((ooh, a way to do magic tricks without quite appearing magical! Very interesting~!))

Mach slumped over, her fingers almost touching her toes, her bright nature instantly switching to one of failure.
"About that...we have to rewire the whole stage...Machy was only able to stabilize it for tonight."
She popped right back up and saluted, the three quater wrench in her hand. "But methinks if we get your critters to help, it shouldn't take more than a few hours!" She bowed, and handed the wrench to Vos with a flourish.
"Whatcha making?" Mach said inquisitively, peering over the edge of the table.

((If anyone is bored and wants another person to interact with, let me know. I am willing to take suggestions and create a side character. ;)))

"Thank you," Vos accepted the wrench with his usual stoic expression. Motioning to the fried box-like light that he'd been working on, he growled. "I was trying to at least salvage parts from this stage light." A puff of black smoke seemed to mock him as it drifted into the cool air.
Cool air - that was a huge understatement. One could almost see their breath within the mechanic's tent: he thoroughly enjoyed cold climates. Vos seemed oddly adjusted to the cold environment of his own "home," for he only wore light clothing. He always did.
Turning his dark gaze back to Mach, he concentrated on messing around with the circuits in front of him again. A mechanical mouse made its way onto the tabletop to wiggle its wired whiskers and sit still as stone while watching them.

"Lethal needs to stop by the nearest town for supplies again." He hated asking her for that. She always reacted harshly: they needed something to trade in for what they needed. Leaning back in his chair Vos sighed and reached out to scuff Mach's dark hair. "Have you eaten this morning, little one?"
-

Madame Lethal lifted a brow at the sounds of an amazed crowd. This group was even easier to trick than the last. There were a few skeptical looks aimed at Tali's stage, but that was to be expected. At least they weren't running back to their camp to gather pitchforks and torches. Magic was supposedly a federal crime now that modern technology wasn't possible. It was suprising to see how quickly superstition had taken over the world.

The ringleader leaned against one of the wooden support beams nearby to watch Tali amaze people with her slight of hand tricks and skill with mirages. It always seems to work. With a slight smile the dark-haired woman rubbed at the make-up covering her "scar." She might look normal for now . . . but the disease always gave her trouble. If only Luke could find a way to fix me. . . .
With a sigh, she gave Tali a nod before turning to head for the "fortune-teller's" tent. When she got there, she looked at the gaudy sign with a frown. The carnival needed the flashy appeal, but it was a bit loud for the eyes occasionally. Listening to the science-fiend startle yet another customer with the future, Hannah stared at the closed tent entrance. She hadn't done it yet; Lethal hadn't taken a peek into her future with Luke's sciences. She was a bit too worried to even do that.
Honestly, the disease she'd contracted a good decade earlier was steadily getting worse. As of yet . . . Hanna was sure she knew what her end would be. She didn't need to see it.
Shaking her head, the ringleader straightened her pin-striped blazer before stepping into the tent. She waited quietly until the customer was almost finished before allowing her darkened lips to tweak into a smile. The man was scrambling for a pen - it was always the same. And it was always interesting to watch.

