After the show (Before "A Night on the Town")

Mary was still out of breath and her portion of the show had ended twenty minutes ago. Inside the big top the finale acts - elephants and people fired out of canons, the usual routine - were winding down, but just beyond the curtain Mary's head was still rushing with the swoosh of the trapeze. She bounced from one foot on another, darting to peak into the tent and then back out to the performer's space. "Calm down," one of other acrobats scolded, equally flushed and already drinking to fix it. "They're almost done, they'll be coming out soon." "But that was... so many people! And I nearly fell, but I didn'!" Mary whispered in her lilting accent, though the crowd had started its final applause, drowning out any worry of being heard by the audience.

Colette stepped up to the gap in the curtains, gently elbowing Mary out of the way and taking off her top hat, storing it neatly under one arm. "Good show, ladies." She gave the glass in one acrobat's hand a narrowed gaze. "Celebrating already? Or shouldn't you be helping Claude break down for the night?" The girl flushed, only partly from the wine, and darted off. "Mary," Colette continued. "If you would--?" She extended an elbow to the girl with a smile.

Mary started, stumbling back from the curtain with a "What, me?" expression. She was a bit intimidated by the ringmaster - by most of the senior circus members, really, given that street rat stage hand was a position for lots of orders and very little job security, and new acrobat was only a bit better. Mary couldn't think of anything off the top of her head that she should be in trouble for, though, and so dipped her knees in something curtsy-ish out of habit and took Mary's arm. "Sir?" she said (never, indeed, sure quite how to address the somewhat unusual leader of the show).

"I guarantee that a short evening walk with me is a better choice than helping Claude shovel elephant dung, my darling." Colette glanced up at the cloudy night sky and grinned wolfishly. "What did you think of tonight's show?" A simple question that would probably be echoed by dozens of mouths tonight across the town, but that meant so much more here on this campsite. The quality of a show meant the difference between, if not life and death, at least enjoying a cheery glass of wine or suffering through a week of skimpy meals.

That walking was better than shoveling elephant dung was undeniable fact, and Mary had years of experience to back it up. She followed Colette's gaze - the clouds, the dirigibles, the circus flag fluttering in the evening wind. She swallowed her initial answer, 'So very incredible!', and attempted something more measured: "Very well, for a first night. I nearly slipped once or twice, and Asmodeus dropped some of the coins he was disappearin', but the finale seemed to go well and Alexandra and Marguerite both got quite the cheers..." she trailed off, only grudgingly acknowledging Marguerite: The mini-zoo and its master terrified her. "We can do better, I think," she added quickly, before biting her lip and fiddling self-conciously with one of the rosettes on her skirt.

"We can, and it's wise of you to point it out." Colette glanced at her. "Though bold. I did see your act, and you recovered quite well from your mistakes. The most important thing, of course, is that the audience never noticed. Did you see their eyes? Probably not, but I did. They were captivated. You're quite the performer. I am beginning to feel that I could have used your talents back in London, instead of waiting this long to let you perform." They stepped lightly around a small lake of torn grass and mud, evidence of the pen of horses that had been temporarily set up during the show. They had retired to more durable housing for the night, behind the large tent that billowed comfortingly in the breeze. This way lay the performers' quarters, the skyship cabins parked neatly on the grass in a rough semi-circle.

Mary started again, looking up quickly at Colette, hand closing aroudn the poor fabric flower. "Truly?" she asked. "I did well? I mean, I thought, but..." she trailed off, unsure entirely how to phrase the sensation of a first performance. "I don't know much 'bout performing. Just from watching everyone. But... It's flying, right? It's fun. So I thought if I just had fun the audience might." She felt ridiculous saying it, all of 16 - an adult, nearly - and playing at their livelihood like a game, but it was the best she could come up with. "And I'd been practicin' since London, I could've," she added slyly. The last part was a bit of a lie, but the first part certainly wasn't.

"The day flying becomes boring is the day you might as well crawl into your grave--" Colette began to quote, before silencing and beginning anew. "It's good that you enjoy yourself out there, and your practice shows. You have learned well from your elder sisters." She let the term slip easily. The troupe to her was one big, chaotic, family of entertainers.

