There was comfort in those flames, not to say that Faylinn was uncomfortable with where she was for that was far from the truth. It was as though those flames were solace to her, something about them bringing them peace. It could have been what they brought and they job they gave her, or perhaps she felt more attached to the fires that she could create more than the other living beings. Even the Wisp didn't know.
Though they flames were warm, they did not burn. One could feel their heat, but if they touched them, the warmth was like embracing a loved one. It was that very thing that made leading the living so easy, tricking them, so easy.
She lifted a hand in the air, as though she were going to move that arm in the opposite direction of her flames, much like a performance. It was caught midway though. She turned her attention to Nexus as he held her hand, drawing her close. He seemed to pull them into a sort of dance that some other souls would chatter about. Faylinn didn't pull her gaze from the strikingly different eyes of the much taller male as she allowed him to lead their dance. The fire orbs around them seemed to move about them, more on horizontally than they were before. The flickered and twirled around once another as though, they too were dancing.
It was almost as though Nexus were trying to really figure out what the Wisp was after. She tilted her head slightly to the side as he asked her questions, her mind taking those questions and giving them physical form. She would allow him to draw whatever conclusions he came to, but was not likely than to offer just that. She was the gate keeper, it was her purpose to her creation.
It wasn't uncommon for some to question others, but Nexus, being the fortune teller, had an interesting way of going about it. His probing, though something to be expected from someone of their circus, was something that interested the woman. Not the fact that he was doing it, but what he was saying. For secrets to spread like fire? The dancing orbs seemed to grow, their tops licking the air more visibly as though they were flames that needed to be fed rather than the pretty orbs they were before.
The woman's mind flicked to the idea of this, flames consume all in their path, it is an element of cleansing. He then drew out he next question, "Or perhaps you would guide them to eternal peace and light?" Were her thoughts being guided to imagine what was desired? They could have been, though for one that really thought too deeply on things, it was hard to tell.
He then parted from her and as he kissed the back of her hand, she used her free one to grip her dress, giving the man a low curtsey. Her eyes locked on his once again as he spoke before winking and turning away from her.
Straightening her posture, her hands folded at her waist. "Those who desire to be guided shall receive peace and harmony," she spoke softly, her voice echoing. "Those who know not what they desire are led by temptation." She lifted a hand as she said this, reaching out towards one of the dangerous looking balls of flame. As she said the word 'temptation', she touched the fire and all the orbs suddenly vanished, leaving the tent dark save for the natural lighting that entered and the glowing of the woman's body.
Silence filled the tent as the ringmaster waited for the other to answer his question. Of course he was curious of what brought the boy to his tent. Usually their meeting ended up being rather interesting and he had no doubt that this one might be as well. While waiting for Klaus to speak he sweetened his tea with two cubes of sugar. His eyes drifting from his teacup when the other finally spoke. “Ask anything and you shall receive an answer.” He encouraged the other to continue.
“It has been some time and indeed much has happened within that time.” The man pondered what could be on Klaus’ mind. It seemed that he might be a bit troubled by something. Now he couldn’t have one of his most popular performers troubled. Piper’s eyes lingered on the boy momentarily.
When the other continued the man gave a nod as he listened. “I see,” replied, not hinting as to whether or not he would allow Klaus to do such. Piper looked down at his tea before taking a sip. He pondered over this odd request. He knew that the anniversary of such an event was important. While he contemplated on allowing Klaus use of the main tent Freja nudged him lightly with her elbow. His lovely doll was watching him. For a moment it appeared that she had stern look upon her face. In her own way she was trying to tell him to go ahead and let the boy do as he wished. Freja’s attention turned by to Klaus and his sister and she smiled.
His features lightened from the seriousness they held when Klaus first entered the tent. A grin formed on his lips before he chuckled, shaking his head. “Ok, you win Freja.” This was one of the few times that Piper seemed to have a lighter side to him. “You may have use of the main tent after the show on that night. I shall have Nathanial make sure that no one disturbs you.”
The charmed snakes continued to sway to the music as Katrina continued practicing. They loved to watch their brothers and sisters practice their performances. When the twins weren’t practicing themselves or causing trouble they were probably watching someone.
The Kitsune finished and took a bow causing the twins to erupt in applause. Grinning and giggling they gave Katrina a hug back. “We wan’t to go see Lady Adira, we must ask of her a favor for Claudia. We would have gone by ourselves but you know Master Alby told us to never go there alone again.” The twins looked at each other and then stage whispered behind their hands. “Member he said if we did we’d never see the light of day again?”
“Which I’m perfectly fine with, it doesn’t do wonders with my complexion.”“But I like the day! I don’t want to be stuck in the dark for eternity.” “Well if you wouldn’t have blown up that wagon we wouldn’t be in this mess.”"Hey that was you not me!”“Was so!”“Was not!”"Was so!”
The twins continued to argue with each other, yelling back and forth. They often argued with each other and would only stop if someone interrupted them.
Keeping a soft smile on her face Adira waited patiently for Cole to speak. She knew it was hard for him to speak to others. Usually she gave him his space but she would ask him things at times to push him just a little. The ringleader hoped it made him more comfortable the more he did it.
[“I think she’s...nice.”]
Adira had a feeling there was more so she stayed silent, watching both Cole and Scry. She could tell Scry was listening because he kept lighting up at times.
Cole started off explaining Rosie really well and then it turned into a bit of rambling. That worried her because she often paced outside his tent some nights when he was extremely restless or anxious. She just wanted to be there for the little fawn.
When he started humming unhappily Euriphium got up from beside Adira and leaned against Cole, purring. Scry lowered and rested in her lap. One arm wrapped around the book while the other grabbed Cole’s hand. “Sweetheart this is home, it will always be home I promise.”
The applause that the twins gave her was pleasing. The Kitsune listened to their request. “Visiting Lady Adira with a favor for Claudia. Sounds interesting my pets.” A grin spread across her lips. As the two began to talk and argue with each other Katrina giggled. Yes, these two were definitely two of her favorite family members, if the dark circus could even be considered a family.
She let the two have their fun arguing for a bit while she cleaned up the few things she had used to practice her performance. Once the woman was finished she shook her head. The twins were still fighting. Again she lit her pipe, puffing on it slowly. Walking over she patted the girls' shoulders.
