*A few things to keep in mind as you read! This is a transcript of a roleplay between two writers in two different states. In other words, this story was written entirely over Skype. This way it gives you a refreshing new way of reading a story. We divided the characters between the two of us and let the story unfold that way. I hope you enjoy, as you take this wild ride we have shared over half a year... and even still. -Phoenix
**Character designs for future characters in future chapters can be found here: tagged/circus+au
She shifted her position in the slightly worn chair she sat in, crossing her legs lazily. She stared into the half empty mug held loosely in one hand, it's contents beginning to cool. The color of the kitchen table didn't match the walls, or anything else in the kitchen for that matter. It oddly stood out to her. She hated the way the light from the morning sun made a terrible glare off the wall she sat against. A soft cry caused her to perk up a little, losing her strange train of thought. Fur brushed against her ankle, the small cry became a bit more urgent. "Aw," She spoke, running a fingertip on top of the small feline's head. She gave a small nod, rising from her chair. Her face scrunched slightly as she reached down into the near empty bag of cat food for him. She let a small handful drop into a blue plastic bowl, The word 'Radi' had been affectionately written across the side. She set the bowl down with a soft clatter, hearing the lock shift on the front door. A soft smile played on her lips, hearing the excited jingle of keys. A voice called out to her. Larxene resumed her place at the table, resting her chin on her hand. A girl sat opposite of her now, sitting backwards in a chair, resting her head on her arms. Just talking away. Larxene's gaze softened. She wouldn't admit it to many, but she loved to listen to her talk. She'd just listen for hours. Her eyes lit up when she spoke, and she often enunciated with her hands.
Larxene nodded every so often. Her eyes fell closed for a moment, perfectly content. Her eyes widened at the sudden change in light. She remembered, it was early. It was early because she was just complaining to herself about the sun, right? She glanced sideways out the window. It was dark. Had she been sitting for that long? The chair across from her sat vacant, a strange silence loomed over the room. She stood, panic began to wash over her. Her voice shook a little when she called for the cat. She could hear the faint Jingling of his collar, causing her to listen harder. She could hear strange laughter. Deep laughter. It sent a shiver up her spine. The blonde turned the corner in time to see a too familiar whip-like weapons make it's way out of the other girl's sternum. Her stomach sank, the sound of bones snapping filled the room. The girl's body fell to the floor in a heap. Larxene sank to her knees, brushing the hair to the side. Blood seeped from the girl's mouth. She held her face in both hands, her words were frantic and rushed. The light in her eyes slowly faded to a dull, murky brown. That deep laugh rattled her. It seemed to echo off the walls. Larxene's chest heaved, letting the lifeless body fall to the floor in front of her. Her leg seemed to lock up. She swore under her breath, kicking as hard as she could to will her leg to work. Her body felt like it was falling abruptly.
Her eyes snapped open just in time for the side of her face to connect with the hard cement that currently served as a 'floor'. She let out a wounded yelp. Half of her lower body still remained more or less on the mattress, one of her legs somehow tangled itself in the canopy fabric of the bed. She lay there in stunned silence, momentarily defeated.
"Look at that! The star performer even practices in her sleep... No wonder yer always so popular." A familiar voice snickers to her left. The chuckling continues as Larxene's gaze whips to the source of the noise.
Sitting on a box that has yet to be unpacked is Xigbar, the Circus' designated Escape Artist. Having absolutely no account for her privacy, there he sits, finishing the last few bites of an apple, and laughing at the tangled mess Larxene had gotten herself into. "Need help there, kid?"
Larxene visibly jumped. She was alone when she fell asleep, right? How long had he been sitting there? Pain coursed up the side of her head. "Don't even." She murmured. finding her nerve, she fought to pick herself up, cursing under her breath while doing so. Finally kicking her leg free, She fell the rest of the way to the ground. With a huff she sat up haphazardly, pulling the blanket to her chest. She stared at him for a few moments. Her eyes narrowed, She was sure a bruise had already begun to surface on her face. "Were….were you seriously watching me sleep?" She asked, seeming to recoil a little. keeping the blanket to her chest, she spoke again. "That's….incredibly creepy, you know that, right?"
Raising both hands defensively he speaks, "Woah there, Silkworm, slow yer roll. I only just got here." Tossing the apple core into the wastebasket across the room with precision, he chuckles again. "I was told to wake all of ya up bright and early. I came in here once, called yer name a few times, and continued on my way. After I made my rounds, I came back, and you were still sound asleep! You must have been dreamin' bout somethin' good... I envy ya..." With that, Xigbar folds his arms and leans his head against the wall looking exhausted, waiting for an explanation.
