A steaming mist swirled over the waters of the Acheron. The air hung with only a distant sound, like a buzzing almost, but indistinct, coming from the high walls at the far side of the river which were obscured by the dense fog. The only other sound was the bubbling of the murky waters.

Through the mist a silhouette of a boat appeared, with a cowled figure standing, rowing slowly to the shore. Charon stepped off onto the dead grass which lined the banks. In front of him, the never ending queue of miserable humans who stood quivering with various degrees of trepidation as to their fate in the underworld. Some of them stared at the ground, their minds tuned out and driven mad with confusion and fear, but most of them fixed their eyes on the boatman as he strode up the bank.

To their surprise, he walked right past them and further up the bank, onto a ridge. He’d heard the rumours; as solitary as his existence was, he heard a lot from the various supernatural beings who passed by the river, or the demons on the far side who ventured away from Hades on their travels.

From atop the ridge, he saw in the distance that the rumours were true. A few fields away, standing tall and sinister, was the Cauchemar Circus. Perhaps the last sight anyone would expect to see so close to the gateway to the nine circles of hell. A smile crossed Charon’s wasted, bony face. The famous Cirque De’Laire and her travelling troupe of freaks and unnatural creatures with unnatural talents. They had been the talk of the underworld for a long time. But Charon had been around for much, much longer, and he certainly had no interest in going to partake in such base entertainment. Maybe sprites and faeries would be amused by such petty acts...

But Charon had a different idea in mind. Cirque had risen to fame too quickly. It was about time somebody forced her to put her claims to the test. She thought she could guarantee a fright for everyone who saw the show? Let’s see how she fares with an audience of men and women who were already doomed to the fires of hell...

Valerie rose from her bed, giving a soft moan as she stretched her arms high above her head. A chill run up her spine at the chilling air that hit her bare skin that brought a tiny smile to her lips as she tossed the dark velvrt silk sheets aside to stand. The room was dark with only a hint of like trying to fight it's way through the dark curtains she had up inside of the Rv she owned and lived in. At first glance outside, it looks cute, cozy even and glance in, you can see the drivers seat and a comfy little set up there but if you push aside the curtains to go to the back, it's the exact opposite. It's terribly dark, and cold, things are thrown around and covered with dark fabric and, if you look hard enough, it almost reminds you of a nest of some kind..

That's how Valerie likes it.

She smiled and moved gracefully through the darkness to her bathroom, where she began one of her morning rituals, as always a familiar groan could be heard on her way to the bathroom. "Hush now, you know better" She called from the bathroom and the groans quieted to where she smiled, "Good boy." she murmured softly before turning and starting a nice hot shower. After her shower, she applied her makeup and walked through the Rv towards the door. Still naked. She smiled as she pushed past the curtain and swung open the door, stepping out.

A small foot was the first tohit the ground, followed by another then a fall of fabric followed. Stepping forward, othrrs could see she was dressed in gypsy like attire, a black bra hugging her breast with a dark purple skirt that dragged around the floor and hugged her hips, exposing her leg up to her hip, revealing matching black panties underneath. To complete this look, her snow white hair fell down her back in waves and curls with black and silver bangles and a black choker.

Before closing the door to her home, she stuck her head in and called in, "Be back soon!" and slammed the door, smirking as she spun and made her way to the performance tent, her skirt swished alluringly with the sway of her hips as she crossed the quiet grounds, she was always the first awake because she loved to hear the circus, her family, come to life.

