Liesel gracefully withdrew the flute from her pouch and raised the cool silver instrument to her lips. Her King raised up, his hood flaring a little before fanning out as she began to play him his favorite tune- a light, haunting melody that could have painted the air silver.

Her King swayed towards her as the melody wove through the air, finally reachin her leg. He began to wrap around it, moving up her leg, across her hips, up her waist and chest, until he was on her shoulders. She stopped playing, and the snake instantly reared up, hissing violently. She hummed softly, calming the snake, keeping him raised with his hood flaired, swaying on her shoulder. She turned her head slightly, and suddenly the viper that always accompanied her King appeared on her shoulder, as if by magic.

She was pleased with the gasps she heard from the crowd, knowing her trick had worked. While they had watched the flashier King, the Viper had snuck up, waiting for her to hum.

-------~--------

Ali sighed, becoming a little irritated. She wasn't irritated at them, per say, but at the headache that was beating a rythm in her head. "I'm alright," she said, forcing a convincing smile. "I'll go get some air when the act is over; you guys don't have to come if you don't want," she said, then leaned back in her chair and closed her eyes, trying to let her headache melt away. Her hand shook slightly on the arm rest as she tapped quietly, listening to the flute and trying not to fall asleep.

As soon as Manx had seen the basket, she'd known what would come next. She'd shook her head at Kenny without ever taking her eyes off of the girl in the center of the ring. "No... Not scared anymore.." She said, barely able to talk in complete sentences.

The girl in the ring was a snake charmer and Manx had always had a great respect for them. This girl however was amazing and Manx found herself, still holding Kenny's hand, leaning forward slightly with her eyes wide open. When the viper had appeared she'd been one of the ones to gasp, a huge smile spreading over her face. She knew that to her new friends she probably looked really silly, but she tried to ignore this. Her animal lover side was coming out and she didn't care who saw.

~~~~~~~~~~

Ares stood in the performers area behind the curtain. He sidled completely silent up behind Gwen and stood there, only a few inches behind her, with his head looking over her shoulder. "She's amazing isn't she...?" He whispered, hoping to spook the contortionist.

On the outside he was being a prankster, on the inside, Ares desperately hoped that Gerome would find him before Liesel finished her act. That way, he could polish off the ringleader before Liesel was done then spend the rest of the evening with her. Not much longer my sweet.I'll eliminate him soon. He won't keep us apart...

Kenny had to smile at Manx's reaction; it was absolutely adorable how fascinated she was with the snake charmer. He himself found the act pretty intriguing, but Kenny was definitely nowhere near as taken by it as Manx was. After getting their hands into a more comfortable position by intertwining their fingers together, Kenny leaned forward as well, watching on in interest as the woman did her act. He recognized her as the one that he'd run into.

He'd been watching for a while now, and took an opportunity to look over to see if Lois and Ali were enjoying the act. Noticing that Ali wasn't looking so well, he began to worry again, but didn't interrupt the act. Manx seemed to really be enjoying it, and he didn't want to take her attention off of it. Besides, Ali had brushed everything off once more... Hopefully, after she'd gotten some fresh air, she'd feel much better. Yeah, that's all she needs, just a little bit of air...

---

Gwen was watching on in amazement, so entranced by the act that she was taken by surprise when Ares came up behind her. Jumping a little bit, she turned around, to notice how close he was to her. And not in that We like each other so it's fine way... more of the He's a bit creepy and would do anything to scare me way. After a deep inhalation, Gwen let out a shaky breath. "You frightened me. Please don't sneak up on me again." It wasn't said in an asking tone, not at all. Gwen was basically commanding him not to. Of course, she wasn't really in the place to be commanding Ares; he was much taller, stronger, and able to do harm than she was.

But, Gwen always had Gerome on her side, and he was pretty tall, strong, and able to do harm.

Manx noticed it when Kenny moved their hands. She blushed bright red but didn't look at him. I thought this was only for people who were dating!... Her mind yelled at her. The thoughts didn't last long though as she once again became enthralled by the girl with her snakes. After a minute though she looked over at Kenny, finally drawing her eyes away from the act.

She smiled sweetly, girlishly, looking young and very very innocent. Her eyes flickered once toward their hands then to his face. Still blushing she began talking. "You don't have to do this anymore ... if you don't want that is... I'm not scared anymore." She smiled a little bit bigger.