“Now, now enough of that. You shall be with me so there will be no need to fear what the Piper will do to you. If he gets mad I will handle that ill-tempered man. So don’t worry my pets.” Katrina grinned at them before going over and opening the flap to the tent. “Let’s go before anyone else notices we are up to something. Plus this shall be fun. It’s been a while since I last visited the place of light.”
Claudia tilted her head. "Generally speaking it's not a bad plan. That way the Master Pfeifer can make sure someone puts out everything you need for your act in the correct space. As well give you a time frame for actually performing. Without knowing how long your act is, everyone elses may run behind or early. For instance my act happens in two parts. The first part is in the big tent, when I'm introduced as the Living Dolle, and I play my piano. The second is afterwards in the sidewhow area, where people paw at me and learn that I'm not an animatronic or that we're playing a mind game." She spoke very to the point with Zella.
He paused at her words, hearing them from behind him. Those who desired or knew not what they desired? He chuckled lightly, tilting his head back and to the side a bit to half look at the female behind him. "That still does not answer now does it hmm?" he chuckled, peace and harmony, as well as temptation could be found in both light and darkness. So it depended upon the other's view of what was where. Honestly it was little of his concern, but it was amusing to think about a bit. She let the orbs vanish, leaving them in darkness. Nexus' eyes seeming to naturally glow a bit themselves within the blackness.
He turned his attention to the entry way once more, his eyes upon the small crack of light that entered from the part in the flaps. Thoughts of something more to say swirled around, but he thought it better to merely let the silence grasp them for a moment. He closed his eyes, a slight smile forming upon his lips. "If you are free later little Whisp, then meet me within my tent" he exited upon that. He was not really worried if she showed up or didn't. It was her choice in the end, one which he was not interested in forcing her to make. He walked along slowly now, within the light of the sun.
It was oddly quiet, which was rare around these parts. His mind flickered to where that illusionist had gotten to for a moment. Probably off slinking around somewhere himself. Nexus chuckled, a lot of the people around here seemed content with slinking around like snakes or shadows. It was a place of darkness itself overall, so it was only fitting right? Taking a breath, he found himself bordering on becoming bored, it was a bit to easy going around here at the moment for his taste. There had to be something to do around here to spice things up a bit. He then felt a flicker of a few disturbed minds, as well as voices from a nearby tent.
He moved closer to the doorway, in time to hear the twins arguing. After that, another spoke, that woman who was often by Pipper's side. So, they were planning on sneaking off behind the other's back hmm? She seemed confident that she could 'handle' the other man if things went awry. He chuckle, what an interesting bit of information indeed, this was something that could possibly help in getting rid of his boredom. He was just out of sight as the tent opened, casually standing there for a moment as the other finished her little plot. "Ah yes, sneaking away indeed would always be a good idea" he said to her, before stepping around and past her. "Have fun" he causally gave a wave of his hand, before moving on. He chuckled lightly to himself, not turning back.
-------------
Klaus remained silent as he awaited the other's responce. The female by his side seemed to nudge the man in his own silence, gaining him to respond. The smile was nice, it did help him to relax a bit, before the other did speak. The other man seemed to relax a bit as well, so it made him more relaxed as well. He was happy to see that, the other deserved to be happy. He knew he was not overall a bad guy, although he seemed to enjoy being darker in nature. He agreed to allow him his request, Klaus smiling himself in turn. He inclined his head in respect and in grattitude as well. "Thank you sir" he says, the form of his sister inclining her head a bit as well.
He was greatful for the opportunity, before standing. "I should not keep you any longer...I know you have work to do" he gave another bow to the man, as his sister stood beside him. They turned, moving to the entrance to the tent. The other was often busy with work, which caused stress to him. Perhaps that was why he was always seeming in a darker mood. At times he wished that he could help the other more, take away some of the stress and the pain the other was weighted down with. But he knew the other preferred to keep his business more private. He did not believe that the other would wish to burden others.
His reasoning was his own though, and Klaus was not one to pry or force anything. He had some preparing himself to do, work in order to prepare for the night. He paused though, before turning back to the other. "If you are free....it would be a pleasure if you and the miss could come.." he nodded once more, "thank you again." He exited the tent, allowing the other to return to his work and be with his love. He paused outside, looking up at the sky for a moment. He was indeed thankful that the other was allowing him use of the tent. He had something special planned and it would also be nice if the other could come be a part of such an event. But it was up to the other in the end, his choice, he did hope that the other would show.
Zella had to consciously try not to raise an eyebrow at the directness with which the doll was speaking. There was no bitterness in the words, however; or at least, there seemed not to be. She nodded at the other.
"In that case, would you mind if we went over to the Ringmaster's tent first?" she asked. "I would like to get that cleared up before we do anything else. After that, we can continue the tour."
As they went over to the ringmaster's tent, Zella saw Klaus and his sister as they were leaving the tent. She stopped outside of it, not sure how to approach the ringmaster. Her lack of confidence with people was really starting to show.
Finally, she walked towards the tent and looked in at the ringmaster. "R- ringmaster Pfeifer?" she called out. "C- could I talk to you?"
Last edited by CycloneKira; 05-12-2015 at 04:01 PM..
Pfeifer gave Klaus a nod to his words of thanks. The man took another sip of his tea as his eyes lingered on the other and his sister. It was no surprise to him that the boy would take his leave and not inquire more about what he had been working on. He gave him a smile. “Yes, my work never seems to be done. Even so you are welcome to come by to chat. Sometimes it is nice to have visitors.” Often the ringmaster was busy and had little time to socialize with the other members of the dark circus. Not that it mattered, socializing could be a waste of time.
Freja seen Klaus and his sister out. She walked beside the other’s sister. Pfeifer was already pulling the paperwork back out when Klaus spoke to him again before exiting the tent. “We shall if I am free. Thank you for the invitation. Also you are welcome Klaus.” Soon the older man’s attention was drawn back to his work. He wished to get it completed before the circus opened.
