[ the greatest show you've never seen. ] { mizuki & hibiki }

It was nice to walk in the forest by herself. It wasn't great being alone with her thoughts though. But she'd persevere. She had to, because she was the only one who could. There wasn't a moment where she didn't question why she was born this way. Cursed. Was she a bad person in a past life and now she was being punished? That had to be it. Because she couldn't think of any other reason to be so cruel to someone. She bit back a sigh as she continued to walk down a path, that wasn't really a path at all.

Her head was starting to feel fuzzy as she walked, which turned into a small headache when she neared a certain part of the forest. She knew it had to be some kind of magic, fairy magic probably. She wondered who was out here. It certainly wasn't Eiji. This place didn't look familiar at all.

What she stumbles upon is someone equally unfamiliar to her. A figure wearing a mask, putting on some sort of performance. Watching him, they can't help but feel like they're intruding on something that was supposed to be private. Mizuki's ears burn in embarrassment. Just as they're about to turn and leave, they step on a branch, a loud snap emitting from under her foot. It was very clear to her that she would be spotted now.

"Uh-- Hello! Sorry for interrupting, I was just-- walking! Around the forest! By myself." The magic was still in effect, of course, so it was a bit hard to focus. A bit hard to form a coherent sentence.

Sudden like the end of a music box, the noise from the makeshift stage ceased with a soft creaking of logs.

There were eyes boring into her, both of which looked fake. Flecked and worn paint could be seen if she were closer, though from her current placement they would resemble the eyes of a large cat. Small wings twitched before the performer crossed his legs and took a seat on the worn wood. Litter from the trees around them circled him, twigs and leaves and flowers. All dead, rotting.

Buzzing slowed.

He pulls a small bag of sweets from in his coat. Eye's that were not eyes continued to bore into her, maybe staring straight through; digging through the skin and veins and muscle and bone and doing the same to a tree behind her.

Fuzz tickled at her arms less and less and less until there was nothing but an eerie silence at the proposition laid in front of the princess.