~~~~~~~~~~

Ares laughed and brought his hands up in a way that said "ok I surrender" but he didn't move. "As you wish dear my Gwendolyn.Though it isn't my fault that I'm as silent as death..." He breathed. His breath brushed over the back of her neck. Oh the poor girl. She must be scared to death by now! He thought as a huge smile spread over his face, making him look maniacal and very evil.

((This is short I think >_< And I put a slight Nick and Norah's reference :heart: ))

Kenny had been watching the show once more, after he'd looked over at Ali and scrutinized her; she seemed at peace, so he tried to just let it go and stop worrying for once. He didn't look away from the ring, until he heard Manx speak. Taking his gaze off of the snake charmer, Kenny looked over at Manx, his eyebrows furrowed in confusion, until she explained more.

"Oh um... Do you not want me to?" he asked, a bit unsure. Kenny was sort of enjoying holding her hand; he hadn't held hands with anyone in a long time. It was just a nice feeling. The Beatles were so right when they wrote I Want to Hold Your Hand... "If you don't, I'll stop but... it's kind of nice." His voice had grown slightly quiet at this point.

---

Gwen's eyes were wide as she watched Ares, backing away as much as she could. She didn't want to accidentally step into the ring. "Why do you insist on being so cruel to me?" Gwen asked in a whisper, terrified of Ares. He'd never been this bad towards her before, although he was hardly ever nice to her. It was just... nerve-racking. Really, what the hell did he have against Gwen?

Lois seemed, or tried to seem, as mesmerized by the snake charmer as the others, but the truth was, her companions were just as interesting. Ali... Well, okay, Ali wasn't feeling well, and they would definitely have to get her some fresh air or something after this act. But Manx and Kenny seemed to be developing a thing. That probably wouldn't make it into her story, but people watching was part of the business, after all. She wondered if the voice recorder was picking up their sweet nothings at the expense of the performance.

After the viper appeared on the snake-charmer's shoulder, Lois turned to Ali and whispered, "Soon as we can sneak out, we're getting you some help, okay?" There had to be a first aid tent around here somewhere...

[[Ooh, looks like a good time for a brief showdown between our boys! Gots to wait for the next post though.]]

Liesel bowed, the snakes balanced gracefully on her neck, then allowed them to slide down, the viper going down her arm and to her hand. She held him up for everyone to see, then cupped her hands around him. He had curled up into a ball in her hands, out of sight from everyone. She blew into her hands as she threw them out- people gasped, expecting the dangerous snake to fly into the crowd- but instead, a dazzling show of glitter sparkled through the air, making the world around the woman seem sparkling and bright. She smiled joyfully as there was applause, then bowed deeply and gracefully. Her King had already crawled into his basket, bored with the festivities. She put the lid back on the basket, then gracefully scooped it up, bowing again before retreating backstage.

"That was wonderful," she said happily, going to Ares and Gwen. She hesitated, seeing that they had been conversing; had she interrupted something? She stood awkwardly before the two, her hands meekly behind her back, fiddling with the handle of the snake basket.

-------~--------

Ali opened one eye and looked at Lois, able to focus on her. "I'm fine, promise," she said softly. "I think I'm just tired... or something. You really shouldn't worry about me."

"I mean it Ali. You look like hell, and you are not fine." Suddenly watching the show had become a lot less important to Lois than making sure Ali was okay. And anyway, she already had plenty of material, especially after the snake charmer's astonishing finale. Not that a first aid tent at a haunted freak show wouldn't be cool...

"Manx, Kenny. Come on. We're getting Ali some help now," she ordered, standing, pulling Ali up by the arm. She no longer cared how much her voice carried. "Kenny, did you see a first aid tent around here when you were, you know, exploring?"

Manx's smile got bigger than ever and she gave Kenny's hand a slight squeeze. His words had directly mirrored her own thoughts. "No. I don't mind at all.... It's been a while." She laughed, blushed a bit, and looked down at the armrest.

Sitting like this, Manx jumped a bit when Lois stood up and started talking so loudly. She rolled her eyes at herself then stood up, gently pulling Kenny up with her. "You're right of course Lois. We shouldn't have waited this long.... Seriously Ali. You are not OK." She put emphasis on the word not. With this said and her face more serious now, Manx leaned down and picked up her bag from under her seat. Luna was still inside but as soon as Manx picked it up she crawled out and climbed her way up Manx's arm where she sat on the girls shoulder. Manx winced, though still smiling, as occasionally the kittens claws dug into her arm.

