The Majikus Circus. 8D Five Years Ahead~

It really was just too hot today. Too bright, and too sunny. No doubt a good storm was going to blow in after this.

Sighing through her nose loudly, Karene continued on her way to the food van, mostly for lack of anything better to do. It was on her way there, though, that she spotted Selvai walking in the opposite direction, and followed the Magician with a curious gaze as he dissappeared among the vans. He had been just a little far for him to really spot her, and besides,he looked like he'd been enjoying his stroll which meant he wasn't likely tosee her anyway.

Shrugging, the caramel haired woman redirected herself to follow her fiancee, stopping short as she rounded Clarice's van. It took a moment to register the blonde, and another moment to name her as Helan. Naturally, Selvai had revealed his past to her, so it wasn't too difficult to deduce. Quickly retracing her steps back around the van, Karene decided it was probably best to leave them to it. No doubt they had a lot to say to eachother, and she had little right to disturb Selvai while doing so, quite frankly.

Stretching her arms above her head, she again made the food van her destination, and hopped lightly through the doorway as she reached it with a slight sigh of relief. It was pleasant to be out of the sun, at least.

"Oh, hey. You still in here?" She said by way of greeting, flopping heavily into a chair in front of Disera with a grin. She then proceeded to complain about the weather.

~~~

"Huh. Maybe you should go knock on his door," Maya suggested with an amused laugh, shifting herself to the side slightly so that she sat cross legged underneath the sun umbrella that resided over one side of the blanket. "I haven't seen him around this morning."

She was still looking highly amused as she watched Angel, who was currently looking at Kioko with her black hair sticking up in a funny way. She eventually gave a gurgle, then reached over for a stray block before placing it on the blanket in front of her and just looking at it. She "buh'd" at her mother once or twice, then giggled as Maya picked her up out of the sun, placing her on one crossed leg with a slight hug.

"So... Would you class your trip into town as a "date"?" the blonde asked, trying not to smile too much as she looked at Kioko. "I think it's about time, you know." She laughed. "Garath's been that ditzy around you lately, it was bound to happen-" She stopped herself here, then raised her eyebrows. "Unless this is just... A trip into town plain and simple. In which case, ignore what I just said."

Giving her daughter another hug, the blonde busied herself distracting Angel with one of Brandons wings. Oh well. It probably was a date of sorts. Either they knew it, or neither of them actually admitted to themselves. The thought just served to make her smile again.

~~~

Raphael had been waiting rather patiently for the tirade that was likely to come from Kylie, when he caught sight of Dravius stood there. Sure, he knew he was there, but there was little point him waiting around while his mother had a go at the blonde. Sighing quietly, he nodded his head subtly at his Co-Master.

"Why don't you go find something to do for the time being?" Raphael suggested. "Let me talk with your... Mother. You can show her around later, if you want. After we're a little more aquianted."

Kylie had to admit, most men were not this calm when confronted by a six and a half foot woman, and this Raphael was being surprisingly professional. It was enough to stop her from gouging her wicked-looked fingernails into the back of the Ringmaster's hand. "Reason? Oh, you'd like a [i]reason[/i], would you?" She humphed, and was about to unleash a tirade unlike any ever heard before when Raphael decided to send her son away. That was actually quite thoughtful of him, and Kylie really was having second thoughts about chewing this man out, but not enough that she was about to bring her train of thought to a screeching halt.

Dravius grinned nervously once again and nodded a few times, turning around and heading off into the camp, still looking massively bewildered. This was a really disorienting day so far, and it wasn't even past lunchtime yet. Hopefully things would make a little more sense as the day went on, although the Co-Master wouldn't be surprised if they didn't. He wandered aimlessly with a thoughtful look on his face, dodging around members and murmering short greetings when they were offered to him.

------------------------

Kylie, meanwhile, had waved a hand then turned back to Raphael, looking less furious than before. "I'm sorry, Mr...Raphael, was it? Please allow me a moment." Kylie closed her eyes and took a in a deep breath through her nose, then smiled slightly, then opening her eyes and taking a few steps back from Raphael.

"You know, I was coming to give you a tounge-lashing for all of Dravius' scars, but I really don't think that's the best idea now." Taking another few steps back, Kylie's pocket buzzed and she reached into her suitcoat pocket to take out a rather intimidating phone. She checked the screen, tutted for a second, then tucked her phone away. "Now where was I..." She trailed off, then began anew,

"Oh, yes. I was about to apologize for the frankly terrible looks I must have been giving you." Kylie looked a little embarrased, though her icy expression was still in place. Well, not really icy, but her high cheekbones, slender eyebrows, and thin lips made her look as if she was annoyed most of the time.

"I do appreciate you looking after my son, both Dravius and Xavier, when he visits. I can tell my younger boy is happy here. And I think that's enough to make any mother a little annoyed, having a child happy without them." Kylie's poised face affected an expression of slight sadness, and she shifted from foot to foot and said, "If it's not too much trouble, could my husband and I stay here for a while?" She again looked a little sheepish and added, "I kind of rushed up here without much of a second thought to accomodations or the like..."

-------------------------------

Liam was staring hard at his eldest son as he poked fun at his father, smiling crookedly, the pointing to the three females sitting on the blanket, and said, "What do you mean, not likely to bite. I can practically see the murder in the tiny one's eyes." Liam possesed a healthy ability to laugh at himself, and he was still smiling , although without any teeth, but the smile was replaced by a look of complete and utter surprise.

"Huhwhat?" Liam turned and stared at the small child, her mother, and the mother's friends. Goodness. He was ill equipped to deal with any of this. None of this was expected, and Liam was the kind of person who, when a surprise party was thrown for him, ran screaming in the other direction. And now he had a granddaughter. Oh, so no prepared.

Liam just stood there in a slight stupor for a few seconds, staring into the distance with a blank look on his face and eyes like flat, blue disks. When Xavier set off, he made noises of protest, not managing to finish more than one word before stammering, and ending up just spouting gibberish. "W-w-w-waiiiiit!" He eventually got out, but not before Xavier had marched out into the open. Liam contented himself by half-hiding behind the van between him and his granddaughter.

Yep. That was exactly the reaction he was expecting, and as such, Xavier was easily able to stop himself before he got in line of sight of Maya and Kioko, looking over his shoulder at his father with a slight frown. Goodness. You'd have thought with a wife like his, he'd be fine with this sort of thing. Sure, the news itself was probably a shock, and his natural aversion to women won't have helped, but really.

Sighing, the tall, dark haired male turned on his heel and walked back to his father, stopping once he reached the van and leaning his back against it; Crossing his arms loosely in front of him. "Hm. Guess we'll have to wait for Mom. As usual." He said, rolling his eyes with exaggerated paitence, snorting quietly with laughter. "You, old man, are unbelievable. They're not going to hurt you. And it really is a shame... She's a beautiful little girl."

