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CYRIL
THE
BEASTMASTER
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I never thought much of the courage of a lion tamer.

Cyril blinked taking another bite out of his apple. "Mythics feeding, Boss, Food." He was still deciding on the order of the tasks as he looked back at the girl. Placing his hands in his pockets, the male cracked his neck and sighed. "C'mon." He muttered stuck between thoughts. The tan beast master grabbed a few bags filled with what seemed like an eclectic assortment of objects. Some food, other items with a slightly less apparent uses.

They were dispensed at cages some populated with animals and creatures others seemingly not populated at all. A few of the animals seemed to recognize and react. Some spoke in tongues, dove on the object in a frenzy or chattered at Cyril. Sometimes the male would respond, a kind word, a pat, or a gentle tease to the more "sentient" creatures. Other times the response would be slightly sharp, a reprimand or completely ignore the subject. There was a cage on the "outer-ring" that Cyril gave a wide berth to. In the cage was a thin, frail creature. It cried quietly, still Cyril paid it no mind and seemed to actively stay as far away from the cage as possible. Fortunately, one of the exits allowed him this kindness. Stepping back out into the sunlight, he did not look back. "Are you coming fox?"
Inside the cage he is at least safe from people.



"Its nice to see you again, Akemi. You haven't changed." The male chuckled as he gestured to a chair near him. He had let go of her hand with a bow as soon as they had entered the meal tent. The ringleader had merely brushed off her odd look, he already knew what it was about, he was inside her head after all. The flash of his thoughts did not show on his face as he smiled at the seemingly young girl. The recognition of Cesar entering the tent didn't cross his face either. Monsieur Loyal would let him sit, it was adorable how he was panicking, and guests that had arrived deserved first priority. Jaden had to be a good host.

"Vergil, don't you know how important I like to make myself feel?" He waived his hand back and forth signalling to clear a space. "They have to see my face, so sit down or stand over here." The male made a circular motion over his face before motioning to his side behind his mischievous grin. It was apparent the male was making a joke, and he smiled as he looked up at Petra. "Well, Hello." He moved to stand but the owl on his chair tried to screech in his ear. It followed with some chittering and trying to do some damage to Jaden's ear. "Sorry, but my friend Utterson has become rather irate at the idea of me moving. Please forgive me, come closer, I don't bite." The ringmaster offered his hand privately, adding that he couldn't promise anything about Utterson to himself. "Welcome, I am Jaden, Monsieur Loyal, or 'Oh, captain, my captain!' Please, won't you eat something? That goes for you too Akemi, then we can get into some form of... formalities." He shooed them off with motions of his hands. "Oh, and Cesar, at your leisure please!"


"I was slowly losing hold of my original and better self, and becoming slowly incorporated with my second and worse."


User ImageEverybody's
Got the right
To some sun shine

Ⓐshεn GrєⓎ
ⓉĦⓔ
§ħαⓟєsнiƒ┱εя




Not the sun
But maybe one

Of its beams.



ㄨ✗✘I'm huuungry...


"Wrapped around you like a boa constrictor. Sssssth. Hey!" The hat was yanked from her grasp and put on the male's head. "But this makes it harder for me to peeeet you. Besides, I look cute with the hat on!" The female made as if she was going to yank the hat off of his head but instead gently scratched behind his ear, freezing for a moment as he readjusted her, she didn't want to accidentally stab him. "No more kisses until food. I'm just too drained." The shape shifter sighed dramatically, flopping forward and resting heavily on the male's head.

"Hmm?" Ashen was slightly confused when Emil stopped moving. "Yeah, It sure was, but isn't it fun? Always something new!" Ashen's arms wrapped around Emil's neck like a novelty scarf. "Did we figure out what caused this?" The girl sighed, a little less enthusiasm behind her voice as the white-haired female took the time to study the charred remains a little more closely. The shape shifter caught sight of a discarded fire extinguisher. She had probably thrown it aside when they were finished with putting out the fire. Ashen's arms tightened around Emil when he began moving, it was a movement she was not ready for.


...I wonder what happened...✘✗ㄨ

Akemi's eyes widened and jaw dropped at the mention of her name. The man in front of her really was her old friend from high school. She couldn't contain her excitement from seeing Jaden again that she started to jump in place and clap her hands. "Jaden, Jaden, Jaden, Jaden, Jaden!" The girl wanted to tackle the ringmaster with a hug, but didn't want to risk hurting the owl perched on his shoulder (or risk the owl hurting her). After some time of awkwardly positioning her arms, Akemi managed to hug the man then released him from said hug while still staying close to him. "You've... changed a lot. A whole lot! I couldn't even recognize you! ... But you probably knew that already, huh?"

The reason why Akemi wads and is so estatic to see Jaden again was more than the fact they haven't seem each other in twenty or so years. The eternal youth and life (as far as Akemi knows, anyway) her new body gave her didn't allow Akemi to stay in one place for more then a couple years, causing her friendships to last just as long. She never wanted to leave them: When she was some centuries younger, she cried whenever she had to. However, as time passed, Akemi realized it was unavoidable and was a new fact of life she had to learn to live with. Twenty years ago she made friends with the mythical and some unique humans, but the habit she became accustomed to of leaving her friends made her think that she wouldn't see these friends again either, despite the circumstances being radically different back then.

