The day's earlier profits had been decent….for a Wednesday at least. Only one prize had been given away that day, and that was because a small child had tried to play one of the games and managed to amuse Cedric greatly with his attempts at moving the mass of iron. The small stuff rabbit had been no great loss on his part…but he had to admit… usually they gained more of a profit, or at least gained an act, but the overall outcome pleased him still.

Now that it was nearing morning, he began to close up the small tent, shutting the tarp door with extreme care. The tent had been with Cedric since the very beginning, and it was probably the dearest friend the old Ring Master had.

Dusting his hands off, he looked around the trash covered field with a sigh. A few people were still milling about as usual, but the voices of guest soon faded out and the eerie sound of silence seeped in. With it brought an anxious feeling within the Ringmaster, not that he would make it obvious…but something, or rather someone, was coming...he could feel it.

It was an uneasy feeling: his stomach began churning and the butterflies started fluttering. To not know what was going to happen was killing him, but he knew nothing bad was upon them at this moment for his performers would surely alarm him of the situation.

With his brow buried in thought he stalked into the tent were his performers had begun clearing the dirt floor for the night. Most of these people had been with him for decades…maybe more…and they were as close as family could get, but they didn’t know the danger. How could they know they had signed over their soul? They viewed him as a hero, and Cedric once again felt the wave of fear take over him.

He was no hero. He allowed them here without knowing himself what their fate would be, but that was a long time ago. Hitting his cane against the metal bleachers he silently demanded attention “Leave the things.” He said with a grin “You all have done well. Go to your wagons and rest, we will be leaving for our next destination with the rise of the sun.”

Pushing away from his spot he gave no further explanation, but left no room to argue. He would keep his performers safe. Never would they linger too long, and never would they wonder the grounds at night.

There were not many rules of the circus…only three: 1) You cannot leave the circus grounds, 2) Never wonder at night 3) Never show signs or speak of your “gift”

But I’m sorry to say young Juliette was never made aware of one of the three…and this would indeed bring havoc to all there

(OOC: this is only a ending point. You may start your characters off from any point you wish...just end it with the Ring masters words

Also, will post for Juliette after another person or two has posted. Don't wan tto shape things too much XD That's your guy's job!)

Gaston had spent most of his day with the children, though it was rather dangerous for him to be around them, he found their joy and the bright smiles on their face to be enlightening. It made him feel like he was wanted, to be a part of someone's memories, especially those who had grown up. Although there were days when he faced the awkward questions about not looking a day older, he would merely respond with false information, stating he was the son of the last fire breather, when in reality he was still walking amongst them for so many years. He'd actually lost count.

"Oh Gosh," The man spoke out loud. His voice was often heard, after the performance inside the tent, he would always be found playing around outside with the curious guests and their children. His French accent hadn't deteriorated over the hundreds of years he was in the Cirque, and he actually preferred it like so to remember his Past and where he came from. "I thank everyone who had come out tonight to see us," Gaston clapped his hands together, even though they were fully padded with fire-proof material just in case he would light himself on fire without him realizing so. He curved his lips and parted them to show such cheesy grin as he ended, "I would love to see you all again when the Cirque returns, but hopefully, sometime sooner, before I part. Merci!"

Watching everyone wander away made him realize that he wasn't able to do that. Walking out of the grounds wasn't something he and his fellow Cirque Family weren't allowed to do, especially at night. It was the Ringmaster's orders, and listening to that old-yet young looking man was really something Gaston took seriously. He appreciated and was grateful for the Ringmaster for taking him in, despite the man being told of what he was. A half-demon, shunned from society for it. His grin faded, straightening up his lips as they pursed together and his brown eyes scanning the area to see if no one had been around before he finally let out a long sigh. It had been held in for a while, but it wasn't a sigh of tiredness or anything bad, more like a relief, as no one had asked him about why he had been fully clothed during the heat, why his fires were coming out of his fingers without a match, and why things were so unnatural with him.

Stacking the boxes with the Cirque equipment, he noticed the Ringmaster walk pass, looking rather worried. Gaston eyed the man as he tapped his cane against the metal bleachers, making a ringing sound that he wasn't fond of. "Leave the things." The Ringmaster said with a grin. "You all have done well. Go to your wagons and rest, we will be leaving for our next destination with the rise of the sun."
The fire breather placed the box he had lifted on top of another, his arms tossed up in the air as he wanted to cheer for the permission to sleep. He had been awake since the sun came out and hadn't been able to sleep as he helped around with the preparation of their show, and when he had time to take a nap, the excitement of the people arriving had made him stay awake and become interactive with the other performers. Gaston wondered towards his wagon, stopping halfway to look at his fellow performers and waved towards them.

During shows, it was hard being able to find time just to mingle and socialize with them.