"Eep!" Mach jumped in the air, startled by the creature's movement, only calming down again when she realized it was mechanical. She tilted her head sideways, peering at it.
"I will name you...King Edward the VII!" She said, pointing at it determinedly, a giant grin plastered on her face.
Growwl. She looked down at her tummy, still pointing at the mouse.
"Oh, I guess Mr. Tummy is hungry." She said, patting her belly, "he's making angry noises! We should feed him."

~~~~~

"Hello Lethal," Luke said, giving her a slight respectful bow. Lethal had seen the ignorance of the masses, and learned how to profit from it, and was thus worthy of respect. The customer jumped, startled by her sudden appearance.
"Wanting to have a looksee yourself finally?" He asked, even as he knew the answer, "You'll find the future sometimes surprises us, Miss Lethal." He looked at her, calculating with his eyes. It was always very interesting, those who wouldn't care to know the future. Yet, he himself cared more to look to the past, why, the past civilizations had taught him much 'lost' science indeed. Unfortunately, with their demise had came a large influx of radiation and tachyons, leaving the exact means of the demise lost to time. Funny thing, time. Even as it lay wide open in front of him, there were always a few things that would hide themselves still.

"Yes you should," Vos said, quirking a brow in amusement. He reached out suddenly, grasping Mach's arm as he stood. He pulled her to him and lifted her into his arms with a slight smile - it was an "attack." Despite his usually stoic demeanor, Vos ended up chuckling as the girl squirmed. Being sure to keep her off the ground and giggling (for he ended up adding a few tickles in there) the silver-haired male finally brought her outside. The warm air made him wrinkle his nose before setting Mach down. "Come with me. I haven't eaten since daybreak."
He suddenly returned to his former calm self, moving toward the food vendors without so much as glancing back at the youth behind him.
-

"You already know my answer, Luke." Hannah waved the startled customer out of the tent before moving to take a closer look at the chemical compound the "sorcerer" was using. "Even if the future did surprise me, I would rather keep it out of mind." Her duel-colored gaze flickered about the tent for a moment before she sighed and took the seat across from Luke.

"Anyone with an interesting future this time?" Just because she didn't want to see her future didn't mean she didn't care at all. Sometimes it was funny to hear what would happen to the people they left behind. That, and perhaps they would find new players to add to their troupe. Some of the "older" performers were itching to leave. Lethal didn't let them go, necessarily, but she certainly entertained the idea of cutting them loose. Some had already started disappearing.

Tali stood backstage, wiping the dust off of her face. She had learned a long time ago how to avoid sweating, or feeling the heat for that matter. It was currently her break; thirty minutes where she didn't have to put up an act for everyone. Donning her cloak, Tali stepped out, unseen by the adults in the crowd. Several children pointed, but they were either hushed or ignored. Despite knowing her destination, it still took time to part through the crowds.

Several minutes, and a couple of curses later, Tali stood outside Luke's tent. She had contemplated this for weeks, but she had never acted on it. She needed to see her family again; no matter how it frustrated her, she couldn't push down the emotions, not anymore. Even an image in a ball would do. Her only worry was that Luke wouldn't keep her secret. There was no way he'd fail to notice the time period.

Foregoing the line, Tali slipped around the back of the tent, and crawled underneath the fabric. "Luke, I have a favor to ask you," she began, dusting herself off, and completely oblivious to Hannah's presence. "Could you... show me my past?" The hesitance in her voice irked her to no end, but she had to continue. Her eyes, perfectly suitable for the puppy-dog look, never flickered, though the light seemed to shine off of them. She wouldn't beg... yet, she needed to see her family again, even if Luke took everything she owned for payment.

((Hooray for twists! :D))

Mach did a backward somersault when she was let down, giggling all the while from all the tickles, defensive position ready, but hurried to catch up as it was evident Vos's tickle attack had finished. She clapped her hands, skipping back to Vos's side.
"Ooh! Hurrah! Food! What shall we eat today?"

~~~~~

Luke nodded, turning off the power to the device as Ms. Lethal took a seat.
"Nothing too fancy, mostly the same. A funny little girl asked to see her past so that she might locate where her she misplaced her teddy bear, " he chuckled, remembering the event, "ends up her little brother had hidden it cause he had accidentally gotten it dirty! Quite hilarious. Hmm, let's see, what else..." Luke rubbed his chin, thinking.
"Ah, yes. There was a clergy who came in here, to try and prove something to me about how only God knows the future so forth, and seems in a few years he'll have changed jobs to a prosecutor! Needless to say that old man left rather puzzled." He laughed, then heard Tali's timid request.
"Well, certainly, but I would request you wait a little while, unless you don't mind Ms. Lethal watching." He raised an eyebrow curiously. It was always an odd...ordeal when those at the Carny asked to see their 'fortunes'.