Mary blinked at the quote, but thought nothing of it. It was true enough, she thought, smiling a bit at the brightly-painted skyships grounded for the night. She'd've never thought, a mere 5 years ago, that a girl like her could end up spending so much time in the sky, and now she could scare imagine leaving it. "They teach well," she conceded automatically, though it had taken months of stubborn sneaking away from chores to hang around the acrobat's rehearsals before she'd convinced them to help her refine her own clumsy tumbling. She lapsed into awkward silence, not used to such idle conversation after a show - normally by now she'd've been handed a thousand different chores to break down for the night, and the quiet outside the big top was unfamiliar.

"Mary, if you have questions, ask." Colette didn't look at her, instead focusing on the lights flickering in the circular windows of some of the ships. A little home, made of so many pieces. Flickering, striving to cast a pool of light in a dark, dark town. A little brightness. She sighed, wishing that the circus still gave her the thrill, the joy that it gave the audience, or even the other performers. She only felt tired. "I will do my best to answer. There are no secrets here."

Mary tilted her head, absently reaching up to untwist the tangle of braids piled on the back of her head. She honestly wouldn't have thought to ask questions, at least not now with her head still full of applause. "Umm..." she began, twisting out a ribbon and tying it around her wrist into an awkward one-handed bow. Her mind drifted back to flying through the air, and she bit back a second smile: The idea of flying was what had pulled her away from her childhood home, to be a failed street urchin and now... a performer! In a famous circus! It was like something out of the penny dreadfuls, nearly too much to imagine. She tugged at the ribbon at her wrist, and looked back up at the ringleader with a flash of uncharacteristic sincerity. "Why me?" she asked. In her four years, she'd seen that hiring pick pockets was not routine practice, but had chalked it up to fate and the mystical workings of the spirits, as was her routine. But who knew how the spirits had talked the formidable Colette into it?

Colette had an answer poised on the tip of her tongue, to an extremely different question. She swallowed it, and puzzled over this unexpected question. "Isn't it what you were hoping for?"

Mary laughed. "I was hopin' for money for bread," she said, referring to the particular ill-fated (or rather well-fated, but ill-executed?) pickpocketing. "But a job and a... Well, this certainly would've been it. But I'd never've thought to hope for it." She wasn't sure quite what word she was leaving out: a home? a family? a prophesy fulfilled? All far too embarrassing to admit out loud, even if it was an evening for honesty.

Colette answered simply, then. "You had clever hands. And you were small enough to be caught by our girls. We haven't any male trapeze artists, and our girls aren't quite strong enough to catch each other without the practice nets." And you reminded me so very much of myself, she thought to herself, but on that final point she remained silent.

"It's taken you a while to learn the ropes." Most people would, at this point, have added, "If you'll forgive the pun," but Colette considered herself above such jokes. "But you're coming along quite well. Especially considering your age."

Mary smirked again. "If my hands were that clever I'd've not been caught," she said cheerfully. "But no one's got Asmodeus beat on that, I suppose."

Colette chuckled lightly, “If only you had Alexandra's foresight. You'd not have tried to rob a fortuneteller. Unless, you predicted that such an invitation would be extended to you? In which case, perhaps you'd better apprentice Alexandra herself, rather than our lady acrobats!"

Mary giggled a bit at the thought. "I'd take it all so seriously, it'd be not any fun at all." Mary saw signs in everything, bullied people into reading her horoscope from the paper to her and kept all manner of charms.. but she knew better than to subject anyone else to the interactions she felt she had with the supernatural.

"I must admit, I do prefer you where you are. And you're more of a crowd-pleaser as a an acrobat than a dung-shoveller, to be sure." After a moment, Colette spied a few shadows moving about in the semi-dark. "If you feel like returning to the rings to help break down, you're free to do so. But I think I'd like to speak to some of my veterans." She gave Mary a grin. "If you come along, you may learn a thing or two."

Not doing heavy lifting and/or scooping elephant poop sounded like an awesome plan. Mary nodded. "I'll tag along, thanks," she said, marveling at this new being-allowed-to-do-fun-things-after-the-show experience.

Colette nodded sharply once, before letting Mary's hand drop lightly from her arm, striding forward. "Evening, Marguerite. I heard the crowds gasp from well away--your little friends must have been quite the sensation."