***



"Fortune telling and telling me I'm going to get engaged in a two months is rather out there," Another customer had spoken to her friend just a few steps away from the Fortune Teller's booth. The woman had stared at her palm, baffled at the announcement of her engagement, despite having no partner or signs of wanting to get married. Riza had heard those criticizing comments over and over, even when it wasn't her fault that she saw such things in people's palm. The words ran over and over her thoughts that the last customer for the day, a young man, had to wave his hand to get her attention.
"My apologies," Riza smiled as she reached over to the man, holding out his left hand then his right, staring at both palms, her fingers trailed lightly over his left hand as her eyes became slightly white. The future played out in her mind, and her hands had trailed through every line of each hand. Her green eyes returned within two minutes as she looked the younger man in the eyes and revealed, "You will become engaged in two months. You are seeking a woman, correct?"
The young man nodded. "I want to get married, have children before I leave for the army," He explained.
"Then you will find her very soon," She answered as she released his hands from her hold and watched him bow, thanking her more than she expected, even as he left the booth, he constantly thanked her. A mere wave towards him had distracted him and he bumped into the woman who had criticized her earlier. Riza watched their future evolve in front of her, and she became less annoyed at the woman as she began to flirtatiously converse with the man.

"Exactly as I saw it," She whispered to herself, sounding quite proud.

Riza's fortune telling had often been criticized, especially when she would reveal what was to come within 24 hours. Earlier that day, she told a man he was going to be a Father and he'd find out within the next three hours. He was hasty in his actions and refused to believe what she said, however, he returned four hours later, with his wife, and thanked her for the good fortune she has blessed upon them. They revealed to have tried for quite some time. It was those types of fortunes she loved to reveal, and those revolving around death had made her feel nervous and unprepared to reveal to those whom she had to tell. The thoughts about her fortunes that day had given her a headache. Her fingers rubbed at her temple as a groan escaped out of her, her eyes closed as she leaned against the table with an annoyed expression. Headaches had become more common whenever she lacked sleep, and she hasn't slept in a week.
"Why must you bother me?" She questioned herself as she reopened her eyes and saw people gathering at the front. She walked slowly, holding onto her maroon robe and noticed that the people have gathered because the performers from inside the much larger tent had come out, and it was signal for her to begin packing. She turned away from the crowd, folding her materials and piling them up into a luggage just behind the booth. Slowly taking away the things that created quite a mystical aura to her assigned booth. Once she was done, her booth was simply wood with nails hammered to their sides to keep them stable.

It had taken a while for her to break down the wood, although she had a bit of help, she managed to do well on her own. Being the one to take care of the booth, she had gotten used to putting it up and taking it down. Riza brushed away her red hair from her pale face, her green eyes widened at the sound of the Ringmaster's cane against something metal. Her head looked to the side as she saw the Ringmaster, calling out to everyone to leave what they had and go into their wagons for a good night rest. The thought of sleeping had made her whimper.
Why couldn't she sleep?

Riza made her way to her wagon, brushing passed a few others before she stopped and saw the new girl. Juliet, who had recently joined with them and allowing Riza to get rid of her status as the newest member. The other performers were hundreds of years old, but looked no more than the age they signed the contact. Some had stories that made her wonder how fortunate it must've been when they joined the Cirque, while some joined because it had been a dream. The fortune teller wandered over to Juliet, her pinkish lips curved to a big smile as she greeted the new girl. "Hey Juliet," She cooed. "How was your day?"

((sorry it's weird, lol, I'm a bit dozy, haven't slept because of an assignment.))

---

“And so, ladies and gentlemen, I ask you once more: do you believe in magic?” The smooth, masculine voice seemed to wash over the crowd, many of who were still watching wide-eyed, their mouths varying degrees of agape, and there was no response save that stillness. A Little smile, inscrutable and ever-so-slightly amused, graced the masked man’s expression, and into the silence rang the sharp sound of a snap, causing the multitude of white doves circling the air to burst into showers of multicolored flowers, the petals of which rained down on the people present, only to vanish entirely at the moment they made contact with anything solid.

This, as he knew it would, at last produced some kind of reaction, and the wizard bowed deeply at the waist to the sounds of thunderous applause. And what else would he receive? Every last one of the acts in this circus was world-class, and his was no exception. Indeed, he had been plying his trade for longer than any save the ringmaster himself, and had grown quite adept at playing the heartstrings and emotional responses of his audience, as though his fingers plucked over the harpstrings of their very souls.

There was something in that, something there. That sentiment hit on something he could not quite put to better, clearer words, and even as the curtain came down and he rose from his bow, deftly unmasking himself and blinking bright crimson eyes as they adjusted to the dark, he still wondered at it. There was something… off about him, and there had been since he’d joined this Cirque. It was the way he felt to his own magic, as though there was something vital in most people that he and his fellows lacked. Most days, it did not bother him, and he chose not to linger on the slight discomfiture overmuch. Others… others he would spend in feverish contemplation, at least until he managed to bury himself into his books instead.