Patting his dad on the shoulder, Xavier pushed himself away from the van and started walking in the other direction, away from Maya, Kioko, and Angel. Well, there wasn't really much else he could do. His father probably wasn't going to go with him willingly just yet, besides... He probably needed a little more time to get to grips with this new revelation. Maybe leaving him to wander the grounds some more might help. Or scare him to death... After all, this wasn't a normal Circus, and whether or not his parents actually got that yet he didn't know.

Still, the image of his dad meeting one of the shadow twins made Xavier laugh. The poor guy. Meeting a normal woman was bad enough, nevermind a freak from the Circus.

~~~

Raphael had been completely prepared to take whatever Kylie said on the chin, and so, after Dravius' departure, when her temper seemingly diminished, the Ring-Master had to raise an eyebrow in slight surprise. He nodded his head once when she required confirmation of his name, then proceeded to watch silently as the woman spent a minute or so in quiet contemplation.

When she finally spoke again, the blonde waved a hand. "Ah... I'm rather used to it." He commented with a wry smile. "A Circus is not an easy thing to run, especially one like this, and many people tend to have things to say. Not all of them positive." As the woman took a phone out of her pocket, Raphael allowed his gaze to wander for a moment, then looked back at Kylie as she spoke again.

"I can only imagine what that is like." Raphael murmered, his tone of voice genuine. He had, after all, always wondered about Dravius' parents after coming across the former. It had always been a great sort of mystery, really. "But. All things considered. His being happy is what's important, correct?... I'm not aware of what he told you, if anything at all, but he could have ended up far worse."

The blonde halted for a moment, idly wondering whether he should even mention what had happened to Dravius previously, had the Co-Master not remembered or neglected to tell her about Break, the man he'd ended up with originally. He eventually settled with just leaving it. If Kylie wished to know exactly how her youngest son ended up here, then he could explain it to her. He wouldn't, however, be able to explain what happened before. That is, he wouldn't be able to tell her how Break got a hold of the kid.

At the sudden question, Raphael waved a hand again. "We have to be somewhat quick with responding to people needing accomodation." He said, his slight smile still in place. "I'd be more than happy for you to stay, if that's what you want. It'd do Dravius good to get to know his real parents. And you, also." He added with a slightly knowing face. "I hope you don't mind the buzz of the crowd, mind you, the Circus is preparing for a rather special day tomorrow. I'm sure you'd be welcome to attend, however."

With that said, Raphael quickly waved over a passing member, requesting that a van be immediately prepared for the Wolfe parents. He then turned back to Kylie with a genuinely warm smile. "You're welcome to explore. Although I'm going to assume you might wish to spend more time with your youngest son, and he with you. No doubt he wishes to know more about his life before all this. I sincerely hope you enjoy your stay, Mrs. Wolfe."

"If he's really still asleep, then I definitely will," Kioko agreed. She leaned back as Maya shifted to sit under the umbrella, stretching out her legs. "He'll probably want to eat breakfast before we leave anyway," she continued. The pyro pushed Angel's stray block around the blanket with one finger. When she nudged it close to the edge of the blanket, Kioko picked it up and began idly turning it around in her hand.

She dropped the toy in surprise when Maya started asking about her and Garath's trip into town. "I- I wouldn't call it that," she said, voice trailing off into a mumble. "We're just seeing the town. It's not really a date or anything," Kioko insisted. She looked up at the sky, blinking at the brightness of the sun. "But, uh. I should probably go wake him up, so we have enough time to see the town."

Kioko stood up, stretching her arms out over her head. "I guess I'll get going. Bye, my Angel baby," she cooed. Bending over, the pyro kissed the child on the top of her messy black hair. Straightening up, she smiled at Maya. "I guess I'll see you later, then? It'd be nice if we could get together and talk again like this soon." Waving goodbye, the pyro stepped away from the balnket and headed in the direction of Garath's van.

Climbing the steps, Kioko took a moment to smooth down her hair and straighten her clothing before knocking on the door. "Garath? Are you awake yet?"

-----

Although Erik had stomped off in a huff after Xavier's dismissal, the shifter had continued to lurk around the circus vans, just out of sight of the taller male. He had been just about to give up and head back to his own van when he happened to look back in the direction Xav had gone, and caught sight of a very tall, very striking older woman.

His interest immediately peaked, the shifter sauntered over to where Raphael was speaking with the woman. He cocked his head to one side, hands on his hips as he grinned up at the woman. "Well, hello there. I had no idea you were hiring more dancers, Raphael." He paused for a second, then nudged the blonde man in the ribs with his elbow. "Introduce us," he whispered quietly.

Kylie had been looking at Raphael about as apologetically as she could be, which was really not all that expressive. "Yes, his happiness is indeed what is the most important to me and my husband. Kylie's eyes looked a little red, and she sniffed once, composing herself once again. "He did tell me something along the lines of he could have turned out much worse, but I suppose I disregarded that at first."

"A special day?" An expression of mild surpise showed on Kylie's icy visage, and she tapped her chin. "I suppose some things I brought in my luggage could constitute as formal wear. I am much obliged to your hospitality." Raphael seemed to be geniune, and it made Kylie think that, although this young man could obviously use a haircut, he was the repectable sort.

The Circus seemed a cheerful place as a whole, people wandering around with smiles on their faces, and just generally having a good time. Dravius' mother wondered what kind of big event it could be. A party, maybe? Oh, well, she'd just put on her most formal outfit and wing it.

Kylie was still deep in thought when a shorter man wandered over, with brilliantly red hair and a ridiculously smarmy expression on his face. Huh. He really didn't look very respectful to his Ringmaster at all...

What did he just say? At Erik's words, Kylie's bright green eyes widened for a second, then her expression returned to something close to neutral, a tightness in her jaw betraying her displeasure. Just who did this young man thiink he was, god's goddamned gift to women? And how old was he? Maybe twenty-two? Less than half her own age? Kylie was quite close to lifting up one spike-heeled foot and driving it through Erik's left foot, which happened to be closest to her.

-----------------------

At his son's frown, Liam looked more than a little sheepish, smiling shyly and shrugging his shoulders once or twice. He seemed to be content to just sit there blinking at Xavier, when the younger man decided to leave, completely ignoring his father's understated, yet still entirely there, protests. Liam finally just gave up, and tried to muster up his courage.

Succeeding to the point of blinding stupidity, Liam stepped out into the open just as the white-haired girl decided to take her leave, making the lady count go down by almost thirty four percent, turned bright red, and blurted out, "NICETOMEETYOUPLEASEDON'THURTME." Then proceeded to shake slightly and stand stiff as a board, wringing his hands.

It seemed to have gone rather well, more or less. This meeting with Dravius' mother had proved to be more of a discussion rather than Raphael having to take the brunt of her anger and irritation; Which was a pleasant and welcome surprise. Not that the Ring-Master would have blamed her had she gone and continued with the tirade she'd planned. Still... It was nice to be able to explain first. Or at least, explain as much as he was able.

Sliding his hands into his pockets, the blonde nodded his head ever so slightly at the woman's quiet surprise at the news tomorrow was a special day; His expression tinted with a slightly relieved smile. "You are very welcome." The tall blonde replied to Kylie's thanks, waving a hand before returning it to his pocket. "I'm just happy to know it gives you time with Dravius." He added. "The kid deserves to know you, and it'll be good for him to know he has a family out there."

Before much more could be said, or done, Raphael caught sight of the oncoming Erik, and then his current-only-avarage good mood flew outta the window. This... Now this was going to be a challenge. Sighing loudly through his nose, he glanced fleetingly at Kylie; Whose expression, as he had assumed it would, had suddenly dipped into an ice lake again. He eventually pulled his eyes back to Erik, his expression flat. "She's a visitor Erik, and I'd appreciate it if you didn't jump to conclusions."

He sighed again, then grumped as the red-head demanded to be introduced. "Erik. This is Dravius' mother." He said after a short pause, being absoloutely certain to put emphasis on the word "mother"; As well as fixing the shifter with a mild glare. There had to be a definate understanding. This woman was OUT OF BOUNDS. The last thing Raphael needed was to deal with a dead body.

"Kylie." He continued, looking back at the taller woman; His expression mirroring her slightly miffed one, although tinted with a slight apology. "Erik. Our resident flirt. Feel free to smack him if he gets too close." He sighed, running a finger over his right eye. "I really must get going. There are things I need to sort for tomorrow." Raphael paused, before shaking his head at Kylie.

"I'll get back to you once I get you a van sorted." With a slight nod of the head, and only a fleeting smile, the Ring-Master threw a last warning glance at Erik, before stepping off, heading for his own van.

