<div class="floatleft">(https://i.imgur.com/IoRcGg5.jpg)<br/><br/><div align="center"><strong>Erica Serrano</strong> (https://elliquiy.com/forums/index.php?topic=299823.msg14662201#msg14662201)</div></div>Erica leaned against the wall near a buffet table, her heel tapping the skirting board in a nervous rhythm as her eyes would occasionally dart to the delicacies. She currently wore a flat cap along with a more...<em>clean</em>version of her regular attire provided by her patron, though the cap looked beaten, dusty and aged, her hair sticking out from either side below it in a rather wild fashion. When she was certain no one was looking and other performers were chatting amongst each other, chatting each other up or otherwise simply gawking, an expertly quick hand darted out, snagging a mini mini quiche between her fingers visibly, and another hidden in her palm that was quickly pocketed for later. Along with a few of those little sausages on sticks she had swiped earlier.<br/><br/>There were a couple of colourful characters about, as much as you would likely expect in a variety act, couple elves, guy talking to himself... some of them seemed quite nervous about their performances. Erica though? She was pretty used to acting in front of crowds, even if the performances she was used to involved a lot more dried blood and teeth. Or possibly less, depending on if someone was doing one of those knife throwing routines. Oh gosh, what if someone was doing one right now and she was missing it!?<br/><br/>She bit her bottom lip and let her head sink back into the wall, her slightly greasy (or eggy), quiche-covered hand lifting the brim of her cap and looked over at the pony-tailed dude. Did he... did he say something about fighting ogres and gladiatorial combat? Oh man.<em>THAT</em>was going to be a show worth seeing, she hoped she was going on before that guy so the crowd wouldn't have as high expectations of what came on after him.<br/><br/>Kicking off from the wall she mosey'd her way over to where the rest were seemingly holding a support group for one of the elves. Half elves? Ah whatever, same thing more or less.<br/>Leaning on the girl's shoulder a little she offered her a little sausage on a stick and her advice in exchange for her personal space,<strong>"Or if you're puttin' on a show about what someone else wrote, you could go even further than improvising the bits you don't remember. Embellish and make it your own, make it better, y'know?"</strong>- should her new acquaintence not accept the sausage in time it would soon disappear into Erica's mouth,<strong>"Bring it more in line with the times and the audience. Maybe sex it up a bit?"</strong>she says, her intention for the phrase being that it should be made flashier and showier, (not necessarily adding more risqué elements) though thinking everyone knew the phrase 'sex it up' chose not to elaborate further. It was performance rule number one, regardless if you're on stage singing sonnets about butterflies or whatever or taking a dive in the third round, an actor's gotta know their audience. Rule one, as she was sure the girl knew.