Akemi hopped away from Jaden and made off toward the piles and piles of food when he urged her and a few others away. While she was at the buffet, she gathered more then a plate full of food which was composed of mainly sweets and placed it at the spot of the table Jaden welcomed her to sit at. Before she sat down though, Akemi noticed just how short the other girl Jaden was speaking to actually was. Curious, the loli walked right up to her and placed a hand on top of her head, then toward the white-haired girl's head. To Akemi's dismay, her hand landed on Petra's forehead just barely and she let out a sigh. "Still shorter... Oh!" The girl just realized how forward her actions were to the girl who's name she doesn't even know and wanted to remedy the situation. "Sorry, sorry, sorry! It just that I haven't really meet that many people who are as shor-- ... Nevermind. My name's Akemi. What's yours?" She offers a smile and her hand out to Petra for a handshake and as a sign of peace.



She didn't know why Cesar was so paranoid, but his low spirits were getting on Emiko's nerves, even though getting upset wouldn't help anyone, especially not herself. The woman wanted to enjoy her time today and have some fun after spending almost the whole day yesterday cooped up in a hotel room doing practically nothing, and whatever was getting the better of one of her companions wasn't doing her any good. Still, Emiko kept her cool and chatted away with her other friend to calm herself down some, still intent on expressing her original frustrations to the ringmaster... despite him being her future boss.

When the group arrived at the food tent and parted ways, instead of returning a smile to Cecil, Emiko just pouted. Things weren't going her way at all, in fact, they weren't going her way the whole day so far, which irritated the woman further. If the attention, or at least some of it, wasn't focused on her, she would always get upset like this.

To distract herself, Emiko decided to do what she came there to do in the first place: chew out the ringmaster for the wake up call. Due to how fancily and extravagantly Jaden dressed and the number of people surrounding the man, it was simple to figure who the leader was. Before she could do that though, she noticed something. Not that her aunt was long friends with the fellow, no that wouldn't stop her. As Emiko got closer and closer to the ringmaster, it turned out that the ringmaster was pretty handsome. He seemed very smooth, too, definitely someone the woman would be into.

So with her anger diffused, Emiko slid in close to Jaden, making sure she was on his side that was without the bird. "Good morning~ You must be the ringmaster of this circus, riiight~? My name's Emiko. I see you've already met my... aunt." For once, Emiko decided to be honest (or semi-honest?) with what her relation to Akemi is. Usually the woman comes up with the excuse that she's her little sister or cousin, but due to how different the two women looked, it was a hard thing to believe for some. But it was more believable then aunt. Emiko then hugs Jaden's arm. Despite her anger being diminished, she still wanted to at least address what happened earlier. "Soo... You're also the one who gave us all that... announcement? Do you think not do that anymore? ... Or at least not like that? Much appreciated."



Akemi heard familiar voices as she spoke to Petra. While still extending her arm for a handshake, the loli turned her head to see her previous companions Cecil and Cesar conversing with each other near the bowl of fruit and her niece with Jaden. She waves her free hand at the latter two. "Oh, oh, Jaden! That's Emiko. She's my niece. Good morning, grumpy!"


(( Note: Sorry that Emiko's a bit of a b****. >u>;; ))
User ImageI am no longer a dog... _______________ ...domesticated by fear.


The pair walked onwards towards the meal tent. Few other words were spoken between the two during then, as the sight of the burned caravans dampened Emil's mood some. What did happen, exactly? So many things went wrong, and so much was just out of place yesterday that Emil honestly had no idea what went on. So he walked on. When the pair got closer to the meal tent, Emil realized that the familiar scent he had picked up among the burnt caravans was getting stronger. Every few steps he would pause and sniff the air, but briskly continue on. "Something here smells really familiar." He murmured, stopping his stride completely and glancing up at Ashen. His brows were furrowed in a puzzling manner, but could hardly be seen under his shaggy bangs and the rim of his hat. The wolf man opened his mouth to speculate about the scent's origins when he noticed another presence not too far off. The meal tent was in sight, and a figure waddled into their line of vision as well. Emil blinked, stared, and finally said incredulously, "Is that Merideth?"
((LOLOL EMIL GETS SUCH A SMALL POST SORRY))



I do my own tricks, now.






User Image
Come all...


Delwynn certainly wasn't surprised to see Sarain go up and forwardly kiss (or try to) Stone. He lifted his gaze just as the boy bent to inspect the ground, and Wyn glanced at Stone. What did he think of this? The twin expected the puzzled look the man was giving, but he was quite surprised by Stone's following reaction. Before yesterday, the Shadow had never seen him approach people or interact so closely (or at least, not very often). Hell, he was expecting the man to pull his sword on the boy or something. But instead, Stone returned the "greeting." Delwynn peered down at the two, who were practically at his feet. It was still incredibly awkward for him, yet he quite honestly didn't mind, so his gaze held an odd fascination as he watched. His eye followed Stone when he stood, and made eye contact for the first time that morning with the man. His gaze lingered on Stone's for several moments until they were again a decent distance apart. The twin then adjusted his own scarf, lifting it to better hide the pink that pervaded his cheeks, then turned and continued towards their destination. He was a bit less pale and shaken by then, but still quite obviously nervous (even with his momentary distraction).
((Lol, neither get any decent posts. Sorry they're so rushed. I have a lot to catch up on.))