With a soft exhalation that sounded suspiciously like a sigh, the magician allowed his stage-smile to drop into his more common neutral expression, and set about the work of packing up his things. He was often the last act of the evening, and he could hear the crowd waking itself from its daze and filing slowly out of the tent. Once they were gone, he reopened the curtain with a gesture, bidding it fold itself neatly with a flick of his wrist. This was the sort of mundane magic he didn’t allow the crowds to see. There was a very delicate balance to be maintained between performing acts fantastical enough to seem magical but also showy enough, studied that someone could also choose to believe them illusions. He understood that the Church did not still hunt witches and warlocks, but there was no mistaking that if his secret was discovered by any outside his fellow Cirque members, it would be his ruin.

With the aid of such everyday spells, even his considerable amount of equipment was packed up in no time, done even as the ringmaster entered the tent, a certain feline hot on his heels. Jasper recognized the cat, but he said nothing, being a man generally disposed to silence anyhow.

Instead, he carefully removed the white gloves from his hands as their… employer was hardly the right word, but it would do for now- spoke, congratulating them all on a job well done. Be that as it may, Jasper had been with the Cirque long enough to recognize a lean night when he saw one; they probably needed to start filling more seats, and as quickly as possible. Even so, he kept his thoughts on this matter to himself. Cedric would know already, and if the others didn’t, he had no intention of worrying them.

Gaston was the first to leave, offering the lot of them a wave, which Jasper returned politely with a raised hand. Their resident fortuneteller, Riza, was the first to actually speak after the announcement, though the words were not directed at him, but at Juliette, and so he paid the conversation no mind. It would be impolite to eavesdrop, even if they were easily-audible. Closing his briefcase with a decisive click, the magician stacked it atop the rest of his things, and then took his leave as well. He did not require much sleep, whatever the reason, and so he’d probably spend the next few hours with his books, before swinging into the hammock in his wagon and dozing until the predawn hours.

---

---

The ocelot sat among the audience, enjoying the show as they did. Her appearance had, as it usually did, at first caused a localized stir in those who noticed her, but it soon became evident enough that she was in fact one of the circus animals, and probably allowed to wander around because she was harmless. This of course earned her much petting and cooing speech, particularly from children, and she was only too happy to let that be as it was. She did this sometimes, transforming and moving among the crowd to watch her friends ply their trades, and today’s performance was drawing to a close, as it usually did, with Jasper’s magic show.

She delighted in the colorful displays, and also in watching the crowd’s reactions to them. There was a lot of gasping and murmurs, which eventually just turned into awed silence. Gaston tended to almost worry them, causing many half-fearful cries when he breathed his flames, which turned into smiling cheers when he was successful. The twins astounded, causing even the most jaded of adult eyes to go round with shock, and Juliette in the sky received many oohs and ahs. Each act had its own unique flavor, and she loved that about this place.

Eventually, Esther’s feline ears perked; he was outside. Slipping away from the enraptured crowd, she made her way outside the tent on noiseless paws, just making it out before the magician released the audience from his spell. She found the ringmaster outside the tent, and made her way there, sitting beside him as the last vestiges of the throng left at last. She felt… content there, beside her rescuer and watching her livelihood almost from the outside. How she truly did love everything about this place, from the bright colors to the nights spent in a wagon to the amusement her friends could always give her. Even the collective silence that pooled between Jasper and Teodor, or the color of Riza’s hair, or the sound Gaston’s footsteps made. All of these little, inconsequential things were precious to her.

Mr. Donovan was making his way into the tent now, and she followed quietly at his heels, expecting that he’d probably address them now. In this respect, she was not disappointed, and she glanced around the tent. She’d taken care of the animal cages and her own supplies earlier, and it looked as though most everyone else was done already also.

They’d be on the road again at sunrise. For her, that sort of thing hadn’t even been an adjustment. Her entire life, Esther had been a nomad, and this was simply a more exciting version of that. Some nights, the forest called to her, but she knew she wasn’t permitted to leave. A small price to pay for all he’d given her. Gaston and Jasper were the first to leave, but Esther was in no particular hurry. She’d meander back to her wagon eventually, but it was not an inconvenience to wait until the others did so before she did as well.

Teodor watched from his seat as Jasper finished his act. He of course knew it was real magic, and the children believed, but the adults just took it for fantastic illusions and slight of hand. Jasper, he knew could do the fake magic tricks as well, after centuries of experience, but it wasn’t his preference. AS the crowded applauded, Teo joined in for a few claps, then got up and pushed the curtain open. He was greeted by bright sunlight, and a large open field. Beyond that was the nearest city. He couldn’t remember the last time he had a night on the town, or ate out. He could still remember the last day he and Manuela spent together as free people.

