Temporary

Circus of The Supernatural

@EchoicChamber Sorry it took a little bit to read, I was dealing with the madness of another RP. You're good on my end as well.

Circus of The Supernatural

@eclecticwitch@Sightseer Don't know if you've seen the Discord link, but here it is just in case: Link

Circus of The Supernatural

~ Reverence Notation ~

The world burns. A boy lays, curled beneath a tree black with ash, bedecked in the stench of smouldering wood. Despite the raging fires around him, beneath a patchwork sleeping bag he still wears the clothes from the previous day - casual, blackened in places and scarred in others where repairs were haphazard and little could be done to save them.

Beside him sleeps another boy, in a similar, if not worse off bag. Blonde hair pokes from the hood of the vessel, in stark contrast to the ash coating them. It's been hours. Crackling and snapping twigs keep them up though they try and sleep, but nothing seems to work. Every inch around them is grey with the mark of the inferno. A sign, he thought. They found each other in devastation and survived, despite everything surrounding them.

He was visiting a Carnival that had come to town. He met a fascinating boy - the one sleeping beside him - who could make him see all kinds of wondrous things without so much as a snap of his fingers, and his adolescent mind fell in love with the act. Whatever the trick was, he couldn't even bring himself to wonder lest he ruin the majesty. That boy was skilful, and that was all that mattered.

But things went wrong, somehow, somewhere. His parents vanished, leaving him stranded, off to the side in the heart of the Carnival as the tents and attraction burnt. Smoke rose high into the night sky around him, screams and cries echoing in his ears. He couldn't do anything. Every muscle in his body tensed, rendering him paralysed in fear, licked by the heat of the raging inferno obscuring his view of an exit.

And then he came - that blonde haired boy, dressed exactly the same as he was the last time they met; in his tent, watching a miraculous and new world. In the flaming landscape, he felt like the only thing that hadn't changed.
"Come with me, 'kay?" and so he did. They ran to the edge of the Carnival, where the flames were yet to reach. They gathered two sleeping bags from a storage space, and a number of supplies for their journey. Despite the fire he felt at peace, at ease, and at rest, despite the coursing adrenaline that wracked his body in nervous fear and excitement.

And then they were there, under the tree, beneath sleeping bags still fully dressed not for lack of heat but for want to escape quickly should the fires encroach. Maybe they knew that they wouldn't be able to sleep, or maybe the universe fated it to be as such. But amidst the snapping of branches and the crackling of burning trees an earsplitting sound rocked the forest, forcing them both upright in renewed fear.

~ And then everything died. ~

Jay sat behind his table, staring listlessly at the roof of his little corner of the Circus. People seldom visited him, even on the best and busiest of days. Who's idea was it to give him such an isolated tent!? Nobody was going to find him there! He was bored, and sulking. There was so little to do, he'd barely kept up with even the passage of time. He couldn't even tell if there were still guests about the place.

So he was passing the time as any meddler of the mind would. He was causing himself to hallucinate. It was a fun way to kill time, especially in severe boredom. It took discipline to not move in the midst of the dreams, but once one had mastered the art it was easy to lose yourself in an entirely fictional world, even better than the Virtual Reality Headsets that had become so common place in the modern era. He could go anywhere, and practically do anything.

But the time for dreaming was over. He was bored even of that now. Come tomorrow, he'd be enthused once again with a passion for the Silver Dreams, but that would be another day, and not today; he needed something to renew his vigour, his drive, and most importantly, his mood. And there was little better than a visit to his favourite place.

He was dressed, but the outfit wasn't complete. A mirror was hung behind him, slightly to the right, but he didn't even need it to determine what was wrong with his countenance. His hands ruffled quickly through the piles of pure stuff discarded within his tent until he came across his prize - the final coat of icing atop his attire.

With that spark of excitement glittering in his chest. Jay took off from his tent and into the Carnival. If there were people around him, he barely took notice, for he had a quest, and a destination! None could stop him from obtaining the experience that would lie at the end of the quest-line - those that attempted would receive swift punishment. Death would seldom suffice for those sinne-

"Hello Master!" he exclaimed, a pair of bright black and pink cat ears bobbing atop his head as he ran towards a certain someone, "I saw some birdies on the way, are you calling everyone to a meeting?!" each word he said was punctuated with an ever spreading pout, "No faiiiiiiirrrrrrr, I wanted you to myself tonight..."