~~~

"Pff. If he's still asleep, you should set his van on fire." Maya giggled, loosening her arms and allowing her daughter a little more room to move. Which only resulted in Angel falling off her mother's leg because she was too busy trying to pull the rather heavy Brandon up to her. The little girl slipped face first into the soft butterfly's back, and then rolled off it with muffled giggle. She was unharmed, besides the fact her hair had come loose of it's braid, not that that bothered her in the slightest.

Gurgling into the stuffed butterfly's soft body for a minute, the little dark haired baby then pulled her face away, glanced at her mother, and proceeded to hug the giant squishy around the middle with a loud gurgling noise. Although this was interrupted when Maya pulled her back in order to sort out the little girl's messy hair.

"Maybe not. Like I said, I could be mistaken." Maya murmered, smiling openly at Kioko's stuttering sentences. "I know he likes you though." She added quietly with amusement, her slender fingers reconstructing Angel's loose curls into some semblance of order. "Oh. Okay. Talk to you later, Kioko." The blonde smiled, as the pyro leant to give the now wriggling Angel a quick kiss on the head.

"And I hope so too." She added as the albino finally headed off, returning the younger womans wave before turning her attntion back to her daughter. She finished the little girls hair just in time to hear a... Well. It sounded like someone in a panic. Looking up quickly, the blonde's expression became slightly alarmed as her gaze fell onto a man she hadn't laid eyes on before. She was certain he wasn't part of the Circus...

Pulling her baby into her lap, and gently folding her arms around her, Maya just looked at the unknown male for a minute, her expression probably just as panicked as his. "It's... Nice to... Meet you?... I'm not... Going to hurt you... Are you okay?" He certainly didn't look okay... But she was a little unsure about going anywhere near him. He seemed just too terrified to handle anything other than standing there. It was rather worrying.

Keeping Angel firmly in her arms, (The baby of which was now looking at Liam over her mothers arm with wide eyes), Maya shifted a little so that she could speak to him better rather than look over her shoulder. "Are you... From town?... I haven't seen you around... Before... Maybe... You're looking for someone?"

~~~

Leena had been heading through the Circus grounds towards the food van for lunch, when she spotted Kioko stood outside Garath;s van. Clearing her thoat, she called over to the pyro. "Hey! Kioko!... If you're looking for Garath, he headed to the main tent not long ago. You'll probably find him there." Waving a hand, she smiled slightly, then continued on her way.

Aww come on, guys. Where is everyone.

Nylat, restless and bored ((*coughandhavingnothingelsetopostcough*)), sauntered calmly around the Circus grounds, her tail waving back and forth like a metronome. It truely wasn't too bad a day, and it was nice to be outside. It wasn't one of those days that had her wishing there were more buildings than open space. She was content to just walk around all day until she came across Raphael. He seemed a bit troubled, and so she joined his side, still waving her tail. "Well, someone doesn't seem too excited about something, hm? May I ask what, exactly?" She unconsiously fell into step with him, a habit developed over years of living around people. Easier to be walking beside them than two feet ahead.

((*stops rambling* Man, that took too long for that length. I'm outta practice, and seeing how Kanec takes longer even when I post regularly, I'm NOT gonna risk it right now. Now this late at night.))

Liam had only continued looking like a cornered puppy while the young woman said something. Oh god, what had she said. He didn't hear hear her. Ooooh, no. He had been beaten up for not listening to a woman before. Oh god. He was becoming so agitated Dravius' father nearly missed the woman's second statement, or rather, drawn out series of words. Looking for someone? No, he'd already found both his sons, and he didn't remember mentioning looking for someone in his rushed greeting. "N-no, I'm not. Why owuld I be looking for s-someone?" Liam was still shifting from side to side, and the man had begun wringing his hands, but at least you could fully understand what he was saying, as long as he didn't stutter too much.

"Uhm. H-how do I say this. Kylie k-keeps telling me to be less b-b-blunt." Liam paced back and forth a little, still wringing his hands quite a lot. "Oh, I'm b-bad at this." Liam looked on the verge of bursting into tears, his feet turned in towards each other. "Uhm. Well. I'm. Wait. I'm not that, because I don't think you two are married. Uh. I'm....her grandfather?" Liam sounded almost ridiculously uncertain, and flicked a hand towards Angel. "I don't think....I'm actually related to you...." Dravius' father looked at the ground, seemingly deep in thought.

"That w-was s-still rather blunt, w-wasn't it." Liam looked positively miserable, head drooping slightly. "And I've likely made a fool of myself again. I t-tend to d-do that a l-l-l-l-...a bunch." the older man sighed heavily, looking rather defeated.

Erik let out forced sounding laugh as Raphael stepped away. "He's joking, of course. Dear Raffy has a very odd sense of humor when it comes to me. Just tryst- uh, trust me, he and I are the best of friends." The red head took a step closer to Kylie, tilting his head back to look up at the taller woman. His lips curved upwards as he got a better look at her.

"So, you're Dravius' mother? That certainly explains why you're so... statuesque," he said, exhaling heavily on the last word. The shifter's tongue flicked out briefly, touching his upper lip before he spoke again. "I take it you are here to visit your son, then. Do you plan to stay long?" Erik asked, his expression bordering on a leer. "I could be your guide around the circus, if you wish."

-----

Kioko's head snapped over to Leena when the other woman called out to her, and she waved at her with a smile after she spoke. "Thanks, Leena!" So, that was why he wasn't answering his door. Leaving the van door, Kioko took off in the direction of the main tent to find Garath. She spotted the psychic soon after the large tent came into sight and practically bounced over to him, tapping the light haired male on the shoulder. "Hey," she said with a smile. "Good morning."

((But that's okay. We'll plan you a lovely funeral. ;D))

Raphael had still been on the steady stroll towards his van; His thoughts still trying to comprehend his previous meeting. It wasn't that it was hard to believe, just... Slightly surreal. This was probably down to the fact of not knowing anything beforehand. It all seemed rather sudden and unexpected.

Shaking his head, he let a quiet sigh slip past his lips, before a familiar voice caused him to look over his shoulder. "Oh. Good afternoon, Nylat," He greeted with a grin, shrugging his shoulders at her passing comment. "Not really anything to be excited about, I'm afraid. It's more of a... Surprise than anything, I suppose. I hadn't realised I looked so obvious." He paused with a quiet chuckle, continuing to walk at his constant pace as he veered towards his van.

"Dravius' parents are here, believe it or not. I almost got an earful from his mother regarding his... Uh. Scarring. It seems they genuinely cared about him... It's nice to know, all things considered. I think Dravius is still a little dazed by the whole thing, though." He laughed. "It'll wear off, I'm sure. It'll have to. The kid's still got his little family to introduce his parents to."

Chuckling again, the blonde jumped the first couple of stairs to his van as he approached, opening the door before looking back at Nylat. Smiling, he quickly slipped into the shade of his van before stopping by his desk and rummaging around in a drawer. "Oh... I don't know whether or not you've heard this already," He started, keeping his eyes on the contents of his drawer as the rustle of paper was heard. "But the wedding's tomorrow. Karene and Selvai seemed to have come to an agreement regarding the date."

Raphael laughed, just as he placed a pile of papers on his desk before closing the drawer with a quiet snap. He then surveyed Nylat in the doorway. "And how're you, by the way?"

