` THE WAY I WALK [ANALIESE]

[JOHNNY CHRISTOPHER LAMARC]

[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=style, background-color: dddddd; border: #cccccc solid 8px; width: 420px; padding: 15 5 15 5px;] NOTHIN' TO DO, NOWHERE TO GO, I WANNA BE SEDATED. WORDS: 550+TAGGED FOR: errrbodeh! NOTES =D Though he was perfectly content doing things on his own, Johnny Lamarc was far more of a people-person than a loner. Music was always better in the company of others, yet when he had a free moment to practice on the guitar, it wasn't exactly the simplest of tasks to gather up the rest of the band for a jam session. They met as a group three days only, and during the rest of the week, they were left to their own devices to practice accordingly. It was nearing 8:00pm and he was currently milling around the vacated big top, acoustic guitar in hand and semi-curling hair all strewn about his face like he'd just stepped free of a tornado. He'd kicked off his shoes from the very start, and so the only sound to accompany his strumming was the gentle thud of his bare feet on the scuffed flooring. All in all, it was the sort of look his friend Lacie would've coined "disheveled bohemian," and Johnny supposed it suited him well enough. Generally, the music the band provided had a theatrical vibe to it, sometimes even a bit of rock 'n roll if the act in question was a particularly aggressive one. And it was for this reason that he enjoyed the gig with the circus so much. Unlike the lifestyle of underground punk which he'd left in New York, the Midnight Masquerade gave him a consistent salary that didn't leave him scrounging for vegetable ramen at the corner store. But more importantly, it emphasized sound that told a story, and he quite liked that fact. He nearly had the bit memorized. The part for one of the aerial silk routines which contained a collection of flowing chords to match the performer's movements. Every once in a while, in his meandering about the open space, he'd wander back to the front row of the stands (where he'd left the sheet music) and double check the string of notes. It was a pretty basic transition, Johnny thought, sliding his left hand up and down the fretboard with experienced ease. Hell, he could probably just improvise if he really wanted to…break away from the formality of it all. After a while, Johnny'd run through the song so many times that he was beginning to grow bored with it. So he shifted gears and started playing the first song that came to mind (for whatever odd reason): The Cramps' rendition of "The Way I Walk." It was a thoughtless song to play and he'd always liked it for the cockiness it exuded. As he lapped around the big top plucking away, his steps started to take on a distinctive swagger, and he even felt the urge to sing welling up in his chest. In the echoing emptiness of the big top, he growled out the first line of lyrics: "The way I walk is just the way I walk. The way I talk is just the way I talk. The way I smile is just the way I smile. Touch me baby, and I'll go home wiiiiiild." created by ADE! Pb-ified by WILL

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[ANALIESE MARIE LOVEL]

She’d been here two years. She’d spent two years with a travelling circus, performing as an aerial silk artist. What would her parents say if they could see their perfect Analiese now? The thought made her smile at her reflection. Made her want to laugh with joy and spin around and around in her little room on the train. She refrained from doing the last. While she was pretty graceful naturally, she preferred to not tempt fate. Instead, she eyed herself critically in the mirror. For a long moment she wondered idly if she was too pale, then pushed the thought out of her mind. Not tonight, she told herself firmly. Tonight, she was in a good mood and determined to keep it that way. Reverting back to old habits of criticizing her appearance (a thing she was rarely satisfied with) would not help that cause. So, she turned away from the reflection, telling herself that tonight, she was beautiful.
Her outfit, at the least, was flawless. Analiese had a taste for pretty things. She generally would have described her style as feminine. Her style was basically if she thought it pretty, she wore it. She wasn’t really one for fashion “styles”, per se, but she definitely had an eye for pulling outfits together. This night was no exception. She wore skinny jeans, cuffed at the bottom and a pair of ballet flats. It was the top that was the center piece to this outfit. The halter top had two layers, one of a tighter fitting material that hugged her curves and the other of a gauzy, transparent material that flowed gently around her and softened the effect of the other. With its black and white accented neckline and metal straps, the top drew the outfit together and really turned it into something fantastic. Analiese tried not to think about the fact that her mother would be insisting that she wear heels or in some other way “improve” the outfit as she inspected herself one last time in the mirror. It wasn’t her mother’s business anymore and she liked her outfit. But, she was there. Dancing around Analiese in the mirror, holding the shoes she would rather her wear. Or if not the shoes, maybe these pants? Or this skirt? Better yet just change the entire thing. Her makeup wasn’t right and neither was her hair. Analiese squeezed her eyes shut, trying to block her mother out. But she was there. Her voice taunted Analiese, now insisting on the new outfit her mother had decided was just perfect.
Turning abruptly, Analiese seized a short jacket from a hook and pushed out of the compartment, quickly shutting the door on the mirror and her mother. It took her no time at all to reach a door to the outside of the train and she went through it, determined to put distance between herself and that stupid mirror. Cool night air hit her face and she inhaled it, gulping it in. It felt wonderful. It was a beautiful night, and she had every intention of enjoying it. She looked out across the circus grounds. The circus was a completely different place at night. The darkness changed the colors of the tents, making them darker and more muted, lit by the golden glow of the lights hung everywhere, strung between tents. She thought they resembled fireflies, or maybe fairies. In this place, she wouldn’t be surprised if a fairy showed up. Stranger things had probably happened.
She made her way around. Even though there wasn’t a show tonight, there were people everywhere, taking in sideshow acts and enjoying the circus’s carnival. She watched rather engaged. As much as she found people intriguing, her shyness never would let her mingle with any sort of ease. She paused for a moment outside the big top before slipping inside. She loved it in here. This was where she performed, which, oddly, considering her extreme shyness, was one of her favorite things to do. It was quieter inside the big top. The wind was gone, as were the many voices of people as they walked and mingled. She didn’t, at first, hear the sounds of the guitar. She moved closer to the ring, hearing different music in her head. The music of her routine. She pictured the moves. She didn’t realize just how far she had moved into the tent when a voice jolted her out of her reverie. Swinging around, she saw him.
Johnny Lamarc. He worked for the circus as a musician. She adored his music and had watched him play more times than she could count. Truth be told she had something of a crush on him, but she had never actually talked to him. Now, panic welled up inside her. Everything inside her wanted to bolt, to just turn and run, but it was too late. He’d already turned towards her. He’d seen her and she couldn’t just turn around and run. She wouldn’t. Taking a deep breath, she straightened her shoulders and turned towards him with a smile.
“You sound really great.”

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