So You Wanna Be a Hero, Kid

[Robin Lichester-Raven]

Set: The end of the parade, the aftermath​

His chest heaving with exertion and the knives clattered to the cobblestone as Robin sank onto the gutter's edge. How long had he been performing for? Hours? He hadn't paid a single bit of attention to the other performers, only the crowd and their joyous reactions to the trooping acrobats and artists. Robin felt like he was drinking in the physical attention of every person, when what he was actually drinking in was the movement and the music. Something strange was going on in his head. Why did his feet want to keeping dancing and the knives want to keep spinning even though he was shaking with fatigue? It didn't matter. Robin was on his feet again, but the knives were sheathed and he was only there as a doll for now.

The show was winding down anyway. The sheen of sweat on his bare chest made his skin glitter interestingly, charming the women left in the crowd. Robin weaved around them all, kissing cheeks, stroking hair and flashing grins to whoever would look. Even at the point of passing out, he was still keeping the stragglers in the palm of his hand. Robin took a deep, shuddering breath. There's ... somewhere else I'm meant to be ... struggled his intoxicated mind.

 

[Masque Fleur]

Even as the performance started winding down the music would continue, and those foolish enough to take the hand of a performer would be drawn to it like a moth to a flame. Fleur would gain performers tonight and that was for sure.. But the knife juggler would be his prize. The warmth followed the parade as it wound down enough to start its way back to camp.

Still fleur danced around in his fluid movements that looked like a circus version of the waltz, twisting and flowing in and around his troupe. Not a sign of fatigue could be seen on his face, not a drop of sweat or a pin out of place. It looked like he could do this forever. The music took a slight difference, as if a voice on the wind trailed through it that whispered, 'Come...Come feast with us... Join us, The circus that never rests' The words were so compelling yet subtly weaved through the music it was if it were your own wish.

Fleur formed from his multi-coloured apparition smoke before the knife juggler. He noticed that the mans seemed worn out and rightly so.. The kingdom of Circus was also nicknamed the Circus that never rests, it is hard for outsiders to keep up. Still, he would get used to it.. he until his dieing day to do so now. "Feel the performer's blood rushing through your veins, the sound of the music and cheers in your ears.. Is it not wonderful? Come, The night has only just begun.." Fleur's voice was almost as enchanting at the music itself, it wasn't suggesting something to you but rather revealing your wish that you never quite realized you had.. He smiled his alluring and ever mysterious smile as he gestured to the performers as the parade started to move through the streets again, heading for the camp just beyond the village.

 

[Robin Lichester-Raven]

Robin no longer noticed that he was breathing heavier. In fact if he had simply collapsed it wouldn't have registered as long as the music kept going and Fleur kept speaking. Rob continued to walk/dance with the troupe as they traveled back to the encampment where the fun would really begin. Now that the knives had been put away and he was only entertaining by looks alone, his strength began to return little by little. It was very strange that he did not exactly notice his surroundings. Robin was under the impression that he was alive and attentive, when actually he walked quite literally past the wide pathway that led to La Grande as though it never existed in the first place. He was looking forward to returning home though he had no idea what home looked like. It was his new home now.

Rob did notice the other performers now though. He even had two twin girl acrobats cradled to each hip where they clung to his neck and whispered how much he was sure to love the Kingdom of Circus. He would smile at them vaguely and keep his eyes generally trained on the approaching lights with the air thickening with growing tension. He was aching to see the subject of his deepest desire and to perform on Fleur’s real stage. Hugging the children to his side, Robin’s eyes widened as he took his first look at his new haven. The Kingdom of Circus, ready and waiting to welcome the performers home and consume him entirely.

 

[Masque Fleur]

And there it was, the Camp of Fleur's circus. each tent that was set up was more extravagant then the last, fine fabrics of all colours hanging off it. Trinkets and such where hung outside each one. Giant poles 5 stories high marked the entrance of the camp, Giant curling flames of all colours burned brightly above them.

