(Backstory to the circus!)

“Mama?” The small auburn haired child was delicately balancing on the slender brick row as her mother walked beside her.

“Hmm?” Angela turned her head to look towards little Chia. She had always been an odd child. She was great at her studies, dancing, and other odd talents that the goddess noticed the small one had.

“Can I run away and join the circus? I heard Aubrey talking about it this morning in class. She was mad at her parents and she wanted to run away.”

“Are you mad at me?”

“Well… No, but I think it would be fun.”

“So why do you need to run?”

Chia was hesitant as she stopped herself and looked towards her mother. “You aren’t mad?”

Angela shook her head and pushed herself up to kiss her daughter’s forehead. “If it makes you happy… and it is your dream then do it.”

Before she knew it they were at the edge of a beautiful big circus. Her mother became fast friends with the ring leader and everything seemed well. That was when a little boy was pulled aside. He looked so lightweight just like her. She blinked and subconsciously from Chia’s nervousness she pushed her hair behind her pointed ears.

“Boy, this is Chia… She is going to join us. She’ll be your partner from now on so you have to take care of each other.” It wasn't hard to see how nervous Chia was thanks to the blush across her face. Her blue eyes were stuck to the boy. Just like that? Apparently, just like that.

They were staying around Jasumin Lake for the next few weeks. The area was open and full of flat spaces which made setting up the tents easy. Most people wondered why circuses always picked those sort of spots, and it wasn't just to stand out–though that never hurt either. "Hoy, Robin Goodfellow!" The stout dwarf ringmaster bellowed down below the net. "Enough teetering on the ropes my boy, there's someone you should meet. We've found ourselves a new face to join our troupe, and I think you'll find them mighty interesting!" Pontius Higgins Mycroft, or Ponty as everybody called him, was the one who started it all. He began from nothing, going into the entertainment business when he had two left feet and jokes drier than hardtack. But he had an eye for talent and value, and that was how he got together some of the best from all over Revaliir in the same ring. He was standard dwarf height, dressed in his colorful pinstripe suit and shined top hat. When he first met the man the most memorable thing was his incredible mustache that seemed to defy gravity itself. Milori joined the troupe himself a few years ago and became fast friends with the rest of the performers. Even though they never stayed in the same place more than a month, the circus felt like home.

Dangling upside-down from the tightrope, the boy floated down and pulled up his blue feathered mask. It matched well with his hair, also a bluish tinge. It was how Ponty gave him his stage name, 'Bluebird' among other things. He skipped into a sprint to catch up with the ringmaster where he saw a beautiful lady with red waves of hair towering over them both. He nearly missed the little girl next to her, hidden halfway behind the woman whom Ponty said was her mother. "Ah-ha! Here he is–Milori, our own little Bluebird of the highwire! Come, give the little lady a hello." Without hesitating the blue-haired boy gave a sweeping bow, his hair falling over his shoulder in a braid. "Nice to meet you two. Like Mr. Ponty said, I'm the one who walks up on the tightrope and swings on the trapeze up top. Are you good at swinging? Trapeze is no fun when you fly solo." Out of habit he then pulled up his legs and 'sat' in midair. His costume had a lot of small sequins and feathers sewn to it to make him easier to see. As he crossed his legs his feet were covered in blue and white striped stockings without shoes. He looked back at the girl curiously with his amber-yellow eyes.

Her blue eyes scanned the boy that was brought over by the weird ring leader. She liked odd people and her mother must have known this man would be honest and true. She tilted her head at Milori and suddenly her mother had her hand to her back and gave her a little push. Chia’s face flushed a little and shook her head. “I’m not very good at any of it… I want to learn. I think I could be good.”

Once he was midair she walked around him and waved her hands under where he was floating. Angela held a stunned face for a moment before Chia pulled herself up and copied him. “That’s not so hard.” Most kids would have been stunned by it but Angela chuckled a bit.

“I think they will get along fine. Both of them are half-fae. Light as a feather.” Angela could tell just looking at the boy and Chia’s ears almost gave her away if it wasn’t for the fact her mother had pointy ears too.

Angela snapped and all of Chia’s things were in bags and boxes next to her. Chia lost her concentration and fell down on her butt staring. “Just like that Ma?”