"I don't mind unless Hannah does," Tali said, shocked that the ringleader was there. She hadn't been that focused, had she? Tali wasn't afraid of Hannah's reaction; the woman had always treated Tali like a little sister, or daughter, so she figured she didn't need to hide anything from her. "I just... want to see my family again, that's all," she admitted, fidgeting uncomfortably. Her uncertainty was very uncharacteristic, and it was something that irritated the tiny girl greatly. Her emotionless facade was crumbling, and she knew it. Apparently the people that had told her to express herself had been right; bottling up your emotions, refusing to feel them, wasn't very good for you. That wasn't going to change Tali though. After this, she would go right back to bottling them up. It kept people from being close to you, and it didn't hurt. Continuing to fidget, she waited, trying hard to be patient.

"Alright then." Luke said, bemused, and surprisingly unsarcasticly. He got up, and began fiddling with some vials. "It'll help a little bit if you give me a time range," he said, "As I'm sure there will be several instances of seeing your family within a period of 50 years, and it'll be a little more efficient if I start closer to the exact moments you want." He turned on the generator again, switching on the crystal structure to past.

"Uh... March 21, 1817?" Tali asked, clearly not thinking of how absurd that would sound. That was the day before she had met Death, and therefore the last day she saw her family. "You can see back that far, right?" Looking at his face for a response, Tali finally realized how ridiculous she sounded. A faint blush, easily noticeable rose to her cheeks, and she risked a peek at Hannah for a reaction.

Tali had also never thought of Luke's reaction. Her age meant that she had seen some of the greatest technological wonders of the world, at least compared to now. She had taken for granted what these people coveted. While she had never been a scientist per-say, she definitely possessed knowledge that was considered basic at that point in time. It could be that he would want to pull that information from her head, metaphorically of course. That could lead to him opening up, though it wasn't likely. Squashing down her doubt, she took a seat across from the chemist, waiting for him to give her the green light.

Luke stopped for a moment, and then continued as he was, showing no surprise.
"Time isn't linear, more like a sphere..well, it's a multidimensional object that our minds couldn't comprehend...eh...forget the explanation." He rambled on in his usual manner, though it lacked his usual heavy disdain and sarcasm. He was thinking carefully. Now a man of science must be open to all possibilities, because often, the answer to the question is something one wouldn't expect...it might even seem impossible! And yet...the proof of her statement would be shown soon enough. No need to be hasty.
"Well, Miss Tali, I'm just about ready. Sorry for the delay, the old mixture isn't quite meant for that time range...It's meant to provide a clear image while a short one for the viewers, but it's rather dependent on the user...I think this mixture will serve our purposes today better." He fiddled with some dials on the bottom of the crystal, and slowly poured out the old mixture into a large bin he had for those purposes. "Waste not, want not." He said be-musingly, mostly to himself. He then poured in the concoction he had just stirred up into the crystalline shape, getting the same reaction as before. He hit the switch for past and let the mixture settle itself out. He fumbled about in his pockets, looking for something, his pompous robe getting in the way.
"Confounded thing!" He cursed, tossing the hat on the ground and promptly removing the accursed royal purple 'Magician's' Robe. He ran his hand through his hair, and sighed.
"Ahh, much better...oh yes, I was getting something...ah, yes..." He pulled out a little key from his waistcoat pocket, and stumbled over to a nearby chest, stopping suddenly.
"Oh yes, you mustn't tell anyone outside the carny of this little viewing device I have. It's very expensive, and provides a much better viewing time than that little viewer over there, but I most certainly do not want any of those little people getting their grubby hands on it." he stated, as he pulled a more complicated contraption, which had a setup of three precisely faceted crystal disks set up to relay light from the crystal onto mirror-like surface, that seemed to be made of a think layer of mercury. This he also connected to his power source, and once humming with electricity, the silver sheen on the mirror spread out evenly and began to resonate.
"Now," he said, taking on a serious tone of voice, "I'm going to set it to 7 am of that morning. Now, while I can see just about the entirety of that year in this crystal here, you can scroll moment to moment using this little dial," he pointed to a small dial on the viewing device, "and you can set it to a constant real time scroll by hitting this button, and simply hit it again to pause." He made a few more adjustments on the viewing device, "The disks will rotate in time with the frequency, allowing you to see each frame of time, and when put together, it'll be like a little action show of that day. If you want to go further back in time, or ahead, I can readjust it for you." He said factually, and then sat down on the other side of the crystal to investigate the peculiarity of her request, and weather it had substance.

