Are you a morning person, or more of a night owl?
There isn’t usually much call for a stage performer in the early morning.
What’s the first thing you notice about a person when you meet them?
If they really see me - like, look me in the eye. When they don’t, they’re an easier audience but a lonelier friend.
You see a huge spider in your room, what do you do?
Oh, that’s Chuck. He hangs out sometimes. Gives me someone to talk to, though he doesn’t talk back.
If you could go back and change one decision you made in the past, what would you change?
I guess I… wouldn’t leave the Warren? Probably still would have lost my dad, but…Tell me about your first kiss.
Ah. Fortunately, the Baharats are, uh, classy enough to keep me at arms’ length from everyone that would try it. Even if that’s just to increase the allure. James… kissed my nose once, if that counts.
Do you give people second chances?
I don’t think I’ve ever had the opportunity.
Are you a cat person or a dog person?
No, I’m a bunny person. I get on better with most animals than many, but I’m still not very hot on carnivores.
Do you think you’re attractive?
Not my type, but there were… adjustments done while I was growing up to ensure I developed… fashionably. ‘Glamorous’ is how they usually word it when they introduce me onstage. Which I think means ‘attractive, but only so long as you’re too far away to see the scruffy fur and the albino pigmentation and the buck teeth’.
What’s your worst habit?
The kobolds across the menagerie from me make fun of me for being too eager to please.
When was the last time you cried?
Every other night since they told me James died.
Are you a good liar?
90% of stagecraft is misdirection.
What’s your biggest pet peeve?
People who disrupt performances. I don’t know why the Baharats allow so much alcohol at these things.
Have you ever had your heart broken?
Maybe. When James didn’t come back. I guess.
Are you more likely to use your fists or your words in an argument?
My fists are very soft, so - words, magic, then the bow, in that order.
What’s something you’re naturally good at?
There’s enough Brambleite trickster blood in me that my body does magic instinctively, even though I’ve never read a spellbook or really been taught how to pray.
What’s something you had to work hard to be good at?
The stagecraft bit - sleight of hand, playing the crowd, winking at the right moments - that took a lot more practice.
Can you tell when someone is flirting with you?
Uh. Yeah. Well. The way the Baharat’s dress me, it’s not usually subtle.
Do you think money can buy happiness?
James was very sure it didn’t, and he knew more about money than I do.
Do you believe in destiny?
I did. I got less sure when James disappeared. I’m starting to again. Brambleson seems to keep putting me in a position to help interesting people.
Are you a good cook?
No, they have other servants for that. My meals are provided.
What do you think happens after you die?
I don’t remember everything the church taught me, but I do remember there’s supposed to be a Briar Patch by the Garden where we all get to be free to run and play wherever we want. No-one’s a noble; no-one’s a pet.
Did you have to grow up fast?
Yes. I left the Warren with my dad when I was maybe six, and the Menagerie caught me within a year or two. I started earning my keep as a performer before I reached adulthood.
Who do you look up to?
I used to look up to my dad when we were together. Now, I guess there’s always Brambleson.
When you go to a tavern, what do you order?
I’d only be in a tavern if I was performing at an event, in which case I usually get watered down red berry wine because it matches the aesthetic. I prefer carrot juice.
What do you like most about yourself?
…I’ve never done a bad show?
What do you like least about yourself?
My appearance was… altered by the nobles, bit by bit, while I was growing up. They like the pets in their collection to be.. show pieces. So I don’t know what I’d look like if I hadn’t been captured and sold. And I’m not sure how much my mum would recognise me if I got home now.
Do you want kids someday?
I think I’d rather not while I’m trapped up here, but I’ve overheard the Baharats discussing it, if they can find a mate, since Bunbun aren’t very often found for sale and ones with magic bloodlines are far rarer again. I’d rather have kids to keep my place than risk being left homeless, I guess.
Are you a planner or more spontaneous?
I’m a spontaneous caster, but I do plan all my performances for maximum effect.
Can you keep a secret?
I kept all of James’s, for all the good it did him. I don’t think anyone who isn’t a Brambleite knows where my magic comes from - except perhaps that one concubine.
Do you like being the centre of attention?
On the stage, yes. I can do without it everywhere else.
If you knew you were going to die tomorrow, what would you do today?
Leave, I suppose. If I’m going to die anyway, it might as well be somewhere new.
Do you enjoy getting all dressed up for a special occasion?
Honestly, there’s enough of the performer in me that I still appreciate it even though I’m made to do it at every event whether I want to or not. But it’s stifling enough that I still prefer to dress for comfort when I can.
Where do you feel safe?
On the stage, in the spotlight, briefly. It’s the only time the rest of the world slips away for a second.
Do you love or hate being alone?
It can be preferable to the kind of company one gets at court, but I am still not used to being without someone to talk to. At least, without someone to answer back.
What’s the last nightmare you remember having?
Sometimes I still have nightmares about losing my dad when the dogcatchers came for us. They’ve become more of a thing again since James… left.
Do you admit to mistakes when you make them?
I’m better at playing them off so the audience doesn’t realise they were mistakes.
Do you want to grow up to be like your parents?
I used to. I was the kid that followed my dad out of the Warren to take his magic show on the road. I don’t really any more, given how that turned out.
How do you deal with being sick? Are you stoic or super whiney?
The show must go on, as they say, but I will whine about it backstage until the Viziera takes pity on me.
What did your parents expect from you when you were born?
I think they assumed I’d probably be something special - the trickster-magic on my dad’s side always manifested in at least a few each generation, and my mum’s side had a reputation for fantastic druidic crafting. I figure they probably didn’t expect me to get kidnapped and sold, though.
Do you have a strong sense of style?
The Baharats kind of impose their own on me. I prefer to express myself in more practical ways in my downtime.
Would you rather camp outdoors or stay the night in an inn?
I’d give a lot to camp outdoors again.
Is there a food that most people like but you absolutely hate?
Bunbun as a rule aren’t good with meat or alcohol, but fortunately the Baharats take beastfolk-rearing seriously enough to take that into account. I don’t like popcorn, as I discovered once when someone threw some at me.
Are you more of a hoarder or a minimalist?
My hutch is quite sparse, and I tend to give away most of the things I make, but I always keep a few stashed in my hat for emergencies.
Are you superstitious?
I think stage performers have to be, as a rule.
Are you the kind of person who remembers people’s birthdays and pet’s names and stuff?
I don’t often tend to learn them, to be honest. But sometimes I get them from a volunteer for a trick, and then I remember them at least until the show’s over.
What do you do to feel better when you’re sad?
I take some cuttings from the bramble vines I cultivate on the walls of my hutch, and I see what I can craft out of them.
Is it hard for you to trust someone?
Not really. I seem to latch on to anyone who opens up to me, or who shows an interest in Brambleson. I suppose that’s what loneliness does for you.
Are you susceptible to peer pressure?
Hmm. Hard to tell since I don’t get out much. I suppose I do hate to let down the crowd.
If you decided to stop adventuring and settle down, what kind of job would you take?
I think I’d probably still be a stage magician, just on my own terms.
As a kid, what did you want to be when you grew up?
A performing sorcerer, like my dad. Although I have since come to appreciate being a bramble-crafter like my mum.