~~~

Well. All that work for very little. Not that it mattered. Putting up a tent wasn't exactly hard work when you were able to use your mind to construct it.

Shaking his head, Garath stared for a minute or two at the tent canopy, having been stood in the centre of the Ring that resided in the main performance tent. He had been advised to take it down. The tent, of course, had been used the past couple of days, but seeing as the wedding of the year was tomorrow, there was little need to keep it up. Raphael had already mentioned that shows had been postponed this week. The Circus would be moving shortly after the wedding anyway. Besides, a rather large gazebo was going to be set up tomorrow morning.

Shrugging to himself, the silver haired male spent most of the morning dismantling things inside the tent, leaving just the actual outer construction and material left to move. Wiping the back of his hand across his forehead, Garath jumped slightly as he felt someone touch a shoulder before turning his gaze to the perpatrator.

"Oh, hey." He responded with a grin, dropping his hand. "Sorry I didn't come to get you this morning... Raphael told me about tomorrow. He wanted this thing-" Here he gestured at the tent. "Moved. I can leave these guys to finish off though. I believe I promised you a trip into town." He laughed, looking over at the other members taking part in bringing down the tent."Come on. Lets get out of here before they notice." He teased, wrapping an arm around the pyro's shoulder and heading for the entrance. He was sure to wave to the other members before he left, earning a few lighthearted insults. They'd manage, no problem.

