acontritemess | The start of something new.

The start of something new.

Syeira was new to the sprawling city but that was okay. It was a comfortable place. She didn't need to know where she was, only where she was going, and she somehow knew exactly where she was going.

It was easy. All she had to do was smile and hand out the flyers that she'd been given to promote the circus. This was a very social aspect of the circus and one of the few social tasks she was allowed to do; with supervision. So, it was easy to be excited by the task.

Brightly colored skirts swirled around her ankles as she pushed open the door to the coffee shop. It was easy to spot the large coffee sign and it was one of the best places to hand out flyers. Long blond hair curled over her shoulders while a brown vest rested loosely over her slender figure. Her stomach was exposed with a glimmering golden fabric wrapped around her chest. There was a collection of necklaces around her throat and bracelets looped around each wrist, to the point that each step caused the plastic and metal pieces to chime together.

Stefan, her supervision, continued past the coffee shop. He planned to loop down the block and then pick Syeira up on the way back. He wasn't supposed to leave her alone but he knew she wouldn't leave the coffee shop until he returned to escort her back to the circus.

She glanced over her shoulder as the door swung closed and waved at Stefan before turning her attention to the tables littering the front of the store. "Hello! Do you want to see a circus? It's only 8$ to get in and anyone under five is free!" Syeira slid the flyer on a few of the tables, at least for those who looked interested.

It was only when she stepped towards the back of the shop that a wave of familiarity washed over her. She glanced at the coffee counter and her eyes briefly became unfocused. "Mm?" She turned again and stepped up to the next table. "I knew you'd want to come!" Syeira stopped and blanked, taking the flyer back. "Oh. Excuse me. Sorry. You should come to the Circus! We won't be in town forever." She then placed the flyer back on the table and continued on, leaving a very confused woman behind her.

She needed to keep herself focused in the present. Why was it so hard in here? Maybe it was the smell of coffee?

Syeira slid the flyer just enough over Jaggers news paper to catch his attention. "Come on Jagger, you should come. You'll have an amazing time!"

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Admittedly, coming to Seattle had been a terrible idea. He shouldn't be surprised it was Chuck's. Well, it wasn't Chuck's. He hadn't even taken the risk of touching the plastic coin that had been mailed to him in his bare hand. There was such an aura around it he got a feel for the person who'd sent it even through his gloves and if he was honest, it scared him a little. He knew there had to be others out there, others like him, other things that weren't, but knowing it and seeing it? No thanks.

And yet here he was, because there was a nagging in the back of his mind. It could be a trap, sure, but it could also be someone who needed help, and if that was the case, he wouldn't be able to live with himself afterward. And so here he was, sitting in a coffee shop at 7pm drinking black coffee and trying to learn everything he could about the club the coin had come from rather than just touching the damned thing and getting it over with.

He jumped when the flier appeared over his newspaper, frowned at the sound of his name. The coin in his coat pocket confirmed someone in Seattle knew him, but this wasn't what he was expecting. He lowered the paper, leaning back to get a better look at the flyer before following the heavily braceleted arm up to a very pretty face. He paused for a moment. He'd never seen her before, and he was sure he'd have remembered.

"Uh...have we met?"

"Huh?" She blinked, her expression earnest and open as she faced his question. "No. I don't know you. Should I? Do you recognize me from somewhere? I am a member of the circus in town. Have you seen us already?"

It didn't even occur to Syeira that she had called him by name. It had happened so naturally, as if she'd known him her whole life, and the longer she stood there... the more it felt like she had known him her whole life. His voice was deep and steady. Cautious maybe... or firm. She was trying to pinpoint its familiarity and her attention slipped... only to snap back into focus.

"Sorry. Have we met? I think I know you." It wasn't usually like this. She saw visions and had these feelings but this was different. There was something different. If Miosh were here. The thought tugged at her heart and her usual smile flattened.

"That was my question, pet. I asked you that." He narrowed his eyes at her. No, he was sure he would remember those eyes if he'd ever seen them before, and that hair, and those-

Focus, Jagger. "You said my name." It was a direct statement, firm and unerring. He'd met other psychics, sensitives would be more accurate, but this was something else, haunting, like a half-remembered dream. Your mother used to babble nonsense, too.

