-2 Hours Later, Backstage Area Behind The Curtains Of The 17th Grand Theatre of Circopia-

The dark and cold backstage is crawling with performers reciting and going over their performances in distress. Some are doing their make up as others repeat their lines multiple times out loud.

Blanca nervously has her hands together on her lap as she sits on a bench with Gianni.

She watches a lady rehearsing an act. The lady is somehow making jellyfish swim in the air like magic.

Blanca: “How is that even possible…”

Gianni: “I don’t know? Strings attached?”

Blanca: “Gianni, I’m-”

Gianni: “It’s ok! Let’s see what’s happening on stage, come on.”

Gianni peaks from behind the curtain.

Blanca nervously: “Gianni… we shouldn’t-”

Gianni pulls her beside him: “Come!”

Blanca is pulled in and peaks out the curtain with Gianni.

She sees a guy swinging on bars and ropes in the ceiling, jumping from bar to bar and solving a rubix cube at the same time.

Blanca: “Eeh…”

Gianni’s eyes sparkle as he watches: “Freaking cool!”

Blanca notices the sparkle in Gianni’s expression and holds tighter onto his arm as she watches with him.

Gianni blushes a little as he eyes her.

Blanca spots an extremely creepy mechanical elephant, tiger and sea-lion that look like they’re straight out of a horror movie, near the exit of the tent.

Blanca: “What are those? They’re really creepy.”

Gianni: “Oh those are just the circus guardians. Just ignore them.”

Blanca: “Heh, heh. Ok.”

The man lands on the stage and bows. The silent eerie audience suddenly burst out in a magnificent applaud.

A small doorway leading to a tunnel opens in the tent walls behind the audience.

Gianni: “He made it!”

The Host stands on top of a high platform as he shouts into the microphone: “Efisio, congratulations!! You have been accepted to the outside world!”

The man tears up in happiness and bows many times: “THANK YOU! THANK YOU! I’VE WORKED MY ENTIRE LIFE FOR THIS MOMENT!”

The audience continues applauding for him as the mechanical elephant circus guardian grabs him with its trunk and guides him into the exit. The man disappears into the tunnel leading to the outside. The tent walls close behind him.

Blanca: “Gianni. That guy really did make it to the outsi-”

Host: “It’s time for our next performance, ladies and gentlemen from the outside world!”

Gianni stands up: “ALRIGHT! I’m up Blanca! This will be Le Spectacle Final De Gianni De Circopia!”

Blanca looks up at him.

Blanca: “G-Goodluck…”

Goma-Chan: “Ganbare! Ganbare! Gianni-Kun!”

Bumpkin wakes up on Gianni’s shoulder.

Gianni, Bumpkin and Goma-Chan walk up to the center of the stage.

Gianni waits for the curtains to open with a smirk on his face.

Host: “Our next performance is called… BUMPKIN THE GREAT AND THE SEAL AND THE USELESS KID!”

Gianni’s smirk is wiped right out of his face: “HUUUH!?”

Blanca looks worried.

Gianni turns to Bumpkin.

Gianni: “WHAT THE- DID I HEAR THAT RIGHT!? BUMPKIN! WHY ARE YOU THE LEAD!? This is the act you pitched to the circus!? BUMPKIN THE GREAT!? REALLY!? USELESS KID!?”

Bumpkin snickers as the curtains slowly begin opening: “Hehehehe…”

/＼ ^-▽-^ ／

Gianni: “We talked about this! YOU’RE SUPPOSED TO BE THE STUPID YET CUTE ANIMAL COMPANION! To trick the slower members of the audience into liking the act even when they’re not cultured enough to comprehend the deep philosophical connotations of our performances!”

The curtain is wide open now. And the audience hears a part of Gianni’s screaming to Bumpkin.

They eerily sit silent in their seats, glaring their eyes at Gianni.

Gianni sweats as he slowly turns to them with his twitching eyes: “AR-ARGH…”

Blanca from backstage: “Gianni…”

Goma-Chan: “Starto!”