The next second he spun on an axis, instantly rotating to face towards the rest of the Carnival, and more importantly, the general direction of the other members, his arms outstretched like a small child mimicking an aeroplane.
"Do you think they're all gonna come?! I hope they do! I'm still jealous buuuuuuuut, team meetings are fun, so I forgive you, Master! I wanna see Light, and Toby... and everyone, really! Ehehehe~!"

Fate/Factitious Paradigm

~ Truly Fantastic ~

Perhaps staying up until the early hours of the morning could be seen as a bad decision. This was a war, and one needed to prepare, but arriving on the day of its commendation had set the Whitehall Masters back a certain degree in contrast to those both native and with the foresight to arrive early. To that end, there was much work to be done in fortifying the Temple grounds, as well as setting up her Workshop. Likely it would take a while longer to finish, but it was on its way towards completion.

The other half of Serafina's evening had been spent scouting. While her sister went off to gauge some of the other, nearby Servants, Sera made her way around Miyama, investigating the different districts to some degree in the hopes of uncovering some more opponents. And find some she did. There weren't just several Masters and Servants in Miyama that night, but through her investigating she identified some traces of Workshops either constructed or being constructed. Already, hung from the wall of their room in the Temple, was a map she had laid out detailing the locations of those Workshops.

While the negotiations at last nights meetings hadn't gone quite as she had planned, there was a certain part of her that was glad things hadn't devolved into a fight. As confident as she was that they could beat that Lancer, there was a degree of uncertainty in a place so fortified with Runes. What was necessary now, though, was cooperation. As far as she was aware, Reiki had her familiars all across the city, as evidenced by the way she was approached so abruptly last night. She'd just need to flag down one of the squads of worms and relay the information.

It was a little while after daybreak. The exhaustion of travel, along with the work performed at the late hour of the morning had eventually forced Sera to sleep for a short while, though barely enough time to be called a proper rest; she was up and moving not two hours after falling unconscious, ready to head out, with the sun steadily rising over a new day of the War. With Berserker at her side, she readied herself to leave.

But she didn't get very far, not even past the Gate of the Temple. Stood at the entrance was a shadowy form. One sera didn't recognise from her scouting.
"Can I help you?" she said, cautiously, taking a step forward towards the figure, with Ajax flanking, looming over the two like a bear, "You're not corporeal, are you? Are you a product of Magecraft the-"

Her voice trailed off as she caught glimpse of the horizon, and in turn city, below. Smoke was rising from the distance, and a lot of it. If this was a fight, they were making a mess of the city, but the spread of what appeared to be fire was too large for it to be caused by a fight. Somebody had set part of the city alight.
"That's not good..." her gaze turned back to the figure, "Is that why you're here? Great..." a hand raised to run through her hair, turning back towards the Temple, "Not even two days in and somebodies burning down the city, that's... fantastic, truly. Sorry, what is it you need?"

@Red Alice

Circus of The Supernatural

@Archmage MC Eh, that’s fair. I’ve just viewed the Compulsion section as a way to create more interesting interactions via character quirks since I read the template, so maybe it’s just personal preference on my end XD

Regardless, I think the majority of the points would still stand even if you went into it without my view of the Compulsions.

Circus of The Supernatural

@CrazyFennec

The powers of the Contract come with an RP cost, a compulsion, such as "I cannot tell a lie, not even a kind one" or "I cannot give in to fear or terror." Breaking this compulsion means your character will be expelled from the Circus forevermore. Be creative with this. I look forward to seeing what you come up with!

Character Template

Having the Compulsion of “He must drain the heat form every living creature he comes in contact with” would be both an incredibly strict, and incredibly dangerous Compulsion. Any prolonged encounter with the Cast, specifically in times of combat, could easily prove fatal.

The point of a Compulsion is to provide characterisation, and to force your character into doing things their personality might not otherwise allow them to. It allows for unique interactions and encounters - which is why it is recommended to be creative with it. You needn’t have your Compulsion even relate to your ability - most of us haven’t. Sure, your current idea could do that, but it could also limit your chances for interaction, and that’s something I’d like to avoid if possible.

What you have there is a negative side to your ability, rather than a Compulsion. If you want to keep that Trait for your character, go right ahead, but we’re going to need a proper Compulsion for them before they can be accepted.