Grinning as the sunlight hit him, he let out a small explosive breath. "Hunh. It's hot out here... Hey. Are you okay with still going into town?" He asked, dropping his arm from the girls shoulder and slipping both into his pockets.

~~~

Oh god. She'd said something wrong. She had to have done for this man to look like he currently was doing. Maya was pretty darn sure he was going to collapse any moment now...

"Oh... I uh... I just... Assumed?" She answered, still looking highly concerned as she kept her arms around Angel. She was starting to think there might be something genuinely wrong with this man. "Not many people... Come to this Circus outside show times unless they're looking for someone." She responded carefully, highly worried she might upset him further. Angel had placed her head right in the crook of Maya's elbow, making her face look smushed as she watched this amusing person who kept walking about.

Furrowing her brows slightly as Liam continued, idly noting the strange and downright creepy similarity to Dravius. The Co-Master acted in exactly the same way as this person when he was upset. At the word "married", Maya's expression flitted from worried to completely confused. "I don't-" She started, cutting herself off as the male continued. Her... Grandfather?

It took a minute for this to register, then the blonde simply looked down at Angel, who seemed quite content where she was. As bizarre and impossible as it was, Maya couldn't help but think of her own father. For some reason, it was the only thing she really considered, seeing as Dravius' parents didn't seem to exist. Of course, that thought wasn't even registered. It went beyond impossible, which left only two choices.

Either this man was related to Dravius. Or he was insane, and the second choice seemed for feasable, somehow. Maya shook her head quickly, then looked back at Liam. She was quiet a good few minutes before she spoke, and then her voice was more careful than it had been previously. "I'm not going to hurt you." She repeated, slowly, before looking back at Angel, then Liam. "You're... Dravius'... Dad?" She asked.. "Does he... Does he know you're here?" The uncertainty in her voice was unmissable. She still seemed more ready to believe anything else than that this man was her boyfriend's father.

After all. No-one knew about Dravius' past, or his parents. It seemed... So weird. As far as Maya had been concerned, Break had been at the start of the Co-Masters life. "I don't... I... What's your name?" She asked, idly wondering whether or not Dravius knew about this man, supposedly claiming to be his father... And if so. Was he okay?... This was most likely going to turn his life upside down, and naturally so. It was still very hard to believe from her point of view...

Angel, meanwhile, was blissfully ignorant of the whole thing; And was now amusing herself by sticking out her tongue for no apparent reason.

Kylie had been staring at Erik with a slightly subdued look of revulsion on her face. Who WAS this man? He seemed entirely untrustworthy, and the personality of a New York prostitute. He also seemed to be undressing her with his eyes. That was...unsettling. Kylie was becoming increasingly uncomfortable standing next to this short, amorous man.

"Yes, I am." Kylie replied to Erik's first question, a horrified look flashing across her face for a moment at Erik's added, weird, boy language. Dravius' mother was doing a rather good job of containing her emotion, as she had experienced clients and bosses in her line of work that tried some of these advances on her, but this man was taking it to the extreme.

"I plan to stay at least a few days. And I need you to understand something." Kylie put one foot in front of the other, and bent from the waist until her face was level with Erik's, no doubt giving the man a spectacular view down the front of her purple, silky shirt worn under the jacket of her suit. She then reached out one milky white and put it under Erik's chin, bringing her fingers up so that four of them were on one side of his face, her thumb on the other.

"And what I need you to understand?" Kylie continued, the corners of her mouth curling up. Suddenly, the older woman bared her teeth in a snarl, and dug her laquered nails into either side of Erik's face, saying powerfully, "I do not want your help. I do not like you. I. am. married. Thank you." Kylie straightened up, tugging down the bottom of her jacket and smiled again. "I do hope you got the message, young man."

-----------------------------------------

The minute or two that silence stretched between Mayanna and Liam seemed like hours to the latter, Dravius' father sharing the habit of chewing on his cuticles with his son. "Yes, I-I am, a-a-a-and yes, h-he does. W-well, he kn-knows I am in th-the circus, b-but not here sp-specifically." Liam gestured around him vaguely, still chewing at the skin around his nails.

"Name? OH. My name. It's Liam. Wolfe." Dravius' father looked rather sheepish, and took his hand away from his mouth. "M-my son was t-talking with his m-mother, I think..." Liam looked at the ground, shifting from foot to foot. "I also fear that I have not made a very good impression. I'm terrible with people." Liam sighed to himself, running his hands through the front of his hair, the graying strands sticking up every which way, and his glasses slipping down the bridge of his nose.

--------------------------------------

Dravius had again been wandering aimlessly, until he decided that, it would probably be a good idea to inform Maya of all of this, as he turned on his heel and headed towards thier shared van, hands in his pockets. It was getting quite hot, now, with the sun fully overhead and all. Dravius' head was completely clear during his short walk over, although the murmer of voices from the space next to Maya and his van made him furrow his brows a bit.

The voice didn't sound very familiar, and as he rounded the corner, the Co-Master was terrified to see that the person talking to his girlfriend was none other than his wreck of a father, who seemed to lack any detectable people skills, and was now floundering with trying to introduce himself, it seemed.

"Uh. Hi?" Dravius waved a hand weakly, blinking twice.

Despite having only heard about Liam's revalation, Maya couldn't help but notice so many little similarities between this aging male and Dravius. His whole aura, as the blonde had already noted, resembled the Co-Master's when he was upset. Then there was the constant chewing and fidgeting and all these other little things. Granted. Dravius had never quite been THIS bad when it came to people, but it was still something that had clearly been inherited from his dad.

"Oh.." She murmered, as Liam answered her question regarding Dravius knowing of his presence. She guessed the Co-Master hadn't spent much time with his dad. Seeing as it hadn''t been too long ago she'd seen Dravius in the food van.

At the mention of Dravius' mother, Maya had to pause again to comprehend it. Oh god... Both of his parents were here?... Had they come looking for him?... Shaking her head, the butterfly winged young woman had to divert her attention to her daughter for a moment, who still had her tongue out and now, as a result, was dribbling all over the place. Tutting, Maya shifted her daughter's face away from her arm, before wiping her down with a small part of the blanket and looking back at Liam.

She couldn't help but smile at him slightly as he commented on his first impressions, lifting Angel onto one of her crossed legs. "I don't... Know how long you've been here, Mr, Wolfe, or how much you know about Dravius, but... He used to be exactly the same... Especially when he was younger. I'm rather used to it, really." She replied, sighing quietly. Well it was true. Although admittedly Liam seemed... Well. A LOT more on edge than Dravius had ever really been. Not to mention the Co-Mastr had improved considerably over the length of his existance in the Circus.

Maya simply looked at Liam for a moment, a small sliver of nervousness caused by his constant fear. She wasn't quite sure why he was so afraid, and she really wasn't used to people being scared of her. In any way at all... Maybe he had a phobia of insects?...

At that moment, another voice caused Maya to look over her other shoulder. She knew who to expect, though she wasn't entirely sure why he looked so worried. "Oh... Hey, Dravius... Uhm." Pausing, the blonde looked back at Liam, then at Dravius again. Now that she looked. They didn't look alike. Not really. There was an obvious similarity with the eyes though... In fact. Angel had those very same eyes, and Maya had to glance at her daughter just to be sure. Angel was too busy wriggling about to keep her eyes on her mother, though.

"I just... Uh. Had the pleasure of meeting your... Father." She finished, smiling slightly as she looked back towards her boyfriend, gesturing in Liam's direction. She probably still looked slightly disbelieving. No surprise really, this whole thing was so, so bizarre.

Ny smiled. "You aren't obvious at all. Well. To me you are, at least. But I don't really count. I have, like, a sixth sense for this sort of stuff." At the explanation of what had shocked him, Nylat's ears pricked. "His parents? And they actually have a bit of care for him in them? Well, to be honest, I never thought his parents were still alive, or that if they were, they didn't care about him much. Makes me wonder how Break got ahold of him." She shook her head, then sat as Raphael started going through papers, ears flicking at the news. "Oh, those two finally decided? That's great. 'Bout time, if you ask me." At the question, she smiled gratefully. "I'm doing fine, thank you. Yourself?"

Distracted by the view, Erik barely heard what Kylie was saying to him until the older woman dug her fingernails into the skin of his face. The pain managed to bring his attention back to what she was saying, and the red head dragged his eyes back up to her face as she spoke. "Understood," he choked out, wincing. Erik rubbed at the skin on his lower jaw where Kylie's nails had dug into his face. "So, you're saying you're not interested, then?" he asked.

The shifter sighed, straightening his clothing. "That's quite unfortunate, you being married and all. I suppose it's serious, then? Oh well. I'll see you at the wedding tomorrow, I suppose. Unless you change your mind about needing a guide around the circus," he said, lifting one eyebrow.

-----

"Oh, don't worry about it. I was just catching up with Maya this morning," the pyro told him, grinning back at him. She looked over the large tent when Garath gestured to it. "Looks like they can handle the rest of it. Let's go." Kioko wrapped her arm around the psychic's waist as he placed his around her shoulder. Leaning into him, she walked with him to the circus entrance.

"Oh. Um, I was... But if you don't want to do it, that's fine too. I can find something else to do around the circus today," Kioko said quickly, stepping away from Garath as the psychic dropped his arm away from her. "I can go back and hang around with Maya, I don't think she's busy today."

-----

"Oh. Well, I forgive you," Selvai said, a bit uncomfortable. "And you needn't feel so guilty after all this time. I have found a place here at the Majikus. True, this is not the life I had planned for, but I am happy with it." The magician sighed once, pulling his hair back as he looked at Helan. "Actually, it's fortunate you decided to come visit. There is something I wanted to give you, if you will come with me."

The slight blonde hesitated, but followed Selvai as he wound through the circus grounds to the van he shared with Karene. Helan stood a few feet from the steps as Selvai ducked inside for a few minutes, then returned with a small hinged box in one hand.

"I realize you gave this back to me when our engagement was called off, but I feel as though you should have it back now," Selvai explained as he handed the box over to Helan. The petite woman stared at it for a moment, then looked back at him. "You kept our engagement rings?"

He simply shrugged. "It did not seem right to get rid of them, before now. But, with the wedding tomorrow, I decided I no longer needed to keep them. I doubt you'll want to keep them either, but I thought it would be appropriate to let you decide what to do with them," the magician explained.

"Oh. Thank you," Helan replied, a bit stunned. She slipped the small box into her jacket pocket, then glanced back up at Selvai nervously. "I suppose now would be the time to tell you, I had another reason for coming to find you. Aside from the apology."

"What would that be?" Selvai asked, bracing himself mentally. He couldn't think of any good reason that would involve his ex-fiancee tracking him down after six years.

Helan took a deep breath before speaking again. "This will probably be shocking to you, but I didn't want you to find out through some other source. Cersis and I... are engaged." She looked at the striped haired man apprehensively. "Are you going to be alright?"

"Oh. That's... A surprise." Selvai sunk down to the steps of the van at Helan's announcement. He rubbed one hand across his face, not speaking again for a few minutes. "I didn't even realize the two of you were... fond of each other."

"Things have changed quite a bit since you left, Selvai."

"Obviously," the magician muttered, still not looking up at her.

Helan hesitated before speaking again. "I should probably go. Congratulations on your wedding, Selvai."

He nodded jerkily, still covering his face with one hand. "Yes. You as well, Helan. I doubt he'll want to hear it, but could you relay my well wishes to Cersis as well?"

The petite woman nodded. "Of course. Goodbye, Selvai."

"Goodbye, Helan." Selvai waited until Helan had left to lean back on the steps, looking up at the bright sky. Well. That had been informative. And painful. Standing up, Selvai began walking through the circus grounds, hoping to clear his head.

Dravius stood where he was, looking more than a little bit sheepish. The young man stood a little apart from his fother, and had stuck his hands back into her pockets, fidgiting with something in his left pocket, slouched over a bit. Maya looked a little bit skeptical of this whole thing, and, really, Dravius couldn't blame the young woman, what with his father acting like he was being threatened. This man seemed like he would fall over in a strong breeze, and the fact that he was trembling slightly, contributed to the edging away from Liam that Dravius was executing.

"Yes, sorry. I don't...know why he's....terrified." Dravius glanced at his father, the latter of whom jumped slightly and said quietly, "Uhm, well, I don't do very well, uhm, around women..." Liam looked at his feet as he said his, which made his mumbling all the more indistinct. "Lovely. Well." Dravius coughed awkwardly and shifted his weight form foot to foot.

"Alright. I think we might need to find my mother, she's a little more talkative. Or something." Dravius shrugged his shoulders, and Liam looked up, shoving his glasses up his nose. "I don't know how well Kylie will recieve the fact that you have a child." He said quietly, tugging on the hem of his sweater. "But, I don't know. Go ahead. Sorry." Liam put his hands in his pockets and slouched slightly, the resemblence in his posture in relation to Dravius almost eerie.

-------------------------

"You really shouldn't say you understand, and then ask for clarification, young man. It makes you sound even more like a dolt than you already are." Kylie said, narrowing her bright green eyes. "But yes, that is indeed what I was trying to convey."

Erik however, just continued his ridiculous cheek, and two small red spots of anger appeared near the top of Kylie's cheeks for a second. The woman took a deep breath through her nose, then forced her lips to curve upwards in a small smile.

"No, thank you, Erik. How kind. Of you to offer." She coughed slightly, her eyes hooded and icy once again. "I do hope you've learned enough to stay well enough away from me tomorrow, or I really can't be responsible for what...happens." Kylie turned on her very high heel and started walking smartly away, still inwardly furious.

"Apparently, they do." Raphael murmered, still shuffling his papers around. "Which, I think, is a good thing, in Dravius' case. All things considered." He threw a smile at Nylat over his desk, then placed a few of the papers he had out back into a drawer.

"I can understand that." He responded to the hybrid's following statement. "It did feel very much like he had no parents. But I'm sure that's simply because we knew very little about them, if anything at all. Before Break is a hazy area." He paused, glancing fleetingly at hybrid before shrugging. "Knowing Break. It probably had nothing to do with Dravius' parents, no fault of theirs. He was a sly, manipulative man. He'd have easily been able to take any kid he wished without much trouble. And once he'd have got out of there, the parents wouldn't have stood a chance finding him."

"Ah well." Raphael said with a quiet laugh. "Karene has only just returned. Actually, I was expecting it to be a little later than earlier. Not that I mind." Still chuckling slightly, he looked up as Nylat answered his question, then waved a hand. "I'm pretty good also, thanks for asking." He grinned. "Might take a little it for me to get used to having Dravius' parents here, mind."

Giving himself enough time to stretch his arms above his head, the blonde placed an elbow on his desk. "Got any plans for today?" He asked, his tone conversational.