...to our circus...

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User ImageI'm not just a stray animal, anymore...

Fox counted the tasks on her fingers as she chewed on the remainder of her apple. "Myphicss. Bosh. Phood... Riigh'." Fox nodded, remembering them in her head. she swallowed a mouthful of apple before asking Cyril another question. "What's a mythic?" The girl questioned as she followed closely behind the male while he fed an assortment of creatures. Some of the food didn't even look like food. The Fox smiled at some of the nicer creatures, and her ears swiveled forward in interest. But the girl hid behind the male when he fed some of the not so nice creatures, with her ears laid back against her head in caution.

Then Cyril seemed to forget one of the cages, its occupant was crying. The Fox's ears swivelled forward once again, intrigued, but she didn't advance right away. "Cyril? You forgot this one." The Fox pointed at it with a clawed finger, before turning to inspect the creature again. Surely it wasn't dangerous? The Fox waved soberly at the sobbing thing and caught up with Cyril, she didn't want to be left behind. "I wonder why its so sad, Cyril?"


I'm a nameless kitsune.


~~~


User ImageI don't want to sit on the sidelines anymore...

Claire hadn't really been paying any attention to the two men and the boy. She'd been staring off into the distance, thinking about the last couple of days. Everything, and everyone, was in shambles. Nothing felt right. She felt as if the very ground underneath her feet could cave at any moment, for the world felt so unstable. She was used to instability, to moving around constantly, sure. But this was very different.

At Stone's mention of breakfast, Claire came back to her senses, and back to the task at hand. Food sounded good right about now, but it could wait. She didn't have much of an appetite at the moment anyway. "You guys go ahead, I have to be somewhere." She nodded at them, smiled at the boy, and started off briskly toward August's trailer. She had to get this inner turmoil figured out, and hoped desperately that the doctor could help. Although something inside of her sort of doubted that anyone could figure it out, but that could've been the feelings of another shard of her soul.

Claire walked up to the man's door, hesitated for a moment, and then knocked quietly. "August? You in there?" She wrapped her arms around her midsection as she waited for an answer.


I'm tired of trying to be a 'nice' girl...


~~~


User ImageJust a little more, come on and satisfy me,
Just a little more, come on and terrify me,

"Oh so there are two of you! Wonderful!" The demon responded to the insecure Akemi with his 'nicest' smile before turning to the runt girl from last night. Vergil merely turned his head to greet the girl, and cracked a toothy grin that consumed half of his face, which seemed to only further enrage the girl. Then Jaden cracked his joke, and Vergil chuckled before playing along. "Of course, Your Majesty!" He gave a small bow, before plucking something to eat off of the table and standing in his usual corner. While nibbling on the pastry he had selected his eyes followed the white haired runt around the room, to her displeasure. He couldn't help it. Her powers were very interesting. He almost wanted to pick a fight, just to see what the little animal could do.