"Oh! No. I don't think I've met you before but... you seem familiar." Her eyes unfocused and for a fraction of a second it seemed like she wasn't there. She was standing in front of him but she was looking at something else entirely. "I've always been with the circus."

Syeira shook her head. "Sorry." It didn't usually happen this often or so close together. Maybe he was the person she'd been told about. It was too hard without someone to help her bridge the gap. "What were we talking about?"

She released the flyer, letting it slide down his newspaper before brushing a few strands of hair over her shoulder. Maybe it was the coffee house... the smell... not just his voice. His voice. Syiera was staring at him and this time, she knew what she was doing. "I swear I've met you before."

"Well, that's not it, pet. I've never been to the circus." Not this circus, or any other, either. He'd never liked clowns. "I've...been on television a few times, local access around Michigan. Maybe you've seen me there?"

It was a stretch, but he was starting to get uncomfortable with her staring and there were far too many unanswered questions swimming around his head. He was tempted, for a moment, to take his gloves off and take her hand, but with how spacey she seemed, anything could happen with that.

She shook her head. "No. I don't have a TV but I travel around a lot." She was able to catch some shows on her phone or watch bits and pieces of things on Youtube but having a TV was a stationary activity and Syeira had been moving around her whole life. She didn't mind the lack of TV in her life but she wished she could have seen him in front of a camera.

He didn't strike her as the performer type.

"Well, you should check out the circus. It's pretty great." Syeira chewed on her lower lip. "Do you um... can you see things?" It was a pretty weird question since he's reading a news paper but she assumed he'd know what she was talking about if he was a Viewer.

"Never really been a fan of circuses." He looked back to his newspaper, swallowing at her question. "Circuses are where people go to gawk at freaks. They pay for the pleasure. I'm not interested." He looked back over, clearing his throat, slightly awkward. "No, uh, offense or anything. I don't...think you're a freak."

Though her cryptic words were starting to creep him out. "I see lots of things, pet. I have eyes." Because that's what she was talking about. No one else was wearing their hat and their gloves inside, but he was perfectly normal.

She leaned forward and hummed softly to herself before lowering her voice to a whisper. "I'm double jointed, does that count?"

In reality, she was a freak and she knew it but it didn't bother her. The things that made her different were the same things that allowed her protect the people she cared about. It wasn't always great but it was worth it.

"I didn't mean with your eyes-" Syeira stood back up and suddenly it felt like her head was spinning. Dozen's of futures played out in front of her and it was nearly too much. She staggered and caught herself on the table. "Jagger... you told me. Not in this future." Her fingers began to tremble and it took all her strength to remain standing. The flyers she'd been holding scattered to the floor.

He stood on reflex, reaching out to steady her, hands on her shoulders. There was a flicker there, of familiarity, but a foreign sort he'd never encountered before. It had a strange hint of coming home, but he'd never known that feeling, never really felt like he'd belonged anywhere, and then it was gone, and he was squeezing her shoulders gently, trying to get her to focus.

"Hey, hey, easy, love. What's wrong?" Not in this future, she'd said. A precog? "...are you affiliated with any of the clubs in this city?" Was that the link?

She shook her head but quickly stilled. Everything was swimming... it was too much happening at once. Syeira saw him catching her as she feel and then Stefan running into the coffee shop. She saw a smile and then she walked away. Then another and another. It wasn't stopping and she couldn't force it to stop.

"No." She whispered urgently. "No club."

Her vision took her to a dark dance floor with strobe lights. Maybe this was the club but it was too blurry. She couldn't see. Her fingers touched her eyes and she tried to pull herself back. There was another vision and then another, each one over lapping the last until they were all playing on top of each other. This was a bridging moment. It was happening, right now.

Syeira reached for his hand but grabbed his wrist as she tried to hold on. "Don't leave."

A few of the patrons of the coffee shop were watching them but Syeria couldn't see them anymore. She couldn't see anything and it was only Jagger's palms on her shoulders that kept her in the present.

He didn't know much about what was going on, but he got a sense, through their contact, that she, for whatever reason, was taking solace in his touch so he wasn't moving, at least not yet. Maybe he could give her something to focus on, even as he was guiding her to a chair, taking a seat next to her.