As Tali's request filled the tent, Hannah Lethal slowly smiled a bit. It was different to see the girl so . . . fidgety. The ringleader stood and moved to the side when Luke prepared everything for the procedure. She kept silent - and motioned for Tali to take the seat she'd just been sitting in across from the scientist.
Lethal tried to keep the curious look off of her face and failed. Rubbing the darkened side of her face, she ignored the fact that a layer of make-up was wiped off of her "marred features." This was bound to be interesting, and it was a great relief to know that Tali didn't mind her watching. Adjusting her top hat, she glanced to Luke before letting her brown and silver gaze move back to the girl in front of her.
-

"Something worth eating this time," Vos said quietly. Mumbling under his breath he headed farther into the carnival until they reached a stand with meat pies and other such dishes. Quirking a brow, he moved to the head of the line to say something to the stall owner before slipping around behind the counter. He didn't motion for Mach to follow him, but he knew that was a granted. Trying to get rid of her without something tangible was like trying to wave a puppy away from your heels.
Within minutes he had two pies, small enough for each of them to finish off on their own. Vos stepped away from the stall before handing one down to Mach. "Watch where you walk while you handle that." Last time she'd ended up spilling her drink all over some woman's homespun skirt. It hadn't been a pleasant day.

Tali stared at the device with a mix of wonder and anxiety plastered on her face. Immediately after he had finished explaining, Tali started the device, watching as images became clearer. She watched as her old body got up out of bed, a tiny thing in her tiny room. It had been much taller, though she had still been considered short. The Tali in the image quickly dressed in the typical serving girl uniform, white apron over a striking blue dress she had gotten as a gift. The dress was obviously cut to the fashions of those days, quite embarrassing compared to the dress of today. Before long, the Tali in the image had sat down for breakfast, waiting for the entire family to be present before enjoying the meal her mother had made. Her father already sat there, strong shoulders giving a hint of his profession as a blacksmith. Upon seeing him, Tali let out sort of a choked sob, unaware of the tears dripping to her hands.

Shortly after, the rest of her family filed in, one at a time. And with each addition, Tali let out another sob. Memories cascaded through her mind, happy and sad, but all good. After a few moments Tali realized she had twisted the knob to fast forward the image. She saw the hawk-nosed man who couldn't pay for wine, but wanted more anyway. She felt the phantom pain as he stabbed the Tali in the image. And then she saw Death. Amusement filled his features at her request, so confident in his victory. That amusement that was replaced by rage as he realized she'd beaten him. And then she saw her family die, and the destruction of her old body. That was what let the dam break. Not the loss of her old body, but he loss of her family. Pausing it, she looked into her family's pained faces, muttering how sorry she was between sobs.

Burying her face in her hands, her tiny body continued to be wracked with sobs. For five centuries she had bottled up all this emotion behind a dam, and she would bottle it up for another five if she had her way. When the sobbing petered down, she looked around, trying to judge the reactions of her coworkers. She didn't even bother trying to put up another mask of indifference. She just sat back and sniffled as she scrubbed at the tears, and waited for the others to react.

Tali's emotions came in a wave. Hannah was leaning over her shoulder one moment and wrapping her arms about the girl the next. "We're here for you," she whispered, stroking the girl's hair in a motherly gesture. The ringleader frowned in concern. Though Tali was older than everyone here, it was obvious that she suffered more than most - she just looked so young, it was hard to treat her like an elder. "Do you want us to get you anything?"
Sitting on the very back edge of the chair that they now shared Lethal rested her cheek on Tali's head and rocked her gently. You poor thing. It was the most tender moment any member of her troupe had ever seen - just as with Tali's tears. They were both scenes that were unwritten in their plays; unusual expressions of emotion. "You are strong, Tali. I've seen it. You don't need to keep this in forever."

