A Dance for the Wounded Butterfly STARTING/ACCEPTING

Adaline:
Once we got back into the room natalia did something amazing: for the first time since we'd met, she spoke.
"I swear on my mother's grave that I will not pull a prank on you or Adaline. Dare I break this oath, let a tiger eat me and my soul burn in the fires of Hades"
After some shocked faces and a few 'what?'s she explained.
"That's the oath he took, now if you can stop bothering me, I'd like to be alone."
She left for our dressing room and Max decided to nod off. I,Not knowing what to do, roamed around the tent. Soon, I heard a soft musical sound. The sound came from the high wire.I climbed up the ladder and saw Eris playing a picolo. I sat on the end platform and watched him. I hoped he woulden't see me and stop. The music was lovely and sad. Oh fuss, I thought, Where was Natalia to hear this?

Max

I was about to doze off when I heard music. It was passionate, but also sorrowful. I knew who was playing. Every night before sleeping, Morgan always played the piccolo to honor our beloved mother. Mother's piccolo, I thought with tears in my eyes. Mother's beautiful piccolo. Morgan, because he was the eldest, was bequeathed Mother's piccolo since he knew it helped him and me sleep. Mother always played her piccolo to lull both Morgan and me to sleep. She played her piccolo ever since we were born. Our father took Mother's piccolo away when Morgan and I were both ten, but after Mother died Morgan had to steal the piccolo back. I knew he kept it away from the Ringmaster for the past four years. Ever since we joined the cirque, Morgan played somewhere in private to lull me to sleep. The Ringmaster never suspected Morgan was also a piccolo player, but often wondered why piccolo music was heard by all cirque members each night. I closed my eyes and whispered sleepily, "Good night, Big Brother." After the final note was played, I was asleep.

Natalia Romerto

After a while, I heard a sweet sound of a piccolo when I tried to doze off. I sat up straight and looked around the room. Adaline wasn't here, and the piccolo sounded like it came from outside. I stand up and take a look at my hands. The calluses seems to be getting better, so I grab a pencil and writing pad. I winced a little as I did that. I walked outside to see Adaline standing and staring at something from the highwire. I follow. It was Morgan, playing the piccolo. I scribble something down on the writing pad and show it to Adaline.

It's beautiful, it said. Adaline nodded.

"Yes, it sure is indeed," she replied. We both stood there until Morgan finished.

Morgan

I knew Max might be sleeping as I played Mother's piccolo. Once the final note was played, I stashed the piccolo into my shirt and was about to climb down when I saw Adaline and Natalia. I felt like I was going to panic. I didn't want anyone to know I was a piccolo player, not even the Ringmaster. I said nervously, "Don't tell anyone about this. I can't have the Ringmaster knowing I play the piccolo. This is all my brother and I have left of our mother."

*OOC: Pardon it being short. It was all I could think of.*

Adaline:
I climbed down to go get Natalia But found that she was right next to me.
It's beautiful She wrote.
"Yes, It sure is" I sighed, "Indeed."
The song ended but the spell it had cast did not. Eris climbed down from the highwire. When he saw us standing there he bacame nervous, "Don't tell anyone about this. I can't have the Ringmaster knowing I play the piccolo. This is all my brother and I have left of our mother."
"Ah, dear, don't you worry. we would never." I ruffled his hair, "Natalia, come to bed soon. We need to work out a routine before tomorrows show." I winked at her, giving her the OK to stay and flirt with Eris.

Natalia Romerto

When the song ended, Morgan climbed down from the highwire. He saw us standing there.

"Don't tell anyone about this. I can't have the Ringmaster knowing I play the piccolo. This is all my brother and I have left of our mother," he said nervously.

"Ah, dear, don't you sowrry. We would never," Adaline said, ruffling Morgan's hair. "Natalia, come to bed soon. We need to work out a routine before tomorrow's show," she said, then she winked, and left. I stood there looking at my feet, in an awkward silence.

"So, how are your hands," Morgan asked. I look up, then scribble something down.

Better, I guess, it said. Morgan nodded.

(Sorry it was short, I was in a rush!)

Morgan

I asked Natalia about her hands. She wrote they were doing better. I looked around, just to be sure there was nobody else spying. Taking Mother's piccolo out of my shirt, I noticed Natalia's eyes were glittering. I had a feeling she never heard a piccolo being played in her life before she met me and Max. Closing my eyes, I played again with a more passionate tune. I played like I was trying to reveal a romantic life for the future of my audiance. It wasn't the first time I heard such music. Mother played so when I was eight and Max was still in bed that night. She told me, "You have to play with your heart and soul when playing an instrument, Morgan. If you need emotion in your song, use your heart and soul. Otherwise, the music carrys no mood." That was then she taught me how to play the piccolo. Back to the present, I took Mother's advice to heart. I played with passion, keeping the music full of the chosen mood.