“Teo!” Manuela’s sweet voice sang out from the trees. Teodor could hear her crunching in the leaves. He chased after her and finally caught up. He wrapped his arms around her and whispered in her ear.

“Got you!”

Manuela let out a squeal and tried to wiggle loose from his grip. Her struggling caused them both to fall onto the ground. They laughed for a while, and it was the first time they had in a while. It had been over 5 years since they had seen their parents, and the freedom they now owned was intoxicating. “Teodor, what’s that?” Manny asked and sat up, pointing at a large tent-like structure with torches set up around it.

“I don’t know,” Teo said and stood up. He held out a hand to his sister and helped her up. “Let’s go.” Manny smiled and brushed off her green dress. They made their way over to the Cirque, not knowing they were taking their last three steps. Manny saw Cedric and she blushed. Teodor noticed her and shook his head. “Let’s go ask him what this is.”

“Pardon me!” Manuela called out to the man in a sweet swing song voice. Her Romanian accent was strong when she spoke English. She assumed that was the language he spoke. He looked English. She kept her gaze on his eyes. As he explained the Cirque, she was intoxicated with the idea of living forever. “I’m an entertainer,” she mused. That was the only way for her and Teodor to get money at the moment. “And my brother and I are special.” She looked to her twin, who seemed slightly uneasy. He wasn’t fond of the idea of eternity, but the look in his sister’s eyes broke his heart.

“Yes,” He said and put his head against his sisters, and they fused together. “Siamese twins by choice.”

Within the hour they had signed the contract and sold their souls. For a while, he tried to enjoy himself, but he found it impossible to forgive himself for letting his sister do this.

He took a deep breath and returned into the ring in time to hear Cedric’s announcement. He walked over to his space wheel and rolled it over to his wagon. He laid down and soon he was fast asleep.



Manuela was sitting next to her brother, watching Jasper’s show in awe. She never grew bored of it. Even after 400 years, she was still amazed by his magic shows, and his astounding voice, asking the crowd to question reality. She joined the crowd in their applause and smiled brightly. When she sat back down, Teodor had disappeared. She frowned, but was then crowded by a group of people. Most were children, asking if she could show them her tricks again.

“Of course, but not all of them.” She smiled. She still had on her spandex body suit and extravagant make-up, so she felt she couldn’t refuse. She twisted herself into a pretzel, then unfolded and stood up again. She puffed her cheeks out while she thought. “What do you guys want to see?” she asked. All of a sudden she heard the familiar sound of Gaston’s laugh and kids laughing as well. The few children that were talking to her, took off to go talk to Gaston. She smiled and walked over as well.

“Quite the star, huh?” She smiled and winked at him. Cedric walked over and told them to rest, they were leaving early. She frowned and walked over to her wagon. She noticed that Teodor had returned and was fast asleep. She wasn’t looking forward to the early morning. She sighed climbed into her wagon. She stripped off the suffocating body suit and pulled on a flowy floral dress. She fixed her hair and stepped out, barefooted and leaned against her wagon, looking for a way to entertain herself.

The heat from the spot lights beat down on her as she wrapped her legs and arms around the deep red silk that reached just above the dirt floor below. The air has humid, and seemed only intensified by the packed bodies of the audience that circled below. Time seemed infinite to Juliette as she danced above their heads, feeling the rush of the moment with every oh and ah…but soon it came time for her to take her bow, and with a raised of both hands and a brilliant smile, the young Aerial silk acrobat said her goodnight to the audience that for that short moment had been hers.
Cedric’s deep voiced filled the room as she made her bow allowing her to make a quick exit as her assured the children the magic was far from over. A smile covered her face as Juliette stood behind a prop awaiting the end of the night…..Jasper’s magic act.

His entrance was made and silence filled the once noisy tent. Although the secret to his act was far from unknown to Juliette, she still watched in awe every time he set foot in the center of the ring. Magic was a thing of wonder, and the idea that true wizards existed only added to that feeling.
Jasper’s act went on for some time, but soon the tent flap was closed and the acts were free to roam the now empty ring. Juliette had just begun to roll up a mat when Cedric made his presence known, Esther sneaking behind him.

The news they would be leaving was no shock to Juliette. Even in her short time here, just four months she now realized, they had traveled to more towns than she could count on one hand….not to mention the countries! The idea of how Cedric managed it was a mystery, and Juliette often wondered how a single day could allow them enough time to make such distance.
But that was just one of the mysteries of the circus, she decided as she said her goodnights and made her way to the wagon she now called home. She had just gotten to the door when a familiar voice grazed her ears“Hey, Riza.” Juliette said with a smile “Same as every day.”