~~~

"Oh, I see. Had fun?" Garath asked with a chuckle, as Kioko finished explaining what it is she had been up to that morning. At the pyro's following words, the silver haired pyschic couldn't help but roll his eyes, his expression amused. "I was checking with you whether you still wanted to go. I never mentioned not actually wanting to on my part." He laughed.

He raised an eyebrow as she continued. "You make it sound like you want to get away from me." He added, his voice teasing as he started walking again; Towards the town some distance away. "Huh. Oh well. Come on." He grinned. "The quicker we get there, the quicker you can get back."

~~~

After spending a good while in the food van, Karene had decided that it was probably about time she go talk to Selvai. She had, of course, wanted to do so earlier, but seeing him with his ex had put that on hold for a while. Slipping out of the door, the caramel-haired magician immediately headed for her own van. She could wait for Selvai there, or so she'd hoped. Turns out he'd beaten her to it.

Stopping short of getting in view, she watched as Helan and Selvai exchanged goodbye's, shortly followed by the petite blonde's departure. Karene watched the young woman leave, then looked back at fiancee in time to catch him walking off. He certainly didn't look too happy, but in all honesty, that's all she had been expecting. Maybe not quite as bothered as he seemed, but at least somewhat so.

Sighing through her nose, she chose to follow him, strolling quickly until she was walking a few feet behind. On an impulse, she stopped, then spoke; Her voice just loud enough to reach Selvai before he walked out of range.

"Do you want to talk about it?"

~~~

Maya's attention had been back on Liam when Dravius spoke again, and she looked back at him, her expression still slightly concerned. She didn't have much of a chance to respond before Liam interjected with an explanation. Needless to say it took a moment to sink in.

"Wo-?" Maya started, then cut herself off to actually think about it. Really?... She'd come across quite a few weird and bizarre phobias but... That was crazy. How did that poor guy get around in life while being scared of women?... Considering half the population were female... Probably not very well.

"Ah..." Was all she could say in conclusion, before furrowing her brows slightly at Dravius. His mother?... Well. Maya couldn't really... See a problem with that. It might actually help... Particularly with her husbands unusual issue. Not to say the blonde still wasn't having trouble with all this. It was all still very surreal.

It was only Liams next comment that pulled Maya's thoughts to a stop. She actually felt slightly run down by his words. She wouldn't have thought finding out you had a grandchild was a bad thing, a bit of a shock, maybe, yes. But not a negative thing. Maya suddenly felt slightly apprehensive about meeting this man's wife. "Uh." She said uncertainly, looking at Dravius with a slightly worried face.

Sighing through her nose, the blonde gently pressed her cheek onto her daughters dark head of hair, who was still sat between her mothers arms, gurgling and amusing herself with the white material of Maya's top. Maya waited a moment, then sighed again quiietly. She eventually stood herself up, lifting Angel into her arms, before walking slowly over to her boyfriend.

She made absoloutely sure to stay slightly away from Liam for fear of sending him into shock. Or a faint. "Here." She said, handing Angel to Dravius. Well. Her grandfather was going to need to meet her sometime. "You should... Probably introduce them. No doubt he'll be more comfortable with you anyway." She added, glancing fleetingly at Liam.

