Aio shook her head,"I do not get bored easily. It's just that theres only so many times you can stare at the same old, fantastical pictures. And as for "The Tao" I enjoy sitting on his back if that counts." She didn't bother moving Lao's hand, it was a gesture familiar to her, both by him and by other people when they first met her. It was true her skin was different, it's texture much different to the porcelin texture it appeared to have though it was always just as cold.

Betty Liz laughed when Nai fell off, but gave her a look that showed she was joking. She put her hand underneath her feet and put Nai back on her shoulder. "There you go." She turned back to Kian to reply to his question. She smiled back at him. "Well, I'm only half-lycan, or at least that's what the medical records say. From what I know, I'm a little shorter than what an average lycan my age would be, and a little less stronger than what I should be. I could throw you across town right now, but if I was a full-blooded lycan, I could throw you across the....whatever this territory is. State, county, you know.

"It's kind of restricting, having to make sure you don't pull the person's arm off when you're shaking their hand. You don't even want to know how hard it is to not snap Nai in half when I'm picking her up. I have extremely good hearing, which makes my trauma even worse. Not so much on the speed. I mean, I can run faster than you can, and if I have enough adrenaline, I can keep it up, but mostly I don't do that. The sudden burst of energy is mostly supposed to be a reflex for hunting, but we don't really need that now.

"Lycans and half-lycans can morph to wolves when they want to, but it kind of takes all of your energy away. The thing with half-lycans is that we can't morph totally, as you can see." She gestured to her wolf ears, and her wolf tail. "Your friend could be a lycan, and you might not even know. But other than that, it's pretty normal. At least it isn't like those old freak shows way back when." She shuddered, remembering those pictures out of that book that Nai and her were reading one day.

"It still must be pretty cool sometimes," Kian told her, "To be stronger and faster than most ordinary people."

"I know. I was only joking," Lao Tzu told his friend with smile, continuing to caress her cheek. He never tired of the simple coolness he felt when he tought Aio's skin, refreshing like a breeze on a hot day. He raised an eyebrow at her comment about sitting on his back, "Suppose the Tao decides to go for a run?"

Nai sniffed and rolled her eyes a bit as Betty Liz lifted her back on the shoulder that was the doll's eternal purchase. Then she listened as her friend explained her affliction and Kian commented on how it must still be 'cool' to be stronger and faster than normal people.

"What, you mean like those 'superhero' things you humans came up with all those centuries ago? Pfft. Lycans and vampires and the other creatures you consider supernatural and mythical are much more realistic than superheroes. If you fell into a vat of toxic waste you would die. The end. Same with the readioactive spider, if there ever was one. Sometimes I pity your imaginations," Nai said. "Sometime's they're so dull, and then the next moment they're ridiculous and overflowing."

Nai sat down on the shoulder, gripping a small handful of Betty Liz's shirt to hold on. "And it's not always fun. Like you said, you humans make up stories about not only lycans and vampires but abou the rest of us who aren't human. So narrow-minded and suspicious - I mean, you didn't even believe in magic until halfway through the second millenium. Then word gets around, all that horrible gossip, and our reputations are ruined for an eternity. And speaking of Betty Liz's 'unspeakable strength', it's especially un-fun to be manhandled by her of all people." Nai looked at her friend. "I know you try not to, but you squeeze too hard sometimes." She turned back to Kian. "So you see, most of the time it is not 'cool' and being shunned gets old after a while. We are only interesting to you humans."

Now that Nai had finished her piece of cynical, judgemental rant on supernatural beings, she moved onto her next topic. "You've asked so many questions of us. What you may not realize is that we don't get to interact with normal humans a lot either. May I - we, if anyone else cares to - ask a couple questions? Even though the textbooks I find are as big as me, they can't tell you everything."

Kian blinked in surprise that they would be interested in what[ i]he[/i] would know. He shrugged at the doll and said, "I don't mind, but life at this village is dull. Nothing ever happens. I'd be more interested in what's going on in the world than here."

"Hey, no need to get on people on their thoughts. You want to know everything there is to know, I think you of all people should get used to people's opinions. Who says things can't have imaginations? I've always dreamt of exploring the world, and as you can see, I'm not doing that anytime soon. I hate to critisize you, but how would you like it if you were him? Not very polite at all." Betty Liz said, trying to prevent Nai from offending him.

She turned to her, with a smirk. "You've taught me too much already." I hope I didn't get her mad or anything. That was usually her number one objective: Don't get anyone angry or offended, or you'll pay. "Well, it's not very dull to us, as we've had no experience out there, besides my traumatized memories in a orphanche, and Nai's memories as a doll, even though she might not have any. I'm not really sure how that works."

Maria sighed, letting her eyes drift off to stare at the distance. Kian was just like what she had used to be when she was young, before she was turned; bored of the society in which she lived, wanting to see it all. And she had, but it hadn't been as fun, and most of it not nearly as beatiful as she'd thought it'd be. "The world isn't all you may imagine it to be," She mumbled, not really directing it at anyone.

Aio smirked,"Then 'The Tao' will have to go for his run with me on his back."

"Whatever you say," Kian told them with a shrug, "Just ask away and I will answer. Don't expect it to be that interesting."

Lao Tzu smirked at Aio, "And you will have to hold one." With that said, he stood up and began to run around the Cirque, pass the entertainers, "freaks", and other circus folk. He laughed happily as he jumped on a pile of boxes and then onto the roof of a caravan. He jumped from roof to roof, content in the act of jumping and running. He was so much like a child, having little memory and not really caring.

Aio gave a small squeak as Lao set of and when he started on his round of jumping. She held on tightly, her slim fingers gripping the fabric of his shirt with all the strength she had until she became accustomed to the rhythm of Lao's running and jumping. Slowly loosening her grip with one hand she reached into one of the hidden pockets of her dress and pulled out the small paper dolls, each carefully decorated , a name printed on their chests and released them into the air, watching as young children caught them as they floated to the ground.

"Merry Christmas!" Lao sung,enjoying the delight of the children and the rush of adrenaline he got from running and jumping on the buildings. He grinned at Aio, "Where do you want to go?"

Emily sat in the theatre, on the edge of the stage, loving the big empty space of the big empty place. She blinked, as her mind had started to rhyme.... again and again. She's a poet and she didn't know it! She laughed at the old joke and wondered suddenly if she said that out loud. There was nobody else around this part of the theatre to listen, so it didn't really matter. She shut her eyes and listened.... and heard the children outside. She would love to talk to them but they were all scared of her. Not surprising really. She spent most of her time trying to scare people.... but only adults. She wanted to learn what those children were always up to, like she did a loooooong time ago when all the younger girls liked her and squealed her name, when she walked past, for no reason at all. She knew it was because they were young and excited, but they sounded like the fangirl she used to be. Through curiosity, she opened the side door and slipped through, breathing in the fresh air as she went. She snuck her way out and sat where she wouldn't be easily seen, unless somebody looked hard; In a dark shadow. She stilled and watched them play.