Vivien laughed softly and quietly, swinging her feet slowly against the bar. She held the crystal glass in between her middle finger and her fourth. It was filled with a deep red wine. Her black hair was in soft waves down her shoulder, stopping just past the top of her lacy black corset. She was wearing the corset with black and white stripped stockings that ran up to the top of her thighs, stopping below the curve of her bottom. The guy who was sitting close to her on the stool over was smiling at her, clearly trying to dazzle her enough to get her to leave with him. She turned to look at him with her deep grey eyes, which were lightly covered in a black shade all around. The tie in the back of the corset was a satin black ribbon. The guy ran his hand down the smooth surface of her arm, before looking back at her eyes. His eyes were very electric blue, but she knew that she barely had mere interest in him. She stood up off of her barstool before setting her drink on the bar and grabbing his hand. His smile grew even wider, hopeful for the night. Vivien turned her head away from him and laughed quietly to herself before walking them outside. She pulled him around the back and pushed her lips against him. He couldn't help but react, and once he pulled away, he held her head in his hands and looked into her eyes.

"I love you." He said. Vivien couldn't help but let out a laugh. Love her? They had barely even known each over for a little more than an hour. She twirled her fingers in his hair and looked at him, shaking her head slightly. "How could you love me? We just met. You shouldn't trust me." Vivien said. That was all the warning she gave to him. Most guys didn't take that literally, which is stupid. Vivien leaned forward and kissed the edge of his jaw, before moving down to his neck, inhaling, and digging her sharp teeth in. She heard him gasp, but her hand flew up and she covered his mouth. She sucked until she felt him go limp before her. Once her stomach was full, she moved her hand off of his mouth and let him slump and lay, eyes wide, dead, against the wall. Vivien leaned down and yanked him up, dragging him behind her as she walked to the forest behind the bar. She walked to the place where she kept her shovel, dropping him in the mud. The rain slowly started to fall, and she started to dig her hole. The icy rain felt good on her exposed skin, and she dug all the way down until she was about 7 feet deep. She tossed the shovel aside and breathed deeply, her body slick and glistening from the rain. Her hair was no longer in waves, but long and straight and jet black. She picked the guy up from his arms, and drug him into the hole. She flipped him into the hole, hearing the thud of his body hitting the ground. She didn't so much as flinch.

When she was finished covering up the hole once more. She dropped down to the ground and lay there for a moment, letting the rain drench her body. She then sat upright, pushed herself off the wet ground, and started to walk home. Her black latex heels dug into the mud, but she didn't even trip. She walked over to her little house, taking the key from the middle of her cleavage, and pushed the door open. She looked around to remember where she kept all of her dirty clothes, and then walked over to the area. She stripped before placing on a black satin robe, and looked down at the stack of clothes. She left her shoes with them, and walked back to her bed. She sat on the edge, and looked around her room. She saw a white corner of something peeking out of her drawer. She stood up, walked forward, and pulled out the picture. It was a picture of her and her only husband, his arms around her and her smiling as if she was in heaven. Vivien's eyes filled up, and she tossed the picture to the ground.

The next morning, she woke up tired and groggy, but forced herself to get up. She walked to her small closet, and dug around until she found her favorite, full lace, black corset. She slid it on easily, and tied the black ribbon in the back. She grabbed a pair of black fishnet stockings, and slowly pulled them up around her pale and toned thighs. She then walked into the bathroom, and weaved thick black ribbons in her hair, but leaving it down. She then dug around for her black pumps, and began to walk outside. She saw Valerie walking towards the tent, and Vivien easily caught up with her. "Awake so early?" She asked in her naturally alluring voice.

"Awake so early?" A smooth and familiar voice of Vivien had greeted her, a smile slid across her blemish less face as she hooked her arm around the female's shoulder. "Ah yes my dear Viv! Don't you just loveee seeing everything come to life?" She said, motioning to the circus around them as everyone started setting up their booths and rides for the day. "Plus, it's another day to scare the crap out of someone, to have some fun" Her eyes flashed green but only for a second before she turned towards Vivien, her eyes a golden hazel again. "But what brings you out this early? Bored?" She asked with a tilt of her head, almost looking like a little girl for a moment but to everyone in the circus, it was just one of the many faces she used to bring in the next lot of customers, or prey, but to her friends she was actually showing concern. "I don't believe I've ever seen you up this early" She added.