Adaline:
Natalia came back to bed. It was late and I still couldn't sleep. I missed the boarding house, as much as I hated it. I climbed down from my bunk and paced the floor. I let the boarding house leave my mind completely. The only thing left in my head was the thing I couldn't get out, Max.
I went to the door, hesitated then left. I walked across the dark tent quietly until I reached the twins' room. The door was open a crack and I peeked in. The bunk was on the left sideof the room. The bunks were wood and had the twins names carved into them. Max's name was on the bottom.I walked over to his bed and poked him.
"Max?" He opened his eyes groggily.
"Adaline?" he smiled, "I'm dreaming." I smiled back and climbed into the bed.
"Don't wake up yet then" He put his arm around me and we both fell deep asleep.

Natalia Romerto

After a while of listening to Morgan's piccolo playing I went to bed. I dreamt of my family, my friends, what they're doing now. Unfortunately, the dream wasn't very peaceful. My friends are in jail or custody, my family being interrogated about my whereabouts. I wake up immediately. I look around the room, hoping I could talk to Adaline, but she wasn't there. She's probably with Harmonia. I quickly, but carefully walk inside the ringmaster's office.

I start searching his bookcase for an entertaining book, so I can kill time. After a while of searching, I land my eyes on a green covered book with a butterfly on a flower. The title said, "Grace And Poise". It kinda sounded cheesy, but the storyline wasn't. Suddenly, I heard footsteps coming.

Max

I rose out of bed, just in time to hear Morgan snore. Adaline was still on her side of my bunk, sleeping like a baby. I decided to give Morgan a little wake-up call. Carefully stepping over Adaline, I grabbed a bucket of cold water and tossed it over Morgan's head. He got up with a violent start, glared at me, and growled, "You're pushing your luck, Little Brother. Try that again. I dare you."
I grinned and said, "You know I don't take your dares." I stretched myself and got myself dressed. After I was fully dressed, I looked at Adaline. I could see myself holding her hand as Morgan played Mother's piccolo for us. Adaline in my arms as we leave the cirque to start a new beginning in our lives together. Our lips touching for the first time. The day our first child comes into the world...I jolted when I heard a high note. Looking towards the top bunk, I saw Morgan covering his mouth, trying to muffle out his childish chuckling. I hissed, "It's not what you think, Eris."
Morgan sighed and said, "Killjoy."
I countered, "Jerk."

Adaline:
I had never slept so well in my life. Maxs body wrapped warmly around mine. He wasn't in bed when I woke up. He was standing over me, fully dressed. I smiled at him and stood up.Tiredness making me a bit clumsy I stumbled over to him and fell in his arms. He hugged me. I buried my face in his chest and breathed him in. How could I know someone for only a day and yet be so in love? I looked up at him.
"Max."I mumbled, he pushed his face into my hair. "Oh, Max."
I moved my hands up,from his chest,to his shoulders, to his face and then to his hair. I closed my eyes and ran my hands through his hair over and over again. Then, I pushed his face towards mine. Our lips were an inch apart, and I hesitated.

Max

Adaline was surprisingly light as she laid in my arms and against my chest. She had our lips close to the point where we were kissing, but she was hesitant. I was so close to having my chance to stealing my first kiss. I wanted her, this Morgan suspected easy. If I wanted Adaline to know what I really feel about her, I would have to express my emotions in some steady way. For now, I held her close to me like a true lover. If there's anyone how deserved to be with Adaline, I'm going to be sure that it's me.
Morgan whispered in my ear, "Little Brother's in love."
I hissed, "You're pushing your luck, Big Brother. One word about this to the Ringmaster and I'm sticking your head in a cage full of spiders."
Morgan gulped.
I smiled. I knew Morgan would see it my way.

Natalia Romerto

After a while of reading, I put down the book and hide it under my pillow. Luckily the footsteps outside the door last night were just my imagination. I start to look around the circus for Adaline, while writing something on my writing pad. I decided to ask the twins. I start to make my way to the twins' room, and when I entered, I saw Harmonia and Adaline close together. My eyes widened and I start to write something down.

I'm so sorry! Is this a bad time? I held the pad up.

Adaline:
He put his face back in my hair and held me. I put my hands back on his chest. Something about being together like this just felt...right. I put my ear to his heart and listened.
Eris wandered by. I forgot that he was still in the room.
"Little Brother's in love." He whispered to Max.
"You're pushing your luck, Big Brother. One word about this to the Ringmaster and I'm sticking your head in a cage full of spiders.", Max warned his brother without letting go of me. I never wanted him to let me go, but as they say,all good things must come to an end.
Natalia walked in. My eyes snapped open.
I'm so sorry! Is this a bad time?
I launched myself away from Max, almost falling in the process. Max caught my hand and held me up.
"Uh...no! hahaha! nothing at all. Uhm...we have a show tonight. You and I better get practising." I tucked my stray hair behind my ear. Squeezing Max's hand I walked out draging a shocked Natalia with me.
"Haha...so...what should we do?"

Morgan

When I was sure Max was away with Adaline, I produced Mother's piccolo out of my shirt and played sweetly. It brought me to tears just thinking about Mother. Her fingers always seem to dance on the piccolo every time she played, despite her husband's persistant threats of giving me and Max up for adoption or throwing away her treasured piccolo. She promised me and Max that once we turned sixteen, she would give us lessons on playing the piccolo. We had our hopes up, but only I was taught before Mother passed away untimely. Once I played the final note, I stashed the piccolo away under my pillow and dressed up for the show. I whispered, "Mother, we wish you were here to see us now."