whatever.

brianna pierce is a twenty-six y/o from los angeles, ca, who has been working in the cirque as a makeup artist since february 2017.

[cirquebri-blog]

wxlkwiththestxrs:

Devlyn didn’t think anything of helping her as they stood and she smiled at her. “See, not so hard when you’ve got someone else around for support, huh?” She asked teasingly, sliding her arm against the other girls waist to give her the mentioned support and heading towards the cirque again. 

“Don’t even worry about it. We’re family, we’ve got to look out for each other.” She sighed softly at her next words. “You’ll get there Bri, eventually everyone gets to the point where they realize we’re all we’ve got now. If you don’t look out for your own then who can you expect to look out for you when you need it? Besides, you don’t seem all that mean to me.”

That’s true, and Brianna found herself nodding in agreement. If you were a part of this circus—and perhaps any circus; she didn’t know for sure—your coworkers were all you had. You never stayed anywhere long enough to form any long-lasting friendships. Even twenty-five years wasn’t long enough— “I don’t know.” She shrugged. “That’s what I like about being here, though: we’re all very close, because we have to be.”

[cirquebri-blog]

1, 17, 28, 35 (roommate), 41

Do you ever doubt the existence of others than you?

"And the award for worst-phrased question goes to...! I have no idea what you’re on about. Do you mean, like, ‘do you believe in a higher being?’ or ‘do you believe we’re not alone in the universe?’ or even ‘do you believe you’re real?’ The answer to all three is ‘no,’ and I’m not going to explain why, because your dumb-as question doesn’t deserve it.”

You discover a beautiful island upon which you may build your own society. You make the rules. What is the first rule you put into place?

"’Worship me.’”

Are you a good roommate?

“If you want a genuine answer, ask Romilly! I like to think that I’m a good roommate; I generally keep my share of the caravan clean, and don’t intrude on what’s not my business. I suppose there’s some areas I could work on—like, we’re not very conversational—but I could be a lot worse, right?”

What is your favorite milkshake flavor?

“Banana, but I’d rather prefer a smoothie.”

[cirquebri-blog]

36

Have you ever been admitted to the hospital?

“No! Thank God, too. Honestly, I can’t stand hospitals. You only need to see one, once, because they’re all the same: grey walls, holding faucets and other things better suited for the bathroom; beige blinds that, no matter how tight you pull them, never fully block out the sun; small, overhead televisions to keep you busy, but there’s never anything good on; the sterile environment and the excessive beep, beep, beep-ing. They are not a cute place to be. I hope I never have to spend a night there.”

[cirquebri-blog]

17

You can press a button that will make any one person explode. Who would you blow up? 

“... I guess I’d choose to blow up myself.”

[cirquebri-blog]

7

What shirt are you wearing?

“Ew; why do you want to know? Like, no offense—actually, I mean full offense—but only perverts ask questions like this. You won’t be getting off on this, later, will you?

My outfit is cute today, though, and totally deserves to be talked about. I guess it’s your lucky day, freak: I’m wearing a black blouse with long, decorative sleeves—not of the kitschy kind, more-so ‘elegant; classic,’ than anything else... actually, it’s one of the few articles of black clothing I own. Aside from the basic necessities; what every girl needs in their wardrobe—tank tops, socks, blazers, etc—I do my best to avoid it. I’m not about that ‘emo’ life.”

[0vercompensate-deactivated20240]

65 Questions You Aren't Used To

1. Do you ever doubt the existence of others than you?

2. On a scale of 1-5, how afraid of the dark are you?

3. The person you would never want to meet?

4. What is your favorite word?

5. If you were a type of tree, what would you be?

6. When you looked in the mirror this morning what was the first thing you thought?

7. What shirt are you wearing?

8. What do you label yourself as?

9. Bright room or dark room?

10. What were you doing at midnight last night?

11. Favorite age you’ve been so far?

12. Who told you they loved you last?

13. Your worst enemy?

14. What is your current desktop picture?

15. Do you like someone?

16. The last song you listened to?

17. You can press a button that will make any one person explode. Who would you blow up?

18. Who would you really like to just punch in the face?

19. If anyone could be your slave for a day, who would it be and what would they have to do?

20. What is your best physical attribute? (showing said attribute is optional)

21. If you were the opposite sex for one day, what would you look like and what would you do?

22. Do you have a secret talent? If yes, what is it?

23. What is one unique thing you’re afraid of?

24. You can only have one kind of sandwich. Every sandwich ingredient known to humankind is at your disposal.

25. You just found $100! How are you going to spend it?

26. You just got a free plane ticket to anywhere in the world, but you have to leave immediately. Where are you going to go?