The female doll stepped outside alongside the other two. “Thank you. And Klaus I have a request. Sometime in the future possibly your sister and I could perform together? Alberich needs something to distract him. He’s been working so hard on something lately, but he will not even tell me what it is.” Despite the fact that the woman was nothing more than a living doll the love she held for the ring master was evident. The smile she gave the other was soft before she bowed her head to him. “Please consider it.”
Without another word she moved to return to the tent. It seemed that they had another visitor. Seeing Claudia Freja smiled. Stepping up beside the pair she greeted them in the master’s place. “Please come on in. Master Pfeifer will be with you in a moment.” Gracefully she moved to get out another teacup and to get the small tea set she kept just for visits from Claudia. Within a few moments she had the tiny tea set in place on the table along with the small table and chair. There was also a fresh cup of tea poured for their other guest whom she didn’t recognize.
Pfeifer looked over his papers and sighed slightly. Shuffling them he put them away. “Yes we may speak dear Zella. What is it that brings you here my dear?” His voice was pleasant even though the interruptions were starting to work on his nerves. He gave Claudia a nod. “It’s also good to see you my dear Claudia.” Freja took her seat beside the ring master once their guests were settled.
------------------------------
The pinkish hue of her cheeks slowly faded as she chatted a bit more with Meili and reassuring him that things would be fine. Once she was sure he understood Midori left the male to his own thoughts. The woman placed some fruit onto a plate and moved over to Adira. Leaning in close to the woman she whispered into her ear. “You will have visitors from the other circus shortly. I’ll be waiting for you at your tent.” With a smile the fortuneteller excused herself taking her breakfast with her.
The woman wandered a bit as she nibbled on the fruit. Her normal neutral mask faded to reveal the worry and frustration she hid away. For a moment she considered going to talk to Ciaran, but figured it would be best to leave her friend for now. Plus she wasn’t sure she could deal with Chance at this moment in time. Before Midori found herself outside of Adira’s tent. The leader was expecting to meet her so she let herself in to wait for the other woman.
Whenever she entered the light circus leader’s tent a warmth and calm always washed over her. She knew it was because of Adira’s motherly nature. Quietly Midori took a seat on the plush couch, relaxing as she waited the leader’s return. She removed the illusion that hid the scars that littered her body. While she waited she relaxed.
Last edited by blueblackrose; 05-15-2015 at 01:13 AM..
The fighting trailed off as Katrina patted them on the shoulder. Both naga’s turned their heads and smiled at her. Squealing they both clapped their hands and slithered out. “Yay! We get to go see Lady Adira and we won’t get into trouble.”
Both of the twins shifted to their human forms, they knew it was better to go in human form when entering in no man’s land. Hearing Nex's words the twins gasped then giggled. "No telling Nexy-nex!" They called out to his retreating form.
Still giggling they moved so Nihssa walked on Katrina’s right and Narissa on her left. They grasped the kitsune's hand and began swinging her arms while humming. “You think she’ll do it?” Nihssa asked. “I really hope she will,” came a second later from Narissa.
It had been a couple months since the last time the twins had been over there, the longest they had ever went. But Master Pfeifer had been stern with them. Under no circumstances were they to go alone. Surprisingly they had listened. Master Pfeifer was about the only person they really listened to because they loved him. He was family and even in their twisted minds deep down they would never truly go against his wishes. Would they bend it a little? Sure, but not outright go against him.
Last edited by CrimsonShadow; 05-15-2015 at 05:44 PM..
Claudia went with Zella to the Ringmasters tent. She normally wouldn't have mentioned bothering the busy Master, but she figured this was probably important enough. "Oh Freja, how are you today." Claudia felt some companionship to the female doll. She thought it was kind of the taller doll to keep a tea set and table in her size, even if she didn't visit often- or usually by choice. She took her spot when the table was set up. "Hello Master Pfiefer. Sorry to intrude, but Zella was needing to discuss her act." She gracefully poured herself a cup of tea and sipped it.
Zella walked into the tent with Claudia and said a small "Thank you" to the doll, one she did not know had been here before. For the umpteenth time that day, she regretted shutting herself up in her tent like a hermit. So her name is Freja, she thought as Claudia greeted the doll. She thanked Freja again when she brought them some tea, Claudia's refreshments in a little tea set to suit her size.
When the ringmaster appeared and questioned her as to the reason for her visit, she wondered what to say but was saved by Claudia, who indulged him on the matter.
Zella actually had quite a few ideas for her act. Her telekinesis was not just useful in making the knives land on the target; it allowed her to do a lot more. She could even lift herself off the ground if she wanted. With some strings attached to her to make it look like she was being pulled up, she could throw her knives while in mid-air. There was no need for anyone to even handle the strings, she could rise and fall in the air as she wished without help. Moving targets also would be good.
She told the ringmaster everything and asked for his opinion.
Chance fought the worried look that was trying to come onto his face. He knew that is things were really bad between Ciaran and Midori that he would tell him in his own time. For now all he could do was smile and laugh the conversation off, leaving it in the dust for the young shifter's sake. After all he did not need to upset his only true family he had left, sure he considered the animals family but it was nothing like being with other shape shifters. It is hard to explain the feeling you get when you can interact and talk about things that your able to do and your culture to someone from the same place. It was a good feeling and made you want to hang onto that person for the rest of their life or your life, depends on which one comes first.
"You are always welcome. Come to think any time you need to." he said to him with a surprisingly warm smile that was unnatural to see on the battle worn male's face. He chuckled slightly as he shifted into other various forms, making sure they all got plenty of exercise. His skin began to ripple, causing him to jerk to a stop, you could hear the cracking and popping of bones as they moved out of shape. It took a few minutes before he was able to gain control of himself once more, standing up to his full human height. "Ciaran...I have to go give Euriphuim his check up. Take care of our family okay?" he said to him as he gave a tight smile, like he was forcing it on his face. It did not help that you could clearly see the male's skin crawl as there were flickers of fur here and there but not enough to be noticed by someone that was not trained to look for signs of shifters.