“I am not stranger to kicking my birds out of the nest. If this is what you want to do then you will have to devote yourself to doing it. Can you do it?”

Chia looked over at Milori and up to Ponty. “Yes.”

“Then, I want you to get talented and invited me to every show and practice… Can you do that?”

“Yes,” she nodded and stood up to dust herself off. “I’ll get better. You’ll see!”

Angela smirked a bit and looked at Ponty. “I can give monthly stipends for her to be here. I would rather my daughter be well kept.”

“We are all family here ma’am. Chia will be fine.” Ponty reassured her and looked at the two of the children. “If you get better well known you could have your own big tent like the stars! Sometimes to look forward to.”

Chia nodded and jumped to grab Milori’s hands. “TEACH ME! I want to be a star too!” She looked so excited and confident. Something Milori would get used to in their time together.

Most kids would 'oooh' and 'aaah' over him floating without any movement, but Chia went right up to him, checked a few things and then did the same thing. His eyes lit up–for the first time there was somebody out there who could float just like him! Right away she wanted him to teach her what it took to be a show-stopper, and her enthusiasm was infectious. "Alright, I'll teach you! But don't get bored and give up halfway!" After she moved in, he and the other performers set up the net lower than it usually was. The tightrope was tied lower down the poles so the fall wouldn't be as high. And before he climbed up, he spread a few handfuls of tiny seeds on the ropes of the netting. Blowing a puff of air, the seeds came alive and turned into tiny vines that melded with the net. Their tendrils traveled up the poles in thin green spirals until they reached the tightrope. Even though the safety net was secure, having those plants in it made it easier for Milori to keep things under control. Looking down from the perch he waited for Chia to come in with his hands on his hips.

Waving at her, he called out: "Ready? Let's practice walking on the tightrope first. We'll get to the trapeze swings later!" He then laid down in mid-air and kicked his legs, as if swimming. He floated about the tightrope until she was on the platform and landed back on. With twirl of his fingers, a balancing pole flew up to his hand. It was a hollowed stick with different sizes of weights in them. The weights were small metal balls that gradually increased in diameter. The pole he brought up was the heaviest one, to help the girl get her bearings on balancing while on the tightrope. With how light as she was, it would be more difficult than using a lighter pole, which would be easier to shift around. "First, hold this with your hands. Since we're both pretty lightweight we start using the heaviest poles first instead of the lighter ones. For other people it's the opposite, but this is so we can keep our balance in case we can't float. Ponty says it's so people don't complain for us using magic. If they think we have it easier, they'll believe we don't work as hard and won't be as impressed."

Milori was always a blast and Chia was fully engulfed in what he had to say. “It’s like I’m not even here anymore.” Angela chuckled a bit and waved at the Ring Master. “Take care of my child.” It had an undertone that made the Ring Leader sweat if only for a little bit. “I’ll be back to check in on her.”

It was an odd case for sure. Normally, no one brought their child to be dropped off. Chia was used to her mother’s magic that it wasn’t shocking to see the stage grow. She kicked off her shoes and looked more at home as her toes played with the grass. She climbed up instead of floating showing that she was used to playing with her other siblings.

She put her foot on the rope and began to wobble back and forth. “Think of it like… The slender brick fence only slightly worse.” She spoke out loud as she realigned herself enough to be handed the pole. “People in Sularia use magic for everything so they are less impressed by others using it. So I understand Ponty a bit on that.” She moved her foot just enough to take steps closer but she began to lose her balance. She floated for a single second if only to reposition herself.

“This isn’t so bad. The pole is used as a counterweight.” She spoke almost mirroring the things Milori was talking to her. “I saw Mother using her scales and she weighs things until they are even… So… This pole is like that and we’re the centerpiece of the scale… So to speak.”

She breathed in steadily. “It will take me a bit until I can walk on this I think.” Her legs were only slightly shaky. Like her mother had told Ponty the girl had good balance but it would take more than that.

Ponty stood at the bottom. "Also my boy, Lady Angela told us that Young Chia is quite good at being flexible. A talent one might say. We should see just how good she is." Chia blushed a bit. She didn't think her mother would have brought that up to strangers.

