(Posts from this point onwards written collaboratively)
If the monster lingering before him had waited half a second longer, Noah would have almost agreed. The agreement perched on the tip of his tongue, ridiculous and impossible. Okay. Okay you can eat me. Okay that everything was going to end right now. It's better than going back. It's better than forgetting all this.
Instead, his only response was a shiver, some mixture of relief, a response to the winter breeze that worked its way in through the trees from the half-frozen lake, and some instinctual reaction to the feel of razor sharp claws brushing against his skin, catching on the coarse threads of his jacket.
As the two marched towards the circus train, the snow crunched under their feet. The young man left big shoe prints in the ground, juxtaposes dramatically by the beastly claw marks Nova left. Although, for a beast Nova walked as you'd expect any human to walk, even more casual, having fluid, loose strides. She noted his shiver and looked at him intently as if to read his mind. What thoughts might be going through his head right now? She could make a few guesses. Did she want to reassure the frightened boy, or tease him? Or just keep things professional. The latter appeared to be a better option and would hopefully smooth things over with Gale. Nova wasn't looking forwards to revealing the fact that she had allowed an outsider to see her without krym. "So, I'll prime you for some of the questions my boss is gonna pop. Why were you out here at this time? Any reason"?"she asked.
Noah allowed himself to be tugged along behind the beast as it started moving towards the train. The silence stretched on, but it wasn't particularly uncomfortable. Or maybe Noah was just numb. He studied the train, eyes tracing over the curves of the small letters as he drew closer and closer to the car. Somewhere his eyes caught a hint of movement, and he briefly wondered if there were more bestial canines patrolling the property, waiting to catch any passers by.
He flinched slightly at the unexpected words, before turning to look at the canid again. The questions, however, weren't what he had been expecting. Perhaps he should have been. They were the same questions any cop would ask him if he was caught. He'd had this answer prepared long ago, and reeled it off. "I like to walk the shore sometimes. When I can't sleep. The National Lakeshore ends too quickly, and there's never anyone in the rail yards, so I just hop the fence and keep walking."
If Nova had any flesh on her face she'd look skeptical. She eyed the boy with scrutiny for a few moments, tufted tail tip twitching in contemplation. If he was telling the truth, he wasn't much different than Nova, who often sought late night walks when she couldn't sleep well. However, who was that keen to hop fences on a midnight walk, especially when there was clearly a train idled? Nova had seen enough humans trying to sneak around the circus for peeks at the performers and had heard a whole slew of excuses, so she was likely to have her doubts.
"Alright....Just a midnight stroll? Well, didn't you see the big train before you trespassed? Cause if anything, that's a big clue to turn back. Or maybe, you wanted to see the train,"she challenged.
"Knew the 'freakshow' was in town and wanted to steal a closer look at the wares, huh? I've seen it happen, believe me. Well you got a closer look alright. Here I am in all of my freaky beast glory. Take a goooooood look, pal,"Nova added, gesturing to herself even though most of her fur was covered in clothing. Sweatpants and a baggy jacket were needed even for a furry creature like her in the bitter cold.
"You are surrounded by trees," Noah replied somewhat bitterly, unconsciously responding to the challenge issued to him. "Five minute walk away from the edge of the yard, with your engines shut down and no flashing lights to advertise your presence. I would have assumed your goal was to avoid detection." His brain caught up with his mouth a moment later and he immediately stopped talking, figuring arguing with the guard wasn't going to make matters much better. All the same, he did begrudge the accusation. He had thought about the circus nonstop since he had seen it, but had absolutely no way of knowing that they had come here by train. The abandoned building was only just close enough to the rail yard to allow the covert transportation of a few goods and the crew itself. Fate had led him here, not any machinations of his own.
It had slipped Nova's mind that any regular human didn't have senses as acute as Nova did, especially when she was without krym. On a night like this she could see the train well despite the lack of illumination or engine sounds. The shape was clear enough to her in the darkness and even without the engine humming to life, she could hear the stirring of sleeping and waking performers. Even now the circus train had some life to it, at least in her opinion, but the same couldn't be said for the human intruder.
His reply was a lot more bold than Nova had anticipated, so naturally she was taken aback by his ridicule. The young man had some kick to him. This could be admirable on a personable and casual atmosphere, but this ordeal was neither of those things. It was best if the trespasser was kept fearful and obedient to some degree. Luckily, he seemed to catch himself and promptly ceased talking.