Goma-Chan slurps up a mouth full of gasoline and spit-blows it at the flammable rings, attached to the ceiling.

The rings ignite in crimson fire!

Gianni watches frozen from a panic attack.

Bumpkin flies up to the rings and starts flying through them as he spins around in the air.

Bumpkin: “EEEH! EEEHH!”

/＼ ^oOo^ ／

Gianni tries moving but he barely twitches a finger as his breathing gets really heavy and his clothes start getting soaked in sweat.

Goma-Chan boomerangs rings of fire at Bumpkin who keeps flying through them and doing tricks.

Goma-Chan: “Ikou! Ikou! BUMPKIN-SENPAI!”

Bumpkin does one final swoop through 10 rings in a row and extends his wings out in the air looking down at the audience.

The spotlight flashes on Gianni.

Gianni sees the mechanical elephant, tiger and sea lion circus guardians watching him uncannily from behind the audience.

He uses the remaining of all his strength to control his breathing. He clenches his fists.

Gianni in his head: “For Blanca… Come on… COME ON…!”

Gianni pulls a stiff aggressive kawaii pose: “I’m… um… the… s- stu- stupid yet cute animal companion…!”

Bumpkin and Goma-Chan’s mouths drop.

Blanca hides her face in her bag.

The audience stays completely silent for 5 long seconds that feel like years.

Host: “Uuh…”

Gianni in his head: “Come on… please see the charm in it… Please…”

The audience begins booing really loud.

Gianni’s pupils shrink as his vision starts spinning and his ears ring.

The overwhelming sounds of hundreds of thousands booing feels like a gigantic tsunami is crashing on him and drowning him from its sheer weight.

Blanca from backstage: “Gia-”

A tear runs down Gianni’s cheek.

Blanca’s eyes widen.

Tears start water falling down Gianni’s eyes, making his colorful makeup droop down as he stares at the audience and the tent walls that remain shut for him.

Gianni sprints backstage past the curtain as he cries. Bumpkin and Goma-Chan quickly follow after him.

Backstage, all the performers avoid Gianni as he runs past them and huddles up in the corner of the dark room by some props.

Bumpkin taps his shoulder.

Gianni: “GET AWAY FROM ME YOU LITTLE SHIT! THIS IS ALL YOUR FAULT!”

Bumpkin sadly: “Eh…”

/＼ ^•︿•^ ／

Gianni: “I KNOW WE FAILED THE PAST 99 TIMES WITH MY IDEAS AS WELL BUT THAT DOESN’T MEAN YOU TRY SOMETHING COMPLETELY OFF SCRIPT WITHOUT TELLING ME!”

Bumpkin even more saddened: “Eeek…”

/＼ ^●︿●^ ／

Goma-Chan pets Gianni’s back.

Goma-Chan: “Yosh. Yosh. Gianni-Kun. Nakanaide kudasai.”

Blanca slowly approaches Gianni.

Gianni sees Blanca coming from a distance.

Gianni: “SHIT! BLANCA’S COMING! CAN’T LET HER SEE ME CRY! QUICK! GOMA-CHAN! I GOTTA USE YOUR FUR TO DRY MY TEARS!”

Goma-Chan: “EEH!?”

Gianni wipes his face aggressively on Goma-Chan’s fur.

Goma-Chan: “Yamete kudasai!”

°(৹˃﹏˂৹)°

Blanca stops in front of Gianni.

With smeared makeup, tears, snot and seal fur covering his face, Gianni quickly turns around: “YOOOO! BLANCA!! HAHAHA! WHAT’S UP GIRL!”

Gianni flexes really hard.

Blanca looks worried: “Gianni, are you ok?”

Goma-Chan signals to leave: “Bumpkin-Senpai.”

Bumpkin nods.

Goma-Chan and Bumpkin leave.

Gianni’s veins pop a little from flexing: “Hahaha! Would you look at that! It seems my arms have veins without even flexing from all the heavy backstage cargo and props I've been moving lately!”