If I could make a recommendation, finish the rest of your sheet first. Work on your Audition and Backstory. You might suddenly have an idea for your Compulsion while doing so. It took me a while to come up with my Compulsion. I’d also recommend taking a look through the already accepted sheets and see what Compulsions we have, to give yourself some more insight on what you should be aiming for.

Circus of The Supernatural

@CrazyFennec Oooooh, right, your Compulsion. Every character has to have a Compulsion as a part of their Contract with the Circus - it's up to you what you want it to be. Losing the ability to read books is Auguste's Compulsion.

Circus of The Supernatural

@CrazyFennec A passive curse? How do you mean? As in, you want your ability to be constantly active?

Circus of The Supernatural

The Ringmaster's Pet

True Name: Take a look in the mirror, what do you see?

Jay Alvarez

Stage Name:

The Ringmaster's Pet

Appearance:

A short boy, of about five foot two, boasting odd, red eyes and short, blond hair, either natural or dyed. He sports a fair, if not pale, complexion, and a slim figure, though the validity of his appearance is up in the air. Thanks to the nature of his role in the Circus, he doesn't find himself needing to wear any specialised or specific outfits, and thus is typically seen running around wearing casual clothing of varying colours and styles, and a new pair of animal ears everyday. The times when his stall is running, though, are the only real times he dresses anywhere near properly, and thus is often seen in a shirt, tie, sweater and blazer, in an attempt to give himself a more formal look.

A world on fire, as plain as can be.
The Date they Joined the Circus:

Jay is something of a new addition, having only done so in the last fifty years. The official date his contract commenced was the 14th of April, 1972.

Act:

The nature of the Circus is one to appear one day and vanish the next. To deal with the workload that is moving such a large operation, Jay can almost be called indispensable - because what Circus is complete without animals? Despite being most uncommon in the modern era to utilise a variety of exotic creatures in shows, Jay makes it entirely possible, without the need to even have said creatures to begin with. Most shows involving animals of a large size will have him directly involved, effectively making him the "Beastmaster" of the Circus, although he prefers to think of himself as the Ringmaster's Pet. Not of all of the creatures in the Circus are imaginary, though - we're looking at you Snek Boi - but for the most part, their entire stock of animals is completely illusory. Do you like that sound, as the rain begins to patter?

Power:

A tried and true Illusionist, Jay's power as bestowed upon him by the contract is one to meddle with the mind. This ability allows him to alter the senses of those around him, enabling complete control over what they see, hear, taste, feel and smell, though he primarily utilises the former two. It is this ability that allows him to act as the Beastmaster of the Circus - he can conjure creatures within the minds of the audience, and even his fellow performers, to give them a fantastic show, without much effort on anyone's part, nor breaking any guidelines on the keeping of animals.

Compulsion:

Jay is under the compulsion of "You must follow your duty whatever the cost." While it sounds to be a simple command, it observes many criteria. His "Duty" may change at any time, and therefore he must constantly be aware of what it is, and follow it without hesitation. If his duty is to slay a Daemon, he must do so no matter what; if his duty is to survive a battle, he must do so - even if that means leaving behind one of his fellows; if his duty was to ensure the survival of the team, nothing could get in his way to do so. At its heart, it is a compulsion that any man should follow anyway, but the extents to which it may force him to go leave him as a potential liability, or even danger, in the field of combat.

Why they Joined the Circus:

A once lost boy. A once abandoned boy. A once abused boy. There are many ways to interpret the story of his arrival. Once upon a time, he was offered a position. The person he met that day was so wonderful. They had a radiance to them unmatched by anything he had seen in the short life he had lived up unto that point. He wanted to touch it, and take hold of it, and relish in that radiance. That person didn't need to offer him anything, and he merely took the powers as a formality of the contract. He could tell, from the word go, this was where he belonged, in the light of that man. A once abused boy. A once abandoned boy. A once lost boy. A once lonely boy, given new life.

Biography:

Sometimes, people get hurt. Pain is a natural thing in day to day life; one experiences it day in, day out, but nobody ever gets used to it. Through millions of years of evolution, it has been drilled into the brain to flee when pain becomes too much. When the body is in danger, it will attempt to retreat. Nobody wants to be in danger. Sometimes, people stand and face their pain, and the thing that puts them in danger. But that can put a person in even more danger than they were in before.