As they walked, Valerie's eyes had drifted over the circus and she could've sworn she had seen someone at the top of the ridge. Her eyes narrowed a bit but she shook her head and decided to ignore it, like anyone would actually be up there this early in the morning. Well, besides her and everyone else at the circus.

The dulcet tones of the double bass and jazz guitar playing from the aged juke box in the corner of the trailer was a perfect complement to the near total darkness. Kane reclined on the sofa which took up a fair bit of the remaining space, sitting contended and motionless apart from his foot swaying up and down in time with the beat. He had only a vague idea what time of day it was; if indeed time of day had any great deal of meaning in this realm...

His eyes were closed and a grin fixed to his face as he recalled yesterdays acts and the looks on peoples faces, as some of the audience had fled in terror, been reduced to tears of despair, or simply been stunned into horrified silence at the things they'd seen. And of course, the opportunity to mortify and humiliate another willing volunteer. He smiled as he recalled the thrill of it....

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The scene was set with a full-scale hillock, on which was set a small house with the front wall missing so the inside was visible to the audience. Some bouncy, flowery music began to play, and a male clown dressed in a long cotton dress pranced into the middle of the ring.

Kane bounced with frivolity, hearing the applause and laughter ripple around the outer ring as the audience spotted him taking the stage. On reaching the centre he flung his arms out with a flourish. The smile painted on his face was amplified by the genuine smirk his mouth was twisted into. These people hoped to be entertained, but little did they know that Kane intended to entertain only himself.

The music stopped, and Kane affected a faux-female voice.

"Oh my new house!" he trilled, "At last! My new house is ready! I've been waiting so long. Oh! And you must all by my new neighbours! How simply marvellous. Well, I simply must have one of you around for tea right away! Who'd like to come to tea?"

He praced along in front of the audience scanning the faces, most of whom grinned pensively, or lowered their heads, or looked around to see if anyone would volunteer. Nobody did. But then he spied a nicely-dressed young women sitting next to a man who was likely her boyfriend.

"How about you there?" Kane said, still in his falsetto voice, "The handsome young lady there? Come over to my house and have a little tea and cake, warm the kitchen for the first time. That's it, come on down."

The girl turned bright red, but when everyone around her starting clapping, and even her boyfriend seems to reluctantly goad her on so as to not seem over-protective, she got up and ambled her way down the aisle into the ring. Grinned broadly, and it would have appeared sinister had it not been obscured by the more comical grine plastered over it in make-up. He took the girl's hand, doing an excited little skip, and started to lead her up the hill towards the house.

"Oh how wonderful! And what's you're name dearie?"

"Uhm.....Jen."

"Jen! That's lovely." Kane beamed, "Come on in and we'll get to know each other. Oh what do you think of the house isn't it just perfect?"

"Um," Jen said, wrinkling her forehead and looking around at the lop-sided single-room open-front building set with a single table, two chairs and a kitchen countertop. "it's lovely."

"Isn't it just! Now, why don't you fill the kettle while I get out some cookies."

In the background the low thrum of laughter from the audience went on at the rediculous situation, as the waited for the first thing to happen. Their curiosity was satified when Jen reluctantly picked up the kettle, walked over to the sink and opened the faucet. Immediately a small jet of water shot out from the top of the faucet, directly into her face. With a shriek she quickly shut the water off again. A roar of laughter rose from the crowd.

"Oh that's a shame!" Kane said, putting his hand to his chin. "Here allow me."

He walked over and filled the kettle, the faucet behaving normally for him. Jen forced a good-humoured smile and wiped the water from her face.

"Alright dear," Kane went on, "I'll go grab those cookies and why don't you put the gas on for the kettle?"

Jen looked over to the gas hob uncertainly, before letting a smile cross her face, choosing to get in on the act. "Say! Why don't you do it? You seem to have the knack?"

"Oh you don't need to be afraid," Kane laughed, all still in his falsetto voice, "I'm sure it's just a few teething issues with the new house."

