[ᴄɪʀǫᴜᴇ ᴅ'ᴏᴍʙʀᴇ - ᴄᴀʀɴɪᴠᴀʟ ᴀᴜ]
Everyone had heard of the traveling Shadow Circus; its towering tents, striped in black and white - with only a touch of gold to be spotted. Of course, one could find the traditional crimson color, but only (in example) on the costumes of the contortionists and fortune tellers. Color was rarely used, drawing the attention straight to the magical performers.
The treats always gave a subtle sweetness through the evening breeze - candies like caramelized apples and cinnamon twists. If you had not tried them before, you would when you saw them displayed in a striped tent, illuminated by glowing lanterns. And once you had your snack. you could easily be entertained by jugglers and masked dancers. The air almost never stopped hosting the glass orbs in different shades, nor the silhouette of the dancers' shawls.
Rose had been to Cirque d'Ombre only one time before - as a little girl. She had felt at home almost instantly, leaving her feel incomplete whenever the carnival would leave her home town again. This time was different; Rose was now a part of the show - well, not the actual show, but she was a part of the circus family. The ringmaster had handpicked her while she was serving him at a diner, commanding her to show up and come along. She had absolutely dropped her life for this, and she could not wait to get started.
As she entered the famous gate, holding their black and white sign, she knew it was real. She did not care for the few people who still lurked around as long as possible, visiting the stripper tents and whatnot. Most of the visitors were on their way out; "How can they leave such a place?" she thought. Rose could already feel eyes in her direction, and the mumbling voices were not to too hard to interpret: "It's her fault!", "She's not even talented." and of course, "If it wasn't for her, they would still be'ere!" When placing these comments in her mind, she remembered how the ringmaster had talked to his partner how the circus needed to "let some performers go" to be able to pay the workers. Rose, in all her naivety, concluded that it had nothing to do with her, and that she had just hijacked her very first dream job. Now, she knew the somber truth, and had to live with the consequences she had caused when saying "yes" to the almost intimidating man with the red tailcoat.
Luckily, there was a man standing around the corner of the main tent. He seemed to be talking to an Asian woman, who instantly left when Rose came near. The man, however, stood his ground. "Excuse me..?" She was unsure how to approach these workers, not knowing who to actually speak to. There was no doubt that she would just help wherever she was needed, which basically classified her as an assistant - and assistants were not supposed to talk to their superiors. "I was told I could sleep in the dancers' wagon?" She swallowed shortly, still holding on to the few belongings she had ripped with her.