He did not wait for a reply before exiting the tent, sniffing at the air as he fallowed Lady Adira's scent, knowing the panther he searched for would be by her side. Sadly he did not make it to her, as he was having trouble once more. Instead of continuing on his way, he ducked and weaved through the tents so that he could find an empty tent, he needed an empty tent, away from people. More for their own safety then his. He soon stumbled into a tent, sure it was empty but how he could tell when his head felt as if it was splitting wide open. He breathing was heavy, dug his hands into the floor, his lip started to bleed from him biting it. He was fighting for control over himself, fighting to stay in human shape. If anyone was watching him at that moment they would see different fur patterns appear on his skin. Sometimes he had a tail, others he had wings, even his ears constantly changed shape. They would have also noticed the blood he just let pour out of his mouth. Soon his hair came undone, falling to hide his face from view.
He tried hard to stay quiet, to not make a sound, to draw no attention to himself. How good of a job of that he did though was a completely different story.
The younger man was thankful that Chance let the subject drop. After all things weren’t that bad, it was just that he was worried about the fortuneteller. They had been together a long time and through a lot. Ciaran just didn’t want to see his friend hurt or suffer through things alone when she didn’t have to.
While he romped with the large cats he grinned. “Thank you again Chance.” He shifted forms to continue with helping his friend. It was when he heard the cracking and popping of bone that he stopped. Something seemed off, but he wasn’t sure what. “Ok Chance. I’ll stay here until you return then.” He returned the others smile. Letting the concern he felt for Chance show wouldn’t help things. It was clear to him from the way that the other shifter was acting he didn’t want to talk about what was going on.
---------------------------------
There was more than one reason that the fortuneteller had went to the ringmaster’s tent ahead of the ringmaster. It was because she was aware that one of the circus members would need her help and that was to be the place that she would meet them. A soft sigh escaped the woman’s lips as she sat within the tent. Without her mind being preoccupied by other things her mind drifted off to the earlier events of the morning. Midori frowned, she had been hard on Ciaran when all he wanted to do was help her. Even so the woman knew there was nothing that the male shifter could do for her.
The fortuneteller was brought back to the present by Chance stumbling into the tent. Her eyes flickered to the figure of the shifter. He was having trouble controlling his shifting. A frown formed on her lips. It was worse than she thought it would be. His body shifted through different forms as he fought for control. What concerned the raven the most was the blood that poured from his mouth. Taking a breath Midori rose to her feet and moved to Chance’s side. It was a dangerous move, but what choice did she have? She couldn’t let him fight this alone, not when the rapid shifting of his body was causing him injury.
Carefully she knelt beside him, lightly placing one of her hands on his arm. Her pale eyes watched him as she quietly whispered. “Easy now. Trying to calm yourself by taking slow breaths. I can help you if you let me.” With her other hand she gently rubbed his back in a soothing motion. Her features were mostly neutral if anything was evident within them it was the concern she felt for the man. In truth she was a bit frightened as this was one of the times when she could not see the end result of her actions.
Hearing the voice of an old man, Glitch looked up to find Chen offering to help. Having only one arm to try and hold the rat down, the mechanic eagerly hissed a response. "I need the wrench in its mouth," she said, struggling to keep the beast from slipping out from under her.
It bit her. Glitch yelped and nearly let the thing free. "YOU LITTLE CREEP!" She sent a desperate look to Chen, hoping he'd at least get the tool from the rat's mouth before it ran off.
-
[Cole's status: Visible to none (always visible only to Adi, Euriphium, Skry, and Rosie); memorable to Adira, Euriphuim.]
SPOILERX
Quote:
"Visible" = seen, but unremembered. If you see Cole, he's like a fragment of a dream. Usually you can't see him unless there's a specific reason for your attention to focus on him. Ex: He's moving objects around or speaking with someone else.
"Memorable" = Unless you have spoken to me about a specific allowance, you will not remember past conversations, past meetings, nor seeing him. You will not remember Cole's name, nor his face. It's like meeting someone new - again, and again.
If I've spoken to you about it, then some of you can able to recall his name, his appearance, or a quality about him. Some lucky few may even harbor brief, shallow memories of Cole.
Cole's attention was still fixated on Rosie as his thoughts continued to spin. The faun's expression was distant, and after a while he looked ready to disappear. He did that when he was uncomfortable - he just ... left. He sucked in a surprised breath when Adira took his hand, suddenly noticing the panther that rubbed against him.
Ears flattening, the youth started to pull his hand away from the ringleader. She noticed his distress, which always troubled Cole further. Just as his hand pulled away from Adira, the faun hesitated as though fighting his natural reaction to flee. His fingers flexed as though trying to figure out if he really wanted to let go before he blinked and awkwardly shifted to keep his hold. Then Adira mentioned how the circus was home.
"I know," he said, sounding as oddly distant as ever. Cole's free hand moved down to tangle in Euriphium's fur, and he shifted uncomfortably. He stood stiffly, looking ready to speak for many moments before he did. "She wants a home, too." His silver eyes lowered, and Cole continued standing an awkward distance away from Adira as though that would help him stay unnoticed by anyone watching.
After a few moments of this, he suddenly pulled away from the woman and backed away. "I-I need to practice." Cole stepped back again, and then seemed to slip from the attention of everyone in the room. As he always did, Cole sequestered himself away in a less-traveled storage area to practice. His flute-like instrument let a quiet, haunting tune fill the outdoors area.
He allowed his thoughts to shift and flow with the music, and the notes followed the twists and turns in his very emotions and mind. To anyone listening, it was the saddest and most haunting tune. Perhaps Adira was right. Perhaps Rosie would stay. Maybe then the circus could be Rosie's home, too.
((I think I'll leave Drayth out until the next scene. He'll just be working in his tent until the show starts. ))
The Kitsune giggled at the twins. “Yes, no getting in trouble.” Hearing Nex the woman’s eyes narrowed as she glared at the taller male. Something about him never had set well with Katrina. She said nothing as Nihsaa and Narissa stood on either side of her taking her hands.
The smile she had earlier returned as they walked, the twins swinging her arms as they did so. “I’m sure that Adira will help us as long as we are on our best behavior and don’t cause trouble. She is a kind woman.” It wasn’t long before they reached the edge of the dark circus. Kat took a look around making sure they had not been followed.