"Hey, love. What's your name? Your know mine, but, uh, you haven't told me yours in, uh, this 'present' just yet."

She allowed him to lead her towards the chair but she refused to release her hold on his wrist. The world around her was spinning but also settling into its rightful place. Each vision played out but it was only a few, the most likely outcomes, now visibly stacking on top of each other. It was like her father was with her, holding her when she was crying as a child.

She looked up at Jagger and smiled. "Syeira. That is my name."

The door to the coffee shop swung open and a boy with slightly darker hair walked briskly over to them. His stare intensified when he spotted them sitting with their hands on the other. "You're a-" Syeira whispered but was cut off before she could finish.

"Phen?" Stefan stepped towards her and pushed Jagger's hands away with a strong tug. "Let go of her."

Jagger knew when he wasn't wanted, and along with that shove came a thought. She is not for you. Clear. It wasn't a sensation from his own touch. It came straight from this newcomer's mind. He'd never actually met a telepath before.

Stefan was at his sister's side where Jagger had been, wrapping his hands around hers. "Phen, hear me," and then, in her mind, please, Syeira. Come back to me.

Jagger, however, looked around at all the gawkers, swallowing. "I hate to interrupt, but if we want continue this meeting, maybe we can do it somewhere more private? The civilians are scared."

Stefan turned his protective glare back on Jagger.

Had Stefan arrived a second sooner, she might not have been able to pull herself back to the present. She was lucky because this stranger had been here. Except that he wasn't a stranger. He was someone she knew.

Syeira reached out towards her brother and lightly placed her palm on his arm. "It's alright. I am alright." It's him Stefan. I found him! I knew I would.

Her smile widened as her hazel gaze had turned back towards Jagger. "Would you come too? I promise I will explain." This hadn't been an ideal way to meet but they had finally met! Mami would want to meet him but he'd mentioned a bar and it gave her an uneasy sense. Would something happen to Jagger if he went there? What was this bar?

She'd completely forgotten that Jagger had said he didn't like Circus's.

When he'd suggested they go somewhere else, he'd thought maybe a van, or the back alley, but apparently she had another place in mind.

Stefan frowned at his sister's remark and he looked back over to the outsider before speaking in her mind. You're sure?

Jagger, meanwhile, laid a $10 bill on the table and nodded to the barista behind the bar. "Shall we, then, wherever it is you're taking me?"

The siblings only had one place to go and that was back to the circus. They didn't drive and they didn't have the money to stay at a hotel. The circus was all they had and no matter what happened, they had a show tonight. They couldn't afford to miss it.

Syeira smiled and slowly rose to her feet. Her brother slid an arm around her waist and supported her as they walked towards the door. She was watching Jagger more than her brother and that seemed to bother him... a lot. 'Do we have time for this?' His voice hissed in her head and despite his frustration, she answered simply. "Yes. And I can walk on my own."

She gently pulled herself away from her brother. They were outside and the cool air curled pleasantly around her skin. It was easier to think here. Cities were usually easier, when everything was a daily routine... visions were less of a blur.

"Jagger. You said you hadn't been to a circus before? I can't wait to show you." She looked a little pale but Syeira was standing and walking on her own.

"Why?" All his life, it had been a resounding question, and it seemed so much more pointed here. Stefan was watching him, reading the surface thoughts in this stranger's mind. He was confused and frightened, but most of all, he was...alone?

Shen, he has no clan.. Annoyed as he was at Jagger's presence, and his contact with his sister, that shock got to him.

"What?" Her steps slowed to a stop and she turned to face Jagger with Stefan standing protectively at her side. "Because we are the same. You weren't... raised in a Clan." It hurt her and as soon as she questioned him she felt the sudden twist of time cloud her senses.

Something was happening to the weave.

"Mami will answer your questions. She has to know." Syeira turned and nearly stumbled before her brother was next to her. 'You're still weak. Let me carry you back.'

"No. The tent isn't far. I can make it back." She wouldn't miss the nights performance. Her and her brother were often the more popular acts.

"Clan?" There were too many variables, things he didn't understand, and a whole new puzzle when he hadn't even solved the first one. Or maybe it wasn't a whole new puzzle at all. Maybe he'd been trying to assemble it without all the pieces.