I'm not one for the crowd to see, It's just me... It's just...







~~~










User ImageSlow down there little bugger,
What's your hurry?

Immediately Petra regretted coming out into the open. Way too many people... She thought idly as she glared at the weird spikey haired man. But her gaze was averted to the young woman named Akemi when she strode right up to her and compared heighths. Petra merely stood rigid as the girl found that she was shorted than herself, before realizing she hadn't introduced herself and appologizing profusely. Petra's eye twitched slightly, before she began to calm herself down enough to answer the woman. "Petra." She answered quietly, betraying little emotion in her voice. She didn't raise he hand to accept the woman's, but only looked down at it and back to the girl. Petra took a small step backwards and nodded at her. She didn't want to hurt the woman's feelings or anything, but it just wasn't in her to be that formal or accepting. She just couldn't do it.

Then came the matter of addressing the leader. He seemed overly enthusiastic, which was alright, she guessed, but it didn't make it any less uncomfortable for her to accept. She walked around the girl before picking a chair across from and slightly to the side from, the Ringleader. She didn't like the bird either, with it's huge seeming eyes. It was only after she had picked her seat, that she realized that the demon was behind her, which she didn't like either. Frustrated that there was so many people to keep an eye on, she got up again. She selected a peach off of the table (something she hadn't had in forever and could run with if needed) and picked a chair on the Ringleader's side, but one down from him. She could leave no room for error, and began wondering if she had made the right decision in the first place by even thinking she could fit in in somewhere like this.


Running, running, always running...
Ojos azules, no llores...

      Cesar could hardly be at "leisure" at a time like this. He knew he couldn't expect what would happen with Monsieur Loyal. Perhaps recent confrontations with the Oracle had him on edge, but he knew to be wary with this man as well. The necromancer hadn't quite managed to figure him out, and that made him a threat-- especially now that he'd crossed him by disobeying orders. He probably could have done more to prevent this situation, but here he was, and there wasn't much he could do now.

      "I know nothing's happened yet," he snapped back at Cecil. The necromancer took a deep breath before trying that again. "No...thank you. I guess I just don't want any of what the Oracle was doing to fall on my shoulders. I probably could have done more to stop him."

      Cesar looked back up at Jaden, who was now engaged with the two girls they'd met the previous night. There he was, acting as though nothing had happened. He was both a good leader and terrifying in that respect. Perhaps one of those two would provide a good distraction, if only to put things off a bit. It seemed like they knew one another. What a strange coincidence. Perhaps Cesar would get good marks for bringing her back here. Well, it wasn't entirely him, as he'd had a bit too much to drink, but he was a part of it.

      "Come on. Let's eat something." Cesar tried to shake the heavy thoughts from his head, as he felt as though they were literally weighing him down. It'd been a long time since he'd had a hangover of this caliber, and there was never usually anything that would help except for time and rest. And water, of course. But Cesar always made the effort to drink enough water.

      He plucked an apple from the fruit bowl and bit into it. The mere sensation of it, along with the sweet juices which assaulted his tongue, made his stomach turn. He unceremoniously chucked the apple to the canvas wall of the tent as he struggled to keep the acids from his stomach down where they belonged.

      "Guácala."

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...no llores ni te enamores.



I believe in surgery, that's a fact.

      Vera couldn't quite explain what the voice they'd heard was, but she knew that it was something similar to what she'd experienced the previous day. She was silent as Bothildr gave the girl about as much as an explanation as she herself could have given. When the girl got upset at Bothildr's instructions, Vera's tired eyes missed what happened entirely. All she knew was that she was no longer present.

      "What...?" The doctor shook her head and began to rub at her temples. "Let's...just go over to the meal tent. I could probably use something to eat. I didn't exactly have much yesterday after everything that happened."

      It didn't take long to find the location the ringleader had alluded to. Vera could hardly believe that they had the utilities to prepare such a feast given their transient nature, but here was one of the more extravagant breakfasts she'd seen in such a long time. The aromas themselves were enough to draw her in. Here, everyone seemed to be engaged with someone else, so she waited for her companion to join her in waiting. The ringleader wanted to see everyone, but Vera hadn't expected it to be on a one-by-one basis. At least they could eat in the meantime.

      An apple, seemingly out of nowhere, came flying and almost struck her in the head. The doctor ducked out of the way and stumbled to the ground in the process. Was she really that hungry and sleep deprived? Dizzy, she looked up to try and find the source of the flying fruit. She didn't think she'd been here long enough to make any enemies, but then again, these people were certainly strange.

I believe in making it easy.

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Well enough, though I overslept,” Guillaume answered August's inquiry. He shuffled through his pans, pondering what to make for breakfast. When he looked back to ask August what he might like to eat, he was faced with a kind of confusing sight. The doctor had one hand tucked behind his back like a child trying to conceal something he wasn't supposed to have and he was looking... unwell.

Are you all right?” Guillaume asked, but he received no answer. Instead, August was excusing himself and looking to be even more upset. It was as though their roles from the previous night were reversed and now it was August who was trying to conceal insecurities. The chef touched August's shoulder gently, trying to be reassuring in the face of whatever it might be that had August so suddenly shaken up. “I'll plan for dinner then, August.