Even so, Kane went over to the cooker with the kettle, placed it on the hob and turned one of the knobs. Immediately, a wall of flames shot up the three walled sides of the house. Jen shrieked as everything burst into flame. Additionally, ground fell away all around the hillock, revealing what appeared to be a moat of molten lava!

"Oh that's just my luck!" Kane trilled, facing the audience, "Trust me to buy a house on top of a live volcano! They told me I should have had a survey carried out! Oh well. Jen dear perhaps you'd better come back another time, I've got to sort of few things out with the new pad. Lovely of you to come anyway"

Kane gestured for Jen to leave, but when she got up and stepped out of the front of the house, it quickly became apparent that she couldn't go anywhere because the house was completely surrounded by a steaming lava pit. The house itself was still a towering inferno, and by this stage the poor girl was looking decidedly nervous.

"Erm, how do I get back?" she said keenly, the tension evident in her voice. Kane stepped out with her and put his hand on his chin thoughtfully, looking around.

"Aha!" he said eventually, "The washing line! You can just shimmy across that!"

"Are you serious?!" Jen said anxiously.

"Oh sure you'll be fine, you're a trim, fit young thing. You'll be fine."

The audience applauded their encouragement, and Jen smiled weakly, reaching up and taking hold of the washing line which, sure enough, extended over the bubbling lava. She was certain there must be some sort of safety precaution in place. With some effort, she began to swing herself forward, one hand after the other, slowly making her way across. It was made more difficult by the fact that there was actually a few items of laundry hanging on the line. And in fact it was harder that it looked, and by the time she was halfway across her arms were getting tired and she swung awkwardly, beads of anxious sweat appearing on her forehead.

But just then, from no obvious source, each end of the washing line burst into flame. The audience gasped and Jen screamed. Kane clasped both his hands to the top of his head and yelped.

"Oh hell!" he said, this time in his normal voice, to give the impression something was actually going wrong. "Um, hey someone, the line's on fire! Oh boy...um, what did they tell us to do when that happened....oh yes!"

He ran over to a cupboard under the counter, and pulled out a child's super-soaker canon, and ran back to the moat edge and began firing it at the flames which were spreading along the wasing line towards the shrieking girl, who was looking desperately around for a way to escape. Beneath her the lava steamed and churned, the hot air cascading up against her legs.

"Don't panic Jen," Kane said, still in his normal voice. "We'll have you back and safe in a minute. Here, have a little yourself you're looking a little flustered."

He redirected the jet of water from the soaker and caught her straight in the face. She spluttered angrilly, before screaming "Put the fire out!"

Just in front of her, a pair of pink polka-dot bloomers burst into flame.

"Oh no!" Kane shouted, "My Calvin Klein!"

He redirected the spray once again to try to put out the bloomers, whilst Jen cried out in terror as the line slowly began to buckle. A moment later, the line snapped entirely, and Jen lurched downwards. The audience gasped again, a lot of people standing up to watch, a good portion of them certain they were witnesses a terrible accident. As the girl impacted on the surface, a giant flame went up from the edge of the pit, obscuring the audiences view. Kane clamped his hands over his eyes, pretending to be unable to watch.

After a moment of harrowing silence, Jen broke the surface, shrieking and spluttering. The 'lava' was in fact nothing but a watery mixture of red and yellow gunge, the steam and heat produced from specialised fan-heating set into the pit walls, and the bubbling effects produced by air-jets and lights at the bottom of the pit.

As she climbed from the bit, her heart racing and her entire body shaking, the slime dripping in great gloops from her nice clothes and hair. As it slowly dawned on the audience that she was safe, a ripple of nervous laughter and applause swelled from them. Kane spread his arms to welcome it, taking a bow. He watched, grinning menacing as he watched Jen walk miserably back to her seat, covered from head to toe in gunge, humiliated and shot to her nerves.

That, in his mind, was entertainment...