But he still doesn't know our ways.

Jagger shoved his gloved hands in his pockets and looked over to the two of them. They were similar in appearance, though he was much larger than his sister. They were siblings, though, that much he could tell, or maybe he'd gotten it from touching them. It was hard to know sometimes.

"Alright. How about we assume I don't know anything about anything you're talking about?"

Stefan looked over to the gangly outsider, frowning. "My sister had told you, Mami will answer your questions."

Jagger nodded, "and who is Mami?"

His last question made her smile. "Mami is what we call Grandmother. Every at the circus calls her that."

There were a few moments along the walk where it looked and sounded like Syeira was answering a question. She'd shake her head or give simple 'yes' or 'no' answers. She'd agree with something that was never said or ask about the flyers, which were laying on the floor of the coffee shop. It was only as they approached the Circus that she stopped talking and her eyes became unfocused once more.

Her feet knew the way to Mami's tent, which was both the old woman's personal quarters as well as the costuming area.

The Circus had set up a small performance space in the center of a park with a circle of old cars and colorful trailers. A small crowd had gathered around the area, looking to see what was going on. There were a few members of the Circus setting up while others were controlling the curious onlookers and handing out flyers. There was a subtle uneasiness to the atmosphere as Jagger walked with the Harven siblings beyond the crowds and into the heart of the tents.

There were performers practicing juggling and the commanding shouts of a carpenter as they worked to get everything ready for the performance that night. Everyone was working, trying to keep busy and keep spirits up.

Stefan didn't say anything out loud but he continued to glare at Jagger throughout the trip and make it known that he was not welcome... even if his sister was more than eager to answer as many of Jagger's questions as they could. 'This is a bad idea.' He cautioned Syeira but she wasn't listening. She was the Reader and she had to trust her visions and instincts... even if they were failing her.

"Mami?" She pushed the tent open and held it for Jagger to step inside first. Stefan took the opportunity to go in first and Syeira offered her guest an apologetic smile at her older brother's rudeness. Everyone was cautious but Syeira had hope.

Jagger was her hope.

It was strange, walking among the tents and RVs that comprised the caravan of the Blue Moon Bazaar, as he pamphlets had named it. He'd seen a documentary on the Romani people once, and it was very similar to what was now presented to him. Many of those working paused as they passed, staring at this new person accompanying their young Reader and Jagger hunched his shoulders instinctively under the pressure of their gazes. He got the distinct impression he wasn't welcome here, though he was fairly certain it didn't come from any sort of ability and just the air around here. These people didn't like outsiders and everything about him screamed 'different'.

When they came, at last, to the tent that was their destination, the man who'd traveled with them who hadn't bothered to introduce himself walked in first and he shook his head at Syeira's apologetic smile. Her brother was protective, and why not? A stranger was touching his sister when they first met. He'd be pretty pissed off, too, especially if his sister was as disjointed and out of touch as Syeira seemed to be.

"What's this then?" A voice that could only be Mami, old like fine leather, weathered but strong, came from inside as they stepped in behind Stefan. "We have a show tonight and you bring around strangers?" Mami's tone was chastising, but there was a note of wary fondness beneath it. It wasn't the first time their young Reader had brought home a stray she'd found when no one else could, but it was the first time it was a man.

"Syeira went off looking for a Viewer, Mami. She says this is him." Stefan cast a look back toward the strange man standing near his sister. "He's clanless and doesn't know our ways."

Mami rose on her old bones from her worktable, moving closer. While her skin was as weathered as her voice, her eyes were as sharp as any young thing's, and she looked Jagger over appraisingly. He swallowed, appropriately feeling like an animal on the auction block. At length, she turned her attention to Syeira instead. "Is this true?"

"I didn't go looking for him." She paused and curled her lips guiltily inward. "Exactly." She had gotten thick heavy whiffs of coffee and had heard the steady timber of his voice but her visions had been too disjointed for her to make out any more than that. She'd tried to persuade Mami to let her go looking for a Viewer but she hadn't been allowed to leave and after everything that had happened... she couldn't just vanish.

She was the last thread holding their clan together.

It was a heavy responsibility.