Nylat nodded. "He needs some sort of parental guidance. Not that the Circus and you haven't been good enough, but nothing is as effective as a stern scolding from a parent, I believe." Flicking her ears at the mention of Break, she nodded. "True, true. But he's behind us now, which is good. No more dealing with that rat for us or anyone else." She smiled at his next statement, flicking her tail over her feet. "I see no point in waiting, personally. If a marriage is to be had at all, even. I see little of the sense you humans do in having to have a big to-do when two people decide they love each other. Then again, my upbringing is far different." She shrugged, then laid down, her head on her paws. "Ah, that is good. And you are not the only one who has to adjust. Both Dravius and Maya have to, as well. Speaking of which, how long do his parents plan on staying? If long, they may want to be introduced to me before long. Otherwise, I fear I may end up frightening someone. It is not every day that one appearing as I walks undeterred among humans." With a yawn, she answered his final question. "Well, I was going to talk to Maya, but I may have to wait, seeing as she's probably meeting Dravius's parents."

Selvai had only been wandering through the circus for a few minutes when Karene spoke her question from behind him. The magician stopped his wandering and looked over his shoulder at his fiancee. "There really is not much to speak about, to be honest. Helan wanted to apologize for her part for my exilement all those years ago." Selvai closed the distance between him and Karene, shrugging once. "While I do appreciate her coming all this way to do so, it was unnecessary. I was never angry at her for it."

The magician rubbed at the marks on his upper face with one hand, thinking of what else Helan had told him. He wasn't bothered by the news of Helan and Cersis' engagement, so much as very, very surprised. Selvai looked at Karene, quirking up one eyebrow. "Also, my ex-fiancee and my brother are appearently engaged to be married."

-----

Whistling cheerfully, Jemis stepped through the barrier around the Majikus and headed toward the large cluster of vans. She'd been traveling for several days in order to reach the circus in time, and wanted nothing more at the moment to borrow an empty van and unpack her bag before finding her brother. The dark haired woman made her way through the many circus vans until she came to the one belonging to the circus master (recognizing it from her previous visits to the Majikus).

Knocking once, she stuck her head into the van door. "Hello, Nylat." Jemis greeted the hybrid with a smile before speaking to Raphael. "And you too, Mister Raphael. I thought I should check and let you know I'd be wandering around the circus before I went to find my brother," she explained. Stepping inside, Jemis sat her bag on the floor and stretched. "Although, I don't suppose you have a spare van available? I'd like to unpack and rest a bit before I go find Selvai."

"Poor Dravius." Raphael laughed, leaning back slightly in his chair. "Having to get used to genuine parental scolding. Still, anyone should hope he's old enough by now to avoid that." Grinning amusedly, he looked back over at Nylat as she continued; Mentioning the lack of Break, before rolling his eyes slightly.

"Your upbringing has been held mostly around people. Besides, you're more of many species than human specifically. Marriage is a very human concept, no?... It's normal for you to see it as a pointless venture. With people. It's not the big "to-do", as you put it, that's all that important. It's what it stands for." Raphael shrugged. "Although there are probably any people in the world who'd agree with your point of view."

Turning his attention to a nearby wall full of Circus posters, the blonde spent a minute or so simply looking at them, still speaking to the hybrid as he did so. "Indeed. I think most of us will need to adjust," He replied, turning his gray gaze back to Nylat. "And huh. Actually. I really don't think you'd be that much of a surprise. His mother seems capable enough... Besides, you'll meet them before long. They need to get to know Dravius, really. They also have quite a bit to get used to themselves, like having a grandchild for instance."

As the hybrid went on to answer the question he had asked earlier, the blonde had to smile. "Mhm. Most likely. They may be a bit." He added, idly thinking of the usual conversations that would usually ensue with meeting your lovers parents. Although there was probably a lot more in this case, considering Dravius and his parents probably had a lot more to go through and talk about.

At that moment, a knock floated through the van door, shortly followed by a recognisable face. "Good afternoon, Jemis." Raphael greeted, looking momentarily taken aback, before standing himself up and away from the desk. He waved a hand quickly. "It's fine. You might wish to speak to your brother sooner than later, though. I'm still getting temporary accomodation sorted, I'm afraid. We've already got a few of our visitors here as well as a few more unexpected ones." Smiling slightly, the blonde Ring-Master leant his hip lightly against the desk.