Marguerite smiled, pocketing an elephant. "My thanks to you, Colette. I have had few other opportunities to showcase my work."

"They were much more than a sensation." Alexandra said as she followed Marguerite out of the shadows. "Several of the children who wanted their fortunes told asked me if there were miniature elephants in their future."

Colette smiled. "And how many left in tears? Or, Marguerite, are you considering breeding the little things as pets?"

Mary watched the elephant drop into Marguerite's pocket with a slight shiver - unnatural little devils, those things were, though she had to feel bad for it. She couldn't imagine pockets were comfortable. "There won't be, I doubt the poor thing can breath in there," she muttered, quite unintentionally, then gasped a bit when she realized it'd been said out loud and very pointedly looked elsewhere.

Marguerite raised an eyebrow at Mary as she answered, "I am not entirely certain that they are fertile. I have not had a chance to study the more detailed biology of my experiments. Though it would certainly match the study's original intentions..." Marguerite trailed off, absently brushing at her filled pockets.

Alexandra placed a hand on Mary's shoulder, seeing her distress over the tiny creature. "Don't worry, elephants are sturdy things and Margurerite specially designed those pockets to carry the animals. I can assure they are quite comefortable, especially as the pockets themselves are lined in the softest fabric we could find."

Mary blushed a bit. She was thinking that the coat must be quite a pain to clean - what if you found a little animal carcass in the wash, having left one behind? - but did a better job this time of holding her tongue, and instead responded with a noncommittal shrug. "It's just a peculiar thought," she muttered. "Riding in a pocket all day."

"Alexandra is quite skilled with her silks. She's responsible for what you wore tonight on the wires." Colette bowed her head to the woman. "Sturdy pockets are well within her talents. As it happens, I would speak to you about the seams of my jacket--I wear through the damn things so quickly--but not tonight. I dare say Marguerite has some celebration planned for this first night?"

Marguerite broke from her reverie. "Indeed. I know of a place in town that harbors the best of the worst."

"Sounds good to me, and as long as they have absinthe, I'll be happy. " Alexandra smiled at the thought of her favorite drink, especially made with the cordial from the finest of French distilleries.

"I wouldn't presume to keep you here, then, if your sirens call to you. Mary--why don't you go with the girls?" Colette turned to the little acrobat who seemed to be thinking it over.

Hmm, a dilemma. On the one hand, Mary was no stranger to the finer vices - how could she be, growing up the past some years in a circus - on the other hand, who knew what sort of sketchy demon-y places Marguerite had in mind. ...But opium tea... Yes, the vices won. "Alright," she said with a nod to Colette. "If you don't mind, that is," she added to the others, her energy from the performance suddenly reemerging and bubbling under the shy request.

Marguerite said, "No minding here at all. I am quite sure my old friend would love more new faces."

Alexandra added, "Of course you can come with us, and besides, I'll need someone to keep me company while I flaunt around in my new dress, it is very scandalous."

"Marguerite," Colette began, but stifled her warning for the woman to go easy on the new girl. She'd have to toughen up eventually. "Try not to get anyone killed." The joke was a little out of character for her, but then, she was only partially kidding.

The scientist replied, "Have no fear, Colette. Those days ended when I joined the Cirque. I do wish you would join us, though."

"You've gotten people killed before?" Mary wondered aloud, again quite unintentionally, then pursed her lips quite tight before her mouth could run away with her again. She bounced impatiently - clearly conversation was not her forte tonight. Hitting the town was looking a better plan each moment,.

Colette sighed. "I wish I could--I have my duties here to see to first, but I may venture out after. Once things here are seen to." Of course, she said this every time, but this time she intended to see the town. See how it had changed since she'd last been here, years ago. "Don't fret, Mary, you're in experienced hands. I trust you to them."

Marguerite: "Ladies, the night is young and so are we. Let us be off!"

Alexandra: "Indeed!"

Timeline!

PLEASE FEEL FREE TO ADD AND EDIT. If you can't edit the actual thing, throw down a comment with the changes you'd like me to make, and I'll add/edit as needed :) :) Details are good, people. Details keep people from accidentally writing each other into corners.

Timeline!