27. An angel appears out of Heaven and offers you a lifetime supply of the alcoholic beverage of your choice. “Be brand-specific” it says. Man! What are you gonna say about that? Even if you don’t drink booze there’s something you can figure out… so what’s it gonna be?

28. You discover a beautiful island upon which you may build your own society. You make the rules. What is the first rule you put into place? 

29. What is your favorite expletive?

30. Your house is on fire, holy shit! You have just enough time to run in there and grab ONE inanimate object. Don’t worry, your loved ones and pets have already made it out safely. So what’s the one thing you’re going to save from that blazing inferno?

31. You can erase any horrible experience from your past. What will it be?

32. You got kicked out of the country for being a time-traveling heathen who sleeps with celebrities and has super-powers. But check out this cool shit… you can move to anywhere else in the world!

33. The Celestial Gates Of Beyond have opened, much to your surprise because you didn’t think such a thing existed. Death appears. As it turns out, Death is actually a pretty cool entity, and happens to be in a fantastic mood. Death offers to return the friend/family-member/person/etc. of your choice to the living world. Who will you bring back?

34. What was your last dream about?

35. Are you a good….[insert anything you’d like here]?

36. Have you ever been admitted to the hospital?

37. Have you ever built a snowman?

38. What is the color of your socks?

39. What type of music do you like?

40. Do you prefer sunrises or sunsets?

41. What is your favorite milkshake flavor?

42. What football team do you support? (I will answer in terms of American football as well as soccer)

43. Do you have any scars?

44. What do you want to be when you graduate?

45. If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be?

46. Are you reliable?

47. If you could ask your future self one question, what would it be?

48. Do you hold grudges?

49. If you could breed two animals together to defy the laws of nature, what new animal would you create?

50. What is the most unusual conversation you’ve ever had?

51. Are you a good liar?

52. How long could you go without talking?

53. What has been you worst haircut/style?

54. Have you ever baked your own cake?

55. Can you do any accents other than your own?

56. What do you like on your toast?

57. What is the last thing you drew a picture of?

58. What would be you dream car?

59. Do you sing in the shower? Or do anything unusual in the shower? Explain.

60. Do you believe in aliens?

61. Do you often read your horoscope?

62. What is your favorite letter of the alphabet?

63. Which is cooler: dinosaurs or dragons?

64. What do you think about babies?

65. Freebie! Ask anything interesting you can think of.

[regularblack]

“Raise a glass to freedom…” Luis sang under his breath. He toasted in what he guessed was the general direction of southwest, where America lay beyond the Atlantic, and downed a few gulps of beer before leaning back and watching the people around him. It was nice, peaceful even, despite the chaos. Luis felt relaxed for the first time all week. He didn’t even realize anyone was behind him.

[cirquebri-blog]

“To freedom—” Brianna’s hand curled, before raising into the air, a barely-there toast to Luis’ words, “—whatever that means.” Without asking for consent, she stepped forward and into place beside him. ‘Freedom,’ could be just about anything, depending on the person, but Bri (and at this realization, she frowned) still hadn’t decided on her own definition. If she joined the circus for her own personal brand of [it], she was yet to find it.

That, though, didn’t stop her from asking for his. “So, what does ‘freedom,’ mean to you?”

[cirquebri-blog]

wxlkwiththestxrs:

Devlyn watched her with wonder, not sure if she should help or if that would only get the girl to try harder to do it on her own. Unfortunately the decision was made for her as she watched Bri fall sideways. Dev grabbed her arm, pulling her back into position before shaking her head. “It’s fine. I’ll get you back to the caravans because there’s no way you’ll make it alone.” She said, tucking her phone in her pocket and standing up. While she had wanted to get thrashed, she had enough back at the cirque to destroy her liver with, and knew she’d be fine as she got beside Bri to help her stand

There were, sometimes, days where she questioned what she was doing, in the circus; if she’d made any friends within the last seven months; if her reason behind joining, in the first place, was sound—and when Devlyn caught her arm, agreeing to help her back home (the location might change, but the caravan was consistent), she forgot her doubts.

“Thanks. I appreciate it,” she slurred, “like, really appreciate it. It’s very kind of you—a lot kinder that I’d probably be.” The words left her before they could even form in her mind, yet they read with more clarity than anything else she’d said that day.

[cirquebri-blog]

lollymca:

Lolly’s face said it all. The slightly bored, slightly irritated look that crossed her face when Bri promised her that it was the last one. Somehow she didn’t think that. “Limits, Bri. Like I literally just said.” Lara shook her head; she didn’t know why she was trying to rope her off the drinks, and yet something in her made her realise she couldn’t just leave the poor girl to it. She had a duty. Annoying as it was.

