Malec One Shots

50. Circus (AU)

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Song ~ The Greatest Showman Soundtrack - A Million Dreams
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"Ten minutes till curtain call!" Someone yelled from somewhere, and an elephant trumpeted in response. Magnus sighed, touching up his hair and makeup, before standing and leaving his 'dressing room'. It was actually just a sectioned off part of the backstage area. He tipped his hat at the conjoined twins walking past him toward the topple tower.

"This is the last time we'll be in this small tent. Tomorrow the work really starts. Tomorrow's the day we earn more than to just live off. Tomorrow you perform harder than you ever have, even if you're sick. We need this." The ringmaster said, raising his hands to the crowd of performers in his sort of pep talk. Magnus rolled his eyes.

He'd been part of this circus since he could remember, and was always the main act beside the charmer. He and the charmer were partners; Magnus being an illusionist and the charmer being, well, a charmer. She had a python coiled around her neck, two coral snakes around her arms and another coral snake around her slim waist. The lights went low. "Go. Positions." The ringmaster snapped, and the performers parted and scattered. Magnus and the charmer were moved to the side as the ringmaster shoved them to walk into the spotlight. "Welcome, one and all...." His voice drowned out by whispers from the crowd and Magnus' own thoughts.

We'll be able to get proper beds, proper food. We won't have to live off scraps and use our only savings to keep our outfits up to scratch. I'll have money to waste on things. I can buy another waistcoat, I won't have to use coal for my eyeliner, I can treat myself to some chocolate, maybe even some cigarettes.

The charmer nudged him. "It's us." She said, snapping Magnus from his stupor. He smiled. "I present to you, here at the Downworld Circus, our very own charmer Catarina Loss and the illusionist Magnus Bane!" The oh so familiar noise of applause flooded the tent as the two walked centre stage and bowed. Their usual routine was quite complex. Catarina would charm her snakes to dance and sway, moving to go onto Magnus, and Magnus would project the snakes into the audience, making them resemble dragons and great slithering beasts. The trapeze couple would throw buckets of water down from the tent top, and Magnus would change the droplets to confetti as they fell.

Everyone was cheering at the end of the show, all except two people. One was a grown man with the same demeanour as the ringmaster Asmodeus, and the other was presumably his son. Both had jet black hair, and gentle blue eyes. The elder was noting things down, and the son was holding back a smile as he made eye contact with Magnus. He looked away. Once the performers had all bowed and sung their final song, they all went backstage to change clothes and have what small meal they'd been awarded for their performance. Magnus cheered sarcastically, earning a nudge from the man with fangs and silver hair, and ears like a dog. Not to mention his bushy silver tail. The wolf boy was sweet, but knew that he and everyone should accept and appreciate all they had.

"Woo, gruel again. I have no doubt that Asmodeus has more cheese and wine in his trailer." Magnus sighed, picking his spoon up and dropping it again, the grey mush sloshing around. "He won't be fair with us, you know first hand." The charmer said, feeding her snakes first. "What's that supposed to mean, Catarina." Magnus snapped. "The fact he's my father has nothing to do with it, he treats me just as badly as he treats everyone else, he only kept me for the money I'd bring in." Magnus' yellow cat eyes blinked slowly as he pushed his bowl away.

The throng of performers all sat talking and eating around them grew quiet as some unknown people stepped backstage. It was the ivory-skinned, black-haired, blue-eyed men from the crowd. The older one was about to talk, but the younger halted him. "Sorry to interrupt, but-" "Are you gonna arrest us?" One performer asked, Simon, a scrawny teenage boy with cracked glasses. "No, but me and my father want to know if you, all of you, would like to join us. We're a circus too, and we know you're not treated the best you could be." He said, and muted whispers resonated through the tent.

Magnus was the first to get to his feet, brushing loose pieces of straw from his waistcoat to move face to face with the man. "What's your name?" He asked. The man was taken aback, and he looked enthralled by Magnus' eyes for a bit before replying. "Alec, Alec Lightwood. This is my father Robert." He, Alec, introduced. They were the leaders of the Nephilim Circus downtown, and were known for their kindness and hospitality. "I shall join you, Mr.Lightwood." He stood beside him. "My name is Magnus Bane." He said, taking a place to the direct left of Alec. People flooded to join the Lightwoods and Magnus, Simon, Maia, Meliorn, Raphael, and Bat all joined too. Catarina didn't.

"Cat?" Magnus extended an arm. "Magnus this is my home it's all I've known, it's all we've known." Catarina said sadly, her snakes bowing their heads. "Catarina this is our ticket out, to better places. Don't do this. We're a pair." Magnus' eyes spilled over with tears. "I can't." She sighed. "Alright. I promise I'll visit okay? I swear when I have the chance I'll come see you." Magnus walked over to Catarina and pressed a soft kiss to her cheek before taking his place at the side of Alec again.

Once everyone had set up in the Nephilim Circus tent, they had a rest on the orders of Mr.Lightwood. Their rooms were so pretty, designed in the way of their performances. Magnus had glittering constellations and animals on his walls, and he had a proper bed with pillows and a plush blanket and a table beside it. On the table was a tray covered with a silver dome. He threw himself onto the bed and started to laugh. He felt so happy and gleeful but sad and apologetic at the same time for Catarina.

They'd been together for so long and she was basically a sister to him. Magnus took the room next to Raphael, the disappearing man, and got ready. He lifted the tray onto his lap and took the dome off. There was a full meal. There was a plate of chopped boiled eggs with salt, a bowl of hearty beef stew, a slice of chocolate cake, and a glass of milk. He wolfed the food down, in the order of eggs, stew, cake, milk. He dipped his chocolatey fingers into the milk before drinking it, making sure he ate every last bit. He's never eaten something that delicious before. He'd never tasted beef, never had food that filled and satisfied him. If the performers at the old circus were lucky they'd get some milk with their gruel, or a too-hard boiled egg after a particularly good performance. He's only had chocolate once, and it was the bitter kind. Asmodeus had brought a small bar of it backstage at Christmas, and shared it out between everyone. It was the first time he'd been anything remotely close to kind.

Asmodeus wasn't a very kind man, and he was an even worse father. Because of Magnus' prowess with his performances he'd keep trying to sell Magnus off with the hope that he'd get some money from it. Not many people showed up to the Downworld Circus, not nearly as much as Magnus' had heard go to the Nephilim Circus.

Taking his time, he examined the clothes laid out on his dresser, and poured through the makeup on his dressing table. He picked out black trousers with a black button up shirt and a gold and dark blue embroidered waistcoat. He did his makeup to match, shined his shoes, and was taken aback by the man he saw in his reflection. "You look really nice." Said a voice from the curtain edge. Magnus turned to see Alec. "You think so? I haven't seen myself look this nice in- well, ever." Magnus looked at his reflection again. "I've seen your friends' tricks, what are yours? What is the great Illusionist known for?" Alec stepped through the threshold. "Have a guess." Magnus laughed. "Hm, are you known for your extraordinary cooking skills?" A smile graced the man's face, and Magnus nodded. "Why yes however did you know?" Magnus bowed dramatically. "Lucky guess." Said Alec, now face to face with the new performer. If Alec reached out he could curl his arm around Magnus and tug him even closer, that's how close they were. "Lucky guess, huh?" Magnus sighed happily, feeling more content by the second. Then a bell rang and scuffling was heard outside. "Showtime." Alec murmured, turning toward the curtain. "And what do you do?" Asked Magnus.

"Well I'm the Ringmaster."