For a child, even running away from pain can be difficult. Especially when they have been educated not to. You mustn't run off, you mustn't leave our side. But he managed it. He escaped, but then where would he go? Without a home he had nowhere. There wasn't a single place that was safe, not if there was a chance that they could find him there. And so he did the next best thing, and took off in a direction, hoping at least to find somewhere where someone would be willing to help.

And find someone who could help he did, but not in the natural sense of the word. For he found him. That man, that beautiful man, full of radiance and light and wonder. From the moment he met him, the world began to feel right again. And then he offered him a contract, to join their troop and combat the world's evils, as a group. What possessed him to do so, he wasn't sure; maybe it was his appearance, or maybe he saw something inside of him. But he was willing to help him, to give him a place to belong. He couldn't say no. For when the storm comes, every mirror will shatter.

Connections:

Jay is often considered the "Wildcard" of the group, partly in thanks to his personality, and partly thanks to his Compulsion. He is lively, energetic, and has a hard time doing nothing at all. As a recent addition, he isn't the most familiar in combat yet, and thus can be seen as a liability to the group on combat excursions, although he never lets their opinions prevent his from joining in and having fun. His inability to take situations seriously can occasionally draw the ire of his fellows, and he is quite a handful regardless, but nobody can say that he isn't fun to be around.

His relationship with the Ringmaster would likely be the most notable, the first point of which being that he often refers to himself as their Pet. He looks up to them like some kind of God, or another variant important figure, and attempts to be by their side whenever he can be. While the reverence he holds them in may not be unfounded, it can come across as slightly odd considering the degree of the obsession.

Audition:

Deep in the heart of the Carnival, tucked off to the side of the bustle as though it were a secret, uncharted area of the festivities, resides a lone stall, a rarity even among the troupe itself. With much of his time spent dealing with the main show, to see his corner of paradise set up was an unexpected thing indeed. He wasn’t one to do isolated shows like the one that would be held inside.

Behind the curtained entrance and tent walls of the stand, isolated from the outside world, a single band of people stand, overlooking a small table, with a short boy, bearing bright blonde hair, smiling gaily towards them. His demeanour evidenced that his establishment received few customers; his joy towards the chance to entertain people was closer to a small child on Christmas morning that a worker of a Carnival. The group almost turned tail and left, in pursuit of better and more interesting attractions to partake in.

”Wait waitwaitwait! I wanna show you something cool!” His voice echoed out through the tent, causing the group to look back towards him. With their attention on him, he pulled a hat from beneath his table, and like any ordinary and commonplace magician, pulled from out within a dove. That was the final straw. Clearly, the little boy was merely given a place on the Carnival to entertain his fascinations and delusions of being a magician. Who knew, perhaps he was the child of one of the Carnivals owners? Whatever the reasons for his stalls existence, his act was nothing to be interested or impressed by. There would be more fascinating stalls just around the corner.

But that was the trap he had laid.
”It’s not nice just walk away from someone.” his voice echoed around the room, just as the man in front went to push aside the curtains. Except there were no curtains. His hand brushed against cold stone. Slowly, his audience turned back, to find the barrier that was the table between them had vanished. Instinctively, they each took a step back. And then he had them.

With a flourish, he reached into the air, and gripped it as though clutching a handle. Their eyes settled upon his fist intently, as he drew it across the air, as though removing a blade from its scabbard for combat. But that was impossible, right? First the handle began to appear, and then the guard, and then the blade, glinting from the candle light making up the tents illumination. Their eyes were ablaze with a kind of fear only observed within those trapped, and facing death. The kind of fear only humans could display, as their eyes flicked across the air to watch the blade be pulled from nowhere. He gave a practice swing, simply for emphasis, and carved The top from one of the candles - letting it slide down with the hot wax to land against the fabric of the tent.

”Run.” his speech was cold, closer to ice than true sound, and in their panic the group turned towards the curtain and attempted to push their way through, only to fall out onto dirt. Their eyes fell of the Carnival they had just left, mere moments ago, only to find it deserted - no people, no light. An empty, desolate, and ruined stretch of land, comprised of burned and tattered tents, and churned up soil, the stench of death permeating the skeletal ruins of "fun". Trees had been toppled onto varying structures, and the remnants of a fight still lingered in the long abandoned waste.

