It's the screams he can't handle. Where Wanda stands, Jeff hunches in his seat, covering his ears to drown out the sounds erupting all around them. He can't even tell if any of the screams are Pyre's. He can't make out anything, can't see Pyre past the bright, greedy flames intent on consuming his body.
"It's just magic," he says, to himself, to Wanda, his heart beating rabbit-fast in his chest. "It's magic, he's fine, it's... it's fine."
He says it with desperation, like he needs to believe it, even if he doesn't believe it. Even as Pyre collapses, Jeff has to believe it's just a harmless spell, a nasty prank, because there's no fucking way they'd just burn a man alive right here in front of everyone. Right?
The flames go out, and the Ringmaster goes on his schtick like there's not a charred body on the stage.
"Like a phoenix, we rise!"
And Jeff watches, his horror giving way to fascination, as Pyre does, in fact, rise. Good as new. Jeff looks from the stage, then to Wanda, eyes wide as he lets out a choked laugh in a rush of relief.
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"It's just magic," he says, to himself, to Wanda, his heart beating rabbit-fast in his chest. "It's magic, he's fine, it's... it's fine."
He says it with desperation, like he needs to believe it, even if he doesn't believe it. Even as Pyre collapses, Jeff has to believe it's just a harmless spell, a nasty prank, because there's no fucking way they'd just burn a man alive right here in front of everyone. Right?
The flames go out, and the Ringmaster goes on his schtick like there's not a charred body on the stage.
"Like a phoenix, we rise!"
And Jeff watches, his horror giving way to fascination, as Pyre does, in fact, rise. Good as new. Jeff looks from the stage, then to Wanda, eyes wide as he lets out a choked laugh in a rush of relief.