It was tough at the start, it always was. Milori knew from experience. He had started out much closer to the ground when he joined, as he had to get used to walking instead of levitation. For him floating as a habit that was hard to break. Whenever he felt he was falling he'd use it to slow his descent. Chia was a fast learner though, even for trying something for the first time. She had a good eye for picking up on what to do and figured out why the pole made things safer than more dangerous, contrary to what most would think. "Yup, that's right. That's better than the explanation I was going to say. We can continue tomorrow. There's a lot of warm ups we do before our routine and you can meet the rest of us here! We're all pretty unique thanks to Ponty." He wanted to ask her more about Sularia having only known the circus, but decided to wait when she was settled in. Climbing back down, he landed softly next to the support pillar beside the net. Looking at Chia he grinned, "Is it really true? Miss Nina can bring her leg behind her back straight up and have both legs apart on the ground without trying. Can you do that?" 

"Karenina, or Nina as well all call her is one of our dancers. She was born in Abed to a pair of traveling minstrels who went around the world singing, dancing, and playing music. As wonderful as their performances were, they weren't getting enough recognition so I offered to have them join the troupe as one of the main acts. You'll be seeing much of them along with Milori, I'm sure." The portly dwarf winked at the two. With a tug, he began to undo the knots to the safety net to give them more space. The little seedlings uncoiled themselves and began to take root at the base of the support beams, blooming small blue five-petal flowers. These plants were quick to sprout but didn't last long, by tomorrow they would wither and return to the earth. 

Chia was glad she was catching on but then he asked her about the stupid flexible thing. She blushed and looked away for a moment. “I… can.” She looked him in the eyes. “I once fit myself into my sister’s toy chest and scared her to the point where she screamed for our mother until she showed up. She had nightmares for weeks…” Chia had climbed down safely and picked up her shoes. She didn’t really like them. Mostly she was like her mother, bare feet were best.

She listened to Ponty and nodded. “So… It’s not that bizarre? My sister told my mother never to let me do it again… I mean I did it anyways but Mother wasn’t too happy. I managed to fit myself into the cupboard in our kitchen where our cooks were and I scared all of them when they went for a pan.”

Chia waited for a moment before she pulled her leg up straight against her. “You mean you can’t do this?” She was even balancing on her toes. Her leg was almost pressed against her face. “I know my sister can’t and it makes her mad. She’s going to the bard’s college soon.”

The ringmaster let out a hearty chuckle as Chia described her past experience in testing the limits of her flexibility. "Oh, dear me. You must've given your poor sister a fright with such a stunt! Ahem, though yes to find a person snugly fit inside such a place would indeed scare the daylights out of anyone." The dwarf said, attempting to maintain his composure. It was no surprise now why he chose to start a circus–his childlike amusement for the unusual and extraordinary allowed him to understand what viewers would enjoy seeing. When Chia then gave them a small demonstration Ponty whistled in approval and tilted his top hat up to reveal his eyebrows. "Marvelous, absolutely marvelous! I must say, you're already as good as Nina despite being half her age! You must have had a considerable amount of practice little lady. Not all dancers can raise their legs so effortlessly and hold their pose steady for so long!" Milori's jaw dropped, speechless. He thought she'd show off a swan form like ballet dancers; he didn't expect her to be that flexible! The boy's shock had the ringmaster chuckling to himself again. "Congratulations, dear–you've finally made him awestruck!"

Rubbing the back of his head, he grinned again bashfully after snapping out of it. "That's pretty good! So where is the bard's college that she's going to? Does everyone there have to be as flexible as you to enter?" His question sounded naive, but he really hadn't seen much of anywhere until he joined with Ponty. Ponty told him not to worry about it too much and said it was because he was still young. Also he told him not to think less of himself if he didn't remember much about the time before he was found by the troupe. Whether rain or shine, the ringmaster always took on each new day with a smile. Ponty was the one who helped him learn how to smile in front of people and not be so self-conscious. Even when things were difficult, a smile could turn things around. That was why Milori decided to stay, he liked making others happy and seeing them smile made him happy too. 

“Mother said if there was something we were good at to practice it. We were taught dancing from a young age since we hold a lot of festivals. That’s how I found out I could contort myself various ways.” Chia calmly explained as she put her leg down. “So I tried to see how far I could go with it. Turns out I can bend my body in ways my sister cannot.”

