[PRP Laughter] Circus Delights [Bright Gallery x Rigged x Fair Pace]

[Gl!tch~]

Fair Pace hated loud and/or sudden noises. Bright Gallery, by contrast, was outright terrified of them. And Pace was getting to his wit's end about it. He could sympathize with wanting to listen to soft shows and music compared to the alternative, but a door slamming made her hide in the attic for a hot minute. And don't even get him started on fireworks. Who didn't like fireworks? The filly who hid under the bleachers and cried all the way home, that's who.

Pace still felt bad about it.

And the guilt was annoying.

So tonight, he would try something else.

He would try...the Midway.

Fair Pace claimed that it was loud sometimes but not always. And they had a little thing called earplugs for when it was. Hopefully, the kid would have some popcorn and enjoy some daring-do on display.

But first they had to get to the show.

The path was busy, the first problem. Bright Gallery didn't handle crowds well. So he had to hold her hoof as they flew along.

"Do you see anything you like?" he prompted. "Any food, or games?"

[Gl!tch~]

Bright Gallery didn't know how she got here. She remembered saying yes when Pace asked her to go somewhere with him (he never asked usually), and now she was...overwhelmed. That was the word. So much noise, so much movements, so much stuff. And the smells! And the lights! She didn't know the term, but she was definitely dissociating.

"Uh...."

@Ruriska

[Ruriska]

There was absolutely nothing quiet about the midway.

Except for some secluded area between tents, liminal spaces that only Rigged and the rest of the crew could find, where sound was somehow muffled and the circus drifted further and further away the longer you stood there.

Or deep inside the dark and heavy tents where the only light was low and showed you the twisted gruesome remains of some sideshow horror.

But for the most part the midway was all about the sounds. The pop of the popcorn, the laughter, the shouts, the heckling, wild screams in the distance. It was lights, sounds and the overwhelming smells of straw, people and food.

Rigged could always tell when someone didn't belong. He could spot an easy mark from a mile away and the Flutter with the sensitive lass at his side basically screamed free money. He disengaged from the shadows of a nearby tent and wound his way through the crowd with ease until he had crossed the path of the fluttering pair to try to stop their progress.

"Well good day to you folks!" He greeted, tipping his head and an imaginary hat at them with a wide and welcoming grin. "Apologies for getting in your way!" Despite the apology he was in no hurry to get out of their way and made a great show of looking at them both up and down.

"May I dare ask... is this your first time at the midway?"

@Gl!tch~

[Gl!tch~]

Between the two flutters, it was Pace's job to seem self-assured and in control. But the farther along they flew, the larger the crowds grew. He had to keep a strong face, not the least because he could feel Bright shaking.

Being a dainty, meandering sort, he was able to stop in due time as a phony stopped their progress.

And it seemed to be a miracle that a dashing, handsome phony appeared when he did. Someone who seemed like he knew what he was about, to boot.

Pace took a moment to look Rigged up and down himself.

"It is in fact, kind stranger." Fair Pace's voice stayed rather serene and almost too quiet for the excitement around them.

"Isn't it, Bright?"

---

She could hear yelling and laughter and maybe an explosion or two, while bright lights and colors seemed to be everywhere.

Fair Pace pulled her attention back as he wiggled her arm with his crooked hoof.

Her eyes focused on the stallion in front of them. When had they stopped moving forward...?

The smaller of the two flutter phonies swallowed. "Oh. Um. Yes..."

---

Bouncing off of the bare response from his ward, Pace then added, "And we don't even know where to start! There's so much to do and see... It's a lot to take in!" he laughed a little dainty laugh.