Gian had heard the reply and he blinked. He opened the door, much to his surprise and peeked in. He didn't know why but the mutated naga was oddly different when he sleeps. Almost... like a toy of the sorts that breathes. Pushing the odd thought out of his mind, he stepped in and shut the door behind him. The teen walked to the said sleeping creature and he, for a moment, observed him. He really was... mutated, so to speak. With his tail half-coiled away from his body, he could see the division between the naga's human counterpart and his snake body.

The wings, too, were oddly alluring.

The teen reached out to brush his fingers through Alfie's hair and he pulled his hand back a bit just in case he'd wake up. But, again, the temptation, to touch his hair came and he was unable to hold himself back from doing so. "Alfie?" he called out carefully so as not to scare the other, "You awake?" As if that wasn't enough, the teen had moved the tips of his fingers down to run over the other's cheek, fascination and awe apparent in his facial features. If Alfie were a man, he'd definitely be surrounded by a harem of men and women alike.

"...You like touching people in their sleep?"

Alfie was half-awake and peering at Gian with amusement dotting his expression. His voice was thick with sleep. He tilted his head slightly to rest in Gian's hand. Obviously, he was comfortable with people getting a little up close and personal. Odd...considering how he looked, contact was probably something he hadn't had a lot of in his lifetime.

He stretched himself out, his tail rapidly uncoiling and spilling down onto the floor. "You need me for something?" he asked, finally, reaching up to scratch his head.

Gian's first reaction was to blink when he was asked that question and then his eyebrows rose a tad when the other's head had tilted slightly to rest in his hand. Deciding not to answer that question as he retrieved his hand, he brought up that same hand to rub the side of his neck - a silent indication of his embarrassment. He'd almost forgotten what he was here for, being fascinated and all with Alfie's form, wings and hair.

"Ah. Yeah." He gave a nod as he dropped his hand back at his side, "Breakfast. Hebs wanted me to call you out." Stepping back so Alfie had the space he needed to get out from his nest, he smiled at the creature. "Good morning, too, before I forget."

"Mornin'. I'm not much of a morning person...I prefer nighttime. I burn real easy in the sun." Alfie slid out of his nest easily, raising himself up to his normal height and then stretching his arms up over his head. "Uwaaahh, I slept good. Time for food, you said...?"

Lazily, Alfie glanced around until his eyes set on his clock. The Ringleader provided all of the 'freaks' with their own alarm clocks so they would not be late for shows or trips.

"...Oh, it's breakfast-time. Where are we all eating this time?"

"Ah," was all Gian was able to say that as he nodded. Watching him stretch those arms up above his head made him smile slightly in amusement and he chuckled at the other's words. "Yeah."

The question, though, caught him off-guard and he thought about it for a moment. "Hebs said something about a 'circle'. Where is that?"

Just in time, the door opened and Hebs' head poked itself in. "Hey!" he started as he grinned, "I see you've had him up." Pushing the door open a bit, the snake-man stepped in.

"And, we'll eat at the circle," he told them. It's the 'dining hall' of the sorts that Hebs had put up for the 'freaks' family supposedly but Kratos and, well, the merman were quick to say 'no'. And, as for the Ringleader... he wasn't sure how to catch him or make him eat with them. Not that he minded. He was sure he'd be able to eat with Gian most of the times. Just a companion to eat with is good enough for him. "That okay with you, Alfie?"

"Yep. I hope those chairs aren't slippery this time, or I'll slip right off when I try to sit down..." The last time Alfie had eaten at the circle with the rest of his family, or the members that bothered to eat there anyway, the chairs had just been cleaned...and they were so slippery that Alfie's scales couldn't find purchase on them and he'd fallen off of the chair along with his food.

He grinned and slithered in-between Gian and Hebs. "Lead the way, oh scaled brethren of mine," he teased, pleasantly.

Hebs laughed when he'd remembered that time with Alfie. "Don't worry," he assured the mutated naga, "I've got you the perfect spot this time." He led the two to the said place and he grinned over at Alfie. One spot definitely had what looked like straw this time. Of course, the chairs were all slippery. Alfie's was just different.

Gian looked amazed at what he'd seen and when he was asked to take a seat, he did so. "Léan... he wasn't so bad," he started as he'd crossed his arms on the table and looked over at the two, specifically at Alfie since Hebs had disappeared into the back to get their food. He came out with Alfie's share first since he's got the biggest plate of meat he'd ever seen and then came out with two normal-sized plates, which he could say was definitely theirs.