“Ok loves. We will soon be there. Knowing that witch they have they will know we are coming.” The Kitsune’s nose wrinkled as she spoke of Midori. That was another one that she never cared much for, along with the knife thrower. There were a few that intrigued her like Bel. She had also been friends with Asha once upon a time.
The ringmaster agreed that work never seemed to be done. He said he was welcome to come by and chat, which made a light smile form upon Klaus' face. It was true, at times, company was nice. As they stepped outside, the ringmaster agreed to try and come if he had the time. His companion Freja followed him outside, telling him that she had a request. His attention turned upon the female. "Of course, anything you need" he says, hearing her request. He might have been one of the rarer people, who did truly care about the headmaster. Many of the others saw him as cold and intimidating. Klaus would do what he could to help the man who had in turn helped him all that time ago.
With the approaching of others, Klaus turned his head to look at them for a moment. None said a word to him, that was fine. He did not wish to be a bother, turning to return to his work. His sister following him, there was little to do before the show tonight. He had the urge to play again, stepping into his tent. He smiled, picking up his violin. The female slipped over beside him, to listen. He struck the first cord, before another and another. Soon, music was floating through the area once more. Something calm and relaxing, not to upbeat but nothing to haunting either. He enjoyed playing, knowing in part that his music helped the others around the circus.
-----------
The twins laughed and called after him, to which he replied with a playful smile of his own back in their direction. For a moment his eyes catching those of their companion. He then turned his attention back on the way before him. He was in an interesting situation, one of information. Tell or don't, it was quite a pickle. He chuckled. He did not care for getting the twins into trouble, they had an...odd...but decent connection. That woman they were with however, he did not care if she got into trouble. He knew that she did not care for him, she was wary of him. Even now, she said nothing, leading the twins on.
What could the woman gain from this? Edging the twins on? He would keep an eye on this little development. For now, he had little more to do but to walk around. He noted the slight throng of people beginning to gather around Pipper's tent. He sure was popular today. At the same time, music began to flow through the yard. So, Klaus was playing once more. He smiled, it sounded like the other was in a good mood. He slipped his hands into his pockets, walking on as his thoughts turned over.
-------------
Bel took a breath, letting the last of the magic vanish from the scene. He had gotten in some good practice, tricks that he could use for the show. He smiled, looking up at the sky. One thing he had not practiced as usual though, had been anything including fire. Fire, that was the magic that Orthros preferred, that he enjoyed. Power of destruction and obliteration alongside the chaos magic and power that he enjoyed. Bel sighed, turning away from his training area. Perhaps he should return to the main tent where he had left Scry.
The other would be wary if they were separated for to long. Continuing to look up at the sky however, Bel could not shake the feeling that he had had this morning as well. Something was coming. He shook his head, he could worry about that later. For now, he turned, heading back towards the tents. The book in question soon found him, floating out in front of his face. It glowed a bit, causing him to smile. "Yes, I am fine, you can stay" he chuckled, plucking it out of the sky.
Nodding vehemently the twins promised to be on their best behavior. They wanted nothing more than to get transportation for Claudia. The living doll was always nice to them and they wanted to do something in return.
Once they were at the border of the dark circus the twins giggling like little girls, shushing each other. They couldn’t wait to get to the light circus. Both now silent they pulled Kat forward. They wanted to be there, now.
Soon the three of them had crossed no man’s land and reached the light circus. “Where is she?” They whispered loudly.
She knew she shouldn’t have grabbed his hand but she just couldn’t help herself. Adira wanted to comfort Cole and to be honest she just wanted to touch him, reassure him somehow. When he started pulling his hand away she loosed her grip but didn’t let go completely, she wanted him to be in control.
His fingers flexed and he shifted to keep ahold of her hand. A inaudible sigh of relief let her parted lips. It was a step, a small step but one none the less along with his words. At least he considered it home. Euriphuim purred loudly when the faun’s hands tangled in his fur. He so loved being petted and especially by his favorite person.
Adira nodded when he spoke about Rosie wanting a home to. She knew that the second she laid eyes on the girl and she hoped she would make her home with them.
Soon Cole pulled away and left after saying he needed to practice. Scry left to go find Bel, she was on her own. Euriphium came over to her, sitting down by her side and putting his head in her lap. With one hand she stroked his head and the other turned the page on the floating tomb in front of her.
Gin walked around, looking for something she could get done in order to keep her mind away from personal thoughts. She had been practicing in a secluded section for a while, but the music reminded her of the parents she had yet to get over. She noticed the twins and Kat walking past Nexus, and wondered where the three were off to. This thought soon left her mind as she made a path to the ringleader's tent. As she was nearing the tent, she remembered the trumpet she held in her hand and debated returning to her own living area. She didn't feel like reminding herself of how new she really was to the group, or how terrified she sometimes felt when surrounded by the acts that could easily take over her own nightmares. The painted tears she usually wore threatened to become real as she neared the ringleader, reminding her to stay focused in order to avoid real tears. She never cried in her new environment, as it didn't seem right to for a place meant to entertain and scare.
Once she had reached the tent she noticed Klaus leaving as Freja let Claudia and another inside. She figured it would be a while before she could see the ringleader, as she had no idea what he was needed for. Since she had no important questions on her mind, only to see where she could help or what she could do in her free time, she turned around and wondered to her own tent and listened to the music that could be heard from Klaus. She stared at the trumpet she herself had just recently played, and thought of the future she was never able to live.
As tears streaked her face in solitude, she couldn't help but chuckle to herself as she moved to fix her now smeared makeup. "I guess that could save me some time from creating the fake ones." She stated quietly to herself with a final laugh, removing the makeup that she used as a mask. She decided to experiment with her performance face, humming as she began to apply the white base before reapplying the black accents. Instead of her usual tears that she carefully drew to the side of each eye, she left two smudged lines beneath each, giving a more morbid finish to final look. A slight smile crossed her lips as she added the last touch of black lipstick, finishing the mask that let her feel like she too wasn't human anymore. She figured she would let her new face remain until after the show tonight.
Last edited by Euphonium Panda; 05-25-2015 at 12:28 AM..