"Well I forgot you mundanes can't see for shit at night,"she snorted bitterly. Nova was known to dislike any slight aimed towards her and would respond with snark. She dug her clawed fingers into her pockets and walked on. Each step brought her closer and closer to the train. Closer to confronting Gale.
Noah knew that the longer this went on, the more nervous he should be getting. That was how these things were supposed to work. He was getting closer and closer to the moment of judgement, and who knew what would happen to him then. But walking behind this beast was like walking through a dream. It provided a strange mixture of both security and confidence, and no small measure of wonder. This situation was impossible. Ever since Zach had handed him those tickets, Noah had been drawn deeper and deeper into a situation that common sense said shouldn't exist. And, somehow, he loved it. He loved this quiet promise that there was more to the world than he ever would have guessed.
They had to walk along the entire length of the train, and Noah peered through the narrow gaps between the trailers, knowing he wasn't going to see anything but still hoping for a glimpse. And the more carriages they passed, the more he felt his heart rate begin to speed up. Not out of fear of what was waiting for him when the beast finally brought him to a halt, but out of fear that his arrival would mean he would have to wake up from this fantastical new reality. The trick would be exposed, the show would be over. He would have to go back.
As they walked on, Nova couldn't help but mimic the trespasser in the act of peering through the gaps between the trailers. She had different motives of course, but was still scanning for any performers just as the boy was. It was likely that news would get around about Nova finding a stray human on a late night walk and had to deal with the consequences, but that didn't mean she wanted people to see the spectacle for themselves. Specifically, she was looking to catch a glimpse of Eric. She worried that if he saw her out with a human then he wouldn't be as likely to allow her the privilege of a nightly walk, and this was a problem because she needed that privilege to clear her head. Tonight her attempt a finding refuge had gone awry. She grumbled to herself as they neared the front of the train, soon reaching the boxcar owned by the ringleader, Gale.
Nova walked right up to the door and stopped. A hand darted out quickly and grabbed the back of the young man's neck, not roughly, but enough to hold on firmly. "No funny business, you hear me, kid? You pull shit and you'll have me chasing you down. And trust me, it won't end pretty,"she warned him, trying to look deeply into his eyes. When she had thought she had gotten her point across, she released her grip.
Her knuckles rapped on the surface of the door. Three times fast, one lighter blow, and then two heavier ones. A simple way of announcing her presence. That way Gale would know it was her. She took a deep breath and waited with apprehension. She told herself not to worry. After all, she had known Gale for many years. Regardless, this was a serious matter.
Noah could only nod shallowly, not out of a desire to be rude but simply because he literally couldn't move any more than that. Funny business; what did she think he was, a gangster or something? He was just a kid. Scariest thing he had on him was a jacket.
The door was answered within half a minute of the beast's knock, showing that whoever was in the trailer was awake at this early hour of the morning. A bright light shown on the desk inside a small sphere, and a half-chewed cigarette lay on the corner of the table.
"Nova?" Noah promptly recognized the man who had opened the door. The large wings behind his back and sharp horns that rose from his brow creating a distinctive silhouette. The Ringmaster. "What's going o..." His eyes landed on Noah a half second later. "Ah. I see. You'd better come in and tell me what happened."
Nova met Gale's gaze and tried to suppress the feelings of unease that twisted in her gut. Instead of answering his inquiry, she tossed her head in the direction of the young man at her side. An obvious trespasser. Not the first Gale had dealt with, but one of the few that had witnessed a circus members without krym. Since, typically it was Nova's job to take krym and scout the area for any lurking humans. But that happened right after the show, not in the early hours of morning, so she was unprepared for an encounter.
Right now what Nova thought didn't matter, only acting could remedy the situation. Something had to be done. And swiftly. Nova silently ushered the trespasser into Gale's train car using a shooing motion with her hands. She followed in behind the young man with a hand lightly pressed into his back, closing the door behind her. "Found him in the bushes on the outskirts of the train yard. Says he was just on a nightly stroll, but I have my doubts, you know,"she filled Gale in on what little she had gleaned from questioning the boy. Once the boy was inside and unable to flee, Nova could ease up a bit. She folded her arms and distributed her weight to one hip casually, tail swishing.