Now that the cat was out of the bag ((sorry, couldn't help it XD)) Luna could easily tell where the strange smell was coming from. It was the other girl. Not the one with the funny machines but the one who was at the end of the row. Before, it had been faint, but now it had grown stronger and the smell worried the feline. She rubbed her head against Manx's cheek trying to comfort herself.

~~~~~~~~~~

As soon as Liesel re-entered the performers tent Ares completely ignored Gwen. He rushed over to the snake charmer and swept her up, basket and all, into a tight hug that completely lifted her off of the ground. Like this, he tucked his head into her shoulder and nuzzled her neck. "That was beautiful my sweet. The best act of the night." He whispered to her. He didn't want her to be able to see his face and the disappointment that played out there. Gerome hadn't come out while she'd been performing. This meant that it would be harder to find a time to get rid of him.

Not wanting Gwen to be able to see his face either, Ares spun in a small circle so that his back was now facing the contortionist. It wouldn't bode well for him if he were to hide his true feelings from Liesel only to have them exposed by Gwen. When he thought that he finally had his face under control, he set the girl down. He didn't set her away from him though, more so he let her slide down his body until her feet reached the ground. As he looked down to meet her eyes, his longish hair swept forward to frame his face and make him look less serious.

((Uch, sorry I didn't reply for a while. I get so busy >_<
By the way, love all the new avvies :heart: They're so amazing!))

Why did I stop worrying?! was Kenny's instant thought when Lois brought to his and Manx's attention that they were getting Ali some help. He'd thought that he would stop bothering her, since she kept denying that she felt ill. But now, Kenny's decision had backfired, because Ali was probably worse than before. "I think there may have been one... We'd have to walk around a bit to find it. Let's just hurry," Kenny answered back, his hand still holding Manx's. By now, the reason had switched to the fact that he was so worried.

Kenny began to walk, bringing Manx along behind him lightly. He was now in the aisle, and looked back to see whether the other two were following him. Once he saw that they were, Kenny began to go towards the exit of the tent, making sure not to move too fast, or else he'd lose the other two. And of course, it wouldn't be too comfortable for Manx. The two were side by side again, now that it was easier to walk in more than just a single file line. So they began to wander, trying to find a tent that might be for first aid.

Liesel beamed, laughing delightedly as he swept her off her feet. "You're too much, Ares," she said gently, allowing her feet to touch the ground as soon as the opportunity arose. "I am very happy to hear you enjoyed yourself," she said, dropping the baskets gently and freeing one hand to gently touch his cheek, his hair brushing her fingers. She frowned slightly; something was wrong here. She shook her head slightly, disregarding it as paranoia. "Are you ready for tonight's festivities, my darling," she asked sweetly, her eyes wide with child-like excitement.

-------~--------

Gerome stepped onto the stage, frowning for a brief second- the four children had left, and he had no idea why. He then donned his smile for the rest, to draw them in like a spider did a fly. "That is the end of our show," he said. "We thank you for coming and hope you enjoyed yourself. You are more then free to wander the grounds and acquaint yourselves with our performers; there are also some attractions that you did not see on stage. Thank you, and good night." He bowed until the spotlight went out, then exited to the back.
He stopped in the doorway, speechless, and then was swallowed by an unreasonable rage. His sister, his sister, was in Ares arms, and it wasn't right at all.

------~---------

Ali tried to protest again, and could only produce a weak cough. Even she had to admit that something was wrong. She tried to keep up with them, stumbling over nothing, until she had to give up, sinking to her knees. This was worse then anything, worse then that first day of soccer, when she had been worked so hard that she threw up. She broke into a cold sweat- Oh god, what was wrong with her? She grit her teeth and forced herself to stand, her face determined and deathly pale.

"Shit, this is bad," she groaned, forcing herself to stay up, to keep moving. "Guys, what's happening to me?" For a second she sounded like a child, a terrified child, and it was enough to make her want to scream.

[[Prepare yourselves, its going to get a lot worse for Ali.]]

Manx let herself be pulled by Kenny at first but kept glancing back. It seemed she was the first to see the other girl fall. With a choked sounding squeak Manx released Kenny's hand and ran to Ali. Dropping to her own knees beside the other girl she frantically tried to figure out what was going on. "Ali! Oh my gosh! Are you OK?" Without waiting for an answer she looked up at Kenny with fear shining in her eyes. "Kenny, you and Lois run and get some help. I'll stay here. Oh, take Luna with you, she'll help you find us again." Luna knew what her mommy wanted her to do and jumped off Manx's shoulders. Trotting up to Kenny she sat at his feet and meowed plaintively once.