As she turned to face the fortune teller, and shadow moving just beyond the trees caught her eye, and she glanced twice in shock…but it was gone just as face as it came. It was only a few moments later Cedric’s voice echoed through the empty field “To your wagons, all of you! Get rest now. There won’t be time in the morning for sleeping in!”

Nodding her head to Riza, Juliette gave the woman a soft goodnight as Cedric’s more panicked voiced called “Goodnight all!” Closing her door with a sigh she couldn't help but wonder what had gotten under Cedric's skin so quickly.

As she lay in her bed, Juliette’s gaze kept wondering to the window just to her right. Just has she rose to close the curtain, the shadow showed itself…only thing time closer. Kneeling to get a better look, Juliette wiped the fog from the glass and gazed to the darken world outside. Suddenly, a loud knock sounded as if a person had hit the wooden side of her small home. Jumping up she scampered to the door, ripping it open with a harshly whispered “Hello?” Steeping out into the empty field, Juliette continued searching for the person responsible for the loud bang, and called softly into the darkness awaiting a reply.

After searching for what seemed like ages and receiving no answer, Juliette closed her door with a slight click, unaware of the shadow that stood just behind her. Turning to return to bed, she couldn’t help but feel like she wasn’t alone, but as sleep over took her, the feeling eased away and a blissful sigh escaped her lips. The girl never knew of the smirking figure that rested in a darken corner….eager to reunite with an old companion.

The inside of the magician’s caravan was packed with neatly-organized instruments and books, squeezed into shelves that should not have been able to hold them all. To someone entering without the wizard himself, it would have seemed impossible to live in such a cramped space; the only furniture the squashed armchair in one corner, the hammock at the back, and a tiny writing desk that seemed to do more work as a surface on which to lay various brass and silver devices than as an area to study or compose letters. The entire space had an air of dull lifelessness, and everything seemed covered in a fine layer of dust, enough to provoke sneezing if one was so unwise as to disturb anything.

Once Jasper’s skin met with the bronze handle of the door, however, something marvelous happened. Without appearing to change at all on the outside, the dark red paint with black and gold trim remaining unaltered and pristine as it had always been, thing on the inside rearranged themselves. Here, a series of concentric silver circles started into motion, a faint green light growing in the empty center of the whirling device, there, the walls stretched out and recolored, a lush Persian carpet appeared from nowhere to cloak the bare wooden floors, and the armchair increased in size, sprouting an ottoman to accommodate the length of its occupant’s legs. Candles lit in brass candelabras, floating from their locations to hang suspended in the air. A million tiny sounds erupted, from the quiet hum of his magic-detection instruments to the light tinkling of what appeared to be a windchime, moving without any change in air motion.

This device, a most curious thing, had suspended from itself a number of trailing threads exactly equal to the number of other people in the Cirque, plus one. From each of these strands hung various bits and pieces of metal. One had bright copper pieces about the size of his thumb, shaped to resemble flames. From another hung multiple cats’-eye jewels, and two very close-together strands seemed to wind and unwind about each other nearly constantly. Another contained refined globes of clear glass, marbles into which the arcana of the Tarot were carved. Jasper gave the whole assemblage a quick glance, satisfied that all was as it should be, and settled himself at his now much-larger desk. His bookshelves had tripled in size and acquired the tomes to fill the space, and a door in his wall led off into a private bathing chamber.

All in all, though it remained the same size externally, what had once been a rather small wagon currently possessed the interior volume of a small cottage, the result of much carefully-laid spellwork. He did not customarily invite his colleagues inside, for fear that they would ask too many questions that he was not sure how to answer, like how and why he’d created his windchime, and what it meant. Even after all this time, he could not allow himself to confirm, even privately, what it meant. He didn’t want to care, but he knew that offering his protection, small or unnecessary as it might be, was something he did wish to do for them. He could only continue as he was if he refused to think that the two connected in any way, and admitting this dalliance of his to anyone would trouble his ability to do so.

Selecting a book bound in blue leather from his collection, Jasper waved it over with a gesture and picked up a quill from a drawer inside his desk, dipping this into an inkwell and beginning his work once more. Magic wasn’t simply a matter of snapping his fingers and making things happen, not always. He first had to learn and understand, then practice. His current object of study was medical spells. It had occurred to him that even though he and the others were immortal in the truest sense of the word, healing injuries faster and with less pain was still a useful skill to have.

Later that evening, a delicate chime sounded into the ambient soundscape of his wagon, and the Magician’s head snapped up, sending honey-colored strands of hair into uncanny red eyes. Brushing them aside with an ink-stained hand, he looked to the windchime and frowned tightly when the tendril of pink silk and tiny silver bells shuddered. For a long moment, he watched it, waiting to see if it worsened, but for now, the strand fell still, and he let out a breath he hadn’t even known he’d been holding. For now, they were safe.