“I really do mean it, Lolly. Look—” to demonstrate; prove that, once and for all, she’d had enough, she rid herself of the empty glass. Brianna pushed it as far as her arm allowed, then with a final bit of force, drove it out of reach. She puffed out her cheeks, and the sigh she released sounded almost like relief. “I don’t know when to quit,” she retold her. “I never do. I don’t even know when I actually got drunk. How aren’t you?” Her brow knitted together, while she stared Lolly down. Surely, she hadn’t had nearly as much to drink as Bri, if anything at all—she had to be sober, in Brianna’s presence, right? Or, perhaps, everyone was sober compared to her.

[cirquebri-blog]

mikecale:

Mike wasn’t actually part of the conversation that Brianna seemed to be having with whatever it was that had been in the glass she had downed. Oktoberfest getting the better of her because he swore she never actually had an accent and now it sounded like she was a Southern debutante. He’d feel bad leaving her to get back to the caravan on her own. Abandoning his own lukewarm beer, he crossed over to the bar. “Okay, annoying white girl, let’s get you back to the caravans before you end up falling over.” He said ever the gentleman and offering out a hand to help her up from the chair. 

“Excuse me, Mike, but I said I was obnoxious, not annoying.” Perhaps that was not something Bri should be pointing out, especially when she wanted others to think highly of her (and, oh my God, she did—more than anything). If she was obnoxious, though, she should at least be consistent. “Okay, okay,” she said, accepting his help, “I’m getting up.” Brianna shuffled in her seat, carefully allowing her feet to touch the ground. Once she was standing, however, no amount of caution could save her balance. Involuntarily, one foot crossed over the other, and she stumbled.

[cirquebri-blog]

lollymca:

Lolly adored Germany. Simply everything about it. Her teenage self would’ve indulged in the country more than anywhere in the world, mostly due to Oktober fest. The twenty seven year old had come to realise however, that life wasn’t all about drugs, about drink. There was absolutely nothing wrong with getting completely wasted from time to time, but her health was something she’d been very aware about. After all, if she was to die from anything, to be dramatic, it would be her passion.

Which was why she was sat at a bar, practically baby-sitting with her third drink in hand, her mind only slightly buzzed from the alcohol within the drinks. “Sweetheart.” Lolly couldn’t help but cringe slightly at the sight besides her. Brianna was someone she could tolerate. Besides, the blonde was amused by the influence the drink was having. “Someone needs to learn their limits, don’t you think?”

Limits—later, if she remembered, she’d have to look up the definition. She’d heard the word before, but the memory was hazy. “Maybe,” she half-agreed, waving her hand towards Lolly (the gesture didn’t mean anything, except perhaps indifference). “But, like, you can’t learn what that limit is, unless you push them. You know? This is the last one, though.” She changed her mind; started to nod instead. Her new movement was just as exaggerated as her shaking head had been. She repeated, for emphasis, that her empty glass was “really the last one. I mean it. I’ve lost count.”

[cirquebri-blog]

wxlkwiththestxrs:

Devlyn watched the girl drink nodding in agreement at her sentiments about their last stop. “Fucking tomatoes.” She muttered, pushing her drink back to her lips and shaking her head. She was glad, as she looked around, that she had dressed as casually as her wardrobe allowed, considering she’d had at least three drinks spilled on her since she wandered into the event. She was even more glad when she found Bri and stuck by her, now sitting across a bench and watching the girl down a drink like nothing Devlyn had ever seen. “We won’t  be here long. Who cares if it’s bad for you? Enjoy it while it’s here. The world needs people who do things that are bad for them every once in a while.” She advised, drinking the rest of her beer and pulling a face. “Though when I get back to my caravan I’m getting something worth making bad decisions for.”

Despite the fact she’d made a tedious schedule, and wasn’t really all that drunk, Devlyn had totally thrown out her schedule within an hour of coming to the festival. Instead she held up her phone, taking another picture of a group of people dancing as she laughed at Bri’s accent. “God, will you even be able to make it to the caravan?” She asked, dropping her phone into her lap and turning to look at her. “Too late, indeed.” She laughed, biting her lip to try and contain herself. “Maybe we should get you headed back, hmm?”

“Honestly, Dev-lyn,” she tripped over her friend’s name, but found her way back in the end, “I’m honestly not sure.” Her hands went to the counter’s edge, her palms pressing against wood while her nails, short and boxed-off, tried to dig into it. Brianna lifted her chin, closed her eyes and took a breath. “I can do this,” she exhaled, mostly to herself, before uncrossing her legs. Just an inch, she shimmied forward... and then she felt her weight go sideways; Bri opened her eyes to see that she’d half-fallen out of the bar stool. “Yup. I’m really not sure.”

[cirquebri-blog]

How easy or difficult is it for your character to say “I love you?” Can they say it without meaning it?