Near the middle of the camp, A giant circular stage sat clean and polished. Fleur leant close to Robin. "On that stage, any or apparatus, any dream or idea... Can come to life" A smile came across his face as he moved the parade forward, they performer slowly dispersing. Thought the parade had finished, the performers still danced around and laughed. The music seemed all the more potent here and the colours and trinkets about only added to the effect. The stragglers were taken by the hand by his performers throughout the camp, laughing and dancing the entire time. Food and drink was being shared around and seemed to come form nowhere as the performers had fun around the place

A bit further back from the stage was a Monstrously large tent that could easily fit many normal circus's inside it. It even had actually double wooden doors with ornate carvings in them. This, was where Fleur led Robin. The large double doors swung open as he drew near.
Inside, it seemed like Choas. There was stacks, mountains, pillars, rivers of object in the room.. the only way you could possibly they through is via the paths riddled throughout it all. Fabrics worth hundreds of thousands of galleons were draped over ornately carved chairs. Books were stacked up in pillars all around you. Beds and cushions were scattered everywhere, trinkets and gadgets that were both interesting and menacing hung from golden coat wracks and from anything they could. Chandeliers of all shapes and sizes hung from the ceiling at different lengths in the hundreds They passed a Creature that could be mistaken for a rather oversized lion laying on a cushion large enough to be a queen sized bed. and a Pillar of books with a Griffin sitting upon it. Treasure of all sorts was scattered all over the place.

Further and further, deeper and deeper the traveled through the maze of extravagant and obviously expensive maze until they reached a mountain of treasure and fabrics with stairs made of chests that some would kill to get, leading up to the most ornately carved throne you would ever find. Fleur draped himself over it with another of his smiles before asking "What do you think?"

 

[Robin Lichester-Raven]

Robin could not get enough of the wonders in the camp. Everyone seemed to be working and doing nothing at the same time, pure revelry emanating from each person. The new performers were being carted from once place to another to taste a new delightful food or to perform their tricks. Yet none were touched so often as Rob, who had people linking arms with him and a tiny troupe following at all times, fawning off of Fleur's new possession. He didn't mind a bit. Robin had always loved attention and was getting more of it now than he ever had in his entire life. Everyone else was too, for Rob gave as good as he got and even snuck a few kisses onto the females who smirked and giggled all the while. "Damn, I love this place," he said in wonder, not even realising that he had spoken aloud.

All but a few of the people melted off of him as soon as he approached the biggest tent of all in Fleur's wake. His mouth parted silently at the very doors of the tent, yet they were nothing compared to what was to be seen. Rob wanted to so much to reach out and touch some of the incredible objects that he was passing, even to make sure that the simply enormous feline that he passed was real. It blinked at him with one golden eye, then Robin dared not go nearer. Further and further they ventured, the music and revelry of the camp falling behind and being replaced with a more intoxicating, sinister atmosphere. Finally they stopped at a glorious throne that Fleur seemed perfectly at home in. Robin blinked. "Yes, I've ... " he began, remembering to answer his question. "I've never seen anything like it." Why am I on the ground? he thought suddenly with a jolt. Rob had fallen to his knees. Although he was wide awake, it seemed that his body hadn't the energy left to stand, so he simply shifted to the side to sit more comfortably.

 

[Masque Fleur]

"Well of course not my boy... This is my home after all" Fleur made sure that each of Fleur's words made their way, curling into Robins ears. "And you... shall be apart of it. My most prized performer" His lips curled up into the mysterious looking smile as he bathed Robin with praise... Ensuring evermore, his loyalty. But still, Robin wasn't his yet.. There was still one more thing to be done.

Slowly Fleur moved down from his magnificent throne. With each step he took, the atmosphere of the room seemed to close in on Robin. “I have a gift for you..” His seemingly ever changing eyes flickered or to the side slightly before coming to focus completely. As soon as his eyes had made the movement, many of the acrobats seemed to appear out from the passages of book piles and such. Each of them moving close enough to stroke Robin and lay him against the ground slowly. They continued their fawning of him until, quite suddenly, he realized that his vest was missing.

By now Fleur was at the bottom of the makeshift staircase and standing just before robins feet. “With this…You are mine”. With that, the stroking hands clamped tightly around Robins limbs, their grip like iron shackles. Fleur lowered his now glower scepter to the exposed flesh above Robins waistline with a slight curl of the lips. As the glowering tip came near, black thin ornate looking chain markings seemed to peel from it and burn themselves into Robins flesh, sealing his fate forever. Slowly the ornate markings curled up and around his waist, almost like a belt before coming around to his back and curling up his spine. From their it burnt itself around his neck like a collar. Finally, a lantern like marking drew itself near Robins hip, The mark of Fleur.

As quickly as they had come, the figures melted back into the pathways, leaving Robin laying half naked and marked before Fleur’s feet.