The fallen angel went and found her seat near Adira. Quietly she ate, merely watching the others interact around her. Once she was finished with her meal she cleaned up everyone’s dishes and what she had used to fix the food in. The entire time she was lightly humming to herself. For some odd reason she was in a particularly good mood today. Today was going to be a good day Asha thought to herself.
Once she finished cleaning up the mesh tent the woman stretched her arms above her head, her wings spreading out widely behind her. With a smile on her ruby lips she wandered out of the tent trying to decide what to do now. She didn’t want to practice yet. The angel walked about the circus, weaving through the tents she turned the corner to head over towards the tent she normally practiced in. No sooner had Asha turned the corner than she found herself bumping into Bel.
Quickly the woman took a step back, her cheeks flushed as she looked up at the taller man. “Sorry Bel, Scry. I should have been paying more attention.” She apologized in a quiet voice. It was clear that she wasn’t really sure what to say as she stared at Bel. After a few moments the smile she had earlier returned. “Umm…so how are you today?” Asha shifted a little, trying to keep things from getting more awkward.
-----------------------------
The fact the twins promised to be on their best behavior gave the woman hope that they could make this trip without there being an incident. Though if something were to happen she would take responsibility as if she hadn’t agreed to escorting them the twins probably wouldn’t have made the trip to begin with. She liked their idea and knew that Claudia would be happy to have a way to get around the circus easier.
Kat giggled at the twins as they pulled her along. Their pace quickening once they entered the no man’s land. It wasn’t long before the trio reached the circus of light.
“Given the time Adira is probably either in the mess tent having breakfast or she is in her tent. But we probably should ask someone to be sure. Then again their witch might be waiting on us.” Kat spoke to them quietly. She could tell it was hard for them to contain their eagerness and excitement. “Now, now my lovelies we need to be good. We are in their territory not ours.”
The trio walked along the tents. Kat now being the ones to lead the twins. Their destination was the mess tent. They would check their first.
-----------------------------------
Freja smiled at their visitors. “I am well thank you. How are you?” The taller doll was always happy to see the petite Claudia. If anything Freja was the motherly type, as Pfiefer tended to let her do as she pleased as long as what she did didn’t cause her harm. Maybe he allowed it because he realized that even within the darkness there still had to be some form of kindness or he did it because he knew the spirit of his dearly departed lover who was now trapped within the doll would be saddened if he let the darkness consume both of them. Only the man knew what the reasoning was.
Pfiefer listened to the petite living doll as she explained why they were here. “I see. That is rather important that we discuss this Zella. I’m a little surprised you didn’t come to see me sooner.” His attention was now turned towards one of his newest performers. “No matter. We can settle things now and Nathanial will make sure everything is ready for your show tonight.”
The man took a sip of his tea as Zella explained the ideas she had for her act. Every so often he would nod. It was the only indication he gave that he was actually listening. When the woman was finished he closed his eyes. Still picturing what she was describing. The strings were an idea, but why use them when part of the purpose of the circus was to give people a thrill? Show them what they believe could never be real.
“It sounds like you have given this some good thought. But there will be no need for there to be strings attached to you during your act. Whether there are strings or not people will still believe it’s all an illusion. If they see there are no strings it will get a larger response. The moving targets would be no problem. That can be arranged in different ways.” An almost sinister grin formed on his lips as he thought about the ways they could provide moving targets for the knife throwers act.
“In the end though the string thing is up to you. Personally I believe if you used them you would be limiting yourself and your act. Give it some more thought. I’ll send Nathanial by your practice tent. You can let him know what you decide then.” Pfiefer finished his tea and gave his guests a nod. “Now if you’ll excuse me I have some other matters I need to attend to. Also Zella don’t be such a shut in. We don’t bit...much around here.” He excused himself from the table and head to the back part of his tent, giving a light chuckle at his bad joke.
Freja shook her head slightly at the master. “Please feel free to finish your tea before you leave. The master won’t mind.” The doll went about clearing Pfiefer’s teacup and her own from the table.
Chance was thankful that the young male didn't push him, he really wanted to lean on the only other person that could possibly understand anything that he was dealing with. He knew it was a lot to put on the child's shoulders so he preferred to keep it to himself so as not to put even more burden on him. He knew that Cairan had his own issues to deal with after all he had Midori to worry about, he didn't need to worry him even more.
He was thankful that he was able to get out of sight as he fought with himself. Unaware of the fortuneteller sitting there right in sight. A groan escaped him as he dug his now clawed fingers into floor, sniffing a bit. He soon realized that he was not alone but there was nothing that he was able to do about it now. If something happened to them then Adira would never forgive him, but he didn't know if he could save them from himself.
The worst thing the Demi-goddess could have done was touch him, and that is exactly what she could have done. He could not stop himself as his hand snapped out and gripped her around the neck. His grip was tight enough that she could not get out of it but not tight enough to leave any damage on her. "G.E.T. O.U.T. N.O.W." he said to her with a growl in his voice, even snarling a bit. He did not spell the words, though it had sounded as if he had done so. His grip tightened briefly before he forced himself to let her go. He coughed a bit, spitting out a bit of blood, just his luck to bite himself until he bleed. He didn't want to change, he needed to control himself. Though probably what he really needed is a sedative but maybe that was a bad idea considering he could go wild.
[Cole's status: Visible to Bel, Asha, and the visiting dark circus group (always visible only to Adi, Euriphium, Skry, and Rosie); memorable to Adira, Euriphuim. Potentially memorable to the visiting group a well - your discretion.]
SPOILERX
Quote:
"Visible" = seen, but unremembered. If you see Cole, he's like a fragment of a dream. Usually you can't see him unless there's a specific reason for your attention to focus on him. Ex: He's moving objects around or speaking with someone else.
"Memorable" = Unless you have spoken to me about a specific allowance, you will not remember past conversations, past meetings, nor seeing him. You will not remember Cole's name, nor his face. It's like meeting someone new - again, and again.
If I've spoken to you about it, then some of you can able to recall his name, his appearance, or a quality about him. Some lucky few may even harbor brief, shallow memories of Cole.
Cole had recovered from the unsettling amount of attention he'd received that morning right around the time the intruding group entered Faina Iluzia. No one had greeted them quite yet, though no one had noticed their presence. Or, that's how it appeared anyway.