She loves and isn’t hesitant to remind everyone she knows. It doesn’t take much for her to express it; a small act of kindness is enough to have her tilt her head, smile and gush about how ‘lucky I am to, like, have you in my life!’ The amount of times it’s been true, Brianna can count on one hand.

[cirquebri-blog]

45

What does your character believe will happen to them after they die? Does this belief scare them?

In her eyes, there’s nothing but darkness, and that terrifies her—to Brianna, the worst thing she could do is die, and have a tombstone as the only thing she leaves behind.

[cirquebri-blog]

40

How does your character treat people in service jobs?

Brianna tries her best to be kind, however her smiles always appear stretched, and her pleasantries half-hearted. Her default behaviour—which she’s aware of, thank you very much; she’s working on it—is to not quite speak to them, more-so at them. She likes to complain about the slightest inconveniences, make them appear bigger than they are and, if she happens to be bored, create one. Having never been on the receiving end, she’s not fully familiar with how that feels—but she has identified it’s a problem, and she’s trying to find fun elsewhere.

[i-see-light-blog]

Character Development Questions: Hard Mode

Does your character have siblings or family members in their age group? Which one are they closest with?

What is/was your character’s relationship with their mother like?

What is/was your character’s relationship with their father like?

Has your character ever witnessed something that fundamentally changed them? If so, does anyone else know?

On an average day, what can be found in your character’s pockets?

Does your character have recurring themes in their dreams?

Does your character have recurring themes in their nightmares?

Has your character ever fired a gun? If so, what was their first target?

Is your character’s current socioeconomic status different than it was when they were growing up?

Does your character feel more comfortable with more clothing, or with less clothing?

In what situation was your character the most afraid they’ve ever been?

In what situation was your character the most calm they’ve ever been?

Is your character bothered by the sight of blood? If so, in what way?

Does your character remember names or faces easier?

Is your character preoccupied with money or material possession? Why or why not?

Which does your character idealize most: happiness or success?

What was your character’s favorite toy as a child?

Is your character more likely to admire wisdom, or ambition in others?

What is your character’s biggest relationship flaw? Has this flaw destroyed relationships for them before?

In what ways does your character compare themselves to others? Do they do this for the sake of self-validation, or self-criticism?

If something tragic or negative happens to your character, do they believe they may have caused or deserved it, or are they quick to blame others?

What does your character like in other people?

What does your character dislike in other people?

How quick is your character to trust someone else?

How quick is your character to suspect someone else? Does this change if they are close with that person?

How does your character behave around children?

How does your character normally deal with confrontation?

How quick or slow is your character to resort to physical violence in a confrontation?

What did your character dream of being or doing as a child? Did that dream come true?

What does your character find repulsive or disgusting?

Describe a scenario in which your character feels most comfortable.

Describe a scenario in which your character feels most uncomfortable.

In the face of criticism, is your character defensive, self-deprecating, or willing to improve?

Is your character more likely to keep trying a solution/method that didn’t work the first time, or immediately move on to a different solution/method?

How does your character behave around people they like?

How does your character behave around people they dislike?

Is your character more concerned with defending their honor, or protecting their status?

Is your character more likely to remove a problem/threat, or remove themselves from a problem/threat?

Has your character ever been bitten by an animal? How were they affected (or unaffected)?

How does your character treat people in service jobs?

Does your character feel that they deserve to have what they want, whether it be material or abstract, or do they feel they must earn it first?

Has your character ever had a parental figure who was not related to them?

Has your character ever had a dependent figure who was not related to them?

How easy or difficult is it for your character to say “I love you?” Can they say it without meaning it?

What does your character believe will happen to them after they die? Does this belief scare them?

[cirquebri-blog]

The bitterness had faded, in both taste and herself. “Screw La Tomatina,” she said, before downing what was left in her glass (earlier, she’d nearly made it through an entire scull. It’d been full to the brim with some beer, whose name was too German for her to pronounce, when she brought it to her lips. It was almost empty when it left them, and only because she needed to breathe). Brianna blinked wide, to bring back the vision that was rapidly fading. “now, this is a festival I can get behind. I have, like, this addictive personality, though. Oktoberfest is fun, but it’s not good for me.” If she started anything, it was hard for her to stop—how much beer had she had, again?

She’d started early, taking advantage of an off-day and deciding to worry about the consequences (read: hangover) later. As the day dragged on, though, and her blood turned to alcohol, Brianna’s Californian accent became increasingly haywire—and now, it was missing entirely. Her voice had a twang to it that was undeniably Southern. Where was she from, again? Somewhere in South Carolina, right? Or was it North? “I should probably get back to the caravan,” she decided, “before I become one of those obnoxious white girls—oh, wait. Too late!” She let out a cruel, self-deprecating laugh, before shaking her head. Who had she become?