To say Tali was shocked at Hannah's reaction was an understatement. Certainly the woman had never shown this side of herself before. Though perhaps her reasons for the emotionless exterior were much the same as Tali's. Still sniffling, Tali nodded in acceptance and let herself be held. It was almost like she was little again. That was rich. Little again. Her body had never really gotten older than when she first became little again. If she hadn't been so distraught, she might have laughed. "I-is, there s-something to d-drink?" Tali hiccuped, blushing slightly at how childish she sounded.

Almost involuntarily, her eyes closed when Hannah began rocking her. Yes, it was almost like when her mother had rocked her to sleep when she was little. But, maybe, that wasn't such a bad thing. Maybe, just maybe, getting to know people wouldn't be as awful as she imagined. Shrugging into Hannah's embrace, Tali just barely heard the question. "I suppose so," she muttered sleepily. "The same could go for you though. That scar doesn't look as bad as you think."

Mach clapped her hands together, bouncing up and down excitedly.
"Yay! PIE! Three point one four one FIVE!" She ran around in circles around Vos, nearly knocking the pies right out of his hands. She spun around in place, bowing straight down as she accepted her pie as if it were the royal signet of a King.
"PIEEEEEEEEEEE~!" She said looking up and grinning. Whatever little Marilyn liked, she really liked. She was never just a little bit happy, or excited, she lay only in extremes.

~~~~~

Lucifer Wakely sat back in thought. So, while the minds of the low level scientist or engineer would tell them this was not possible, and deny it as an act with someone who looked like Tali in the past, the mind of a true scientist, Luke's mind, would tell him that the facts are the facts. Reality does odd things. Not to mention, while the viewer only showed so much, Luke could see the distinct chemical tag for Tali in the crystal. It was a unique tag for a very specific instance of matter, impossible to duplicate or fake in manner.

So then.
Tali, by whatever means, had been around during that time. In fact, she had been alive, traveling through time at a normal rate up until this point.

Interesting.

So now then...what to do about this?
Firstly, it must be kept a secret. People persecute those they don't understand. Idiots...
Secondly, Tali was a member of the carnival, and was thus privileged to protection. In his younger years, Luke had been one to protect people, although it had been a long time since anyone had needed, or even wanted his protection, far be it from worthy of it. Yet, Luke respected the carnival, it's oddities celebrated and accepted as fact here. Luke would protect his sanction, and that included those who had found peace here as well.
He sat there, thinking these things, as the Lethal ringmaster comforted the endlessly old, yet still young, Tali.

Ah yes, and there was the last matter of payment...
"Miss Tali, as for payment," he started, "I'd simply like you to tell me some of knowledge and advancements that were made in your time, and perhaps other little things about that time period. I've often peered in with my little 'seer's crystal' here, but I still cannot learn from it as well as from someone who was there. Oh no, I don't mean right Now!" he said, waving his hand, "Some other time of course, and as always everything is confidential, except to Miss Lethal, who, well, is here, so there's really no matter in that." He went on, in his usual rambling way.

((Tali's still the size of a three-to-five-year old child, Wingless. :) Her old body was bigger, but her new one hasn't changed.))

((whoops! Sorry, I didn't realize I'd typed that like that XD I'll feex eet~EDIT: All fixed))

"Settle down before I drop yours," Vos Reylin scowled as he finally found them a free table to sit at. Setting Mach's down first, he took the seat across from the girl and passed a fork to his friend. They sat together to eat often. Vos lifted his silvery eyes to watch Mach settle with a strange older brother sort of care. He was even sure to reach over and smooth a stubborn lock of hair from the girl's face. "Don't forget to swallow, little one."
His sarcasm was lost on many people because he was so dry when he joked . . . but Mach was so optimistic that everything was considered in a bright light. Slowly starting to eat his own pie - some sort of chicken and vegetable - the engineer watched the "herds" of normal people shifting by. It was always unnerving to see so many people in one place.
-

"That scar doesn't look as bad as you think."
With a frown, Lethal reached up to touch the now-dark spread of what looked like ash on her cheekbone. It had gotten worse - and spread over her brow and down to her jaw - within the past few months. The sickness was getting more aggresive, and it was a wonder that the ringleader didn't spread it. Luckily they'd had Luke administer a preventative to the members of the troupe to keep them from catching whatever Hannah had.
She was touched by Tali's words, and she sat quietly for a moment before thinking of the drink that Tali had asked for. Hannah placed a hand on the girl's head before stepping aside to get her a cup of water. She had to pass by Vos and Mach on the way to find a drink, and by the time she returned she was looking a little under the weather. Tali peered into the past to see her former life. Even the past was off limits to Lethal - most everything she could remember went along with carnival life anyway.
Re-entering the tent she caught what Luke was saying about payment. He rambled on about it, which made Hannah smile a bit before passing the water to Tali. "I would enjoy hearing about the past," she said quietly, her brown curls framing her face for a moment before her stern mask slid back into place. "But it's time for you to help a few of the people outside, Luke. They're getting restless."

Mach tore into her pie happily, getting pie crust and meat filling all over her face. She peered up, waving and smiling to the ringmaster as she passed bye.
"Geerro mmrghrm leghral!" She said, mouth full of pie. She continued with her pie after Madam Lethal had left, only pausing when she noticed Vos had stopped eating, staring at the crowd. She tilted her head sideways and asked inquistivly, after taking Vos's advice and swallowing,
"Whatcha lookin' at?"