The very first thing Noah noticed was the difference between the Ringmaster's eyes and... Nova's. Under the pressure of the bestial canine's eyes he had felt aggravated. Confronted. The ringmaster's eyes, on the other hand, just made him feel... guilty. Noah knew, whatever anyone else might believe, that he really had come here completely by accident. He had been driven by curiosity to get closer once he realized what these trains signified, but he had not come looking for them. Briefly, his mind flitted back to the scene at the circus. The scene where the ringmaster had promised, amidst a cloud of smoke, that none of this was fantasy. He hadn't believed it then, even if he had been bewitched by what had transpired. Now he knew it was true. Now it began to occur to him to wonder what it meant that it was true. What it might mean for these people. His eyes dropped away, studying his shoes, and his hands clasped nervously together behind his back. "Sorry..."
"And?" Noah glanced up in surprise. The ringmaster's brow was lifted, but his eyes turned to Nova a moment later, suddenly seeming disinterested in the boy. "Why did [/FONT][/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent]you[/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent] find him?"[/BCOLOR]
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[BCOLOR=transparent]'What?'Nova thought to herself, bewildered. Gale had disregarded the trespasser in order to question her. She wasn't the one who had intruded on private property and happened across an underground circus. However, she was the one who had led an intruder right to the circus...And who had revealed the location to begin with. If the human wasn't lying and truly couldn't see the train when Nova asked, then he may have been prepared to leave without trouble. Nova was responsible for most of the trouble and she realized it, her tail drooping until it hung motionless. [/BCOLOR]
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[BCOLOR=transparent]Her mouth opened slightly then closed again. When her skeletal maw parted again, she had words. "I was on a night walk when I found him. You know...I do that sometimes,"she replied with as much confidence as she could muster. Nova didn't fear Gale's disapproval because of his position, she feared it because she looked up to him. He was almost like a father figure to her after having been sent to the circus at such a vulnerable age. She didn't want to disappoint. [/BCOLOR]
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[BCOLOR=transparent]Gale knew well why Nova took nightly walks. She knew that he wanted her to seek Lucius' help. She also knew she didn't want it. Overall she was left feeling guilty and vulnerable now under Gale's powerful gaze.[/BCOLOR]
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[BCOLOR=transparent]It was as though he was playing some sort of game. The moment Gale finished with Nova, his eyes turned right back to Noah. Noah quickly turned his eyes away, as though he hadn't been staring at the two. However, after several moments of silence, Noah glanced back over. Gale was staring at him. The moment their eyes met Gale's head bobbed slightly, as though thanking him for finally being gracious enough to make eye contact again. Noah's cheeks flushed red. He felt like a child.[/BCOLOR]
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[BCOLOR=transparent]"What did you think of our performance?"[/BCOLOR]
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[BCOLOR=transparent]Noah flinched. "What? How... how did you..."[/BCOLOR]
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[BCOLOR=transparent]Gale laughed slightly. "The ticket stub is sticking out of your jacket pocket."[/BCOLOR]
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[BCOLOR=transparent]It had been unbeknownst to Nova that the trespasser had seen the show. So now she perked up again, leathery ears standing erect and black fur flaring up on her ankles. The tail that had melted towards the floor with shame now flickered to life again. She spied the ticket stub in question for confirmation. This evidence could come to her defense.[/BCOLOR]
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[BCOLOR=transparent]A few moments ago she had convinced herself that the young man was innocent, not having spied the circus train in the darkness or intending to approach until she had engaged him. But now this idea changed. He had seen the circus. Had a taste of its wonder, must have been curious as to how any of the acts were possible. "So you did know the circus was here. You wanted a peek, didn't you?"she questioned Noah, temper flaring defensively.[/BCOLOR]
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[BCOLOR=transparent]Her accusation earlier had fallen flat, but the new detail rekindled her assumptions and suspicion. Her temper had come from the fact that she felt lied to not, not having known the boy knew of the circus. Had seen it all. That and she was desperately trying to save her own hide. If this encounter became a victory in the fact that they deterred another peeping tom then she could potentially be excused for roaming without krym when she shouldn't have.[/BCOLOR]
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[BCOLOR=transparent]Gale's eyes moved again; the ball flung back to the other side of the court. Before Noah could even stutter out more than a "N... n" Gale was speaking again. "Nova. If you wanted to interrogate him, you should have done that [/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent]before[/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent] you brought him to me." His voice didn't sound angry, or even particularly bothered, but the reprimand was clear.[/BCOLOR]
