Test Drive #1 - London, England, Earth 1845

[thegreatestlittlemod]

The last few days of a stop are always either the slowest, or the busiest. The gray days of London in the autumn don't seem to be helping this to be the busiest, with rain driving customers away.

There are still some customers jogging between tents and ducking under game awnings, using coats and hats to try and keep the water off, but tips are few and far between, and a lot of audiences are empty, leaving performers sitting and waiting, or ducking into each other's shows to watch or just say hi, and those on the game alley shouting across the aisle at each other. Food vendors move up and down the aisle and tents with hot cocoa and kebobs to keep people warm.

A few people are out in the city proper running errands for themselves, each other, or the Ringmaster, often in pairs. Maybe the goal is to find six spools of ribbon in one exact color, or to capture a whole bowl full of raindrops from under a specific shop sign, or to replace some pants you tore in your last show. Whatever it is, you're down to the last day to find it.

Are you determined to put on a show despite having an audience of five? Are you chatting with your fellow carnies, bored with the slow day and wondering where you're going next? Are you seeking out something strange and confusing in jolly old London with a friend?

Or are you determined to enjoy the circus on its last day in your city, not expecting a surprise in store for you when it starts to pack up its doors tomorrow?

Comments

Flea Circus

[unofficial_ambassador]

When last days are sparsely attended like this, it's a great opportunity to watch the newer acts in a real show environment. In the low lighting and regular civilian dress she even blends in a bit.

Inara has been with this circus long enough to consider herself a bit jaded, but still finds herself captivated by the act, and her applause at the end is genuine.

Once the small crowd has cleared, she approaches the girl - Taylor, she thinks - to congratulate her on a job well done. She may or may not appreciate it, being both young and new, but that's fine.

“I had not realized an insect show could be so lively.”

Re: Flea Circus

[skitter]

Taylor glances at her, but looks back at the last few departing guests before saying anything, and closes the tent flap behind them.

"I'm still working on it." She scoops up the large spider that still lurks atop the closed dollhouse, and drops it inside through a little hatch, followed by the beetles from her hair and collar. "Not much of a story-teller. It'd be a lot easier if they could talk."

The dark clothes make her look a little older, but when she talks, it's plain she's still just a teenager, and her r's are soft with a Maine accent.

[unofficial_ambassador]

“Maybe so, but it would certainly make things noisy in the wagon.” There are a lot of insects.

Though maybe this girl is used to that - she's young enough that on many worlds she’d still be in school.

“Dorian - the blue musician - may be able to score some backing music for you if that would help.”

[skitter]

And the ones currently boxed up in the dollhouse aren't even the half of it. "I'll ask him - I'm basically just humming stuff I remember through the crickets." There was definitely a little Andrew Lloyd Webber to it.

"Any suggestions for the tight-rope act?"

[unofficial_ambassador]

“Hm. Hoops or rings might be exciting, if they can hold them. Or a fall, if you're going for drama.” Inara has a few trick falls in her arsenal, but an ant can fall significantly farther than she can with no consequences.