"You can ask him." Her eyes briefly glazed over and a second later she skipped a part of the conversation. "Please answer his question Mami. He doesn't have anyone else who can teach him. Even if he doesn't stay."

The sudden jump didn't alarm the old woman but she looked concerned. She had been watching the increasing frequency at which Syeira had been slipping in and out of the weave. Mami placed a weak comforting hand on Syeira's shoulder and smiled. "Rest child. I'll answer his questions."

Syeira relaxed though she didn't leave Jagger's side. She had brought him here and it didn't feel right feeding him to the wolves and then walking away.

The old woman turned towards Jagger and gave him a stern look up and down. "Don't just stand in the doorway." She turned and moved over to sit in front of the table she'd been working at. "Stefan. Get us some tea? My old bones could use the herb." She looked Jagger up and down again... and waited as Syeira's brother headed towards the back of the tent where Mami's tea supply was stashed. There were homemade herbal teas for their guests and a special tea for her that numbed the ache in her joints.

One habit Jagger had picked up from his anglo-saxon father was a love of tea. He liked coffee just as well, but there was something about herbal tea that calmed the nerves. It would take a moment for Stefan to get the water heated, though, and he followed the old woman back to her work bench. There were chairs nearby, on which those for whom she was fitting were to sit, and she motioned toward them. "Sit, boy. As I told Syeira, I will answer your questions, but first you will answer one of mine." She finally met his eyes, then, and while Jagger felt like bolting, he stood firm for a moment before nodding and taking the seat she'd motioned toward.

"Tell me what happened to your clan."

Jagger's eyebrows rose slightly and he blinked, shaking his head. "That's the thing. You all keep talking about clans and Readers and Viewers, but I've never heard of any of it. It's was always just me and my dad, after mum...died." She'd committed suicide. She'd slit her wrists the long way and jumped into the river in the East End. His father had never told him that, but once, when he was around 10, he'd found an old box of his mother's things in their attic and he'd touched her brush. That was around the time he'd stopped taking his gloves off.

"And your father was human?" It was a leading question for the old woman as she returned to her mending, her arthritic hands deceptively deft with a needle.

"Honestly," he glanced toward Syeira for confirmation before looking back to the woman, "Mami, I'd always assumed I was, too."

It's always been known, at least among the older generation, that the Seps could mingle their blood with humans, but the results were also too unpredictable to be safe. This marked the first time the old woman had heard of a Viewer being born in such a way. "And what makes our Syeira believe you are a Viewer, hmm? Speak plainly. I don't have the patience for paranoia anymore, and you are among those who will understand. Stefan and I," she nodded toward the small kitchenette where her surrogate grandson was finishing their tea, "speak in the mind, and many here can move things about with it."

He swallowed, looking down at his gloved hands. "I can...know things when I touch them." He looked back up to the old woman. "It's called psychometry."

She nodded, still not looking up from her sewing. "We septians have been around for thousands of years, those whose minds are open. Some are born among our number who can See the Weave, and rarer still are those who can Read it."

"But what is the Weave?"

"Don't interrupt your elders, boy." He quieted, admonished, as Stefan quietly brought over their tea. Few things could get him to be quiet, but Mami was one of them. Politely, as he was capable of it sometimes, Jagger nodded his thanks to the other man. "The Weave is...time, life. Much like finely woven cloth, it is everything together. Here, in the present, we are all threads weaving the tapestry of the future, with all its possible stitches. The past, though, is woven and unchangeable, though it can be seen by those with the ability. Viewers are especially good at reading what has been, and I assume that is what you do when you touch things, yes?" Jagger nodded but didn't speak, absorbing her information. "Readers have the rare gift of seeing the threads, and reading what patterns they may be woven in."

"They see the future," he confirmed, and Mami nodded.

"As much as the future can be seen. It is not definite-"

"Because it hasn't been woven." He nodded, taking a sip of his tea, pleased to note it was quite good.

Mami nodded, the boy caught on fast. "All clans have a Reader, only the one. They guide us through the Weave. Viewers anchor the Readers, keep their minds in pace with the weaving."

Syeria sat next to Jagger with her hands resting nervously in her lap. She wanted this meeting to go well but she saw how easily it could unravel.