Still, it was not a good sign. The chime hadn’t reacted like that in decades, at least. It was something he would have to take up with Cedric tomorrow. For now, he double-checked the wards against intrusion on his door, then proceeded to ready himself for bed.

Tomorrow.

The Fortune Teller united with the Acrobat, the two exchanged smiles and a conversation. Juliette responded with, "Hey, Riza... Same as every day..." To which Riza grinned while brushing her hair to the side, sweeping her fingers through her red locks to untie the knots that somehow formed throughout the time she had just stood opposite her dear friend. "Oh dear," She sighed. "There's always something new to learn with each new place that we-"
She had been interrupted by Cedric, who, for the past few decades she had been at the Cirque, had been quite persistent with pushing them to their wagons. She only smiled as she had understood everything that went on in their magical little family, despite other ridiculing their careers and choice of lifestyle, there certainly was a bond. Riza had only been with the Cirque for a few decades, others, already in their hundred yet still looked no older than a year or two. The youngest and latest was dear Juliette, whom Riza showed quite a fondness for due to her experience as a new person in the Cirque.
"I hope tomorrow isn't as hard as today," The Fortune Teller nodded her head and wandered away to her wagon, which was situated between Gaston the Fire Breather and Jasper the Magician.

Riza pushed the door to a close, her fingers pressed against the wooden frame before she fiddled with the lock that had completely disabled any unwanted people inside one of the safest places in the Cirque. She then sighed, her eyes slightly unwilling to shut for the night. She hadn't told anyone of her insomnia, not even Cedric, which often troubled her throughout the night because of the unclear visions she's had of certain figures, although everything in her nightly visions had been blurred, she had a feeling it was about the Cirque. On nights when Riza had slept, her visions were a bit clearer, yet still no telling her the identity of those inside.

"I plead to the man above that I may not have these dreams once again," She whispered to herself as she began to unbutton the hooks and buttons that kept her clothing together, allowing the material to drop and exposing herself in her matching plain black undergarments as she made her way to the other end of the one-man wagon. Her bed, which had been wood - badly hammered - together, a mattress with a few holes, and a plain creme blanket and a pillow atop of it, was not comfortable at all. On most nights, Riza would fall asleep on the floor, atop her faux bear rug that was gifted to her by one of the customers, whom she predicted a truth behind his future hunt and sudden fortune.

The woman grasped a hold of her simple white night dress and tossed it over her head, allowing the loose material to fall into place, reaching just above her knees and sat herself down atop the furred rug. Her eyes were forcefully closed as she placed her hands over her face, to cover it, as she began to murmur to herself on not wanting to see anything over the course of the night. "Why was I cursed to see these horrid things?" She whimpered as water had slowly drooped down from the corner of her eyes. Her body slumped to the side and she let herself fall on the rug, the fur slightly tickling her skin as she pulled her legs closer to her body, curling into a ball. "Let me sleep, let me sleep, let me-" Riza sobbed as she failed to do what she wanted.

Her eyes shot open, revealing her green eyes, but within seconds, had rolled back and began to see the same vision over and over again. Something was to happen, and she couldn't tell anyone about it because she wasn't too sure herself. Though she finally saw a face, and her lips parted to mumble on name, "Juliette?"






"What a tiresome day!" Gaston spoke to himself as he used his left hand to push against the door, slightly slamming it shut and his right hand hooked the lock into place. He had been there for hundred of years, so the routine had kept the same, although the people were the only things changing. His brown eyes sizzled into a yellow as he shaped his lips into a circular form and blew little spits of fire into certain areas, landing them straight onto the tip of a candle and dimly lighting his humble abode. Not many people had been allowed to enter the wagon, due to it being at a very strong heat temperature and probably felt like a steam room inside - well, only to non-demons. Gaston trailed his covered fingers across his bottom lip to wipe the oily saliva that came from each miniature fire balls. A sigh escaping his glistening lips as he muttered, "Merde! Not a day goes by when my spit has turned into oil."

It had led on to him cussing and speaking in his fluent French language. Speaking to himself about the things he had done right and what he had done wrong throughout the day while he took off the layers of clothing off his body. First taking the black gloves off his hands, revealing his pale tone and completely normal looking hands. His now-brown eyes focused on them while he turned it left and right to inspect any signs of burns that he may have inflicted on himself while he was performing. The man blinked and shook his head, brushing his exposed hands on top of his forehead, along the edge of his blond hair and wiped away the sweat that suddenly began to form. Gaston then unzipped the thick black trench coat, tossing it over the wooden brown chair, followed by the white long sleeve, then another shirt to his singlet. He was half-naked, standing in the middle of his wagon as he turned towards the mirror, eyeing himself up and down.