1853: Colette and her brother ran away to join the circus, at the age of nine. She and he became twin acrobats, and stay for twelve years, becoming talented not only as a performer, but aspiring to take on the role of ringmaster when the then-current one retired.
1865: Colette’s brother died under mysterious circumstances (aged 21). She left the Hirondelle, taking with her Brad and Sheridan (horse trainer and dancer). Colette took her brother’s given name as her new stage name, and their missing double act was quietly and almost unnoticeably replaced in the Hirondelle by new (and slightly more sinister) twins using the old names. She appeared on the circus scene almost out of thin air, and began assembling her own troupe.
1866: Alexandra (18) joined the circus. Mary (10) met Alexandra (on her first tour with Vapeur)
1867: Mary left the orphanage (age 11) and joined the circus as a stage-hand, learning acrobatics on the side)
1868:
1869: Asmodeus joined. So did Marguerite.
1870:
1871: Current day. Mary’s first season as a performer at the age of fifteen. Colette is 27.

A Night on the Town: Entering the Den

Alexandra handed her cloak to Antoine and turned towards Marie tell her more about the Cirque de la Hirondelle, the Circus of the Swallow.

“They’re one of the most well know circuses in the Empires and they’ve been around for a long time, even before we were, but for the past few years Cirque de la Vapeur’s been stealing the show.” Alexandra grinned, reveling in pride at the success of her home circus.

Marguerite led the way through the thick black velvet curtain into a spacious and surprisingly luxurious room with a distinct Moorish Empire atmosphere, which was common theme of opium dens. There were couches upholstered in heavy crimson brocade with matching overstuffed winged armchairs, colourful Persians rugs strewn across the wood floor and a few piles of large, comfortable looking floor pillows.

“Come on, let’s get a drink,” Alexandra said as she gestured towards the mahogany bar with well stocked shelved ranging across the wall behind it. She sauntered over to the bar, for in her new dress it was hard to do anything but saunter, trailing multicoloured scarves behind her. “Hello there,” Alexandra said as she smiled at the bartender and leaned casually against the bar.

“Well, you must be new in this town because I know I have never seen you before tonight,” the bartender said, tipping his bowler and bowing slightly, “my name is Henri. How may I serve you on such a fine night?”

“I think I’ll be indulging in my usual vice tonight: a glass of Pernod Fils Absinthe, French style of course.”

“A follower of the Green Fairy, eh?” Henri asked as he began to prepare the drink.

“But of course, it is a favorite among artists, performers and the like. What would you like to drink, Marie?” Alexandra turned and asked her young friend who had followed her to the bar. “Consider it my treat for an excellent performance tonight.”

Marie grinned and bounced at the compliment. “I think I’ll try the opium tea with lemon and 2 sugar cubes please,” she told the bartender.

“Of course, darling, I’ll have it right to you. And here’s your absinthe, mademoiselle. What name shall I put on the tab?” He asked the fortune teller.

“Alexandra Arista, if you please, of the Cirque de la Vapeur”

Henri raised his eyebrows at the name of the famous circus and once again tipped his hat to her and Marie. “I’m honoured that you would pick this humble establishment for your night’s entertainment. I’ve heard wonderful things about the show and I have tickets for tomorrow night.”

“Wonderful! I would highly recommend staying after or arriving early to see Marguerite’s Miniature Menagerie, as it is quite spectacular,” Alexandra said as she waved a hand towards where Marguerite was standing and talking with Antoine, “she is quite a talented scientist.”

“I'll make sure to arrive early then, especially if she is as charming as you and your young companion,” Henri said with a smile as he placed a delicate tea cup painted with light swirls of colour and a matching saucer in front of Marie. “There you go, darling. Enjoy the evening and let me know if there’s anything you require.”

“Thank you!” Marie exclaimed and tried the tea. “Oooo, this is good.”

Alexandra smiled, picked up her drink from the bar and turned to survey the room and the patrons lounging there.

A Night On The Town: Introducing Colette Nagin

Ladies and gentlemen, friends and fellow freaks, allow me to introduce your humble hostess: Colette Nagin. Much of her life's story is unknown to her troupe, but her loyalty to them is as tangible as the silk of her corsets--to a select few, of course. And her troupe is quite carefully selected, each member handpicked for their many talents... only some of which are shown off in the three rings. Known to the public simply as Auréle or le Conquérant, she has been conquering audiences across Eastern Europe and Great Britain for almost six years. The Cirque now returns to her Native France, and she to the origins of her most troubling memories.

