Her favorite part was, and always will be, the mumbles of the guests as they waited for the show to start. They’d all gathered here to see something they’d never thought of before; people who otherwise wouldn’t have even considered crossing paths were unified here. She always made sure she was prepared at least an hour before everyone else so then she could peek behind the curtains and watch the guests all trickle in.
Sukeena excitedly turned to the man behind her. “Do you think it’s a full house, Dad?”
“Well, I’d hope so,” he chuckled. He safely stashed away a collection of coins. “We sold every last one of those tickets.”
“Well, we’ll be sure to give them a show to remember, right?” she said, beaming.
He stepped closer to her and ruffled her hair. “You know we will! I’m almost ready to get started, why don’t you check in on everyone else?”
She vigorously nodded. She darted off, though she wouldn’t say she was paying too much attention to where she was going—her mind was racing with possibilities, as it did before every show. One day she’d replace her father as the troupe’s ringleader and, until then, there was only one thing to do…
Practice her awesome introductions!
No big show would be without a grand introduction of all of its members. She often took this time, wandering around, talking with everyone in the troupe, thinking of each of their individual traits. She imagined herself in front of a crowd of eager listeners and began with the most important one of them all: her father.
Welcome, one and all, to a new show of daring, a night you will always remember! First I’d like to introduce you to the man who started it all: Insith! He inherited this troupe from his father and, can I say, I think he’s even better than the last. You’ll never go wrong when he’s there! A master of all tricks and skills, he only has one purpose tonight… to give you a performance of a lifetime!
She imagined some cheering and claps, then found her next two targets.
“Orith, I would appreciate it if you could set me down so that I can finish getting ready.” Natharie was in no way fazed to be carried by Orith; she was just putting the last few ornaments on a group of doves that rested on her lap.
“Come on, now! Where’s the fun in that?” Orith grinned, but did what she wanted. He was the first of the two to notice Sukeena. “Guessing it’s almost time for the show?”
“Mhm! Dad wanted me to make sure everyone was ready!” she replied eagerly.
“You’re going out there too, aren’t you?” Natharie asked, giving her a caring glance before returning to her work.
“Of course I am!”
Sukeena never could figure out if that look of Natharie’s was a happy one or one waiting for some kind of disaster. She did, though, wave and walk off.
Next up, we have Natharie! A beast tamer hailing from Qizar’s Andrea Province, there seems to be no shortage of mystery behind her. She’s one of the first members of Insith’s own troupe, fascinated by his wondrous tales of travels, and has stayed by his side ever since. What kind of show is she going to put on tonight, I wonder?
And while she’s taming lions, Orith is wrestling bears! He comes from southern Jaden territory and was close friends with the woman who influenced it all, Lakshani! Who was she, you ask? The best person in the world, second only to Insith! Or at least that’s what I’ve been told, I don’t remember her. But back to Orith! He’s a strong guy that you can rely on to make the performance one worth remembering!
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She found the next few troupe members. As she continued to talk to all them, giving them all praiseworthy introductions in her mind, she also considered what she might say to end it all off.
Some of us are here because this is something that they have always aspired for—they wanted to be the star of a show, to be recognized for feats not every person is capable of. Others are here because they want to see the world and all the wonders that come with it. A few more are here because they didn’t belong anywhere else and found a home with us; a home among the like-minded, of powers or abilities thought too strange for a person to possess. All of us, however, share one common goal: to see you walk away tonight with a smile on your face, or at least satisfied with having spent your time with us. So without further ado, let’s get started with a show I hope will stay with you long after today!
But she realized she wasn’t done, as she was about to walk back to Insith to announce her success, when she passed by a mirror. She’d forgotten one last person!
And last but certainly not least, there’s me, Sukeena! Destined for great things as the daughter of the great Insith and Lakshani, with some kind of skill for anything you could think of! I’m like your little one-person circus, but who wouldn’t be, with such amazing parents? Name something, I’m certain I can do it all! Think that since I’m Seothian I can’t use magic? Think again! My mom could use powerful magic, even if no one in her family had ever come from Qizar. I inherited those powers from her so, really, there’s no limits to what I’m capable of!
She stared at her reflection for a little longer. This girl staring back at her was going to be the star of the show—the one they wanted to see, that they clapped the loudest for. At first she had a small frown, but soon gained a wide and confident smile. She was going to do everything she could to make this a show that no one in attendance could forget. With a nod to her reflection, she turned away from the mirror and walked back to her father.
In the few minutes it took Sukeena to wander around the place, Natharie had finished what she’d been preparing, and was now waiting for Insith’s signal for the show to start. Except… she wasn’t just waiting, she was mumbling things to him. The two of them were close—of course they were, given how long they’ve known each other—and often spoke before shows. But not like this. This was a low, careful kind of conversation, the words of which she wanted to stay between the two of them and probably weren’t anything good.
Knowing this, Sukeena immediately stepped to the side to find a discreet place to watch them, but Orith saw her first.
If he’d really recognized what she was going to do, though, or what made that conversation important, he didn’t show it. “Think you’re ready to give it your all out there?”
She, too, made no signs of acknowledging the mutterings. “Yeah! They’re going to be the most amazed they’ve ever been in their whole lives!”
“That’s the spirit!” He ruffled her hair. “Things should be starting any minute now—the crowd's certainly ready for it. When do you go up?”
“Dad wanted me last! One final act to blow them away!”
He laughed and, only then, acknowledged Insith and Natharie in the corner. “Are you two done yet? Take any longer and I think the more impatient of ‘em are going to start leaving!”
Still, that didn’t stop Natharie from continuing to whisper dark things, or Insith’s replies with an expression that showed he wasn’t really listening to her. Orith waited a moment longer before leaving Sukeena alone and walking up to the two of them; she liked to pretend that he simply repeated himself, when she knew that he’d said something different.
Insith first looked at his daughter, muttered something she could barely understand as “we’ll talk about this more later,” and wandered closer to the curtain. He raised his voice there to announce to the whole troupe, “The show is starting now! Everyone, make sure you have everything you’ll need for your act and get into your proper places!” Then as the troupe began to gather in front of him, he looked back at Natharie and remarked, “You know I can’t start the show without you. Come, friend, let’s give them a night they’ll never forget.”
Natharie, with what almost looked like against her better judgment, nodded. She slowly stood up and prepared to release the doves that would come before his entrance. Right before she opened the cage, Sukeena could’ve sworn she heard her mumble, “Let’s hope it’s for something good.”