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[BCOLOR=transparent]The reprimand was like a cuff to the ear, a scolding more deserving of a child. It wasn't out of anger, but the annoyance was evident and that's what made Nova want to shrink away. However, she would stand her ground out of her stubbornness and dedication to get to the bottom of this uncomfortable situation.[/BCOLOR]
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[BCOLOR=transparent]"I'm trying to get answers. What do you want to do? Just let him go now so he can tell everyone that the circus freaks are real? I don't know about you, but I'd like to diffuse things before we get the local authorities on our asses."[/BCOLOR]
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[BCOLOR=transparent]If Nova's rebuttal bothered Gale he certainly didn't show it. "What do you want to do?" Unlike Nova's words, which had undoubtedly been an accusation, Gale seemed honestly curious, although the fact that he had repeated Nova's exact words certainly wasn't lost on Noah. Briefly he wondered if he'd been forgotten about, but the moment he shifted slightly Gale's eyes snapped right back to him. Noah's head dipped again, and Gale turned to look at Nova again.[/BCOLOR]
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[BCOLOR=transparent]"Ummm..."Nova said, tapping her chin thoughtfully with one finger. For a moment the only sound in the trailer was the clicking of her claw. "Well..."she began, letting her hand drop. She shifted her body awkwardly and felt her mouth begin to go dry. What were they to do?[/BCOLOR]
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[BCOLOR=transparent]'Think, Nova, think,' she thought to herself. She got everyone into this mess, now she was responsible for getting them out of it. For starters, she addressed the trespasser. "I'm going to level with you here, kid. Look me in the eyes and tell me that you didn't come here to spy on the performers. Be honest"[/BCOLOR]
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[BCOLOR=transparent]She looked right into the boy's eyes, reading his body language. This question didn't seem as aggressive as the others she had asked. Nova hoped that she could study the young man's reaction for any traces of lying, such as shifting eyes, fidgeting, and other behaviors. He needed to look the beast straight in the eyes and tell her the truth before they could proceed with how to handle the situation.[/BCOLOR]
[BCOLOR=transparent]August 26, 2016[/BCOLOR]
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[BCOLOR=transparent]Noah flinched when Nova suddenly whirled on him, but boldly looked up to meet her skull-like face. "I didn't."[/BCOLOR]
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[BCOLOR=transparent]No clear sign of lying. Just obedience, a simple answer. Nothing unique, but something about the startled boy made her want to believe he was telling the truth. Nova asked another question, "Are you planning on telling the authorities about this place?" Her tone was serious and urgent, but didn't have the edge of accusation it previously had. Nova was taking a different approach.[/BCOLOR]
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[BCOLOR=transparent]Noah's eyes flicked away briefly, landing on Gale. The remarkably unconcerned man seemed to promise that nothing was going to happen to him. "No. Even if..." he bit his tongue properly. It probably wouldn't be particularly advisable to offer a hypothetical about him alerting the authorities, even if it was to say they wouldn't believe him anyways, or that the circus could be long gone before they even got here.[/BCOLOR]
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[BCOLOR=transparent]"Even if what?"Nova prompted quizzically. She looked questioning even without facial features, head cocked slightly to the side. The boy's first answer was no, but he stopped himself from elaborating, raising a red flag.[/BCOLOR]
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[BCOLOR=transparent]Of course she pushed. Noah should have known better. He looked her fully in the face, a slight frown on his lips. "Even if I did, who on earth would believe a teenage boy who said a group of [/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent]illegal circus performers[/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent], who I'm not even supposed to go see, by the way, that's illegal too, weren't human?"[/BCOLOR]
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[BCOLOR=transparent]It was a fair point. Illegal circuses were forbidden to exist, but also forbidden to witness. The boy would be punished if he forked over the ticket stub. People wouldn't be likely to believe a troubled looking teen, but that didn't mean it was impossible. "Fair point I suppose..." Nova mused aloud, looking over to Gale. Nova had offered what guidance to the situation she could muster and now looked for the next step. What to do with the information the boy had revealed.[/BCOLOR]
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[BCOLOR=transparent]Noah's eyes followed the direction of the canid's gaze, and both of them waited, silently, for the ringmaster to say something. He, however, only cradled his face in the palm of his hand for a moment, before sighing. "You both have succeeded in making this whole thing unnecessarily complicated. But either way," his eyes turned to Noah. "It is time for you to leave."[/BCOLOR]