He saw the man out, locking the door securely behind him. Checking the locks afterward, Guillaume noticed a smudge of the red substance on the doorknob. Turning his hands over, he discovered he had made quite a bit more of a mess this morning than he had intended to. He rubbed the gritty paste between his palms until the small amount dried to a stain, cleaned off the door handle and checked himself over for any other wet patches. After running the stained tips of his hair under the sink he spread the red on his chest, smoothing out the now-tacky paste so that it would dry faster.

Decades of routine had left him dulled to the less favorable aspects of this substance. It hardly had a smell and though the taste was undesirable it had been a while since he had to taste-- Oh.

Examining the location of the smudged stains on his hand, the pieces quickly fell together in his mind. Yes, certainly he had gripped August's hand in his. It was bound to have left a mark and if August had... By the time Guillaume thought to go after him, August was well away from his caravan. He would have to remedy this situation as soon as possible. Rummaging in his kitchen he filled a flask from a dark, unlabeled jug and then he finished his morning preparations before heading out to the meal tent to make sure that breakfast was up to par despite his absence.


User Image
Very
soon he
will vanish
completely in the wings
of his own
wordless
stanza.
User Image
      Dinner with Guillaume. Sounded nice enough, if he could only get this blasted taste out of his mouth. Whatever that had been, it certainly wasn't meant for consumption. It didn't even taste like medicine, but given the chef's other profession, it might have been something along those lines. August had no business tasting it in the first place, but he really wished he didn't have to be punished so severely for it. No matter how many times he swallowed-- or even scraped at his tongue with his fingernails when no one was looking-- it wouldn't fade. He was honestly worried he would lose whatever was left in his stomach from the previous day.

      Much to his dismay, he didn't have any time to be alone in his caravan before Claire was ready to meet him. There she was, knocking at his door as he approached it. The doctor swallowed hard, wiped at his eyes, and composed himself to the best of his ability before he coughed for her attention. He put on the best smile he could as she turned around. She seemed...solid today, and August began to wonder whether the events of the previous night had been exactly as he'd remembered them.

      "Good morning, Claire. Sorry I'm late. Had to attend to some business." August was reminded of the substance in his mouth with every syllable to grace his tongue. He was beginning to get used to it, however, and hoped that it would be enough to get through this engagement. "We can go inside if you'd wish. I don't know how soon the Ringleader wanted to be out of here, but I'd say we have a decent amount of time to talk."

      August walked in ahead of Claire and held the door open. Once they were both inside, he closed it behind him and took one of the two seats at his fold-out card table. It wasn't the lap of luxury, but he had his own corners he would retreat to when he wanted to be comfortable.

      "So, what seems to be troubling you? I haven't seen enough to make a judgement, but the visit last night was slightly unsettling. That was a clone, correct? I don't believe I remember any of your clones sounding like that... Anyway, those were just my first impressions. Please, explain."
but
his
stanza
is not
completely
empty

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User ImageI don't want to sit on the sidelines anymore...

When August answered the door the woman unfolded her arms from around her waist quickly and looked up to return his smile with one of her own, if a troubled one. At the mention of Ringleader, Claire's eyes flashed crimson long enough for her to roll them before turning back golden. "Pfft, Ringleader. He's locked up in his caravan listening to music, and doesn't act like he wants to come out anytime soon." After stepping inside and taking what she thought was meant to be her seat she responded to his appologies. "No, August, its totally okay, I asked this of you on short notice after all."

Claire took a moment to gather herself, she wasn't quite sure how to begin. "Yeah, she probably sounded halfway underwater. She was a clone, yes. Usually, I would reassure everyone that the clones *were* me, but I'm not sure if I can say that anymore." Well if this wasn't awkward. She knew she needed to explain herself in a way that didn't make her predicament more confusing, but didn't know how. The woman sighed and brushed her hair behind her ears. "I'm only making this more confusing. I guess you'll just have to meet her then, to understand." Claire's eyes fluttered shut for a moment, before reopening as a clone materialized standing next to her. The clone appeared normal. "Um." The clone looked at Claire and shrugged, before mumbling 'Awkwarrrd...'.

At this point she was beyond frustrated, her damn Crimson eyed Self would pop up when uninvited, and wouldn't show when called. Claire blushed feircely, before excusing herself. "Excuse me just a moment, I'll be right back." But she didn't move, instead she closed her eyes and bowed her head so that she could look within herself. The clone merely stood there and sighed audibly, tapping her physical foot against the floor. Anyone who knew Claire could tell that this clone had an obvious difference in character from the true Claire.

After a few awkward moments of soul searching, Claire's head shot back up and the clone beside her stood back to let the original stand up. Claire took a stance as if she was getting ready to punch someone. The Clone seemed to shift and flicker from the physical to the metaphysical for a moment, and then changed. It's eyes were now Crimson. "About damn time." Claire to a step back to stand next to August. "This is my problem."
"And just what makes me so bad~ Hm~?" The clone cocked her head to the side slightly and grinned mischeviously at August. "Master, here, is upset because her poor wittle soul has split into tiny, tiny peices that no longer belong to her alone. She's having trouble healing you see, and she's afraid that I'm going to stage a Coup d'etat." "That's probably because I, you, are. Ok, that's enough now go away, shoo." Claire tried to unsummon the clone, first with thought, then with a flick of the wrist, then with a wave of her arm. The clone merely smiled her smile and refused to dissapate.

I'm tired of trying to be a 'nice' girl...