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Kane let out a small chuckle, relishing the thought of the next show. Just then from outside he heard female voices. Familiar voices. Vivien and Valerie. That must mean it was some time in the late morning. Deciding it was worth investigating, he stood up, still in his dishevelled clothes from the previous night's revelrie, and exited his caravan, strolling out into the field and looking around.

He watched the crowd warily, the stormy orbs scanning the streets. Except for a few straggelers, the streets were empty. A young woman in skimpy clothing walked up to him, about three inches taller and maybe four years older. She smiled seductively, placing her hand on the sleeve of his jacket. "You seem tense, why don't I help you relax?" She asked, his eyebrows raising in mock excitement. He grabbed her hand, walking her to the carnival. He walked her into his trailer, filled with the stench of blood and different top hats hanging around. He pressed his lips on hers, thankful for not getting a clingy girl. They always wanted him to stay he loved them before he could kiss them. He didn't love them, he only loved two people. Angelia and Cirque. This girl ripped him from his thoughts, moving her rough lips down to his neck. He moved them to his bed, and fell asleep after a night of fun. When he woke up, he forgot he had brought the girl for a minute until he replayed last nights events. Fun.

"Alright, feeding time." He whispered to himself, moving the hair from her neck and deepening his rough fangs into her soft skin. Her crystal eyes opened in shock, and closed as she went limp. He smirked, grabbing her limp body and throwing it into the garbage outside his trailer. He met the girls where they were talking, smirking.

"Fun night, huh?"

Vivien laughed when Valerie wondered why she was awake so early. Valerie did have a point though, Vivien usually did get a little more sleep. But the excitement from last night was still running its course through her veins, feeding her adrenaline that could not be held back. Most of last night, she had dreamed about her catch, the rain falling, and it was something that belonged in a movie, not in real life. But that was Vivien's life, and there was nothing she could do to change it. In fact, she loved being a vampire. She would have died ages ago if she wasn't. And there wouldn't be a temptress at the carnival, though she knew that Valerie would fill the spot perfectly if Vivien ever left. She put her arm around the girls shoulder and hugged her close to her smooth body, a smile upon her lips.

"Boredom, adrenaline, a feed last night." Vivien said with a wink. Then she heard Sixx's voice behind them, and she turned around, her arm falling off of Valerie's shoulders when she did so. Sixx was the other vampire here, and from the looks of his face, she wasn't the only person that was nicely feed before heading off to the carnival. She smiled at him and hugged him lightly, her grey eyes deep and slightly excited. They had the tiniest tints of purple around her irises.

"Sixx, I don't seem to be the only one here who's stomach is satisfied. So who was the lucky girl now?" Vivien said with a seductive tone in her voice. The longer she talked, the more creamy her voice became. She arched one thin black brow in his direction, her black hair swinging around her shoulders and her tight corset which displayed her killer curves.

The sound of quiet hissing and annoying squeaks were being emitting from the dark tent all the way in the back of the circus. If you were close by to the abnormal tent, you could also here joyous jeers coming from inside. Inside the weird tent covered in tinsel galore, the snake charmer of the circus was feeding his huge snakes live rats...again. Hyun couldn't help himself, he loved the giddy feeling he had in his stomach every time he fed his gorgeous pets.

"Watch it, Ossscar. That's Cryssstal's breakfassst." The peculiar tall man recounted his snakes, smiling wickedly that the fact some of them were poisonous, but they wouldn't dare to bite him. The snakes, in fact, were a afraid. They were afraid he would bite back. They didn't know if he could, but they knew he could find away to do so. As the stack of rats disappeared, Hyun stopped the feeding. "Sssorry guysss. No more ratsss." They slithered away, climbing all over the tents furniture and going on with whatever they were going to do for the day. Except Lime, the tree snake, he was always fond of the different man. He snaked his body over Hyun's, slithering and resting around the man's shoulders. He hissed quietly at him, as if pleading to let him stay there. "Okay, Lime, but only for today. Tomorrow isss Wilssson's turn." The green snake nodded and laid it down. The man didn't want to stay cooped up in his tent and decided to wander around the circus, maybe find a way to freak out any of the other members.