The youth fingered the flute-like instrument he'd owned since he'd joined the circus. His mother had made him this one. As always, the very inkling of thought about his mother caused Cole to frown deeply. She'd gone missing four years prior. His memories of the event were ... shaded.
Cole hadn't realized he was shaking until the flute slipped from his grasp. Immediately the short youth stood, tucking the instrument into his clothing. Unsettled, he moved away from the crates that had sheltered him from the company of others. The cargo tent was a little further from the main tent - and ahead of him were a group of very distinct figures. Figures that Cole recalled from his time visiting Apltraum Iluzia.
Immediately he froze like a deer in the headlights, hoping beyond hope that this was one of those times when he stayed out of their sight. Perhaps they wouldn't notice him. They probably didn't ... until Cole's thoughts began to twist and seethe.
"Twisting, turning, moving over cold ground," Cole's voice was quiet at first, merely a mumble as he stared at the naga twins. The words started out slow and evenly spaced. "Loud voices, so much laughter. Harsh, stinging, cruel. Can't see which is real, which is the lie. Broken minds, broken bodies, bending until there's no pain."
Cole's voice began to rise in volume, his words spilling from his lips at a greater speed as he tried to back away. His feet were heavy, feeling weighed down - his silvered eyes were wide as he stared at the dark circus players. He could hardly take a few steps back before his head began to spin dangerously, an aching pain causing him to flinch and start backward in fear.
"Color of fire, eyes that burn. Always watching, never looking away. Seeing secrets like black shadows. Ears that hear even the stone's secret thoughts," Cole's ears flattened and he grasped at the side of his head in frustration as the thoughts forced their way through his mind, spinning in every direction. If his small outbreak near Adira was bad, this was far worse. "Witness to most, teller of everything dark and twisting." His words were nearly blending together now. Cole's pale gaze was no longer focused on the visitors. His mind threatened to send him to the past, to the fractured memories that had broken him in the first place.
The teen hummed a single distressed note, stumbling back and trying to put distance between himself and the dark circus guests. He needed to warn Adira. The ringleader needed to know. That single moment of clarity caused Cole to jerk back, his gaze shooting toward the mess tent. More words left his lips, these having less sense than the others.
In a moment of fear, the faun darted back the way he'd come in an attempt to reach Adira and alert her to the presence of ... others.
Bel had been about to head off once more, when the feeling of someone running into him made him pause. His eyes fell upon the form of one of the other females within the light circus. Her name Asha, one he knew well enough since his time here. She apologized for running into them, Scry floating out of Bel's hand once more. Turning to face her, she asked how he was, seeming to try not to make things awkward. He chuckled lightly, giving a slight wave of his hand. "It is nothing to apologize for, I should have been better aware of my surroundings" he gently took her hand, placing a light kiss to the back of it, "though I can not complain since it does give me a chance to be in the presence of a beautiful creature such as yourself." Scry floated around his head a bit.
There went Bel's nature once more. "I am well thank you" he says next, answering her question. He did feel better after getting some training in and relaxing a bit. There was no need to bring up the perdicaments of this morning. "I hope that the day is treating you alright as well?" she seemed a bit distracted within his eyes. Perhaps it was from their odd run in...literally, or simply something on her mind. He started to ask what it was, when the feeling he had been getting for awhile now grew stronger. Scry paused within the air, not moments later, the sound of a voice caught his ear. His attention turned to the sight of the small faun boy who seemed to be having a panic attack. What was going on with him? Bel frowned, his first instinct coming off as naturally desiring to assist the other.
He took a step forward, clearing the tent that was where he and Asha stood. It was here that he finally gained his first sight of what in the distance seemed to be edging on this reaction from the smaller male. His eyes moved over the trio who were approaching slowly. They seemed to all be female, the one seeming to lead the other two. As he looked to the two who followed, his body tensed a bit. His senses heightened through his years of training, but it did not take much for him to already begin getting a sense of what they were. A slight pang shot through his mind, a flash of a long scaly tail, fangs and claws. His hand moved to his head, as he clenched his jaw a bit. Who were the three of them? He was aware of the other circus, so it was not a far reach to think they could be from the other. He had never met any of them before though, since it was better for him if he avoided it.
Not that he was not curious, but those who were hesitant of allowing him to be here at all would have a cow if they learned of his mingling with the darkness. Not to mention that Scry as well as the ringleader here would forbid it. His attention turned back to Cole for a moment, the other still seeming to be having trouble. He ignored the feelings wanting to rise inside of him, taking another step forward. Immediately, the leather cover of Scry was within his face, blocking him. "What has gotten into you?" he asked, as the book swirled around his head for a moment, flashing. He reached a hand up to brush it away, ignoring the glow and the warning for a moment.
Jasmine walked into the circus, a bright smile lighting up her face which showed hope and desire. She was so excited to be here finally, she was ready to join and show them what she could do. She looked around the bright circus home, wandering between the tents and listening to the emotions that called to her as she passed. Finally she found what she hoped she was looking for, a sense of relief and calm that washed over one of the tents. She wasn't sure if it was a specific person or just the tent that sent off the feeling, but it was the most welcome that she figured she would feel. The smile she already had grew even bigger as she walked up to it, however it faltered a bit as a feeling of distress ran by, she looked for the source but when she couldn't find it immediately she let it pass.
Stepping into the tent, she found the ringleader and fluttered a but before she walked over. She let a little bit of nervousness show as she neared the woman that she felt would decide her future. She let the feelings fall away and spoke very quickly at first. "Hello, my name is Jasmine, I saw your show a few years back and wanted to join, and I've been practicing my skills at puppetry for the past eight years so that I could perform with you guys, and I just want to bring joy to the humans again and can't wait for the chance!" She said with increased excitement and speed as she continued with almost no breaths in between her words.
She realized what had happened and got a look of embarrassment, her cheeks turning so pink it almost covered her entire face. She then took a breath and calmed down a bit before she continued at a much calmer pace. "That is, I would be so honored to perform with you guys if you have the room for a new member. I can control puppets, and even create my own special effects, so you wouldn't have to spend anything on improving my act because I could do that all myself. See!" She let her wings spread in a soft light of pink mist and held six puppets, one in each hand and two on each gossamer wing. The wings quickly faded and she showed how she had complete control over each puppet individually, even at the same time. The mini performance ended as quickly as it had started and she fluttered her wings to shake off the feeling of the puppets, returning them to their natural shape before she let them fall to her back and disappear. She stared at the ringleader with hopeful eyes, never losing focus.