********

"Another, Asmodeus? Of the same wine?" Colette rested her hand on the back of the sofa, giving the magician a small smile. "I thought you would be bored of it already; your tastes change so often."

She stepped around the couch and sat across the table from him, leaning tiredly against the arm rest. The show had gone well. The newest acrobat, little Mary, was doing quite well, and what she lacked in experience she made up in enthusiasm by far. She was a noble addition to their little crowd, and the audience's adoration for the troupe as a whole was undeniable. The show had not sold out; it was only their first night in town, after all, but she had seen a few famous nobles in the seats, and she was sure their name would spread. Tomorrow, the seats would surely be full.

Colette adjusted her skirts, crossing her knees and glancing around the place. Her little family must be about town tonight, enjoying themselves and reveling in their individual successes. She would not be surprised if Marguerite were in this very establishment, though her tastes varied slightly from those of the mage before her.

Colette's own tastes were even more subdued. Onstage, she had a brash and winning smile, a dazzlingly mad spirit that held spectators' attention like no other. Offstage, the weariness she felt seemed to be compounding, creeping up on her and staking to her the campsite like one of the lions that sometimes could be heard roaring in boredom after the show tent had emptied for the night.

It wasn't often that she ventured into the town they were visiting, more often preferring the comfort of billowing silks and worn, soft leather. She felt like a stranger in her own hometown--not that any of her troupe knew this stop was unlike their previous ones. She was a Frenchwoman, of course, from her name to her accent to her very personality--not to mention her fondness of croissants and thin cigarettes--but that they were walking the same streets she had fled in childhood? Her new family was blissfully ignorant that her cast-off one still resided here.

And with any luck, it would stay that way.

"We earned a pretty penny tonight, clever friend. Indulge in a finer wine, at my expense--if I may join you in the drinking."

A Night on the Town: Competition?!

Marie recoiled a bit, both at the sketchy secret sliding door and the mention of other acrobats. Twin acrobats, no less! That sounded impressive. Marie was rather new to this, and the thought of competing with twin acrobats turning all kinds of tricks over each other made her stomach jump. She followed Marguerite down the stairs, skipping every other one with a little hop-skip of nervous energy.

"Pst," she whispered, tugging at one of Alexandra's myriad scarfs. "Who're the bird brains? Are they new?" She thought it a clever joke - Circus of the Swallow. Bird brains. Haha. As long as the stupid twin's didn't fly through the air like their namesake. She pulled off her cloak, adjusting her own rosette as she handed it to Antoine, hands fluttering from her necklace to smooth the patchwork petals of her skirt. She swayed back and forth agitatedly, still wired from the night's performance, the music and haze of smoke making her head foggy. A drink was most certainly in order.

A Night on the Town: The Den

Antoine led the ladies into a small room, furnished with dark wood chairs and a small table strewn with papers and the occasional candle stub. The walls were paneled, and Marguerite could smell licorice and smoke coming from the far corner of the room.

“Please pardon the mess, ladies. It has been quite a busy time here,” Antoine said. He shuffled about the floor, tapping his foot every few steps.

“Busy times tend to bring news,” Marguerite said. “And a little more to your left, my dear.”

Antoine stepped to his left and tapped. The wood clicked and the adjacent wall panels in the corner of the room opened.

“Ah! You know your den well. Ladies, down these stairs lies the finest range of vices you will find in this city. And the news, Marguerite – well, let me say that our crowds have turned this den into a veritable circus. Even now we have a pair of fine, twin acrobats turning all kinds of tricks over each other.”

Marguerite raised an eyebrow. Cirque de la Vapeur had its share of acrobats, but they were not twins. By now Antoine had led the ladies through the panel doors, which closed behind them, and down a dimly lit spiral staircase. Music drifted from the den, which still lay hidden behind a velvet curtain.

“Really? Antoine you make it sound as though some strangers are in town. What of your news?”

“There are, in fact, two circuses in town. Cirque de la Vapeur arrived last week, and I believe opened their show tonight. Then, just this afternoon, Cirque de la Hirondelle appeared.”

Antoine stopped and turned to face the ladies, standing between them and the curtain. He looked at Marguerite, then at her companions.