He looked over his attire in his cracked body mirror before leaving. His nodded at the weird set of clothing for him to ever wear. A loose fitted kimono like dress with the occasional tint of pink here and there on it. Of course he wore a pair of long, black, baggy pants underneath. He wasn't the one for crossdressing. As he slipped on some black slippers, he looked around the circus. "Looksss like sssome membersss are ssstill asssleep." He continue to walk around until he spotted his fellow members talking amongst themselves.

"Well hello fellow membersss,"he said as he walked up behind them, petting Lime slowly,"Valerie, Vivien, Sssixx. Good to sssee you thisss fine morning."

At seeing her fellow demon she grinned, her skirt swishing along with her hips as she waved, "Ah Kane! How are you this fine morning..?" She called to him with a flirty tone, flipping her hair over should as she listebed to Vivien and Sixx taljed about their nights as Valerie sigh dramatically. "Luckys! My night was the same ol stuff, hmm maybe I should go looking for another male tonight.." Her eyes flashed a crimson color as she drifted off in her thoughts, a mischevious grin sliding across her face as one hand resting on her hypnotizing hips while the other rested on her chest. "That sounds exciting!" She said to herself with a giggle before spinning around to greet Hyun and his snake, Lime.

"Good to see you too dear Hyun! And Mornin to you too Lime" She said softly, daring to reach out as softly run her hands over the cool, sleek head of the snake. Secretly, Valerie adored snakes, only Vivien knew how much she truly loved to be around snakes and she had even danced with snakes wrapped around her, her favprite was Luna, a beautiful black andaconda.

"Come back real soon." Nadya smiled as she ushered the visibly shaken person from her tent. They asked for the truth so she told them. She could have left out the part about how they were going to be ripped to pieces by vicious and how they were going to burn in hell for the next 300 years, but where is the fun in that?

'I might as well see what everyone is up to.' She thought to herself walking out of her tent. She set off in a random direction hoping to find someone. She pulled out her favorite rubber band and began to pull her hair back in to a high ponytail. She didn't have to walk far before she saw a familiar face. "Hey Sixx!" She shouted running towards the group. As she got closer she noticed the others. Smiling and waving at them all she joined their small circle.

Cirque was sitting on a old wooden bench in the nearby forbidden forest next to the Circus where they had set up at. She could hear the people stirring; for her dead ears were more keen then anyone knew. She had been up long before anyone else had awoke to the morning;and she heard screams coming from the Circus and a small smirk curled upon her lips as she slowly rose, holding her black whip in one hand and her deck of cards were tucked safely inside her black jacket that covered her bare shoulders and arms. She walked towards the tents in the distance, not afraid of the creatures lurking in the dark branches above and around her. Cirque was never afraid. Never.

Her bright green eye sparkled and shined as she walked to the main group tent where the people gathered for breakfast; where they could hang, drink, and just converse. She made her way across the lawn and then she cracked her knuckles, the bones splintering and making noise as they contracted and moved inside her body. She flipped some of her black hair, her top hat staying firmly on her head as she leaned against the tent and listened to the conversation. She picked up familiar voices, but only smirked as she walked away from the tend and she made her way to her own tent.

Her tent was large; it had a black bed with curtains, a dresser and a vanity. A closet... simple. She set her top hat on her vanity as she hung her whip up and stretched her arms out. She knew the act today was going to be a big one, for her circus had become known everywhere and it was a terrifying and amusing act for most who came. She would rub her temples and run a hand through her hair before she turned to her bed and she noticed a rose sitting on it. She walked over, picking it up and gazing at it. It was a black rose. How... interesting. She simply tossed it into the trashcan behind her. She had no interest in gifts.