And then it vanished. The world they stood in, the things they had seen, it was all gone. The blonde haired boy sat smiling behind a table, just as a dove flew past their heads, and out the cloth curtains behind them into the night air. The sounds of a lively Carnival resonated within their eardrums. One by one they staggered out from the small tent, which sat in the heart of the Carnival yet off to the edge in a strange way; they didn’t bothering to ask the boy what had happened nor how it was done. They simply left, bewildered and afraid, with an experience in their hearts that they could never come to forget.

Circus of The Supernatural

Taking the hundredth post for my own character.

The Ringmaster's Pet

True Name: Take a look in the mirror, what do you see?

Jay Alvarez

Stage Name:

The Ringmaster's Pet

Appearance:

A short boy, of about five foot two, boasting odd, red eyes and short, blond hair, either natural or dyed. He sports a fair, if not pale, complexion, and a slim figure, though the validity of his appearance is up in the air. Thanks to the nature of his role in the Circus, he doesn't find himself needing to wear any specialised or specific outfits, and thus is typically seen running around wearing casual clothing of varying colours and styles, and a new pair of animal ears everyday. The times when his stall is running, though, are the only real times he dresses anywhere near properly, and thus is often seen in a shirt, tie, sweater and blazer, in an attempt to give himself a more formal look.

A world on fire, as plain as can be.
The Date they Joined the Circus:

Jay is something of a new addition, having only done so in the last fifty years. The official date his contract commenced was the 14th of April, 1972.

Act:

The nature of the Circus is one to appear one day and vanish the next. To deal with the workload that is moving such a large operation, Jay can almost be called indispensable - because what Circus is complete without animals? Despite being most uncommon in the modern era to utilise a variety of exotic creatures in shows, Jay makes it entirely possible, without the need to even have said creatures to begin with. Most shows involving animals of a large size will have him directly involved, effectively making him the "Beastmaster" of the Circus, although he prefers to think of himself as the Ringmaster's Pet. Not of all of the creatures in the Circus are imaginary, though - we're looking at you Snek Boi - but for the most part, their entire stock of animals is completely illusory. Do you like that sound, as the rain begins to patter?

Power:

A tried and true Illusionist, Jay's power as bestowed upon him by the contract is one to meddle with the mind. This ability allows him to alter the senses of those around him, enabling complete control over what they see, hear, taste, feel and smell, though he primarily utilises the former two. It is this ability that allows him to act as the Beastmaster of the Circus - he can conjure creatures within the minds of the audience, and even his fellow performers, to give them a fantastic show, without much effort on anyone's part, nor breaking any guidelines on the keeping of animals.

Compulsion:

Jay is under the compulsion of "You must follow your duty whatever the cost." While it sounds to be a simple command, it observes many criteria. His "Duty" may change at any time, and therefore he must constantly be aware of what it is, and follow it without hesitation. If his duty is to slay a Daemon, he must do so no matter what; if his duty is to survive a battle, he must do so - even if that means leaving behind one of his fellows; if his duty was to ensure the survival of the team, nothing could get in his way to do so. At its heart, it is a compulsion that any man should follow anyway, but the extents to which it may force him to go leave him as a potential liability, or even danger, in the field of combat.

Why they Joined the Circus:

A once lost boy. A once abandoned boy. A once abused boy. There are many ways to interpret the story of his arrival. Once upon a time, he was offered a position. The person he met that day was so wonderful. They had a radiance to them unmatched by anything he had seen in the short life he had lived up unto that point. He wanted to touch it, and take hold of it, and relish in that radiance. That person didn't need to offer him anything, and he merely took the powers as a formality of the contract. He could tell, from the word go, this was where he belonged, in the light of that man. A once abused boy. A once abandoned boy. A once lost boy. A once lonely boy, given new life.

Biography:

Sometimes, people get hurt. Pain is a natural thing in day to day life; one experiences it day in, day out, but nobody ever gets used to it. Through millions of years of evolution, it has been drilled into the brain to flee when pain becomes too much. When the body is in danger, it will attempt to retreat. Nobody wants to be in danger. Sometimes, people stand and face their pain, and the thing that puts them in danger. But that can put a person in even more danger than they were in before.

For a child, even running away from pain can be difficult. Especially when they have been educated not to. You mustn't run off, you mustn't leave our side. But he managed it. He escaped, but then where would he go? Without a home he had nowhere. There wasn't a single place that was safe, not if there was a chance that they could find him there. And so he did the next best thing, and took off in a direction, hoping at least to find somewhere where someone would be willing to help.

