Meet DELPHINE ANWAR. They are of UNKNOWN age and origin. Delphine embodies CAFFAU’S STAR. They use she/her pronouns. Their faceclaim is EMERAUDE TOUBIA.
CAFFAU’S STAR reminds me of mirrorballs, rewriting the stars, the rush of adrenaline, the feeling of flying or falling, but then falling with style, glittery costumes, a debt that remains unpaid, only coming alive in a performance, still on that trapeze, gasping for control.
BIOGRAPHY
one. an object in motion will stay in motion.
She cannot remember before the troupe. They’re not a circus, they’re a troupe. All she knows about her life before is her name, which she’s changed many times in order to be whatever act she portrayed. At first it was juggling, and she could dizzyingly throw and catch anything in the air of numeric proportions: balls, clubs, knives, flaming torches. Not once did she falter, not once did she drop anything she was juggling. Back then, she was just a warm up act, getting the crowd primed for the real show.
It was without a doubt her beauty that had her promoted to a more serious and attention-grabbing act. Delphine knew how to command a stage, how to make the audience immediately fall in love with her. She was a vision, her long legs and torso, her dark hair swaying in the breeze. The trapeze was the only place for her-- flying and static. When she flew, there was no better feeling in her life. When the trapeze was static, she felt like a swan, able to soar and stretch and do whatever she pleased to put on a show.
two. force is equal to mass times acceleration
The first time that Delphine realized that her powers were being taken away from her was when she was asked to do a particularly tricky combination using a rope hung from a suspended beam in a barn. It was after-hours, she was among locals in the town they’d traveled to, and they wanted a repeat performance from the golden girl. She was supposed to do a series of tricks-- tucks, a drop, whatever she wanted, just to show off. She’d never attempted this outside of the act before, but what could be different?
People who saw the accident would blame it on the rope not being tied tightly enough, or that they saw Delphine’s ankle slip, or that it was some gale-force wind, a freak of nature. Delphine was out of the troupe for months healing her various injuries-- a concussion, a sprained ankle, bumps and bruises.
She spent years trying to figure out why she had suddenly failed. The next time she performed, after she’d been healed up, she was like magic. Clockwork. The nerves didn’t get to her.
It was only through Delphine and Verity’s combined influences that they figured out the Master was muting their magic, reserving their energy until they were onstage and ready to perform. And it was only through Delphine and Verity’s combined influences that he perished.
three. what goes up must come down.
Delphine has found a home at Polaris, even though she’s acutely aware of the people she’s left behind in the troupe. She doesn’t know who has taken it over or if those horrible conditions are still in place, but she does know that she’s protected by the Ursas.
Delphine is very wary of people who have magic blocking abilities, and often will stay away from them. She doesn’t think it’s within anyone’s right to take away someone else’s magic from them, or to control someone else in that way.
Delphine is not the best student. She can be unfocused at times, and she’d much rather put her magic into action than learn about it in the theoretical.
INCLINATION
Named for the famed astronomer Elizabeth Caffau, Caffau’s Star sponsors those who are particularly gifted with air magics. Their specialty lies in gravity and physics-altering stunts, from changing their own weightlessness to friction and acceleration. Some Caffau’s Star witches have been known to charm their way through life, either through elaborate glamour spells or excellent casting abilities. The current Caffau’s Star is very adept at gravity magic, but struggles to control it when her emotions get ahead of her.
CONNECTIONS
The Ringmaster: A father-type figure who helped Delphine and Verity escape from the troupe. Delphine has been trying her hardest to find this man and also take him to Polaris, to keep him out of the troupe owner’s clutches.
The Sibling: Delphine and her sibling did a duo act for a long time-- her on the trapeze, them on the tightrope. The sibling may have left Delphine in the troupe, may have just escaped, or may currently be in the troupe that happens to swing by Castle Hills. Obviously, Delphine would help them escape and enroll them in Polaris. Emeraude is tricky to match ethnicity-wise, so this could be a half-sibling! FC should be half Mexican and/or half Middle Eastern. (Samuel Larsen, Summer Bishil, and Wentworth Miller could work if we tweak the parentage a little!)
The Almost Lover: This person traveled far and wide following the troupe, became somewhat obsessed with Delphine. Looking for an ego trip, Delphine would occasionally throw them a bone, but it’ll be a very awkward reunion.
Penned by Leigh ★