“Your cloaks, Mademoiselles?”

Marguerite smiled. As she removed her cloak, a rosette glimmered at her throat. Antoine’s eyes widened at the emblem of Cirque de la Vapeur, and he studied Marie and Alexandra closer as he took their cloaks and opened the curtain.

The Madness of Miss Mary (Dress)

Pictures of my costume that needed host space.

A Night on the Town: Introducing Alexandra Arista

Good evening and may the stars shine kindly on you, my friends. Let me introduce myself: I am Alexandra Arista, the fortune teller of Cirque de la Vapeur. I have been with the circus for 5 years and we have gained considerable fame through the years, due to the troupe’s considerable talents and my uncannily accurate predictions. Now, you may ask me: do I actually see visions of the future in my tea leaves and crystal ball? As for that, you’ll just have to wait and see.

*********

Alexandra stepped carefully across the rough cobbles as she followed Marguerite through the streets to the opium den. While she had her own particular vices, usually indulging in the Green Fairy, she hadn’t yet ventured to try opium or “chasing the dragon” as it was sometimes called.

Marie kept close to Alexandra’s side as they walked towards the opium den. She didn’t blame her; despite growing up on the streets she still had much to learn and was quite young compared to the rest of the circus troupe.

As they walked, Alexandra could hear her dress the swish and slither. She had bought the finely woven raw silk on one of the Circus’ rounds through the Moorish Empire. The silk had been dyed a deep gold which glinted and chased away the darkness of the streets. It was the first time Alexandra had worn her new dress out, not wanting to ruin the fine garment. It’s far too expensive to wear just any day, after all, it did take 3 months to make, she told herself. But Alexandra really knew that she hesitated in wearing it because of how deep the neckline was cut and the strategically sheer panels. But tonight’s a perfect night on the town to practice wearing my new dress, she thought to herself as she followed Marguerite through the streets, I just hope we don’t run into Asmodeus tonight, I’m sure he would have some choice comments to say about it.

Marguerite’s knocking on the green door drew her from her thoughts. As they went through the doorway, Alexandra eagerly peered into the semi-darkness of the hallway beyond, wondering what the opium den would hold.

A Night on the Town: Introducing Asmodeus Prodigious

They say that idle hands are the devil’s workshop. I can assure you, ladies and gentlemen, that these hands are rarely idle and would make the angels furious at the things I’ve done with them. I’m in the business of entertaining, of sleight-of-hand; I live by the agility of my fingers. I am Asmodeus Prodigious, purveyor of prestidigitations and parlor tricks, hobby drunk, and admirer of the female form. I’ve been with Vapuer for 2 years, satiating my wanderlust and a mild case of kleptomania. It’s so fascinating what people keep in their pockets; and in their corsets. So sit back, relax, and ignore that feeling near your wallet, and ladies… please wear something complicated.

***

Asmodeus lay back on the sofa and closed his eyes, allowing his tongue to fully enjoy the complex flavors of the sanguine wine now leaving its near invisible marks down the side of the glass poised leisurely in his hand. Ah, wine, he mused, another reason in favor of my relocation to France. You see, for all its empire building, and technical advances, and war-making prowess, Asmodeus felt Britain was severely lacking in one of the most important aspects of any great civilization: fermented fruit; more precisely, grapes. All the chaps back in London can keep their lagers and stouts; s’like funny tea, gone past its prime. Here there’s wine, with such variety, texture, flavor; so many bottles and, sadly, so little precious time. He gazed at his glass with a Cheshire cat smile, and took another long sip.
The light in the windows slowly waned, as dusk crawled its way into the streets and alleyways. The outside air was filling with sound as fast as the bars and houses of ill-repute. Darkness descending and Asmodeus felt it like an oppressive weight. He reached into the pocket of his purple tailcoat, the snakeskin in terrible conflict with the crimson upholstery. The lid of his watch flipped open, and each tick of the hands reminded him of just how early he had arrived. He never really enjoyed the opium den all that much. It was not really his vice, and seducing women not in a drug-induced haze was so much more rewarding to his ego.
Sighing, Asmodeus returned his watch to its pocket, sat up, and poured himself another glass. He held it up to the light, and smiled. “Another Cotes du Rhone, please?”