Before Midori could say more or even attempt to help Chance the shifter had her by the throat. Instead of screaming or having the normal reaction one would expect she simply closed her eyes, forcing herself to remain calm as his pain hit her like a tidal wave. There was more to it than just the pain he was in. Fractured images flickered through her mind. None of it made sense to her.
Her hand slowly moved from his back up his arm to his wrist. “Chance…” Her voice was soft and gentle, almost pleading. The demi-goddess wouldn’t get to say more as the male told her to get out, his grip on her tightening before he finally released her. Freed from his tight grip she let go of his wrist. Her pale lavender eyes opened to watch him as she frowned while rubbing her neck. The fortuneteller knew she just couldn’t leave the shifter like this.
Being the stubborn woman she was Midori she only took a few steps away from Chance. “I refuse to leave. You are in pain, you need help. No one will be coming here for a while longer as the Lady has visitors to attend to. Even so the Lady would not be happy if I left you in the current condition and state you are in.” Taking a breath she forced herself to keep calm.
“I have not seen any unfortunate events being caused by my staying here with you. So deal Chance, I’m not going anywhere and I will not be allowing you to leave this tent to seek shelter elsewhere. You are exactly where you need to be right now.” The more she spoke the sterner her voice became. All of what she said was true. Well at least for the most part. Truthfully she wasn’t sure if something would happen to her. If it did than it did. The worst that would happen was that she gained new bruises or scars for helping someone. Midori was prepared for this if that was to be fate at this moment in time.
-----------------------------
She calmed a bit. Really she shouldn’t have let herself be distracted, but it seemed they both were, just like most of the others from the odd events of the morning. When he kissed the back of her hand and graced her with such a kind compliment her cheeks flushed further. The fallen angel looked away from him. It was odd to hear such words from another and it oddly caused her to feel embarrassed. "Thank you."
After a few moments Asha looked back up at Bel, giving him a smile. “I am doing alright.” Her answer seemed natural enough, but there was a hint of something there. Like she wasn’t quite sure if everything was fine yet. The event of the morning had been strange, but that wasn’t what was bothering the woman. There were other things that were causing her distraction and the uncommon uneasiness that surrounded her.
A familiar voice caught her attention. She knew the voice, but couldn’t place who it belonged to. Seeing Cole in his panic she moved towards him, concern within her crimson eyes. Asha didn’t even notice the illusionist move beyond the tent where they stood. The acrobat wrapped her arms around the faun, hugging him, her wings folding slightly around them. “Shhh, it will be ok.” She cooed to him trying to ease his panic. They needed to get the boy to Adira.
As she continued to try to calm Cole her gaze moved to where Bel now stood and the trio that was approaching from the outskirts of t“Kat,” she whispered to herself. The woman was familiar with all three of them, though she knew little about the naga twins. The kitsune that led them was a different story. Her body had tensed, but it soon eased as there was no sight of those three’s master.
Quietly she continued to pet the faun, to ease him as best she could. “Bel, we should get Adira. It seems she has guests from the other circus.” Asha’s gaze moved to Bel and scry. The woman wanted to grab him and pull him along, but she feared that if she let Cole go he would panic further. Making her decision she walked with the faun, tugging him along as she continued to keep him in her arms. Quietly she hummed and every so often assured him things were ok and that Adira would handle the visitors.
Last edited by blueblackrose; 06-16-2015 at 02:52 AM..
Wiggling in excitement they followed Katrina. The twins tried to be serious but they would often break into soft giggles, their hands still wrapped around Katrina’s. She was smart not to let their hands go as they would probably run off and get into all sorts of trouble.
Hearing a soft voice on the wind both women perked up and looked around. Their purple eyes landed on the little faun chanting something. Even with their twisted minds the twins understood he was sort of like them, a broken mind. “Look Kitty, he’s a light version of us. Right Kitty?” Soon the little faun started to run off, but was swept up by a woman. “Pretty,” they hissed out and noticed the other male.
Eyes grew sharp as they studied the other male. He would be fun to play with. “Kitty they go find Lady Adira yes?” The twins had slipped back into using an old nickname for Katrina.
As Asha sat down next to her she briefly reached out to stroke the girls hair, not taking her eyes off the page of her book. After she left Adira went back to stroking Euriphuim’s head.
She was deep into her book, learning a new spell when a bubbly girl named Jasmine came up to her. It seemed today was a day for getting newcomers. Glowing blue eyes raised from the book to study the puppeteer. Adira kept a pleasant face as she listened to the girl and ended up smiling brightly at her once she was done showing what she could do.
“It’s a pleasure to meet you Jasmine, as you know I’m Adira the leader of this merry band of misfits.” Still smiling she waved her hand at the book causing it to disappear in a puff of smoke. “Your show was very lovely indeed I think it would fit in perfectly. All we need..” she was interrupted when Euriphium shot to his feet, whining. “Uriph what’s wrong?”
He was sensing visitors and he was also sensing Cole’s anxiety levels, which he relayed to Adira. “My sweet dear I am so sorry but I am needed outside. If you’re hungry you may stay and eat or you can follow me and meet some of the other members. I can find someone to show you around while I take care of a matter.” With a tight smile they both left the tent, Euriphuim running ahead of his master.
Jasmine was free to follow if she so wished, she could meet a few of the others while Aidra calmed Cole down and talked to the visitors.
Coming around the corner Aidra frowned when she spotted Cole. Her poor boy looked miserable. Euriphuim was already at his side, leaning against him and purring. She spotted the three visitors and gave them a quick smile and raised her finger. Indicating she would be with them in a moment's time and to stay where they were.
She stopped at Asha’s and Cole’s side. “Sweetheart are you ok? No need to worry about the three of them. It’s just Katrina and the twins.” Well there was worry if the twins were in one of their ‘moods’. But it seemed like they weren’t, yet.
))