And find someone who could help he did, but not in the natural sense of the word. For he found him. That man, that beautiful man, full of radiance and light and wonder. From the moment he met him, the world began to feel right again. And then he offered him a contract, to join their troop and combat the world's evils, as a group. What possessed him to do so, he wasn't sure; maybe it was his appearance, or maybe he saw something inside of him. But he was willing to help him, to give him a place to belong. He couldn't say no. For when the storm comes, every mirror will shatter.

Connections:

Jay is often considered the "Wildcard" of the group, partly in thanks to his personality, and partly thanks to his Compulsion. He is lively, energetic, and has a hard time doing nothing at all. As a recent addition, he isn't the most familiar in combat yet, and thus can be seen as a liability to the group on combat excursions, although he never lets their opinions prevent his from joining in and having fun. His inability to take situations seriously can occasionally draw the ire of his fellows, and he is quite a handful regardless, but nobody can say that he isn't fun to be around.

His relationship with the Ringmaster would likely be the most notable, the first point of which being that he often refers to himself as their Pet. He looks up to them like some kind of God, or another variant important figure, and attempts to be by their side whenever he can be. While the reverence he holds them in may not be unfounded, it can come across as slightly odd considering the degree of the obsession.

Audition:

Deep in the heart of the Carnival, tucked off to the side of the bustle as though it were a secret, uncharted area of the festivities, resides a lone stall, a rarity even among the troupe itself. With much of his time spent dealing with the main show, to see his corner of paradise set up was an unexpected thing indeed. He wasn’t one to do isolated shows like the one that would be held inside.

Behind the curtained entrance and tent walls of the stand, isolated from the outside world, a single band of people stand, overlooking a small table, with a short boy, bearing bright blonde hair, smiling gaily towards them. His demeanour evidenced that his establishment received few customers; his joy towards the chance to entertain people was closer to a small child on Christmas morning that a worker of a Carnival. The group almost turned tail and left, in pursuit of better and more interesting attractions to partake in.

”Wait waitwaitwait! I wanna show you something cool!” His voice echoed out through the tent, causing the group to look back towards him. With their attention on him, he pulled a hat from beneath his table, and like any ordinary and commonplace magician, pulled from out within a dove. That was the final straw. Clearly, the little boy was merely given a place on the Carnival to entertain his fascinations and delusions of being a magician. Who knew, perhaps he was the child of one of the Carnivals owners? Whatever the reasons for his stalls existence, his act was nothing to be interested or impressed by. There would be more fascinating stalls just around the corner.

But that was the trap he had laid.
”It’s not nice just walk away from someone.” his voice echoed around the room, just as the man in front went to push aside the curtains. Except there were no curtains. His hand brushed against cold stone. Slowly, his audience turned back, to find the barrier that was the table between them had vanished. Instinctively, they each took a step back. And then he had them.

With a flourish, he reached into the air, and gripped it as though clutching a handle. Their eyes settled upon his fist intently, as he drew it across the air, as though removing a blade from its scabbard for combat. But that was impossible, right? First the handle began to appear, and then the guard, and then the blade, glinting from the candle light making up the tents illumination. Their eyes were ablaze with a kind of fear only observed within those trapped, and facing death. The kind of fear only humans could display, as their eyes flicked across the air to watch the blade be pulled from nowhere. He gave a practice swing, simply for emphasis, and carved The top from one of the candles - letting it slide down with the hot wax to land against the fabric of the tent.

”Run.” his speech was cold, closer to ice than true sound, and in their panic the group turned towards the curtain and attempted to push their way through, only to fall out onto dirt. Their eyes fell of the Carnival they had just left, mere moments ago, only to find it deserted - no people, no light. An empty, desolate, and ruined stretch of land, comprised of burned and tattered tents, and churned up soil, the stench of death permeating the skeletal ruins of "fun". Trees had been toppled onto varying structures, and the remnants of a fight still lingered in the long abandoned waste.

And then it vanished. The world they stood in, the things they had seen, it was all gone. The blonde haired boy sat smiling behind a table, just as a dove flew past their heads, and out the cloth curtains behind them into the night air. The sounds of a lively Carnival resonated within their eardrums. One by one they staggered out from the small tent, which sat in the heart of the Carnival yet off to the edge in a strange way; they didn’t bothering to ask the boy what had happened nor how it was done. They simply left, bewildered and afraid, with an experience in their hearts that they could never come to forget.