~~~~~

Lucifer Wakely frowned.
"Ah yes, the customers...ugh..." He sighed. He hadn't even had time to theorize on her predicament!
"But I'm not putting that hat back on! I've had enough of that get up for the day, " he eyed the floppy ornament on the floor with disgust.
"Well then, Miss Tali, you can come back at a later time to deliver payment, back to the daily grind I suppose."

"And I guess I'd better go back to my stage," Tali said, downing the glass of water before rubbing at the tears on her face. Certainly it wouldn't be good if she went back with the evidence of her crying visible to all who looked at her. As she stood, her tummy rumbled, but that was something that would have to be taken care of later. Tali grinned in anticipation of Luke's reaction to her first payment. She had been a scientist for a while, figuring it was something she might like to try. Of course, she had had to fake her own death, and live in the middle of nowhere, but she had learned a great deal about science in general, and had even discovered why dark matter exists, among other things.

Ducking out the back of the tent, Tali ran, yes ran, back to the tent, a grin plastered to her face. She would take Hannah's advice and try not to bottle up her emotions so tightly. Heck, maybe she could make some friends. Of course, they would have to get used to a smiling, more emotional Tali, and from the way the other troupe members flung themselves out of her way, that might take a while. Looking up at the clock in the tent, Tali sighed in relief. She had made it back with three minutes to spare. Now she would just wait until the halftime people came out before she went in and dazzled the crowd some more.

((waits for Essme to post so she will have something to reply to))

Aura had been dancing and entancing as she liked to call it, for some time now. The music that filled her tent came to an end and she bowed as the crowd around her clapped in approval. She waved and smiled sweetly as they slowly exited the tent, batting her eyes flirtaciously at a couple of the men in hopes to make an extra buck with a private dance. Angry girlfriends glared at her, tugging at their curious men as the last of the crowd left. Before anyone else could enter she quickly closed the flaps to her tent and tied them shut. Her first performance she considered, done. It was time to grab some water and rest before the next round. Slipping her thin golden shoes back on she ducked out of the back of her tent. Making her way through the crowd she saw children laughing and adults in amazement, she couldn't help but smile. Seeing happy couples holding hands, boyfriends winning stuffed prizes for the women they love, it all seemed so romantic. She wished this traveling life with the LP wasn't so lonely. Sometimes she though about leaving, but she would never do that to Hannah, this place was her home and she owed Hannah all that she was.

((Oh, I'm so sorry everyone! I went on vacation . . . and then got the energy sucked out of me. Brainpower is equal to 0 right now. :sweat:))

"Looking at?" Reylin blinked, his silver eyes moving from the crowd to Mach. "Nothing, I suppose." Vos couldn't help but smile when he realized that the girl had swallowed before speaking. He glanced to the ringleader as she passed by, but said nothing in greeting.
He went back to his pie, sighing quietly. "It's strange to see so many people milling about. Usually the crowds are a bit smaller." It was no secret that Vos didn't like people: he tended to prefer the company of machinery and clockwork. "I have work to do." Standing and taking the remnants of his pie with him Vos headed for his air-conditioned tent once again. Moody, as always.

