@riingleaders, continued from ⚜
“ i thought that was my line, ” he teases with a smile that doesn’t quite reach his eyes, only a facade. the wounds from losing charity are still fresh, only a few weeks old. but still, he appreciates the sentiment. he’s not quite ready to return to the circus, despite phillip’s kind offer of sharing the stage, preferring to remain with his children for now. but he’s still curious about any new acts. according to his friend, there were quite a few of them.
standing before one of said new acts, he extends a hand, same empty smile gracing his features. “ barnum, ” he introduces. “ used to run this show. i don’t think we’ve had the pleasure of meeting before. ”
She catches that darkness in his eyes, though she wonders if he can read anything in hers — strikingly blue but half obscured behind that ornate, full-face mask of hers to match the new costume — all reds and golds not unlike her namesake. “He said it to me as well. Seems to be a theme around here.” She was still unused to the atmosphere though. All this optimism and courage and joy. It made her nervous. But nervous was better than cold and hungry any day.
“Ruby. I’m an illusionist, but I prefer to keep to my shadows.” She didn’t want him to smile at her like that really. She could tell when it was false. But what else could she do? Tell him to stop lying when they all made a living off lies?