Cirque grabbed her top hat and whip again, making her way back out and then walking over to the main tent and throwing the curtains open. "Alright, everyone. To the main tent! Quickly now! We don't want to leave our visitors waiting." she said with a grin and then turned, leaving the employees there to scramble for their things.

At hearing Cirque calling everyone to the main tent, Valerie squealed with delight as she hopped and clasped her hands together. "Ooo I can't wait for tonight!" Her eyes flashed excited to a rich emerald color before turning back to blue as she spun and skipped off, waving behind her. "See you guys in a bit!" She called, heading for the main tent until the smell of breakfast reached her nose and she made a beeline towards the breakfast tent. She would emerge moments later with a paper bag and a chocolate doughnut hanging out of her mouth, "Ah I knew I had forgotten something!" She said softly as she bit into another chunk of the doughnut, moaning contently as she continued on her mini journey to the main tent to get ready for her performance. She hummed softly, singing to herself as her hips swayed as she walked, getting into the zone as she focused on scaring the crap out of someone.

Everyone knew to stay clear of her when she was focusing on performing and only come to her if there was something important, or if your name of Cirque. Seeing as the woman was their ringmaster, and secretly Valerie thought she was the mom she always wanted, she showed her a lot of respect seeing as she also looked up to her.

Sakira had just come out as she herd Cirque call to them all. She unfurled her beautifully colored wings, the gray and greens and blue reflecting against the sun before closing them again. A small brown red ball of fur scampered around her feet following her. Occasionally the the lil weasel like creature would scamper over her bare feet adorned in gold and jeweled anklets. She stood close to the other snake charmer for a moment, wondering if he had wished to join up for today's even, or at least part of it, or if they were going solo. Slowly a dull pinkish,crimson,yellow orange head appeared from the back of her neck under her light gray veil the rest of the viper was curled around over her shoulder and then its tail end hooked around her waist, the whole snake about 5 feet long, at least perhaps pushing 6 feet, but it hid well on her form not moving, it was thought to probably be a piece of jewelry. The viper hissed something against her ear and she nodded a bit whispering in what most people probably thought was Hindu/Indian language speech but was in fact 'reptilian language' what some called herposel tongue meaning she could talk to her snakes and they could converse with her but she liked people being ignorant to that fact about her, that and most other things about her. She wondered what her fellow charmer had in mind, her own little plan forming, curious as to how they could be working together.

Vivien smiled as Cirque opened the tent doors, smiling as she felt a light breeze of air float from it. She walked forward and kissed both of Cirque's cheek lightly in a friendly manner, before stepping bast her and breezing quietly into the circus. She saw Valerie emerge with a donut and a paper bag, her eyes looking excited. Vivien laughed in her bell-like sound, before stepping through obstacles and making her way over to the breakfast area. She leaned against the counter, and asked for a glazed donut. Whenever Vivien ate regular food like that, it didn't fill her or ease her hunger, but it gave people an idea that she was human. She wanted to keep her race a secret to everyone but the people that she worked with.

"Anything else at all I can get you?" The sweaty grimy guy behind the counter asked with a wink. Vivien shook her head slightly, and patted the top of his bald, sweaty one.

"Maybe next week." She said with a small laugh, before taking her donut and walking away. She heard him whistle behind her, which caused her to laugh loud enough for him to hear. Once she made it to her tent, she sat down in front of the harsh vanity mirror and looked at herself. She wasn't wearing an ounce of makeup yet, and people were already hitting on her. She placed a shimmery silver on her top eyelid, and that was it. Nothing else. She pushed herself out of the chair, and stood up, walking outside to her arena. Someone handed her a mic on the way, and she grabbed it and kept walking. She walked into the middle of the dark arena, but she could hear voices, so she knew it was already filling up slowly.

"Who's ready for a show?" She asked in the darkness, before a single spotlight settled on her curvy frame. A smirk played along her lips and eyes, and the crowd went wild. "Well, a show is what you will get!" Vivien yelled into the microphone. Then she dropped the mic, and turned and went back into her room. The show wouldn't start until she found Cici and the rest of the viewers came in.