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[BCOLOR=transparent]Noah felt his heart jerk, and before he could think about the consequences of what he was saying, words were tumbling out of his mouth. "Can't... Can't I stay?" His heart jumped up into his mouth and he nearly choked, but it wasn't sufficient to halt the tidal wave of words. "I don't care. You can even turn me into a beast like that guy at the show but I..." He didn't even know what he was trying to say anymore.[/BCOLOR]
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[BCOLOR=transparent]Finally! This whole confusing situation could be finished, the boy would be on his way and Nova would be off the hook for the time being. Or so that's what Nova assumed, but nothing was ever that easy. The trespasser asked to stay. Nova froze, looking to the boy with a comically tilted head, stupefied. Stay? Then the boy proceeded to plead to stay, was totally okay with 'transforming', to which Nova straightened out and released a bark of laughter. It shook her body and she held her stomach. "Kid, we don't turn anyone into beasts. It's just an act. The person in the crowd you saw 'transform' after being bitten was born a beast." Nova added more seriously, "Besides, you're human. You don't belong here." Her arms were folded over her chest.[/BCOLOR]
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[BCOLOR=transparent]An act. Of course it had been an act. Why would it be anything other than an act? He knew that the entire show had just been a performance. Why hadn't he thought that the man in the audience might have been a plant? But, then again, did it really change the fact of what he had seen? "I don't belong anywhere." He swallowed, and his eyes dropped away. What now? Was he just going to walk away? "Let me stay or I'll..." What? They'd already established there was nothing he could do that would be a threat to this place. That was why they were letting him go. Probably. "Come... up... with something heinous?" Noah knew he was blushing, but tried to pretend otherwise.[/BCOLOR]
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[BCOLOR=transparent]So the kid was an outcast. He wanted to escape to another world, enticed by the excitement of the circus, which to him was better than the daily drag. He wouldn't be the first since many had lingered after shows to haggle for a job, oblivious to the fact that this circus was housing supernaturals that could perform acts that humans couldn't. The kid even made the bold move to make a threat, truly desperate. Nova could fume, tell the kid off for making threats and not staying in his place. She could drag him out by his shirt collar, yell in his ears. But she didn't. Instead she sighed deeply. "You don't want this life. You think you do, with all of the glamor and glitz we showed you, but there is so much more. We aren't doing this shit for fun or the good of our hearts. We're stuck here. Human criminals get prison, supernaturals get to jump through hoops,"she explained, glancing to Gale occasionally to avoid stepping over any boundaries. She didn't want to reveal too much, but just enough to give this kid the idea that the circus wasn't what it's cut out to be.[/BCOLOR]
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[BCOLOR=transparent]"I'm not looking for glamor," Noah replied seriously. "Or fun." [/BCOLOR]
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[BCOLOR=transparent]"Are you looking to put us in danger?" Noah flinched at the sound of the voice, and turned around in surprise to look at the Ringmaster.[/BCOLOR]
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[BCOLOR=transparent]"What?"[/BCOLOR]
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[BCOLOR=transparent]"Can you truly say there will be no one looking for you, no one who might wonder where you went? Everyone else here is supposed... Well. No one is looking for them. The hunt for you, on the other hand, could lead the authorities directly to us."[/BCOLOR]
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[BCOLOR=transparent]"They... they wouldn't look hard. I'd just be another runaway kid. Besides, I can... I can be useful. Having a human could be useful. It isn't as if you can go walking around in public like that, right?"[/BCOLOR]
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[BCOLOR=transparent]Nova stood proudly at Gale's side and gleaned strength from his presence. It was two against one in this discussion. Gale was well spoken as always and confronted the flaws in the boy's plans. Having a runaway would only bring bad attention from the authorities as well as other outcasts hoping for a circus life, two harmful situations. The young man still argued for the right to stay and offered potential benefits in the hopes of gaining favor. "We don't need humans. All of us can walk freely in public with the help of a special medicine. This stuff," Nova gestured to her face, "Is just extra cell growth makin' me look beastly. One swig of the good stuff and I look like any other human. You think we grew up lookin' like monsters 24/7? We'd be dead in a heartbeat if that were the case."[/BCOLOR]