When their eyes briefly met, she nodded her head and gave Jagger the same encouraging smile she'd given him when they'd walked into the Circus grounds. The clan might not have accepted him but she had and she was going to try and be here for him.

..even if being in the present was deceptively difficult.

She stayed silent and only moved when Stefan handed her the tea. Her hands rose a second too soon but he had been expecting it and they managed to avoid spilling tea everywhere. Syeira smiled at her brother. He finished passing out the tea and then took the seat on Syeria's opposite side, flanking her with Jagger.

Stefan was protective of his sister and he was going to make sure that there was no more touching between the pair of them. He didn't trust Jagger and he disliked how at ease Syeira was around him. He wanted her to be safe and they needed a Viewer for that but he didn't like Jagger. This wasn't a good match. What if she grew too attached to him? He could destroy the Clan.

Syeira took a small sip of the tea and relaxed as its warmth sunk into her bones. It felt as if things were becoming clearer. "I think-" Syeira looked up and met Mami's sharp gaze. Mami patiently let her speak, even as her voice slowed and her words became uncertain. The clan listened to the Reader and that aspect of their relationship was noticeable in comparison to how she had cut Jagger off or ordered Stefan around. "His mother was a Reader too. She saw something... I don't know what. Maybe she saw us..." It was a guess but she felt comfortable with the guess, having stared into the Weave her entire life.

She looked back at Jagger. "Our people need their Clans and the Readers need a Viewer or..." Her voice trialed off and Stefan's hand curled into an angry fist.

All Jagger could really see at the moment was that if he was going to be some sort of anchor for his sister, Stefan was going to kick his ass. To be honest, though, a fair bit of Jagger's life had consisted of bullies wanting to take a piece out of him; either because he talked funny, because his dad was a drunk, because he didn't have a mom, because he was skinny and had reduced lunch fees at school.

"I'm not trying to belittle your troubles, any of you." He looked around to all of them putting on his best customer service voice. "But I...can't stay here."

Stefan's reaction was immediate, "No one-"

"Enough." Mami's voice cut off whatever protest Stefan might have had. "You are here, and we thank you for coming. You are our guest this evening." The look on Stefan's face spoke plainly enough: Jagger was not his guest. "But Syeira needs to rest or you," Mami turned her gaze to Stefan, "will be performing alone this evening. You may stay," she turned back to Jagger, "enjoy the show, meet our people, and then we will talk."

Jagger swallowed, but nodded. Mami was difficult to argue with. "I, uh, thank you for your hospitality."

Syeira rose to her feet. "But Mami!" And was quickly shut down by a harsh look from the acting clan head. "Yes. Mami." Her head lowered and she placed her tea cup on the table in front of her grandmother.

She looked over at Jagger and smiled though her exhaustion was etched into her features. "I wanted to speak to you more but maybe after the performance. I won't-" Her eyes unfocused but this time she forced herself out of the weave and refocused on Jagger. "I won't make you stay or anything but I want you to feel comfortable while you are here. So, let me know if there is something... anything that I can do to help your stay."

Jagger was doing something really important and even if he didn't become her viewer, she wanted to support him and help him. His mother wanted that and as another Reader... she wanted to honor those wishes. He deserved his own happiness and it was important. Syeira didn't understand why she felt so passionate about Jagger. She'd only just met him and he wasn't the firs Viewer she'd known but there was something about him. It tugged at a thread within her.

It was as if they were woven together...

Syeira pulled away her gaze and glanced at Stefan. "I'll be in the trailer. Please be nice." She didn't need to say more for everyone in the tent to know what she was talking about. Stefan hadn't stopped scowling at Jagger since they'd met. Her request didn't stop the glare but his features relaxed as Syeira left the tent and headed towards the car that she shared with her brother. Most of them shared sleeping areas but Syeira had a place that was designated as her resting spot, since she needed to rest at random times throughout the day.

Stefan watched her leave, his features becoming more harsh as he turned towards Jagger. "I'll keep an eye on hi Mami." He didn't think he needed to go around and provide hype for his show by performing small tricks. Stefan felt as if keeping an eye on Jagger and keeping the boy away from where his sister was resting was far more important.

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The start of something new.

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