"Alright, everyone. To the main tent! Quickly now! We don't want to leave our visitors waiting."

Cici's eyes flickered open with only the slightest of complaints. As she hadn't found someone else's tent to crash in the previous night, she ended up falling twenty feet to the ground out of the dead tree in which she'd perched. Rubbing a fantastically resilient spine and running her fingers as many times as possible through her hair before rejoining the majority of the circus. To the (relatively) young woman's chagrin, everyone else appeared to be already up.

"Alright, alright," she grumbled to the circus at large. "I get it, I sleep too much. Though it might not be such a problem if people weren't so stingy with their tents." Not that she expected anything different. If it were her, Cici wouldn't necessarily let someone liable to light up - literally - into her home. Well, whatever. At least she never got cold.

Wandering back into the main area, Cici found most everyone to have cleared out, probably gone backstage to prep for the circus. Honestly, she chided herself, she really needed to reset her biological clock. Or just stop staying up all night. But there was some kind of pull about darkness that often kept Cici from going to bed until far past when some people were even getting up.

Glancing into the main tent, the phoenix looked around for her ringmaster. "Hey, Cirque. Sounds like we've got a crowd. Do I have time to practice trapezeing" she wrinkled her nose artfully, "or will I be really in the way of their horror and shock? Also, did we remember to put the break-net back in place, because I didn't." Sure, most people valued responsibility, but Cici only ever went so far to indulge anyone, even her employer. To soften the implied admission that she didn't return the equipment to its proper place after practicing, the girl smiled brightly. "Late at night, you know?"

Kane tipped his at Valerie’s greeting.

“Not a bad morning as mornings go.” He said, deliberately allowing his knees to buckle goofily as he approached and then righting himself. “That is if opening your door and stepping into the nightmare realm qualifies as a good morning, which for most it doesn’t but luckily we’re not most. Wouldn’t you all agree?”

He flicked the rim of his hat sending it spinning a few times, messing around as always. The sky remained dull and ruddy, as it always did in this part of the underworld. But the sight of people emerging from their tents in preparation for another day of doing what they all loved to do evoked a feeling which Kane could only assume was equivalent to what mortals would call “heartwarming”.

He performed a ridiculously elaborate bow, punctuated with an exorbitant salute, when Cirque called everyone to gather. He’d gorged himself so much last night, breakfast seemed a superfluous concept to him right now but it was as well to show willing.

Just then he heard a cracking of branches somewhere nearby and above, and his deceptively quick mind formulated a mini-routine on the fly. His timing was perfect; just as Cici hit on the ground, he jumped up as if launched by the impact and turned a backwards somersault, landing splat on his front. After a moment he looked up and rested on his elbows with his arms folded.

“Most people don’t know,” he sneered, “that the reason the circus never goes out of business...is that performers grow on trees!”

He grinned over at Cici, listening to her grumble. “Awww Cici, did I forget to leave the roof-hatch on my caravan open again? Swing by tonight why don’t you, I’ve knitted you some PJs made entirely out of frankfurters. That way if you go up in flames and destroy my home it won’t be a total loss.”

He flipped up onto his feet and marched comedically off towards the big top, forming various ideas of how to strip another raft of victims of their dignity.

Sable had slept until she had heard Cirque's cal and then got up slowly, her body groaned. When she was finally up she looked around her dark tent where she found her black corset and a black skirt that had slits up to her hips on both sides. She pulled a hair brush through her hair and put on a little make up. She slipped on her black stilettos, she was about to leave her tent then burst into laughter and turned around and picked up a silver chain and chained it around her waist and clipped her silver short swords to it at her hips.
She walked over to the main tent and waited quietly for those who were there to notice her, she wasn't going to go out of her way to be noticed. Sable watched as everyone socialized and smirked at their happiness. She was excited for her new routine and new that it was quite shocking.