Alfie made a beeline for the straw and immediately settled down, the tip of his tail flicking back and forth gleefully. He was pleased, obviously. He rested his head on the table and fixed his eyes on Gian. "He's...not that friendly to newcomers. He'll be a little better after some time, but I'd expect him to snap on you more than once..." he warned, somewhat solemnly.

Alfie's attention was immediately diverted when he saw Hebs coming in with his big plate full of meat. He took it, at once, and began to dig into it. He barely chewed...instead, he ate much like a snake did.

Gian leaned back in his chair and put his hands on the edge of the said seat. He was well aware that the merman wasn't very friendly to newcomers but he hadn't been so bad when he talked to him a while ago. Why, though? Frowning a little as he tilted his head a bit, he gave a nod to Alfie's next words and smiled at that. "He already snapped at me once for touching his water," he started, chuckling a little and shifting again to take the utensils Hebs had reached out to him.

He turned to look and watch Alfie eat and Hebs, who had noticed it, grinned. "He's a real pig," Gian heard him say. He raised his eyebrows a bit. "Seems pretty normal to me," was all Gian had said as a come back to Hebs who laughed in amusement.


[[ Feel free to fastforward. X3 ]]

((Shall I fast-forward to a week of Gian being there? He can start getting paid, then, and maybe mention a trip to the ocean...?))

[[ Works for me. :3 ]]

A week had passed since Gian had arrived at the freak show. So far, to Shadow's knowledge, there were only two 'freaks' that did not approve of him, even mildly. Kratos was one. Léan was the other. Kratos had not yet even attempted to associate with the boy--even Léan, who was known as the least sociable of all of them, was making a small attempt, at Shadow's request, to get to know Gian.

Shadow could already tell that Kratos was going to be a problem when it came to accepting Gian. Usually he left him to his own devices...but he was probably going to have to talk with him. Kratos and Léan were very much alike...both did not take well to newcomers and tended to keep to themselves.

But today, Shadow was going to try and fix that. He hadn't left his room all day...he appeared to be contemplating something.

Gian knocked on Shadow's door. He knew he'd been asked to come hours ago but he had to drop off the tuna for Léan's lunch first. That, and he had some idle chatter with the merman. Despite Léan not liking him, at least, Gian got the knack of trying to talk to him. As for Kratos, though, all he'd gotten from him was a grunt whenever he'd see him coming into his room after a walk, maybe, or something.

"Sir? You asked for me?"

"It's open."

Shadow was sitting at his desk, peering over what appeared to be a nationwide map. He did not look up from his map to greet Gian--he was too focused on it. He did, however, clear his throat and start to speak. "From what Léan tells me, you have been doing an exemplary job at taking care of his needs. If you wish to continue doing so, you can. After all, he does need constant maintenance."

He paused, briefly. "...As promised, I will be happy to pay you for your work. It will come in the form of a weekly paycheck...as long as you complete your duties, I will not dock any pay."

Shadow sat up a little straighter. "We have no shows scheduled for this week. Which means, we are free to do what we want. How does a vacation sound? We have not gone on one for a while. And...I heard you mention something about taking Léan to the ocean. There is...a problem, however. Transporting Léan is not easy. He will not enjoy the trip there and back."

Gian was surprised to see a nationwide map on Shadow's desk when he'd come in. He didn't say anything about it, though, and listened to him speak. He found himself smiling at the words 'exemplary job' and he raised his eyebrows a little in surprise. Pay for his work?

Sliding his hands into his pockets, he couldn't have had asked for anything better. This was the perfect place for him despite Kratos and Léan not liking him. "A vacation sounds perfect," he said with a nod and blinked at that. So, it's reached the ringmaster, too? "I know that, which is why I'm thinking of something that would make him feel more comfortable. I'm not sure what it should be yet, though. Does he have to be awake for the whole duration of the trip or be asleep?"

Shadow chuckled softly, immediately understanding what Gian was trying to suggest. "He...well, I'm afraid he's not going to want to sleep," he revealed, pointedly. "Léan is not comfortable out of the water to begin with. He will not be able to relax enough to fall asleep--he'll want to be up and awake for the whole duration of the trip..."

Shadow shifted uncomfortably in his chair. He hadn't eaten in over a day--he'd been so busy contemplating things that he'd actually forgotten to eat. "...I have thought of the possibility of taking a small tank along. But such a tank will not fit in any of our vehicles, and he refuses to ride separate from the group."

Gian thought about it for a few minutes. He'd seen Shadow shift uncomfortably in his chair and he remembered ones of the many things Hebs had told him. With his week of staying here, he, of course, knew his way around. "Give me a few minutes." He disappeared back out and reappeared after a few minutes with what looked like a tray of food. He held it in one hand, folded the nationwide map the other had on his desk before he'd set it on.

