ｅｕｐｈｏｒｉａ • one-shots and imagines

admirer - kurt wagner

The circus was alive with flying splashes of color and bustling masses people. Posters and popcorn stands dotted every spare setting, and scents of candy and old fabric milled in the air. Your fingers danced nervously over the old-fashioned camera hanging from your neck, and every few moments you would mess with dark jacket covering a slim-fitting deep blue dress.

You let excited butterflies flutter around in your chest. Little sparks of anticipation popped around in your brain like tiny fireworks. You had waited weeks for the Munich Circus to arrive in France. The truth was, you had no idea what was actually in the circus, but the rumours had told you it was spectacular.

Making your way through the crowd, you sifted through unfamiliar people onward towards the huge, fluttering tent. It was way to huge to be called just a tent, but what else would you call it? It seemed to submerge itself into the evening sky, and you raised your camera to snap a photo.

Of course, someone bumped into you just as you did, and when you whirled around with your best frustrated face, the culprit was already gone.

You harrumphed, took another photo, and continued towards the tent.

The inside was huge, with the great sloping ceiling of fabric moving fluidly in soft waves of crimson and dusty white. Your seat was found easily after cashing in your little rose-colored ticket. The seat was rather high up in the stands, and the hanging arches of rope and swings - supposedly for the acrobats - lay only about five or six feet above.

You settled in your seat as more people began to file in and sit themselves down. There was much jostling, which made you a bit fidgety, but finally the show revealed signs of starting.

"Ladies and gentlemen!"

The announcer's voice thundered through the stands. He spoke in horrible French that made you cringe slightly, but you ignored it the best you could. The show began with some girls twirling flaming batons, then a few gymnasts leaping through hoops that had been set ablaze. It moved on quickly to some 'famed' lion tamer, you had to be quickly escorted off the platform after the lion attempted to devour him. You had thankfully snapped a photo of that.

A few more things passed that wet your thirst for dares - first the tightrope walkers, and then, the acrobats.

"And finally," the announcer continued grandly as the little, tight-skirted females returned to the ground. "The Munich Circus presents their finest acrobat . . . the amazing . . ." There was a dramatic pause, and the lights went out. You swore you heard a small noise above.

"NIGHTCRAWLER!"

Blinding beams of light whined to life, climbing until they reached a figure on the tallest beam. You barely caught sight of his lanky silhouette before they lept into the open air below.

You squeaked as he free-fell, then cheered as the acrobat caught hold of one of the swings. The crowd was going wild. He went whistling downward in a blur of blue, then up in a great arc. He released the swing and went spiraling through the air. Again, the acrobat caught one of the ropes and released it, flipping several times. You took a photo or two, but dropped your camera to watch the show.

Finally, the red and - was he wearing blue, too? - clad acrobat latched onto one of the ropes and flew close above 's heads in a circular fashion, one arm outstretched to no one in particular. He was nearing you in his broad circle. And, as he passed, time seemed to go just a little slower. You received only a few seconds to let your eyes peruse the rather talented acrobat.

He looked fairly young, late teens, and was much bigger than you; he might have been near a good six feet tall with a lanky form dressed in scarlet circus attire. A mop of black hair fell over and around his face.

His face was blue.

The acrobat boy was indeed handsome, even with his strangely blue face. But what stood out even more was his amber-hued eyes, widened in excitement, and a broad smile full of recognized joy.

It captured you deeper than any photo could have.

The show was over all too quickly, leaving you to wonder about the blue-colored boy. The circus would be moving towns in a few weeks, but you knew that was enough time to save money for more tickets.

You swore that, one day, you would have the chance to say hello to that sacred smile.