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At almost midnight, soundlessly a candy swirl appeared on the opposite wall of the futon where Hoshijiro and Orion lay. The very same room that Cifer and Ranith had peered in on previously that day, Frostine more than effortlessly negated all trips for alarm. While Orion had fallen asleep long before, Hoshijiro stayed up with a small candlelight as he read the spicy book Pumpkin had given him to help pass the time.

Gently Frostine stepped through, her hooves hardly making a noise on bamboo mats but still leaning against the wall to prevent any kinda of disturbance. Nothing was said between the young Yakuza Lord and The Circus Showman, who stared at each other in awkward silence as they both listened to the footsteps of one of the Samurai walking by in the halls. Once they had passed, Frostine tentatively took a step forward “You didn’t alert the guard or push me away..” she whispered with an excited glee in her eye.

Standing up Hoshijiro shook his head no while closing his book and tucking it away. “I think I'm ready to hear what the ringmaster has to say.” Frostine took one of his hands in hers excitedly whispering “I'm so excited! Mom has been looking forward to meeting you for some time now. She said it wouldn't take long and she'll be so grateful for your time and consideration.” “I'm sure. How long will be the stay?” He asked. Frostine stilled, her posture relaxing momentarily as she closed her eyes and concentrated before springing back to herself. “She said bring small sentimental things but not too much. Whatever will make a prolonged stay more comfortable.” He simply nodded and said, “Then I have all I need with me.”

With a small curtsey, Frostine will hold out her hand towards him to take as he does hesitantly but firmly. “The travel will be short but it would be best to take a deep breath, count to ten and we'll be there.” Frostine smiled back at him while leading him closer to the wall and they both stepped through. The room seemingly lost all color in a black and white, never-ending abstract landscape. Holding out her other hand, a large shape pushed through the floor, rising and grazing against her fingertips, and out they stepped through her signature design into a large dimly lit room.

By taking in the surroundings that he could see it is easy to conclude that this room was close to the center of an expansive big-top tent by the way the ceiling started to curve up rather dramatically, but was cut off before reaching the full height. A large velvet red curtain cut the room into two parts, stopping him from seeing what was on the other side and whom.

With a quick wave, Frostine turned and headed out, leaving him in the room alone. There was silence for a long moment before he gradually stepped forward, approaching the curtain when he heard a voice from the other side speak “You can stop there now.” It wasn’t much said but it was enough for him to be able to hear the old ringmaster’s ailment hanging heavy in her voice.

“Is it contagious?” He asked with not an ounce of sympathy for her. “Not particularly. Not if there was a lot of effort put into it… but that’s not needed.” she answered. “You wanted to talk business that couldn’t be done anywhere else, what is it?” he asked of her again. Without just yet answering a gilded bird cage reached up out of the ground with vines twisting around and between the bars, locking him into place. He didn’t flinch nor make a sound as he only crossed his arms cause he already understood the situation he was walking into. “You’re a young man with a heart full of love, bleeding for a woman who never came back.” the ringmaster spoke, through the curtain. “You’re wrong.” he said “She didn’t leave me and she will come back again.” “Will she?” she asked, a hint of a smile formed on her lips. “I trust her completely that she will come to look for me and she will find me again.” he said taking a challenging step forward in the confinement. “You truly have a heard of gold.” she said “Don’t try to patronize me. I only came here because WE wanted answers and I demand that after all this effort you went through, it’s time you explain yourself”. There was a moment of pause, the ring leader, amused. “Hoshijiro, little wave, you don’t always need all the answers to everything. Sometimes you just need to take that small leap of faith and just decide…” He scowled at the curtain separating the two, despite being simply only a few feet apart from each other, he knew the last time he heard those words, it did not come from her or anyone else that had anything to do with any circus. “So you did your research and yet I don’t get to know anything about you.” “There’s not much about me TO know.” “I think differently. You’re stalling.” “I call it dramatic… suspense.” 

At the foolishness of it all, his patience slowly started to slip the longer he was stuck in a cage he couldn’t escape, in a place he didn’t know on a world that hadn’t yet even been charted on any star map. “I guess I misunderstood you for someone who would take things seriously. Is your business with Harmond? If you hurt pumpkin then I’ll send you back to the goddesses myself.” Water began to trickle down from the horns adorning the top of his head and whip around him as an agitated leviathan. (in humored nature) “Goodness no. I would never confide in the assistance of a BEAST.” she said, even laughing at the thought. “But would you hurt her?” “not particularly. I don’t have a reason to want to hurt her.” “And your daughter?” “Frostine wouldn’t even hurt a fly for as far as she knows that it is a fly.” “Would you help her?” “Of course, as any mother wou-” cutting off the ringmaster, he interjected “Pumpkin and her party.” Thinking about it a moment she answers “I could~ but I don’t see a reason to.” “You know what they’re facing and you know they could use the help. We have nothing to further talk about if you won’t even consider it nor tell me what is it you want and I WILL leave. Cause I know you need me more than I need you” “Hmm, you think so? Want and need are two completely different things, oh so clever boy?” 

The vines seceded from the bars as some of the water that had built up and coiled around him spilled out through. Collecting the water from around itself, the serpent, to Hoshijiro’s control, rushed to the curtain intending to strike through but growing slower and slower till it stopped millimeters from the velvet fabric. A melody sounded behind the curtain, of a music box, slowing his senses down incredibly slow. At first, it started with dizziness, next his vision started to blurring out, and not too long after, his head, chest, hands, and feet pulled down on his body, cementing him in place till he could no longer hold his own weight.

Softly, in a whisper, the ringmaster’s voice speaking in a (shrpegh gezough) can just barely be heard. “Love never dies… nor does it falter. Even when the heart is broken, love will endure…”

Through the sleep, words can be heard echoing. “Envision of a beautiful dream… one that would never end…

Despite wanting to resist, inside there was a longing in his heart he couldn’t ignore. This longing was a simple place, with a tree on a hill on a perfect summer day, resting in the shade, pumpkin off a bit of a ways as she sparred with her teacher, smiling and laughing while wearing the gift he had just given to her. Orion sat next to him keeping him up to date with the lives of all the people who had worked for them and how their lives are faring before scolding him as she always does about his indecision in his own life. He knew on the other side, sitting opposite of the tree Ranith was there, probably watching Pumpkin as she sparred but his presence wasn’t unwanted, especially seeing that she was happy around him in the short time they got to see each other again.

It all felt so real, the grass under him, the rough bark against his back, the occasional gentle breeze, and the peering sun.

It felt too real. 

Carefully, the Ringmaster picks up the scarf that Hoshijiro at one point clung to, which he had now dropped. Delicately folding it up, she pet the fabric that sat on top, admiring the attention to detail in its craftsmanship, “You should pity those who don’t feel anything at all… Pierrot.”