Story ExcerptIt was just before dusk. The sky was darkening, the shadows deepening. The sun’s last rays of feeble orange light, reflections shimmering on the top of the water, were quickly fading. Down below, in the grungy streets of an underwater city, the surrounding pale cyan turned to a darker navy blue. Here and there, a few lights came up, in the small homes positioned along the roads, little spots of yellow amidst the clouds of dark water.
Inside a small tavern, there were a handful of mer-people and a few other aquatic creatures. They gathered around tables, toasting to each other and laughing raucously. The door was propped open, and outside people passed by on the streets, headed home from wherever they went during the day.
A few yards from said open door, a small figure hovered on the grimy street. Nearby, resting on a small pile of stone rubble, there was a raggedy sack, and laid out on the edge of the street was a little tin, which contained a little collection of coins.
The person’s front part was the head and chest and forelegs of a horse. The back was the tail of a large fish or porpoise. The features were feminine, and the body rather slender- almost scrawny, it seemed, perhaps from lack of proper nutrition.
Her base color was a pale rosy pink, and her tail and mane ranging from purple to pink and back. There were several strange markings and designs across her body- some tattoos or decorations. She also sported a few pieces of jewelry, or what looked to be jewelry, and yet hung in odd ways, never touching her skin. A few rings around one ankle, and around the other, an odd bracelet of little purple beads that almost resembled bubbles, and acted much like they had no weight, attached to each other by some invisible means. There were similar rings around the base of her tail as well.
The young peophin, for now it was obvious that was what she was, was doing something very odd indeed. She had a third ring, this one not part of her accessories. She would twirl around in a circle with it rotating around her tail, and flip it up above her, to catch it around one leg, and keep his spinning. Then, repeat this, and swirl it around to her other leg.
After a while she added another, and then a third ring, continuing in a choreographed pattern, almost doing a little dance with the rings. It was actually rather entertaining to watch, with the occasional flip or twist of her body.
A few passersby would stop to watch, and one or two might toss a coin into the tin. If this happened, she would pause, and give a flourishing bow, and a crooked grin.
As the last of the light disappeared from the surrounding blue, the streets cleared, and with no more audience, and the peophin finally had to give up her act. She put away her rings, and went to pick up the tin, rattling it around and peering inside.
“Mm... Just enough for supper.” She shook out the handful of coins, and grabbed her small pack, making her way into the tavern.
Lively sounds and smells and colors met her senses, and she paused in the doorway, glancing around. The smell of that night’s supper wafted through from the kitchens, and from a few of the tables around her as well. The light was dim, but warm and welcoming. Most of the faces she could pick out of the gloom were somewhat dreary and exhausted, but none of them looked too particularly upset. The mood was content, pleasant, with even a little dirty joking- laughter echoed around the room from time to time.
The peophin made her way forward, weaving in between the clumps of diners to the bar, where she leaned up, splaying out her evening’s earnings on the wood. The bartender looked up, and recognized her immediately.
“Aye, Zrya, hope you ‘avn’t been busking outside my tavern again? Distracting my paying customers, eh?” His words were accusing, but the twinkle in his squinted eyes, and the light, teasing growl in his tone showed he wasn’t too serious about it.
Zrya, for that was what she was called, gave him an innocent smile. “I’ve only been earning an honest living,” she replied, eyes wide. Then her expression changed completely, and she added in a tart voice, “Now get me some grub. I’m starved!”
The bartender chuckled, and went off to do as she said, collecting the coins as he swept past the table.
Zry leaned back, gaze wandering across the busy, rather packed full room. She saw that now, when potential costumers happened to wander by on the street, and peek in through the grimy windows, they would just keep walking, judging that it was too crowded already. She was probably one of the last to dare come in this late in the evening.
“Here ye are,” rumbled the bartender, sliding her meal up on a small plate. “Thank ye fer yer business and whatnot. Enjoy.” He ambled off, leaving her to it.
About a quarter hour later, the dark was really setting in, making the outside world seem black and cold compared to the warm little pocket of light in which they all huddled. Zrya was just settling back against the long bar, prepared to wait out the night- or at least until it was time for closing, and she would be kicked out. She once again just stared aimlessly around the room, feeling a little drowsy, with her tummy full and her body warm and settled in a comfortable seat.
Then came something that sparked her interest, making her perk her ears a bit. A flicker of movement in the black outside, and then the door opened, letting in a cloaked stranger. Most of the customers were too busy with their own conversations to pay any attention to the latecomer, and whoever it was slipped by unnoticed, making their way to the bar.
Zrya’s eyes followed them as they came up beside her. A quiet voice asked something of the bartender, and he agreed, hurrying off to heed the stranger’s request. The cloaked figure took the space next to Zrya, and then two large eyes shifted toward her, twisting the head and then the whole body until they faced the peophin. “Hello,” murmured the same whispery voice.
“Um... Hi?” Zrya’s eyebrow arched curiously as she eyed the person next to her. “Can I help you...?”
“Actually, yes. You are the reason I’m here.” The stranger slid the hood down off their head, revealing a young, feminine, aquatic face of a mer-person. The wide eyes blinked, and a bright smile broke out over the girl’s face. “But please, let me explain first. You see, I am part of a traveling circus- Cirque du Étoile. A trainer, and also a choreographer of sorts.” She paused, gathering her thoughts.
“One of our performers was passing through a market earlier today, and happened to stop long enough to see your routine. It just so happens that the thing you do- we call it ‘hoop dancing’- is actually as much a part of some circuses as acrobatics or fire dance.” Another quiet moment, as she picked her next words. “Our ringmaster is very particular about his performers. Only the most talented artists may join his circus. Apparently, there was something about what he heard of you that he liked. He sent me to invite you to join us.”
The circus performer fell quiet, searching Zrya’s face for her reaction. For a good few seconds, the peophin’s expression was blank, as she soaked in all this information. “I... see,” she murmured finally, brow creasing slightly as she pondered.
“So... Are you interested?” The mer-woman was hesitant, as if she didn’t dare let a bit of her hopefulness seep through in her tone. Zrya was quiet for a moment more, and then her eyes refocused, face smoothing out as she looked up. Slowly, she began to nod.
“Oh, wonderful!” Another smile appeared on the performer’s face, and her eyes lit up. Zrya couldn’t help but give a little smile in return. She was slowly beginning to realize what a wonderful opportunity this could be for her. A chance to really refine her talents, put them to use, entertain as she had always wanted, for large amounts of people. To give them a bit of the joy she felt when she was dancing about, moving her body, smiling, laughing, expressing.
Yes, this was a very good thing indeed.
Character PersonalityAt first, she comes across as rather cocky, with maybe a hint of an attitude. She has been known to have a sharp tongue, giving quick comebacks and the occasional snide comment. But she really means well, and is usually only joking when she teases and taunts.
Zry is a confident person, in general. She just seems... sure of herself, and of the world around her, even if someone else tries to bring her down. She knows what she expects of herself, and what others expect of her, and she only tries to do what she’s capable. She won’t push herself too far, just to prove a point. And even if someone tries to make a fool of her, it rarely works, because she won’t fall for baiting words. She only really listens to people who’s opinions really matter.
Of course, this can come over as her attitude, again, and it might seem she’s just ignoring you. But she won’t do it on purpose. She’s really actually rather nice, to her friends. She can be encouraging and supportive, with her seemingly certain and bold spirit.
The other most important thing about her is her love for... well, laughing. She loves to laugh, loves jokes, loves anything with a prospect of fun. Loves making people smile, loves entertaining. It’s hard to feel sad around Zrya.
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