Chia blushed a bit more and watched Milori. He was her age after all and his jaw was really dropped to the ground. “The bard’s college? It’s in Jayou and no… You just have to be good at singing, dancing, and all of that. Most Rosenites are actually really good at it but a lot of them don’t want to pursue a music career. My sister Holly can’t contort like me but she is a very good dancer. She can also play instruments better than I can.”

They were taken to Nina and Chia thought she was quite pretty. “Maybe you can help these two.” Ponty was rather mysterious about it. “You’ll find you’ll like the girl. She’s just as good as you are.”

Nina was exotic to say the least. She had on basically almost nothing but the silk seemed so exotic. Not that Chia wasn’t used to silk but this seemed to be mixed with something else. Though she couldn’t put her finger on what. “You are adorable.” Nina came over and got on Chia’s level. “What’s your name?”

“Chia.”

“Well Chia… If I know Ponty, and I really do… I would say that the reason why he brought you to me is to let you two know something.” She put her finger to her lips. “You two are going to be partners.”

Chia blushed a bit and looked at Milori. From the way things sounded he didn’t know about it. “How are we supposed to be partners? We don’t know each other.”

“And that’s why you are with me!” Nina was quick to take Milori and position his hands onto Chia gently. It was a dancing pose that Chia knew rather well. “Ponty told me yesterday that you were from Sularia… So instead of starting at the bottom its time for you to teach Milori.”

“But what for?” Chia had one of her hands on Milori’s shoulder and one held by his own.

“For trust. It’s very important that you two trust each other so much that you can read each other easily. You could easily hurt yourselves or worse if you don’t. Long before you joined us Milori we had an accident from an acrobatic act where the partner didn’t trust his for a second. He ended up falling from the trapeze and dying. Trust is the most important thing you can have.”

Chia’s eyes were wide for a moment and she looked at Milori. “We should probably trust each other.” It was so childlike and cute that Nina laughed. Nina had some music start and Chia helped to place Milori's feet. "It's like this. Then you go like this." She moved his arms just right to catch her as she instructed him to lean her down. "Cause if you don't I can fall and hurt my butt… My brother dropped me once when we were at a party. I don't think my butt stopped hurting for a week."

Being so light, he had to get used to carrying with most of his strength. Usually if he couldn't lift something he would cast a spell on it and it would move, or he had levitation to do the rest. Hearing about the terrible accident from Nina made him nervous, especially since he said he would teach Chia how to swing on the trapeze. He gave a slow nod to Nina as she told them how important trust was, especially between partners. He'd been hurt before and had come to terms with it, but he didn't want Chia to go through something like that. Chia was the one doing the teaching this time around, and he followed after her instructions the best he could. "Like this?" He said, honey-gold eyes looking at her from beneath his blue curled bangs. He wasn't sure if he his arms were too loose or stiff. "If you fall I'll have the ivy catch you before you land." He said to reassure her. They were one of his fastest growing plants for their strength. With Chia's instructions, he had to get used to placing his full weight of his feet against the ground. His steps were a bit slow as he didn't have the free movement as he did in the air. When he felt himself tensing up, he reminded himself not to worry too much. The sooner he got used to the pattern, the more flexible he would be. He imagined he wasn't on the ground, and that he was moving through the air. 

Years passed and that initial hesitation was just a memory. Now, whether it was on land or in the air he was able to move freely. Countless hours of practice with Chia meant they knew each other's movements, each other's habits, and even what the other would say. Chia was able to walk the tightrope and swing from the trapeze like the best of them, and the troupe surprised them saying after much consideration, he and Chia would be the circus' new main act. Ponty was dancing on clouds–figuratively of course. He couldn't wait to get the fliers printed. Everyone else had been working hard to add new routines and ideas to their acts as well and Chia's mother never failed to visit when they were onstage. Things between them didn't change much from the old days, but many things had changed. The crowds were bigger, the cities they went to were more welcoming, and they were the talk of the town. They had a regular schedule touring around the continents instead of going wherever people would give them space. And with that meant scheduled periods where they would be 'off the circuit', to both rest and practice for next year's shows.