Blanca: “…Please don’t be sad, every performer has a tough act here and there, right? I’m sure next time will be Le Spectacle Final de Gianni de Circopia!”

Gianni: “Hahaha! Don’t worry, I’m fine! They just don’t understand my genius, that's all! No need to sweat about it!”

He sweats profusely from flexing really hard.

Blanca puts her hand on Gianni’s bicep.

Blanca: “Gianni.”

Gianni: “Huh?”

Blanca: “I don’t care what anybody thinks about you or your acts. I love your acts and I lo-”

Gianni: “Blanca. I’ve been living a lie. Yes, today was a disaster but I always screw up. None of my acts were ever good. You’ve seen all of them, you should know more than anyone.”

Blanca: “That’s not tru-”

Gianni: “I’VE HAD A HUNDRED CHANCES AND I’M STILL STUCK IN CIRCOPIA!”

Blanca: “I LOVE YOUR ACTS!”

Blanca angrily breathes heavy.

Gianni pauses.

Blanca: “Do you remember the first time you showed me one of your performances when we were little?”

-10 Years Ago-

5 year old Blanca is brushing an elephant in a cage covered with hay with her comb, even though it has no fur.

Blanca: “Hmm hmm” ♪♫♬♪♬♫

5 year old Gianni runs into the cage: “YOO! LISTEN TO ME! UUH- UM- UGLY GIRL FROM NEXT DOOR!”

Blanca tilts her head and points at herself: “Eh? Me?”

Gianni: “YES! YOU! I GIVE YOU PERMISSION TO… UM… TO BE THE FIRST PERSON TO SEE ONE OF MY, GIANNI THE GENIUS’ PERFORMANCES!”

Blanca sticks the elephant comb on her own hair and sits on the floor with a smile: “Oke!”

Gianni blushes: “ARGH-AGH!? REALLY!? I MEAN- OF COURSE REALLY! THIS IS A GIFT TO ANY ORDINARY PERSON!”

Gianni pulls out a deck of cards: “PICK A CARD! ANY CARD!”

Blanca thinks very deeply: “Hmmm… THIS ONE!”

She grabs the card.

Gianni with an evil magic performer pose: “HAHAHA! NOW TURN THAT CARD OVER!”

Blanca turns it over: “8 of hearts?”

Gianni: “THAT WAS YOUR CARD WASN’T IT!? MUHAHAHA… MAGIC!”

Blanca: “Yea… but… You didn’t put it back in the deck and do anything with it. Is that really how card tricks work?”

Gianni: “Tch. I KNEW IT! YOU DON’T UNDERSTAND MY GENIUS!”

Blanca pauses for a moment then starts chuckling: “Hahahaha! I get it! You’re a comedy performer!”

Gianni: “WHAT!? NO!! STOP LAUGHING!”

Blanca laughs really hard: “Thanks! I’ve never laughed this much in my life before!”

Blanca wipes her tears of laughter: “It’s nice to meet you Gianni the Genius. My name is Blanca the ‘I don’t have a cool name yet’.”

Gianni blushes as he glances at her.

-10 Years Later, Present Day-

Gianni: “Don’t remind me of that…”

Blanca cheekily smiles: “I loved it! In fact I did that trick to all my friends after that! None of them laughed but… I think it’s really funny.”

Gianni: “It’s probably cuz just like I’m terrible at performing, you have a terrible sense of humour.”

Blanca hugs Gianni.

Gianni freezes in shock.

Blanca snuggles her face in his shirt: “Well then I guess we go perfect together, right?”

Gianni blushes as tears start running down his eyes again.

Blanca with her face still buried: “Are you crying again?”

Gianni wipes his tears really fast: “NOO! NO! NO! This is… uh... I’m practicing for my next act! I’m gonna have to work on crying on demand for the next one!”

Blanca hugs him harder and Gianni’s hat falls on the ground.

Blanca: “Some day, they’ll understand one of your genius acts and you’ll be accepted into the outside world and I’m going to do my best to follow in your footsteps and improve my performances so that they'll let me go too. So we can live in the outside together.”

