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 Posted: Tue Mar 18, 2025 10:56 am
Nedelle sat perched on the edge of the training platform, legs swinging idly as she gazed out over the circus grounds. The evening air smelled of lantern smoke and sawdust, the hum of distant voices blending into the familiar sounds of home. She had been meaning to have this conversation with Mirin, but every time the moment felt right, she found herself hesitating. Tonight, though, she didn’t want to let that happen again.
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Posted: Tue Mar 18, 2025 10:57 am
Mirin stood a few feet away, idly rolling a small crystal between her fingers, the way she did when she needed to keep herself from pacing. She wasn’t sure how the two of them had ended up here alone, away from the others, but she wasn’t complaining. There was something about Nedelle that made it easier to talk—easier to be herself without worrying about keeping up appearances.
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Posted: Tue Mar 18, 2025 10:57 am
“So,” Nedelle finally said, shifting to glance at Mirin with an easy smile. “You’ve got brothers, right? What’s that like?” She had seen Mirin’s sharp edges, her need to prove herself, and she had a feeling she already knew the answer.
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Posted: Tue Mar 18, 2025 10:58 am
Mirin huffed out a laugh, shaking her head. “A nightmare, mostly. Three older brothers, all convinced they’re the best at everything. I had to fight just to get a word in, let alone be taken seriously.” She tossed the crystal into the air and caught it, her smirk softening just slightly. “But… I wouldn’t trade it. We pushed each other. Made each other stronger.”
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Posted: Tue Mar 18, 2025 10:58 am
Nedelle watched her carefully, taking in the way Mirin’s features softened when she spoke about them. “Sounds kind of nice, actually,” she admitted. “I mean, chaotic, but nice. I always wondered what it’d be like to have siblings.”
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Posted: Tue Mar 18, 2025 10:58 am
Mirin tilted her head, studying Nedelle in return. “You were an only child?”
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Posted: Tue Mar 18, 2025 10:58 am
Nedelle nodded, her fingers tracing the crystals on her arms absently. “Yeah. Just me and my mom. She did her best, but… it wasn’t always easy. Especially since I never knew my father.” She let out a quiet laugh, though it lacked her usual brightness. “Honestly, I think I made up half my childhood friends just to keep myself entertained.”
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Posted: Tue Mar 18, 2025 10:58 am
Mirin hesitated, uncertain how to respond. She had never really had to be alone, not in the way Nedelle described. Sure, her brothers had been a pain, but they had always been there. “Do you ever think about him?” she asked, voice a little quieter now. “Your father, I mean.”
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Posted: Tue Mar 18, 2025 10:59 am
Nedelle exhaled, staring at the ground as if the answer might be written there. “Sometimes. I used to, a lot. I’d imagine he was someone important. Someone who had to leave for a good reason.” She smiled wryly. “Now? I just figure if he wanted to know me, he would have.”
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Posted: Tue Mar 18, 2025 10:59 am
Mirin frowned, not liking the way that sounded. She had never doubted that she mattered—her family made sure of that, even when they drove her insane. The idea of not knowing where you came from, of not even having a father to miss, was foreign to her. “That’s messed up,” she muttered. “You deserved better than that.”
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Posted: Tue Mar 18, 2025 10:59 am
Nedelle glanced up, startled by the intensity in Mirin’s voice. She hadn’t expected sympathy, not really. But hearing it, feeling it, made something in her chest tighten. “Thanks,” she said, and for once, she wasn’t performing.
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Posted: Tue Mar 18, 2025 10:59 am
Mirin sighed, tossing the crystal away into the darkness. “My brothers would’ve loved you,” she said after a moment. “You would’ve fit right in with us.”
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Posted: Tue Mar 18, 2025 10:59 am
Nedelle chuckled, shaking her head. “Doubtful. I don’t do well with that whole competitive sibling thing.”
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Posted: Tue Mar 18, 2025 11:00 am
“Oh, please.” Mirin rolled her eyes. “You thrive on competition. You’d have driven us all insane trying to outdo us in every stupid challenge.”
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Posted: Tue Mar 18, 2025 11:00 am
Nedelle’s grin returned, this time more genuine. “Okay, maybe. But only if I got to be the favorite.”
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