"I might be able to fix us a vehicle," he told Shadow with a smile. With his stay, too, and well, helping out with the groceries, he's met a few people outside whom he was sure wouldn't mind letting the freaks borow his car. "How big is this tank?"

"Thank you," Shadow said simply before he settled in his chair more comfortably to start on his food. He paused, though, when he heard what Gian had to say.

"...For transportation purposes, I would need to dig out the old portable water filter from storage. It is the tank we use for display purposes...but keep in mind that he is very nervous when he's in transit. When he is nervous, he eats quite a lot. Someone will need to be able to reach him to give him food when it's necessary, and we need to be able to speak with him."

Gian gave a nod and smiled at Shadow's gratitude. He had to thank Hebs on for giving him such an important detail to notice and remember. It was sort of random when it came up but he was glad nonetheless.

"The old portable water filter?" he repeated, blinking a little. That's the first he's heard of. And, when the idea of him needing to be able to reach him to give food made him smile again. "I'll do that and I think I may just have the vehicle for it. I need to know how big the tank is, though." The male brought up his hand to rub the side of his neck."

"The display tank is back in storage. You know which tank it is--it's the one our dear merman is in for shows," Shadow hummed, stretching his legs out slightly. He deemed it appropriate to eat, at this point, and he slowly began to dig into the food that Gian had brought him. He ate slowly, delicately...like at one point he used to attend many formal dinners, or dinner parties.

Shadow's past was a mystery to most people. He kept to himself. He'd kept his mask on around Gian--the smaller one that blocked out some of his face--all week. He would take it off once the newcomer had gained the merman's complete trust.

Gian let out a short, "Ah," as he realized what tank it is that Shadow was talking about. So, that was what it was called. He always did think of referring it as some other tank that Léan uses. "Enjoy your food," he said with a smile as he nodded, "I'll head out to see the tank and talk to a few I know to lend us that vehicle."

As if he had forgotten something, his face brightened up a tad. "I'll keep you posted, too, Shadow." The teen grinned and he tucked his hands into his pockets right after he'd left the Ringleader's tent. Now, he just had to see what that tank was and how big it is so he'd know who to ask from. Will Léan be all right, though? He did want to show the merman the ocean even just for a little bit.


[[ You don't mind if Gian gets hurt in the process to saving Léan maybe when they go out to sea? =D Adds to the thrill. XD And maybe building up some trust issue between the human and the merman. <3
Should we fastforward, too, to the traveling? o = ]]

((I certainly don't mind. We can fastforward to the freaks making preparations to leave, and Gian can maybe come in with the new vehicle for them?))

[[ Sounds good. ]]

Making preparations for traveling with their rather unique family was difficult for Shadow, considering he had to direct it all. Alfie was always excited about traveling, so Shadow never had a problem with him packing his things and getting ready. Léan was a source of constant complaining. He was loud, he was irritable...and he made things difficult for the other freaks by commenting about how easy it was for them to get ready to leave.

Shadow himself had a fair amount of luggage. They would be staying for a while--for exactly how long he wasn't sure yet. It all depended on how much everyone was enjoying their time on vacation.

Alfie was so excited that he was the first one all packed and ready. He had made sure to use the restroom thoroughly before leaving. With how he looked, it was nearly impossible to make rest stops where he could get out and use the bathroom...

Kratos, on the other hand, had been silent as he was next to finish packing. He didn't bring much things considering he could just have Hebs wash his clothes there. The male was waiting out of his tent with his arms crossed and his bag ready by his side. He'd occasionally glance one way or the other to check on the other freak members but he'd not open his mouth to speak to them.

Hebs was the last to finish packing since he had to bring a few of the utensils and make sure he had food and drinks ready for the traveling. He'd also packed things for Gian but the boy didn't have much stuffs. Just those clothes he'd worn once and some other clothes he'd shopped once or twice when he went out with Hebs paying for them. Léan's crates, though, were heavy but he managed to pile them up. Since it was going to be a long travel, he thought of packing extra.

Gian came with what looked like a van that could fit the tank and he backed it up in the gates before he'd turned off the engine but didn't bother pulling out the key from the ignition. It had a window of the sorts that could be opened or closed depending on the passengers in the driver's and the passenger's seat. The teen walked towards Hebs to finalize things with him. "Who'll be sitting on the front seat? And, could you drive Hebs or maybe Kratos? I'll be making sure to take care of Léan as much as I can."