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[BCOLOR=transparent]"I thought you said you were stuck here," Noah shot back to Nova's rebuttal, trying to sound brave. But the words sounded false, even to his own ears. "So that's it, huh? You are the one circus that doesn't follow the stereotype, the one circus that won't pick up the runaway, even if they come pleading at your door. Even if they offer up whatever you want, however misguided it might be. No. Anyone who shows up here gets sent away." Focused on Nova, Noah didn't notice Gale awkwardly rubbing the side of his cheek, thinking about the couple of runaways this circus had picked up. Then again, they had been supernatural as well.[/BCOLOR]
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[BCOLOR=transparent]Nova flinched back subtly when snapped at, not having anticipated the sharp refutation. She had meant trapped by the law, not her supernatural form, but the boy had still gotten the point across, which was that he was ever persistent. And Nova didn't want to admit he had a fair point. Circuses were notorious for collecting society's strays and offering refuge. But this circus was different than normal and housed only supernaturals. How would the kid even fit in? In a place like this, would he even have to fit in?[/BCOLOR]
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[BCOLOR=transparent]"Well...You're human. We accept supernatural runaways, but we haven't accepted any mundanes here..."Nova began. She rubbed the back of her neck awkwardly before continuing, "But it's not like any of us belong. All we have in common are our supernatural traits, and even then many take human forms here...So, does it matter if we accept an actual human? Damn, I can't believe I'm saying this stuff...." [/BCOLOR]
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[BCOLOR=transparent]Nova glanced at Gale and couldn't read him. Was he on board? Nova looked back to the boy. He was desperate. Something really bad must have happened in his life for him to seek refuge among criminals, especially those labeled as 'monsters' and 'freaks.' It clicked. This trespasser truly wasn't like the others, looking for moment of thrill. He wanted safety.[/BCOLOR]
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[BCOLOR=transparent]Nova finally caved, but didn't seem too pleased about it. "If I let you stay, not saying for sure yet, will you promise to stay in line? Cause one wrong move and I'd be tempted to throw you out of here, kid."[/BCOLOR]
[BCOLOR=transparent]August 29, 2016[/BCOLOR]
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[BCOLOR=transparent]Noah's gaze flipped back and forth between Nova and Gale. The skeletal canid was almost impossible to read, but her waffling words gave more than an indication of what she was thinking. His heart leaped, and he turned to Gale, wondering what he was going to have to say to persuade the Ringmaster to let another member join his crew of irregulars. Much to his surprise, as Nova finished speaking, a faint smile crossed his lips. At Noah's confused expression he began to speak. "If all these years running this show has taught me anything, it's that sometimes you have to relax and accept things are going the way they should go. But. No matter how welcome you may be, that doesn't change the fact that you are still human, and if people come looking for you here I'm going to have hell to pay. If anyone ever recognizes you, you must leave. That is the one hard and fast rule. Understood?"[/BCOLOR]
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[BCOLOR=transparent]"U...understood."[/BCOLOR]
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[BCOLOR=transparent]"Good. Nova, have Eric get him set up with Ace in the morning."[/BCOLOR]
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[BCOLOR=transparent]So the boy would receive the refuge he wanted, but there were still conditions. Gale made a fair and vital point, if someone came after the boy he'd be kicked to the curb, as it was too risky to draw attention to all of the illegal activity going on. Nova had a bittersweet feeling. Sure the poor boy would get some help, but that meant she had to play babysitter until he got settled in. Her task started now, given the command to set the boy up with one of the other young stowaways, granted, this one was a supernatural. "So until then is he sticking with me? It's fine I guess. There's no way I'm sleeping now so he can sleep in my bed or something if he's tired. No shoes though, kid, I just cleaned the sheets," she replied. She made a move to head to the door, opening it up and holding it, the cold breeze drifting in. She looked to Gale for any last minute instructions, but from what she knew now, she had to watch the boy until he could find a place to be. This was going to be....interesting. They've never had a human runaway, not that she knew of, so the circus members were bound to be curious. Let's hope they showed some manners.[/BCOLOR]
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[BCOLOR=transparent]Noah allowed himself to be ushered out of the train, his heart pounding from nerves or excitement or both. He'd done it. He was here. He was finally going to be able to say goodbye to the life he had always know, the future he had always dreaded. He didn't know what his new future was going to entail, but he knew it would be better than what he was leaving behind.[/BCOLOR]
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[BCOLOR=transparent]"Thanks. Ummm... Yeah. Thanks. I'm Noah."[/BCOLOR]