Host from on stage: “OUR NEXT PERFORMER IS HAVING HER DEBUT PERFORMANCE! EVERYONE PLEASE WELCOME… BLANCA!!!”

Blanca gently breaks the hug. She picks up Gianni’s hat and puts it on his head.

Blanca smiles: “After this we’ll buy mega packs of cotton candy flavor popcorn and ride everything in Circopia Coaster Land! That always cheers you up after your performances!”

Gianni nods not knowing what to say.

Blanca runs to the curtains and stands, waiting for them to open with a nervous face.

She turns to Gianni again.

Blanca smiles: “It’s only my first performance so I’ll definitely get rejected but please cheer me on, ok?”

Gianni gazes at her eyes and nods.

Blanca turns to the curtains as they open, revealing her to the eerie silent audience.

Gianni snaps out of it: “I’m gonna watch and cheer for you from the best seat in the house!”

Gianni starts climbing the backstage metal ladders to reach the ceiling.

Blanca shyly takes out her paper: “Uh… My performance… Um… I wrote a poem.”

Her voice echoes in the microphone. The audience glare at her.

Blanca looks down at her paper.

Gianni makes it to the top and sits looking down at the view of Blanca performing.

Gianni: “VIP SEATS! LET’S GO!”

Blanca: “Ahem…”

Blanca: “Somebody special to me told me there’s a sky outside.”

Gianni’s face fills in shock as he hears that.

Blanca:

“Somebody special to me told me there’s a sky outside.

He told me it was beyond the tent and it was endless and wide.

He told me sometimes it shined and other times it cried.

Apparently it even blew trees when it whined and sighed.

He said he wants to see it with me and I told him I want that too but I lied.

Truth be told,

Whether I’m inside or outside,

I don’t really care or want anything as long as I’m by your side.”

Gianni’s mouth trembles: “Blan… ca…”

Blanca leans in to the microphone: “Gianni, I lov-”

The crowd suddenly bursts out applauding.

Blanca: “WA- WAIT! I’M NOT DONE YET!”

They applaud extremely loud!

Gianni, trying to process the situation: “Huh? They’re… Applauding?”

Blanca: “I’M NOT DONE YET PLEASE STOP!”

The tent walls begin opening.

Gianni turns really slowly in a horrified way at those walls opening: “H-hu-Huh…?”

The elephant circus guardian grabs Blanca with its trunk.

Gianni: “BLANCAAA!!!!”

It starts pulling her in towards the exit tunnel.

Blanca: “GIANNI!!!!”

Host: “CONGRATULATIONS BLANCA! YOU MADE IT TO THE OUTSIDE WORLD!”

Blanca: “NO! WAIT! I WANT TO STAY HERE! I WANT TO STAY HEERREE!!!”

Host: “No can doo! HAVE FUN GIRLIE! TRUST ME! IT’S WAAY BETTER OUT THERE!”

Gianni falls off the ceiling and lands extremely hard on the wooden stage floor.

Gianni: “BLANCA!!!!”

Blanca’s eyes widen in terror: “Gianni… What are you-”

Gianni’s arm is broken in half, he lays there as he screams out to her and crawls towards her: “BLAAANCAAA!!!”

Blanca tears up as the elephant circus guardian eerily drags her inside the depths of the tunnel with its long metallic trunk held together by rusty screws.

Blanca: “GIANNI!!! I’LL BE WAITING FOR YOU OUTSIDE!!”

The tent walls start closing behind her.

Gianni crawls more aggressively as tears and snot run down his face: “NOO DON’T GO!!!”

Blanca: “SHOW THEM WHAT YOU CAN REALLY DO!”

The tent walls close.

Gianni stares at the closed walls, petrified.

2 guards pick Gianni up.

Guard: “Alright, let’s go buddy, you’re messing up the show.”

Gianni under his voice: “Blanca…”

Gianni screams as he gets dragged off stage: “BLAAANCAAA!!!!”

TO BE CONTINUED