~~~~~~~~~~

Ares smiled at Liesels touch and turned his head to kiss her palm. With his lips pressed to her skin, that was when he saw Gerome. His expression didn't change though. He merely moved his hands from the girls waist and threw one over her shoulder. Pulling Liesel along beside him, Ares turned and walked toward Gerome. "The show went well enough didn't it ringmaster?" It was all he could do to keep the cold humor from his voice as he felt the small form tucked under his arm.

Liesel felt herself turned, and when she saw her brother she couldn't help but be glad that Ares had an arm around her, which would keep her brother away for now. Then again, she was terrified of Ares touching her- that was, after all, the reason Gerome was mad.
"Brother," she said, a soft greeting but also an apprehensive warning. She was begging him not to do anything stupid, not here, not now- he could take it out on her later. She didn't want her beloved Ares to fly into a temper and harm (or be harmed by) Gerome.

-------~--------

"Yes, well enough," he said, his voice soft and deadly. He glanced at Liesel as she called to him, and she obviously got the message as she shrunk under Ares' arm. They would have to discuss this later. "The children should be playing anytime soon- will anyone be so kind as to see that Cain is alright?" For a brief second, he wanted Ares to volunteer, so that Gerome could sneak up behind him and murder him, pleasing himself and Cain, but then decided against it. There would be a much better punishment coming his way.

With a dangerous looking smile, Ares did exactly what Gerome had wanted. "I'll go ringmaster. It's always a... pleasure to pay a visit to Cain." Then, with a sweet smile he looked down at Liesel. "Liesel luv, would you like to come with me? One can always use the company." He asked sweetly, his eyes nothing but innocent. The only real reason he'd asked her to come was to make Gerome even angrier. People make more mistakes when they are angry... He allowed himself a small grin as he peered at Gerome from the corner of his eyes.

Liesel looked up at Ares, seemingly distracted, his words taking a second to sink in. "O-oh, yes, I'll come with you," she said, before looking down. She could feel her brother glaring at her, like he was trying to set her skin on fire.

-------~--------

Damn. It had almost been perfect, but then he had thrust Liesel in as a shield... that was partially why he hated the man, always using his sister as a shield, as bait, to ensure his security....
He glowered at the two, the only indication of his irritation and anger showing in his eyes.

((Ohhh Gwen's loyalties might be shifting!))

While the encounter between Ares, Liesel, and Gerome went on, Gwen stood off to the side, watching on. She'd had it with looking on all the time, like some freak, though. Just watching them argue? Why was she still here? For no reason at all. Exactly. So, she chose to just leave the tent and wander for a while. Gwen wouldn't be needed by any of them, she was sure of that.

While she was walking through the fairgrounds, off to the sides as usual, she people-watched. Gwen seemed to have a knack at watching things happen, and not participating in things. It was always a bit of a problem of hers... It was a good thing that she'd been watching at this particular moment though. A girl had fallen to her knees, looking in need of medical attention. This good be either good or bad, depending on whose side Gwen was truly on. The performers would love it if one of the spectators was put at even more of a disadvantage than normal. The explorers of the circus wouldn't however.

Pick a side... she thought to herself, sounding a bit scolding. Even though she still hadn't completely made up her mind though, Gwen walked towards the group of kids. Tilting her head, she asked, "What happened? Do you need help?" But once she'd had a closer look, Gwen realized what must've happened. The incident with the snake and the victim. This was what Liesel was talking about.

---

"Shit," Kenny muttered, after Manx had brought his attention back to Ali. He didn't normally swear, unless he was in a really bad situation. This counted as a really bad situation. Running back to Ali, he kneeled next to her. "We've got to get you help, now." Biting his bottom lip, Kenny tried to recall everything he'd seen the first time he'd explored the grounds with Ali. No medical tents came to mind. "Crap, I feel so terrible that we didn't get you help sooner... I knew I shouldn't have stopped worrying," he mumbled, beginning to ramble. It was just him being worried, rightfully so this time.

That was when that creepy tall girl from before appeared. She didn't seem like she wanted to hurt them though, and they needed some help in finding a place for Ali. "I don't know, she just doesn't feel well," Kenny instantly began to explain, speaking a bit too fast. "Yes please, help would be appreciated. Is there a first aid tent or something?"

---

Gwen listened as the boy answered her questions quickly. She nodded, before saying, "I'll be back with help." Whether it'd be helpful help or not, she was going to go get Gerome. It was probably a bad idea, but maybe she wasn't looking to help the girl. Or maybe she was. Gwendolyn was just so damn confused.