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For Galician, yesterday had been the longest day ever and last night, the longest night. He was cold from huddling up in the remains of his caravan, now tilted at an odd angle and open to the cold night air. He wished he hadn’t used his blanket to escape from the place. Somehow, a few of the boy’s outfits had survived the fire and some of the masks were salvageable. Thus, after anxiously worrying about Virgil and the nurse, the boy had set to work improving his coverings. They were not for the sake of hiding of course. He just really needed to make sure no one saw him. He also was not hiding in his caravan. He was just staying in a place where no one would bother him looking for a warm place to sleep. Someday, he would show Vergil that he wasn’t a coward. He just needed to improve his costume a little bit more before then. At least the salve that the doppelganger nurse used did well to treat his knee. It was still a little sore for use but quite good all the same. The sting had gone away and the overall, the little magician was feeling a little numb from the chill in the air.

The bags under the boy’s eyes had bags of their own and he struggled to remain awake. He sanded down the forehead of one of his masks in small circles. Slowly his head began drooping, lower, then lower. It fell a few centimeters to one side before popping back up again. He cracked his eyes a little ways open again, blinked a few times and rubbed them. Gradually, the sanding slowed to a stop and his eyes closed in defeat. Soon, the rest of his consciousness began to follow and his hands set the mask into his lap as his torso fell limply to one side. He curled up around the almost finished mask and began to snore softly.

The boy had hardly been asleep for twenty minutes when Monsieur Loyal’s voice pounded into his ear. He took the mask on his lap and brought it up over his face, whining loudly his discomfort. He rolled over, then over again on the uneven floor. He rocked himself back and forth, heaving a groan as he finally sat himself up. He rolled his head over his shoulders and squinted up at the sunlight. He wondered if Monsieur Loyal would notice if he was absent. He didn’t want to risk it but he also didn’t want to get up. He sat for a good several minutes squinting through the eye holes of his mask before, with more effort and less enthusiasm than his last wakeup call, he got gradually to his feet and hopped out of his caravan.

With his head lowered like a death row inmate and his feet dragging like a zombie’s, the little one trudged toward the food tent. As he peered inside, he noticed Virgil walking with the girl he’d brought in the other night. He told himself he would not hide this time. Still… He snuck in behind one of the taller carnies who made their way into the food tent. He found himself a seat at the table and sat down, not even noticing who he had made himself the company of. He wasn’t even hungry. The boy rested his chin on the table, blinking through his droopy eyes toward Monsieur Loyal. The ringleader seemed to be busy with a bunch of people at the moment and the little one thought perhaps he could briefly close his eyes just to let his eyes rest. He promptly fell straight to sleep there at the table.
Very
soon he
will vanish
completely in the wings
of his own
wordless
stanza.
User Image
      August's eyes drifted between the two girls, taking in the situation. He didn't know a thing about Claire's...affliction, but he knew that this wasn't normal. The fact that it was enough to make her seek help was worrisome in itself. He tapped at his chin as he thought, trying his best to drown out their squabbling. The fact that Claire was unable to dismiss this one was slightly alarming, although August didn't quite no why.

      "I'm afraid," August began, addressing the one with the red eyes, "That this isn't an accurate explanation-- the soul splitting into shards, I mean. Through the years many people have come up with different explanations for different mental phenomena, but the most accurate deals with the brain." August tapped at the side of his head with his index finger. "You are unfortunately dealing with something you can't cannot regulate on your own-- the functions of the brain. But I'll see what I can do."

      The doctor observed the two for a moment longer before standing up and approaching the clone.

      "I would advise against making diagnoses in the future. You're putting the wrong ideas in her head." He didn't know why he was scolding a piece of her subconscious, but her sentience was indeed convincing. "This right here, Claire, is a manifestation of the problems up in your head. Your clones have provided a convenient means of projecting the negative emotions you might have experienced over the years, and now it's taking a toll. Now you have this to deal with. There is no getting rid of her, only dispersing her. Creating a balance. I can't say what'll happen if you continue to let her be what she is, but I can't promise it'll be pretty."

      August took his seat again. "We'll begin by pinpointing your triggers-- your highest points of tension or stress. This there a member of this circus causing you any sort of turmoil? Is there some duty you wish not to perform anymore? Do you have stage fright?"

      It had been forever since he'd done this, but his ability to figure these things out hadn't left him, it seemed. If he could avoid the award-winning method of his career, this would go smoothly. If she required that sort of a procedure, however, he couldn't guarantee her safety. For now, he would try talking it out with her. She was sensible. Perhaps all this clone was was, in fact, just negative thought.
but
his
stanza
is not
completely
empty

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User ImageI don't want to sit on the sidelines anymore...

At first, the Crimson-eyed Clone remained silent, merely widening her mischevious smile at August, to Claire's detest. It wasn't until August stood up and approached the Clone that she wiped the smile off of her face and replaced it with a grimace. The Clone lowered her gaze at the man, and waited until he turned to spit, "Don't tell me what to do. We don't even know why we're here~" The clone paused for a moment as August shifted to speak to Claire again, and spoke up once more. "She can't 'regulate' me because I have a mind of my own, just like all of our sisters do--!" The Clone found herself cut off, because Claire had stormed right around August and slammed her own forehead into the forehead of the Clone, glaring into the dazed eyes of the other. "GO... AWAY." And the clone turned into static and vanished, hesitantly.

"Owwww" Claire moaned and rubbed her noggin as she slumped back down in her original seat. "Creating a balance, hm? The last two, stage fright and duties, they have nothing to do with it. As for people within the Circus, I..." Claire's slitted eyes, trained at the table-top, widened slightly in epiphany, and her entire face turned beet red. "Well, uh, Ringleader I suppose, but that comes with the job... eh heh heh..." She lied ineffectively.

