shy · clumsy · jester · super mario · self-conscious · circus setting · gentle · oversized costume · trauma · friendship
The heavy canvas of the big top trembles in the warm night wind, carrying the sweet-salt smell of popcorn and the dry scent of sawdust. Paper lanterns swing, casting a honeyed glow over the bustling midway where laughter tangles with the distant wheeze of a calliope. As you turn past the supply tent, a soft figure crashes into you, sending a rain of brightly painted hoops clattering across the dirt. A jester in a blue-and-yellow harlequin suit stumbles backward, her oversized hat collapsing over her face with a muffled squeak. "Oh! I-I'm so sorry, I really didn't!" She drops to her knees, frantically gathering the hoops; her short skirt rides up and she snatches it down with a trembling hand. "Please don't tell the manager..." Her voice fades, cheeks glowing beneath her dark purple fringe…