"Why do I not look like the demon man who claimed to be my Father?" He thought aloud.

"Baise moi," He cussed, telling whoever could've heard him to screw with him as he turned away from his own reflection and dragged his feet across the floorboard to the edge of his futon, placed neatly on the back-left side of his wagon. His body tossed across it, arms and legs spread as his eyes closed. The futon had been cool, balancing his body. Steam flowed out of his hot body, more coming out of his breath as soon as his head touched against the bedding. "If only something interesting were to happen tomorrow, no more repeated situations," Gaston spoke to himself one last time before he fell asleep. Everything around him darkened, and he saw nothing but darkness.

(my apologies that it's short. i was a bit unclear on what to write.)

"Up you go Seina." The voice was a gentle one, as it coaxed the white tigeress up into her holding cage. After giving him an intense dark look, she released the smallest of growls, which said a thousand words to the animal tamer. He allowed a small smile to tug at his lips as he shook his head softly. "I know, you'd much rather roam. But you know Cedric's rules Seina. So c'mon." Baring her fierce white teeth slightly, she growled again, but with a profound grace and ease, she leapt onto the rough wooden floor and padded around in a circle, so she was facing the entrance again. It was strewn with straw and bleach white bones, many of which had large teeth marks in. There were also many items for amusement littered about the place, such as knotted rope and a tire. The cage had been made fairly large, at his insistence, and easily accommodated a huge tiger. He'd even seen fit to install a large kiddie pool at the back, so Seina could have a paddle if she so wished. As it was, she'd only regarded it with the utmost contempt and refused to go near it.

With a grunt, Leonard pulled himself up after her, whilst her piercing yellow eyes watched his progress. A flicker of amusement crossed them and a noise reverberated in the back of her throat which almost passed for a laugh. Leo shot her a glare, before he wandered around the cage, checking that everything was in order for her night's stay. Making his way back to Seina, who was now sitting and licking at her paw, he frowned. That night they hadn't performed. After she had trodden on a discarded can in the field, she had been declared too injured to do the act. They had however roamed the audience as usual, allowing children to pat and stroke her, have their picture taken with her in the intervals between acts, as well as hold the venomous snake Leo had wrapped around his neck the whole night. Jerald the King Cobra was completely harmless, as Leo had rendered him in a trance-like state. However, the audience were never to know that.

"Seina, let me see that wound. I might have to bandage it." She looked up at his words, as though challenging him to make an attempt. Weighing up his options, he cast a glance over his shoulder. The rest were packing up for the night and Cedric was yet to appear and order them all to bed. He had time to wrestle with her. Crouching, he stared her down for a few seconds before lunging. The tiger pounced upwards on her hind legs and grabbed him in her front paws as he came towards her. Together they fell to the ground, rolling across the floor like two fighting infants, rather than behaving like a grown man and tiger.

“Leave the things. You all have done well. Go to your wagons and rest, we will be leaving for our next destination with the rise of the sun.”

Cedric's voice cut across their tumbling game. Leo released the fur on Seina's scruff that he had been holding and straightened up, so that he was standing again. She did the same, but settled him with another daring look. Her jaw was open slightly, as her chest heaved and she panted. Similarly Leo was out of breath, as he regarded her silently.

"We'll play again tomorrow. I promise." Reaching over, he rubbed the space between her ears and a deep, rumbling purr escaped her mouth. With a smile, Leo exited the cage, bolting the door as he left and pocketing the key in his trousers. Giving her one last pat through the bars, he set off towards bed. He would be glad for the rest, as they had all been up since the crack of dawn. He had been tending to his animals all day, attempting to train a particularly stubborn horse to do dressage steps without stopping. And then Seina had been injured and he had that to worry about. Out of all of his animals it was her that he cared the most for. She could bring a smile to his face when no-one else could. At least they hadn't performed that night, or else he would have been exhausted. Seina watched his progress across the field towards his wagon before settling down in the far corner on a bed of straw and blankets.

Leo nodded to a few of the other performers as he made his way. If anything he was polite to the fellow acts. With one exception. Syrena. He saw her now, wandering in the shadows as she attempted not to draw attention to herself. Every attempt at politeness had fallen on deaf ears with that one. No-one could get close to the mermaid-girl. There were a few who still made an effort with her, but largely they just kept out of her way. The only person she responded to was Cedric, even Leo had noticed that. But he had saved her from a life that she no longer spoke of, not to anyone. At first Leo believed they were similar. Both had faced tragic events in their past, but she had shot down every attempt he had made to get close to her. With a sigh, he gave the girl one last look before retreating into his wagon. The moment his head touched the pillow, he drifted off into a deep sleep.