Claire sucked in a deep breath and sighed, letting her face cool down to room temperature before elaborating on her problem. "I had this dream, you see. Inside of myself, in darkness there were two throne-like chairs set at opposite ends of a long table, with smaller chairs on wither side. Very ornate, very old. I stood at one end, and the Red-Eyed me sat at the other. She acts like she'd been collaberating with the other peices of me to perform her coup d'etat, and take over control, I suppose. I had to convince those peices that I was still in charge." She sounded insane when she said it aloud like that.

"My clones' performances here lately have been shoddy at best, too. Anyone who knows me can tell they aren't me. Their personalities have become unique." Claire sighed again with exhasperation and pinched the bridge of her nose. So August seemed to think that it wasn't her soul, but merely her brain? It was likely, but who could really know? He was the Doc though...


I'm tired of trying to be a 'nice' girl...

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User Image - Blocked by "Display Image" Settings. Click to show.Scarlet's pace slowed to a stop before the entrance of the meal tent. There were a few people with Wyn, all seeming to mill about him and not move away from the opening. Meredith wasn't in the mood for any frivolous morning conversations or more awkward introductions, which she didn't expect from Shadow so much as his unknown counterparts. She reasoned that there must be another way inside, one less populated so she could get in, eat, and return to her main objective. Scarlet brushed away some stray bangs from her eyes, feeling somewhat annoyed that she hadn't the time to snip away at the few strands that had become unruly in length over the past few weeks. The situation could have easily been remedied if she had her things; last night, Shadow promised to retrieve them for her from the presumably occupied caravan he shared with his brother. She was tempted last night to get them herself, and perhaps have a 'conversation' with the aforementioned brother, but her present state didn't afford her a lot of control over her emotional outbursts. She wouldn't try to put the infant through any stress so close to its arrival. Travel alone took a large toll on her and the baby, but she had to accomplish her goal.

Before turning around to retreat to another side of the meal tent, her skin bristled at the sound of her name. The voice sounded familiar, but that wasn't always a positive thing. Meredith was seconds from breaking out in an attempt to bolt, which in itself would have been a feat considering the weight she would have to accommodate. She glanced behind with extreme caution, almost collapsing with relief after recognizing the male figure and the woman accompanying him. Her emotional restraint still remained high, but after turning to face them, Meredith at least allowed herself a small smile as she brought her hand up slightly for an awkward wave. Her eyes darted around, still suspicious of every other face; regardless, she couldn't help but attempt to close the gap between them by waddling towards the couple.

Though it was cleary something supernatural at work, Bothildr, unable to explain either what had happened to the girl who was standing before the two women only moments ealier, just went along with Vera to the food tent.
She wasn't starving, but it was still important for her to get food into her system. It wouldn't be that unlikely that the circus might require the dark elf's services again today, whether it be to mend other wounds from the previous day's disaster or possibly even new ones.
Judging from what happened yesterday, it wouldn't be that impossible to imagine.

The more steps they took toward the food tent, the more the delicious scents of the various breakfast items entered into Bo's sensitive nose, which she much appreciated, shown by the small smile that grew on her face. The smile disappeared when an apple came hurdling toward the two and Vera dropped to the ground. From what Bothildr could tell, it looked like the apple hit her friend in the head. Concerned, the elf knelt down to check on the doctor's condition. "Are you hurt? Let me see."


(( Will post for Akemi later. ))

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CYRIL
THE
BEASTMASTER
User Image
I never thought much of the courage of a lion tamer.

Cyril ignored the first questioned asked, there was no real explanation, especially to this female. He looked back at the girl following him and snapped his fingers as she neared too close to the cage for his liking. "We stay away from her." It was almost a sad growl as his steely eyes quickly darted over the white haired creature within " There were rumors about her, there were always rumors about everything. She kind of just showed up one day accompanied with the twins. They instructed him to keep his space, she was there's to keep. Some of the rumors had come and gone with circus performers; She was a fallen angel who got mixed up in trouble. That the ringleaders knew her in some other far away life. There was also a rumor that she was seeking vengeance on whoever did this to her. However, nothing was proven and people in this line of work did best to stick to their orders and not pry too deep. Cyril was perfectly at peace to do just that, unless something involved his pack.

The tan man shrugged when asked the second question, "Never considered [it]." His hands were thrust into his pockets and cracked his neck yet again. The quickest route to the proper caravan was chosen and the beastmaster wasted no time getting there, not checking to see if his companion was following him. Gently he rapped upon the door. "Ringmaster." It was nearly a whisper, he knew the master could hear him. He continued with the tapping on the door. "Ringleader, I would like to speak to you. I have someone you should meet." He would continue on with this until at least one of the leaders spoke with him.
Inside the cage he is at least safe from people.



Jaden diverted his attentions from welcoming back Akemi to mentally chastising Vergil for wanting to start a fight. He moved to smile at Petra and his mouth opened to speak but quite suddenly, Emiko was near him. "Ah, our Aunt and I are...old friends." He mused at his arm was taken up by the taller female. He put on his best charming smile as she explained what she wanted. "Forgive me, however I have important news to tell the circus, its the fastest way to gather people and everybody was out partying last night and not doing what I asked. Sorry to punish you." Utterson shifted on the back of his seat and gave a small coo. He lightly pinched Emiko's cheek when Akemi mentioned she was grumpy. "She seems to be behaving." He chuckled then sharply looked up at the jump in surprise that accompanied an apple being thrown.

