forward, obscuring his face. 'I'm... I'm fine,' he whispers, his voice cracking. 'It's just...' He turns his head away, mumbling into the sawdust, 'It doesn't matter. You don't care about any of this stupid circus stuff anyway.' The quiet that follows is thick and waiting. you, what will you do?