She ran her fingers through her hair, letting the information sink in. How long had she been asleep? Rising to her feet, the blanket around her fell to the ground. "Yeah well," She murmured, turning away from him for a moment to slip into a pair of grey bloomers. They came down a little lower than they should, given her height. They stopped just above her knees. "Your definition of good must be far different from mine." She spoke, a hint of exasperation in her tone. Larxene fidgeted with the strap of her turquoise bra before rolling her shoulder for a few minutes in silence. She bent down to pick up the slightly worn blanket, giving it a good shake before tossing it back on the bed. "What could you possibly envy me for?" She asked, giving him a sideways stare.
At this Xigbar smirks, not bothering to open his eyes, quite comfortable in his position. He yawns before replying, "I dunno, kid... I just assumed you had a nice dream.. Plus sleeping in sounds pretty nice if ya ask me."
Larxene let out a laugh. "What time is it, anyway?" She asked, finding a long-sleeved shirt strewn across the headboard of the bed. She tugged it on quickly and touched the side of her head, wincing a little. "I uh, wasn't really expecting to find anyone in here, otherwise I would have bothered to keep clothes on."
He stretches stiffly, looking slightly pained before getting to his feet. "Yeah sorry about that. Orders are orders though..." Turning to look at all the unpacked boxes he speaks again, "Need help settin' up fer tomorrow? Gotta get everythin' perfect... Cause Radiant Garden's a tough crowd."
Larxene rolled her eyes. "Of course Radiant Garden's a tough crowd. Everyone's so…stiff here." She was silent for a few seconds, shaking her head suddenly, closing the distance between them. A sly grin crept across her lips.
"You sure you're up to that, old man?" She asked, raising her eyebrows and jabbing him in the side.
Watching her carefully, he eyes her up and down before laughing softly. "Heh... I made my name in this damned town. Plus.. I don't need any flashy ribbons to do my job. It's all talent fer me." He folds his arms and raises an eyebrow, waiting for a sassy remark back.
"Ribbons?" Puh-lease. You think that doesn't take talent?" Larxene asked, arching an eyebrow. "But ya know, uh…" She eyed her nails nonchalantly for a moment before looking up at him, sarcasm thick in her voice. "With *your* ego, I'll bet they're false. You should change 'Escape' artist to 'Con' artist while you can." She nodded solemnly, patting the taller man on the shoulder, as if she were to console him. A snarky grin spread across her face.
Something changes in his expression after her comment. His gaze falls to the side, thinking hard about something for a moment before shaking his head and smiling widely. Throwing an arm around her shoulders he laughs and says, "I'm flattered, really, but there's no need to change the name. Bein' a con artist has always been my side job. Glad you noticed!"
She eyed him carefully, seeing the sudden change in expression on his face. Chewing on her tongue for a moment to ponder this, she decided not to ask. The sudden contact made her flinch a little, bringing her back to reality. "uh…" She murmured, finally snapping to attention. "Side job huh? Did that work out for you?" She asked, eyebrows raised. Larxene knew she probably shouldn't have opened her mouth about it. "I notice a lot of things, actually." She added, a hint of defensiveness could be heard in her voice.
"Hah! Do ya now? What is it that you notice then, Silkworm?" Xigbar pats her shoulder before breaking away from her and leaning on the box he was sitting on just before.
She took a step back. "Shyeah. Wouldn't youuuuu like to know." She brought her hand up to admire her nails confidently. "That's classified, couldn't tell a *con artist,* could I?" She added extra emphasis on that last sentence, sure to raise her eyebrows and put her hands up sarcastically as well.
Sitting down on the box again, he lets out a soft laugh and smirks at her, admiring her sharp comebacks. "Yer a smart girl. I should remember that more often..." Xigbar rests his head in his hands tiredly, not up for picking fights at the moment. It has been a long time since their last show, and it is starting to take its toll on some of the members of the Circus.
"Don't tell me your memory is going too, now." She teased, leaning in close. Larxene was quick to quiet down, recognizing *that* tired look. She straightened her posture, taking a moment to think. It was beginning to creep up on her as well, with the vivid nightmares. "You uh….You okay there…?"
Snapping his head to attention, trying hard to hide his pained lethargy he grins at her. "Heh... yeh... I'm peachy keen... But anyway, didja need any help with yer stage, or are ya all set?"