On his way there he was thinking of how to fix the light system (that he'd just managed to fry) and paying a bit too much attention to the pie in his hands to notice how close he was to Aura. Letting out a quite sound of surprise, he managed not to spill pie filling all over the both of them. Since she was shorter than he was (most females were) she slammed into his chest, and he couldn't help but hiss a curse under his breath.
"I'm sorry," he said, his frown slipping into place. It seemed like the most natural expression on his face besides looking thoughtful. "I didn't mean to."

-

Hannah smiled a bit when Tali left, looking very different. "She's going to try, at least." With a slow breath, the ringleader finally laughed at Luke. "Fine. You don't have to wear the hat, magician." Her features pulled back into a scowl when she heard someone at the front of the tent. "I'll usher them in."
And she did. The flood began anew.

Mateo was finishing up the last of the animal prep, lions in their cages; fed, watered, clean... check. It had taken him only a few hours to clean the cages, feed and water the animals and make sure any who had gotten dirty, had gotten clean. The elephants always took the longest, but the big cats and gorilla were always the hardest. Mateo didn't know how Hannah had aquired such an array of exotic animals, and he never asked, it didn't matter. He had a job and a home, didn't need to ask questions. He was standing behind the big top now washing his hands, pouring water over his head and shirtless chest to rinse the mornings sweat from his skin. With no one around, he kicked off his boots and slipped out of his dirty cargo khakis and into the clean pair of jeans he'd stashed at the edge of the tent. All he had to do now was wait for the main show to be held in the next few hours when he would be needed again. Leaning against the bars of the tiger cage he watched as parents brought their children near to see the exotic animals, some kids in amazement reaching out to be quickly pulled back from the cages, others hiding in tears. He did a mental shrug, not everyone has a gift for animals he supposed. Reaching into the cage he scruffed up the fur on the top of the closest tigers head and smiled, "See you soon big guy" and with that, he was off, making his way through the crowded maze of the LP, still shirtless and purpously, sending cocky grins towards the ladies and playful winks to the elderly women as they seemed to melt at his passing.

---

Aura was walking, staring at the crowds not paying attention to where she was going as she often did when she was so deep in thought, when she crashed into someone, the side of her face thumping hard to a man's chest. Taking a stunned step back, frowning and reaching up to rub the side of her face that she thought hit something metal, she saw Vos. She had never really spoken much with him since her dancing didn't require his services or act, but she had always been curious about his work. Her frown faded and she smiled sweetly, "It's ok, my fault..." she noticed he was carrying a pie, "Lunch break?" she asked trying to make small talk, still standing in front of him, too close for comfort and now leaning over his pie. She hadn't known him, and he always seemed pretty anti-social, but she wasn't busy and thought poking at him a little might be fun.

((*laughs* Oh, yes. A charmer!

Hannah: *rolls eyes*

Vos: *shakes head and goes back to work*

Oh . . . and Vos just ran into your other character, deary.))

EDIT: ((hehe, we all miss a reply from time to time. ;)))

The sweet smile and teasing scent that came from the dancer made Vos silent for many moments. His silence lasted longer than socially acceptable, but that was nothing new for him. Before he could answer, he found Aura leaning over the food in his hands. "Yes," he said bluntly, looking as though he was trying to lean away from the woman.
Uncomfortable, Vos took a step to the side. "I have work to do," the silver-haired male muttered, forcing his gaze away from Aura's confident beauty. Of most women in the carnival, she was by far the most attractive. Now, Vos had never said this to anyone, and he commonly denied it to himself as well . . . but it was true. The mechanic pulled his silver eyes back to his food with a look of hesitation before moving to walk back to his tent.
He'd managed to look most uncomfortable as he tried to back away without staring at the dancer - it was (reasonably) a difficult thing for him to do. He might have been anti-social, but he wasn't immune to attraction.