The bright spotlights had been shining upon her tank for well over an hour now, causing the water to sparkle and glimmer. However the allotted time for the singing performance had long since past. The tank appeared to be empty, even though it wasn't. Syrena Astrid was shrouded within its darkened depths, out of sight and mostly out of mind, though a few members of the audience (especially the young males) cast longing looks towards it. After her outstanding performance, she had given only one bow, fixing her eyes upon a particularly handsome man in the third row and flashed the audience her beautiful smile. Then she had ducked from view and seemingly exited her tank. However, it was not the case. The tank took too much effort to be removed from the show circle and her leaving the tank by the only exit (the open top) ruined the illusion of her being a mermaid. So Cedric had insisted that she linger there, keeping out of view of the audience. And so she had to endure the rest of the performances. As a human she would have marveled at the brilliance of Jasper's act, although she would have never told him. However, as a mermaid she believed herself to be better than everyone else, especially this cheap conjurer of tricks.

Silently she watched as Jasper's performance came to an end and the show with it. Gathering a section of her wavy blonde hair she began to plait to, allowing a tutting noise to escape her mouth, except all that was expelled was a stream of bubbles.The audience had been entirely enthralled by his performance, by his "magic". Syrena on the other hand had witnessed the tricks for centuries and had grown bored of them. As a mermaid at least. Her human brain still wondered about the magic and how he used it.

It could take another half an hour for the audience to dispel as many of them hung around to pet the animals or talk with the acts. She noticed Leo and Seina were among the audience, even though they had not performed and felt a deep contempt rise in her chest. The man had tried to push his company on her many moons ago and she had not appreciated it. Now he did little more than acknowledge her presence. Syrena could not blame him. She had positively awful to the young man when he had first joined the Circus. She did feel a little regret for her actions, or in human form she did, but she had to accept that her mermaid nature was brutal. As the humans slowly began to leave, chattering and leaving endless amounts of rubbish, she saw fit to reveal herself. Effortlessly she swam to the top of the tank and pulled herself out. A member of the crew rushed towards her and lifted her down onto the floor behind the tank, his fingers gripping the seamless join between her mermaid tail and human waist. She cut the contact with him the moment she was sat on the dusty floor and he had handed her a towel. Disappointment practically seeped from his pores as he retreated to help someone else, his eyes flickering back to her. Men got like that around her, especially after seeing her perform.

Rubbing down her tail, she removed every drop of water that she could from her body. Slowly her scales began to disappear, changing to the colour of her torso. Her tail split into two legs. Snatching up her clothing which had been discarded in a small pile, she pulled the smooth silk dress on over her head. It took her a few moments to stand, as always, but once she was standing, she strode across the arena with every intention of packing up, ignoring everyone and then heading to bed. Except a hand grabbed her wrist, causing her to turn abruptly and stare down her assailant. It was the handsome man from earlier, staring at her now human legs.

"I knew it! I told them you must be human as well." His pale blue eyes found hers and twinkled with excitement. Before she could stop herself, Syrena smiled her delicate, innocent smile, stepping closer towards him.
"Well you were right," She whispered in a husky tone, moving her hand so it was gripping his. "Now aren't you clever...I love intelligent men such as yourself. You always taste so much better." Now her tone was seductive, as her eyes roamed his body hungrily. The man looked surprised, but relatively pleased as she pressed her body closer to his. In human form she didn't have access to all of her mermaid powers, but her ability to seduce was next to none, especially when she was still in her mermaid state of mind. Pressing her lips to his ear, she felt the shudder course through his body.

"I think you should-" She started to say.
"NO!" Syrena began to revert back to her human mind, which spoke up suddenly in her thoughts. "I won't harm this man. I won't do it. Leave him alone." Freezing where she stood, her face took on a look of agony as she battled with herself. "But he looks so tasty. Imagine what he would...No. I'm not that person. I am not like that when I'm out of the water. I'm human. I'm human.....You will never be human....But I can pretend. I'm not going to kill him. I won't do it!"

"Go...I think you should go." Jerking away from the man, she refused to look up and meet his eye. Her tone turned cold and dangerous, as she glared furiously at the floor. "Get out of here before I get someone to kick you out." She heard him scurry across the arena, kicking up dust as he went, no doubt frightened by her sudden change in demeanor. Sighing, she cursed her mental weakness for not stepping in sooner than she had. Syrena knew she was dangerous when she had just left the water. She should have been prepared for someone to approach her, though it had not happened for many weeks. Her human mind had been too slow this time, next time she might end up actually harming someone.

Cedric's voice floated suddenly towards her and she lifted her head. She should tell him what had just happened. No, it could wait till morning. She wouldn't bother him with it now. Keeping to the shadows, she slipped towards her wagon intending not to be seen. However, she felt eyes upon her, so ducking her head she hurried across the patch of grass and up into her wagon. But she already knew that sleep would not come easily for her tonight.