She narrowed her eyes at his immediate dismissal. "Riiight yeah okay.." She murmured, knowing that he could still probably hear her. "But I don't know, I don't want you to uh..hurt yourself, old man. How *is* your flexibility? Don't want you to like, throw out your hip, or something, you know?" She teased, not wanting to admit she appreciated the offer.
"Look kid, I aint that old. And secondly, I'm pretty flexible. Years of dodging axes and escaping tanks filled with water'll do it fer ya." He waves his hand, quickly getting annoyed with explaining himself. "I was jus offerin' ya a hand cause I'm already set. So if ya don't need me, I'll be heading off before the head honcho asks me to do anythin' else..." He stands up slowly, waiting for an answer.
She put her hands up and grinned. "I'm pretttttty sure I'd probably beat you in the flexibility department, but I digress." She said, somewhat quickly. "But, uh…" Larxene scratched the back of her head lazily. "Sorry to waste your time, Mister escape artist, but I'm all set." She shrugged her shoulders, sure not to break eye-contact at that statement. She realized after saying this that, he could in fact get into a form of trouble for idling this way for so long. The blonde went silent for a moment, trying to rationalize. To be fair, he did technically….wake her up, right? She narrowed her eyes, turning slowly to sit on the edge of the bed she slept on. He didn't really wake her, though. The cement did. She swore under her breath and fell back to lay flat against the bed in defeat.
"Heh... In that case, I'll be off. I'm gonna... disappear fer a while. Scope out the scenery, and maybe even pick a few street rats clean of their souls. Lord knows we need 'em more than they do..." He falls silent rubbing his neck at the thought. Turning to face her once again, he asks, "Speakin' of souls... how's yer necklace holdin' up? Luxord's broke recently, sooo..."
Her hand went to her throat gently, out of habit. Her train of thought began to de-rail to different things. Souls. Was *She* really worth joining? She couldn't even remember her name anymore. That girl was important to her *once* right? Important enough to take her place here. Why couldn't she remember her damn name then? Larxene's expression lowered into a glare for a few seconds. Her thumb ran over the small pendant attached to the choker around her neck and took a breath. "Xigbar." She stated, staring blankly at the ceiling of the tent. "You …had a family, didn't you? *someone* out there?" She asked, not giving him time to respond. "Do you remember their names?" His last sentence rang in her ears, causing her stomach to sink. She didn't want to ask how *that* happened. And she didn't want to know the consequence.
"A family? PAHAHA... As if. You know me more than most of the people at this circus and yer still askin' me that? I mean come on... who could deal with this face fer more than a week?" A grin is pasted on Xigbar's face. He watches her staring at the top of her canopy, wondering why she asked the question so suddenly. Trying to keep his mind away from the thought of a normal life he asks again, "Welllll I guess since ya didn't answer my question, it seems to me that everythin' is ok with yer necklace?"
She propped herself up on her elbows, unimpressed. She knew she wouldn't get very far with a question like that, but she asked anyway. He was dodging. "My necklace is fine." She stated. Larxene knew she probably shouldn't press the subject, but… She couldn't be the only one in this situation, right? She chewed her tongue for a moment, opting to fall flat again. "I answered your question, didn't I?" She asked, running a hand through her hair. "You have…." She paused, narrowing her eyes. there isn't really a 'good' way of putting it. "Do you remember their names?" She asked again. If she really *did* know him better than most people, why wouldn't this come up sooner? She didn't want to know. She visibly shook her head at the thought. "I can respect your reasoning for not telling me, alright?" She refused to move her stare from the canopy. The glare on her face seemed like it could burn a hole through the tent itself. "But do you remember their names, or not?" She didn't care to *know* what they were, she just had to know she wasn't alone in this.
Xigbar's voice loses all sense of arrogance that it once had. It sounds completely foreign to Larxene, for complete seriousness is hard to come by with the Escape Artist. "There are no names... I-I've been alone fer longer than I can remember..." After saying this, he looks away, shuffling his feet and staggering a bit. After a few moments he lets out a low growl and turns to leave. "My limbs are startin' to go numb... I need to go. If anyone asks, tell 'em you haven't seen me." He waves over his shoulder, and quickly leaves the tent.
Larxene fell silent for a few moments, lost in thought yet again. His first sentence rang in her head. Completely alone? He's gotta be lying... She sighed. "You and me both, pal. You and me both." She mumbled, choosing not to press the subject further. She rubbed her eyes with the palms of her hands. She wanted to wish him luck, but didn't have it in her to say so. He left. She let out long, exasperated sigh. "of course." She nodded. "I haven't seen you. I'm actually very busy staring at….uh.." She made a vague gesture to the canopy. "this."