"Although... A couple of vans should be up and sorted by now. We can go take a look." Stepping away from the desk, Raphael went to stand by the doorframe of his own van, throwing a brief glance over his shoulder before stepping out into the sunlight.

~~~

Not much to speak about?.... Well. She couldn't argue with that. For all Karene knew, Selvai may have just been slightly taken by surprise by his ex-fiancee's appareance. Though she had still had to ask, what with the magician walking around like he was doing. It was usually a good, and accurate indicator that he was thinking heavily about something.

At his explanation of just why Helan had shown up, the caramel-haired woman raised an eyebrow slightly. It seemed an awful long time to leave an apology. Although there was little point in thinking about it. "Maybe. Perhaps she felt it was the right thing to do, though." She responded, looking questioningly at Selvai's raised brow. His following words caused her to mimick his expression.

She looked off in the general direction Helan had left. She left it a moment, then exhaled quietly through her nose before looking back at Selvai. Must have been peculiar. To have your ex-fiancee show up, then reveal she's marrying your brother. "I don't think... I can't really say much to that. I don't know Helan. And the only time I met that brother of yours was to clash with his opinions. Still. Can't be an easy thing to get your head around, all things considered." Karene paused a minute, and then true to her humour and form, added, "I''d say I think Helan could probably do better. But that would be unfair. I'm rather biased."

Shrugging, she snorted quietly in amusement. Goodness. If only Cersis knew who was marrying HIS brother. Now that might prove a bit of a shock.

"Does it bother you?" Karene asked somewhat suddenly, pulling her thoughts back to her fiancee. She then shook her head slightly "You know. We've got the rest of the day to do absoloutely nothing. If you're not busy, we could find something to do. Might help clear your head a little." She suggested, smiling winsomely.

Nylat smiled at Raphael's first statements. "Indeed. In that aspect, I don't envy him. I'm glad to not have any true parents to contain me." At the mention of her upbringing, she nodded. "Yes, around humans, but you must remember that the first ten years of my life were spent around a group that's different from normal human society." At his next few comments, she shifted. "I didn't mean now, of course. No, best they get at least somewhat situated. Anyways, I'm not in the mood to meet anyone right now." She lifted a back leg, scratching at her neck. At Jemis's arrival, she flicked her ears. "Hello there, Jemis." She listened carefully to the following conversation, then flicked her tail as Raphael left. "Hey! Wait for me." She trotted after Raphael, waving her tail as she strolled alongside him.

"Hm. Knowing Helan, that seems the mostly explanation," Selvai said. The magician dropped his hand from his face, stuffing it in his pocket and rubbing at the back of his neck with the other. "A small part of me is surprised, though. After the way we parted, I doubted she would have wanted to ever see me again." He shrugged, smiling in amusement when Karene raised her own eyebrow at his news. At least he wasn't the only one who was surprised by it.

"That's quite alright, I am not entirely sure how to process this myself, at the moment. It is rather hard to get my head around it, as you said." Snorting in laughter, Selvai stepped beside Karene, wrapping his free arm around her in a half-hug. "Well. I am rather lucky that I will not have to worry about family reunions, then. And as for the other thing, well, I can understand your bias, considering your history with Cersis. Only natural that you would think badly of him, having clashed in the past." The magician moved his hand from his pocket, pushing a strand of white hair from his face. "Of course, I am probably biased myself. I'm hoping that Cersis and Helan are happy together, even if the two of them together seems a bit odd to me." He shrugged. "I am not bothered, so much as baffled."

Returning her smile, Selvai nodded in agreement. "That sounds rather tempting. Do you have any ideas as to what we could do to pass the time?" he asked.

-----

"Sounds good. Lead on, Circus Master," Jemis said with a laugh. Picking up her bag, she walked out of the van, following the blonde and the hybrid. "So, how have things been since my last visit? Any interesting gossip to share?" she asked teasingly.

-----

"Pffft. No need to check. I did come to find you, right?" Kioko asked. Grabbing his hand, the pyro gently pulled Garath in the direction of the town. "I hope you still want to go. It would be boring by myself, without anyone else."

"Ha. Like I said, I did come to find you. Would I have done that if I wanted to get away from you?" She walked alongside the psychic as they headed toward the town, giggling at his last words. "Now who sounds like they want to get away, hunh?" the pyro asked teasingly.

-----

Back at the van she shared with Kanec, Disera busied herself with tidying up while Lionel followed her around, demanding attention. After the third time of Lionel pulling the covers from the bed, she finally gave up and scooped up the little boy. "How about we go visit aunt Karene? So that mommy can get something done, yes?" she asked as she stepped out of the van to go in search of the dark haired woman.

Dravius had opened his mouth to try and say something to lighten up the conversation when his father said something nonsensical about his mother meeting Maya. Wh-what? Why wouldn't she be happy? Why were parents so confusing? Gosh. They didn't seem like they were worth the trouble so far, to be honest.

The taller male started to say something along the lines of "Wait, are you going now?!" when he took Angel, wrapping his arms around her and putting the weight of the infant on one of his hips. "But..what..." His last word trailed off as he stared at his father, who was shifting nervously.

Liam had shied away from Maya, although he did notice that the woman was trying to keep her distance. Maybe she wasn't going to hurt him at all. On the other hand, maybe it was only a ruse to lull him into a false sense of security. Liam then made a resolution to keep even more on guard than he was usually, just in case.

The little one was also looking at him funny, he was sure of it. God, he was being paranoid. And he was also rambling inside his own head. Liam too a deep breath and looked over at his son. "...So." The older man cleared his throat and rocked back and forth on his heels. Dravius sighed again and remarked, "She's got both of our eyes." Liam nodded, putting his hands in his pockets.

Awkward silence stretched between the two, as they both tried their best to avoid eye contact, Dravius by shooting pleading looks to Maya, Liam by staring at the ground and murmering to himself.

"Well... She does seem that sort of person." Karene murmered in response to Selvai's agreeing statement regarding Helan's visit. "Or at least, from what I've heard." She paused, then shrugged. "Years can do that to people. Change them, I mean. Or t least change their views."

Raising her brows slightly as Selvai laughed, the expression mellowed into an amused smile as her fiance half hugged her. "And it's not that I think badly of him, as such. Although admittedly the news regarding him after I returned five years ago didn't exactly lift my opinion of him anyway."

Watching idly as the magician moved a stray strand of white, the caramel-haired woman "Mhm'd" at him, before snorting quietly. "Baffled. Sure. Makes more sense for you, though. You know both of them far better than I do. It'll pass, though, I'd assume." She paused again, then laughed as Selvai spoke.

"Pff. Tempting. That's one way to put it. And yes, actually. Many, many ideas. Although I should leave most of them alone for the time being." She wiggled her eyebrows at him, then laughed again. "I think. A walk would be nice. It's certainly hot enough out here. Unless you have any other ideas, Mr.Mayoso?"

~~~

Rolling his eyes at Jemis' obvious enthusiasm, Raphael carried on strolling at a somewhat leisurely pace before glancing over his shoulder at Nylat with a grin. "Sorry about that. And yes. You're right. It's almost easy to forget you were elsewhere for the first ten years of your life. You've been with us so long." He stretched out an arm to scratch the hybrid behind the ear, before pulling his hand back and sliding it into a pocket.

It wasn't too long later he paused just outside a rather large space located at the edge of the Circus border. In it, resided a number of plain, simple vans, one of which was still in construction by the Majikus' local metal man, Zephyre. His ability to mould and morph metal gave him to ability to construct vans, as well as a variety of other Circus equipment in a short space of time.

After a quick greeting, the blonde haired Zephyre went back to his work on the final van, leaving Raphael to smile at Jemis. "You can choose any of the vans here. They'll cater for you just fine for as long as you're here." He waved a hand, his face still harbouring a smile. "Help yourself." He laughed, leaning slightly to stroke Nylat on the head.

~~~

"No... Not... Yet." Maya replied, looking slightly concerned by Dravius' hectic question as he took Angel out of her arms. She looked at him for a moment, then followed his gaze to Liam, who was still looking somewhat terrified and now slightly lost by the whole thing.

Angel meanwhile, was completely enthralled in the fact that Daddy now had a hold of her, and was giggling at him before cutting herself short to stare at a single passing cloud. It looked so, so fluffy. "Da," She said loudly, clinging onto Dravius' shirt and eventually turning her gaze to her grandfather. That guy looked weird. She wanted to touch his face.

Squealing, Angel smushed her face into Dravius' chest, pulling it away just long enough to squeal again at Liam. She stopped herself giggling long enough to look at her father as he spoke.

The awkwardness of the situation hadn't gone unnoticed by Maya, who had delibrately kept her distance from Liam to prevent scaring him any further. She felt, though, that Dravius probably wasn't doing much of a job introducing him to his granddaughter. Which she could understand. It was difficult, not knowing your parents.

Sighing, she decided to chance it, although she approached Dravius very slowly and remained slightly behind him as she spoke to Liam.

"Her name's Angel." She murmered, using a finger to stroke a few of the little girls strands of black away from her face. "She's... Ten months old.... And has a natural knack for getting everywhere she isn't supposed to." She continued, a small, amused smile on her face. She glanced back up at Liam, before looking at her boyfriend for a minute.

"You... Can hold her, if you want?" She asked quietly, looking back at Liam with a careful sort of face. It was worth a shot, she supposed. At least, it gave him the opportunity to get to know his own granddaughter, should he choose to take it. Sure. Angel was a little girl. But there was a huge difference between a baby and a fully grown woman.

Someoneeeeee.