"Excuse me, would you?" He stood up in a quiet fashion and slinked by the seats, the ringleader let his hand briefly brush against Galician's head, stroking his hair. It was a gentle way of waking him up; He was almost too young for a circus."Someone wanna get him a danish/" Monsieur Loyal didn't dwell on it, there were pressing matters. "Cesar." The thought came out a little sharper than he intended and nearly made Jaden himself jump. "I'm sorry Misses, Some of us are a little... Rowdy this morning. I'm Jaden, the ringmaster. Forgive us." Again, one of the most charming smiles he could muster graced his lips as he attempted to meet both of their eyes. "Please have a seat and something to eat. I have to make a couple of quick announcements...Here, lets help you." After the females were seated, Jaden returned to his place. "Oh, were was I?" He stopped and Utterson ruffled his wings. Slowly the blonde male picked up and ornate cup in front of him and a fork. They met in the space between their starting points. Their meeting was marked by three wonderful notes of, Tink, Tink, tink.

"Places, please everyone settle, Is everybody here?"



"I was slowly losing hold of my original and better self, and becoming slowly incorporated with my second and worse."


User ImageEverybody's
Got the right
To some sun shine

Ⓐshεn GrєⓎ
ⓉĦⓔ
§ħαⓟєsнiƒ┱εя




Not the sun
But maybe one

Of its beams.



ㄨ✗✘I-...


Ashen had grabbed his head when Emil looked up. She was going to brush his hair out of his face but the scruff male had looked back down in front of him. The shape shifter didn't really think much of his sniffing, it was getting closer to that time of the month. The female patted the male in a subconscious attempt to quiet the version of him in her head.

"Mered-?" Ashen looked up and studied the body in front of them. "Emil, Brace yourself." It was a regular thing they did in their act, Ashen wasn't worried about hurting him. Her feet moved to Emil's shoulders, she crouched then jumped. Her body extended a little bit, the white-haired girl looked more like she belonged on all fours, at least when she was in the air. In fact the first thing that made contact with the ground was her hand. Ashen tucked and rolled. It certainly wasn't graceful but it was good enough for a job that required minimal tumbling skills. She popped back up closer to Meredith, crossing the rest of the distance in a few strides. The shape shifter opened her arms, moving in for a hug. It was then the female abruptly stopped, the mood suddenly changed as Ashen retreated slightly."We-we didn't expect to-for-for you to be...visiting." Ashen wrung her hands, very focused on Meredith's face. "Its so nice to see you again.."


...how do I-...✘✗ㄨ
Very
soon he
will vanish
completely in the wings
of his own
wordless
stanza.
User Image
      August fiddled with his hands as Claire spoke. His eyes focused momentarily on the stain, which brought his attention once more to the taste in his mouth, but he was still processing everything she said. It was certainly a strange case, but August didn't really know what he could do about it. He'd never worked with anyone who could project themselves in such a manner, let alone learned about this type of ability and its connection to the psyche.

      In essence, he had no idea what to tell Claire. He knew how to walk her through it if it were her brain, but he had no stake in the domain of the "soul." August was a man of science-- never in his life had he been overly spiritual. Guillaume seemed to know more about these matters than he did, judging by their most recent conversation. His take on the origin of these varying powers was intriguing, to say the least-- perhaps he'd be better suited to helping Claire, what with all of his experience.

      But August couldn't just turn her away. She had come to him for help, and he had promised to do what he could. He ran a hand through his hair as he contemplated his next move. There was one course of action, but he definitely wasn't ready to take it. This was what he'd been running from. It was entirely too risky. Claire would have to know that outright if he was even going to bring it up.,

      "The soul... I really have no concrete idea of what you're talking about. You might have come to the wrong man, I'm afraid. I have a deep understanding of the human psyche, but you and your...less than innocent self have been speaking of matters which sound a little foreign to me. But I'll tell you what-- I have something we could try, but it..." August didn't really know how to explain what any of this entailed. He took a moment to figure out what he was going to say, knowing that he probably looked foolish right about now.

      "In the height of my career, I developed a sort of hypnosis therapy-- this was combined with the power you see me use to control the funhouse. It was extremely successful, but there were a few...mishaps. It's risky, is what I'm trying to say. I guess." August didn't know why he couldn't come right out and say what happened to those patients, even after so many years. Was he still so ashamed? He didn't want anyone here to fear or despise him. "It's all up to you, of course. Anything else is out of my control, I'm afraid."
but
his
stanza
is not
completely
empty



I believe in surgery, that's a fact.

      Vera shook her head adamantly. Her vision was still spinning, so it wasn't exactly a good idea. She was definitely more exhausted than her first impressions of the morning had let on.

      "I'm fine, I'm fine. No, seriously. It didn't hit me." Vera wasn't exactly happy that something had been thrown at her, but it looked a lot worse than it was. She could blame her own hunger more than the man who threw the apple himself. Who did it, anyway? She allowed for her eyes to focus a moment before scanning the crowd for the culprit. Whoever did it, the ringleader barked his name in what sounded like a single syllable. Cesar, huh? What did Cesar have against her? She hoped she hadn't offended anyone. Was it her mask?

      Oh, she was too hungry to care.

      Eventually the two of them joined the rest of the group at the table. Vera took a muffin and began to nibble at the top, a little beyond caring about formalities at this point. A lot was going on in this tent... The ringleader seemed to be having a reunion of some sort, but everyone else was also grabbing for his attention in one way or another. The chaotic events of the previous day seemed to have everyone on edge. Vera kind of wanted to leave and continue on her way, but it didn't look like that was going to happen-- even if the worst of the injuries had already been treated. Hell, that sweet elven lady could heal people ten times as fast as she could. She had no powers. She'd just been through med school.

      Nonetheless, the ringleader had her attention when he struck the glass.

I believe in making it easy.

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