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[BCOLOR=transparent]The door to the train car was shut, leaving the two out in the cold darkness of the early morning. Nova took a moment to wonder what she had just gotten herself into, but only a moment, then her mind was moving forwards again. The trespasser, and now new circus member, had a name now. She wouldn't have to refer to him as 'boy' or 'kid,' but would regardless use those titles often. Noah. Sorta funny considering it was alike to Nova's name. Noah and Nova, two misfits from different troubled lives.[/BCOLOR]
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[BCOLOR=transparent]"Noah, huh?"she said, "Well Noah, I'm sorry we got off on the wrong foot. It's my job to be a bitch to intruders. My name's Nova, like the star. Dunno what my parents were thinking, but I've grown to like it." She extended a beastly hand for the boy to shake.[/BCOLOR]
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[BCOLOR=transparent]Noah took Nova's hand hesitantly, carefully positioning his wrist to avoid her sharp claws, and shook. He couldn't help but notice he did it much more delicately than he normally would, but couldn't really bring himself to squeeze any harder. "It's okay. You... you did a good job?"[/BCOLOR]
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[BCOLOR=transparent]Nova felt Noah's tentativeness as he took her hand, felt his muscles shift ever so slightly to avoid her claws. If Nova was feeling kinder she's take some krym, but that would be a waste since the kid had to get used to a bunch of supernaturals roving around, their features far from human. [/BCOLOR]
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[BCOLOR=transparent]To the boy's nervous sounding compliment, Nova chuckled, "Thanks, kid. I try my best."[/BCOLOR]
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[BCOLOR=transparent]He nodded, carefully extracting his hand from her grasp. "What happens now?"[/BCOLOR]
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[BCOLOR=transparent]Nova retracted her hand as well. "Now we head back to my train car and wait until it's time to get to work. Which for me, isn't that long,"she replied, heading in the direction of what served as her room in this transient life.[/BCOLOR]
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[BCOLOR=transparent]She opened the door gently and peered inside the darkened space. She shared her boxcar with the other backstage manager, a gorgon girl name Melinda. Nova would consider them pretty decent friends, having been roommates and coworkers for quite some time. It took a while for Nova to get used to it, but unlike most others, Melinda slept upright and was doing so now. She stood just a few feet away from the bolted down twin bed that Nova called her own. [/BCOLOR]
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[BCOLOR=transparent]"You can sleep if you want. I have some comic books if you wanna read them. Or you could just stare at the wall for an hour or so, I don't give a shit," she continued, "Melinda's sleeping right now, so you may want to be quiet. Don't scare the snake."Once Noah was inside she'd follow and close the door.[/BCOLOR]
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[BCOLOR=transparent]Noah blinked, before turning his head away rapidly, closing his eyes partway. He wasn't scared. Rather, he was fascinated. The woman before him looked like a creature straight out of greek mythology, serpent tail, snakes for hair, and all. He swallowed, before repeatedly intoning to himself [/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent]don't stare. Don't stare. Don't stare.[/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent] When he opened his eyes again, he tried to pretend he was just looking at another room, another sleeping woman. There was no way for him to tell how well it worked.[/BCOLOR]
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[BCOLOR=transparent]"Thanks. When... How does the morning start here?"[/BCOLOR]
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[BCOLOR=transparent]Nova walked in and wiped her paws on the ground to dispel any snow. Then she sauntered over to her bed and took a seat at the head of it, legs pulled towards her chest. There was plenty of room left for Noah to sit or lay if he wanted to. She leaned over to a side table and clicked on a small lamp, setting it to dim, enough to cast the room in a faint glow, but not enough to disturb the sleeping gorgon.[/BCOLOR]
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[BCOLOR=transparent]Nova didn't seem too worried about waking the woman, assuming she could sleep through some whispering or soft speaking. "Depends on the person. Some unfortunate people have to wake at the ass crack of dawn to prepare breakfast and others wake up earlier cause their weird that way. Either way, everyone has to be up at 9,"she said quietly.[/BCOLOR]
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[BCOLOR=transparent]"Nine," Noah repeated, before letting out a quiet, relieved sigh. "In that case I think I'm going to try and get some sleep." He moved over towards the bed, sitting down at the opposite end from Nova, before carefully taking off his shoes and curling up on the cover.[/BCOLOR]
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[BCOLOR=transparent]Noah had no idea if he'd be able to sleep. Most likely, the answer was going to be no. How could he, with everything that had just happened? But he had also been awake since three a.m, and dreams of the circus had kept him wide awake the night before. Within moments of closing his eyes, Noah had fallen asleep.[/BCOLOR]