[Mousen]

((For anyone who cares about this sort of thing. This RP takes place a couple of months after the events of these two RPs.))

Jahir looked at his map, and through the mist, and back to his map. Well, he was somewhere in the Whisper forest, certainly. He wasn't precisely sure where, and he was fairly sure that he was going to wander round until he dropped dead. He'd reached out to Belias after his luck had finally run out on the battlefield. Frankly, all his other friends were either dead or in a worse state than he was. He didn't really have anywhere else to go when he invited him to stay with him and his fiance's family who apparently ran a circus. The Whisper Forest was a weird place to stay in the off-season, but who was he to make judgements about where people spent their time?

He was dressed simply, a few items in a back flung over his shoulder. He walked with a slight limp. He had a handsome enough face, even if he was looking the worse for wear right now, his brown eyes shadowed from a lack of sleep.

He turned a corner and caught the sound of something that sounded like calliope music. Normally that would be terrifying in a place like this, but in this case it was comforting. He headed towards the sound and found a large clearing in the forest. There was several painted caravans, with washing strung between them, and a campfire burning low. He could see a huge, broad shouldered woman laughing next to a diminutive boy dressed in a bright yellow T-shirt. A ginger man who's face he couldn't quite make out was entertaining a young girl, his exaggerated gestures suggesting he was telling a story. Walking over to them was a woman beautiful enough to make his heart stop for a moment, her ice blue eyes picked out by her deep brown skin.

And then, what on earth? "...Zariah?" he said, looking across at a young woman as she stepped from a caravan. Her curly dark hair was pulled into a loose bun away from her face, some jewellery glinted in her hair. She wore a loose flowing pink skirt, and bells around her wrists and ankles. Her midriff was bare.

"Jahir? What? What are you doing here?"

"What are you doing here?"

"Heading to practise? I live here? The circus is my home. I haven't seen you since I was a kid, what's going on?"

Jahir's brain took awhile to catch up with the rest of him. "You mean... this is the circus you ran away to? Does this mean you know Belias?"

"What? He's my fiance. How on earth do you know him?"

[MythicDusk]

Betty was delighted by the stories Mort told. She always was, it always captivated her in such incredible ways. She especially loved it when the entire circus banded together to tell a story. Goodwin always did the best villan voices. The first time she heard it, it had scared her. Now it was one of her favorites. She never told Mort that though, she didn't want to hurt his feelings. She caught movement out of the corner if her eye and waved to Drucilla with a grin. "Nana! Grandad is telling a story until Dad gets back. Do you wanna listen too?"

She noticed how her voice carried, and for a moment, felt shame burn her. Until, she took a deep breath as she had been taught and solidified the grin on her face. She could still remember the celebration when she first rose her voice above speaking tones and didn't apologise.

She heard a strange kind of trumpet call across the camp, and she laughed, knowing exactly what it meant. She looked to Mort expectantly for permission to go greet her father.

Out of the woods, Belias stomped, making trumpeting noises with his mouth. He held a lengthy stick in his hand like a baton, marching comically with a clump of grass tucked between his upper lip and his nose in the form of a mustache. The little girl, a littke younger than Betty, marched behind him in perfect tandem, grass on her own upper lip and a stick in her own hand. Her white dress was stained with grass and mud.

The mother walked after them, smiling at her child antics with her favorite uncle, grinning at the delighted scream as Belias let the playful marching order drop, scooping the child into his arms with a playful roar and throwing her over his shoulder, taking exaggerated strides to bounce her on his shoulder.

Paranoia, Parry for short, smiled behind her fingers, her green eyes watching as her daughter was tossed into the air and caught expertly. She ran a hand through her hair, beginning to oeooer with grey. She wondered idly, for a moment, if she should dye it.

[Mousen]

"You're his fiance? Zari you're... how old are you?"

"I'm twenty four," she said, folding her arms.

Jahir started to wilt under the pressure of her gaze. "Oh. That's a normal age to be getting married. He's so much older than you though! What does your mother have to say?" The look on Zari's face told him all he had to know. "Zu'hai, you haven't told her? Zariah--"

"Don't Zariah me. If you want to tell her, I'm marrying a dragon ex-mercenary, please go ahead."

He held up his hands in surrender. "Sorry. It's your life, I know. I wouldn't want to tell her either."

"What are you doing here?"

"Discharged," he tapped his leg. "Unfit for service. Belias invited me after I told him I had nowhere to go."

"The house? Next to my mother's?" There was a degree of concern in her voice, she didn't like to hear that he'd been hurt and moreover, he looked terrible. There was something about all this that seemed off, something she just couldn't place.

"I... sold it."

"What? Jahir you loved that house! You were born in it, nursed your parents in it after they got ill, hell, Sarah and Hana practically grew up in it."

Zari turned around at the sound of Belias stomping his way back into camp, she couldn't help but smile at his antics. She could see Mort and Drucilla with Betty too, them hurrying over to greet him and his new guests. Drucilla was smiling with a softness Zari hadn't seen since before Silas vanished. She'd also been dragged out of morning practise, bells still on her wrists. She was a couple of inches taller than Mort, and graceful even while being silly. Mort was strange as ever, bowler hat covering his greying ginger hair, his eyes eerie blank sockets. She noticed them holding hands, and felt a much younger version of herself relax. It was good to see them like this again.

Jahir was watching the circus head towards Belias with interest, and he couldn't deny that he was happy to see him. It had been far too long.

"Belias!" she called, and nimbly made her way through the small crowd. She turned to Parry and Innie for a moment. "Lovely to meet you I've heard so much, just one second."

She took a breath and looked at her fiance. "How the hell are you old buddies with my neighbour, Beli? Jahir literally has lived next to my mother his whole life. He saw me and my sisters grow up. What is going on?"

From a little distance away, Jahir gave a jaunty little wave. "Nice to see you again, Belias!" He called. "You look well!"

[MythicDusk]

Belias listened to Zari's words, all the while keeping an eye on Betty, like the worried father he was. An hour away from his daughter was too much for his liking. Many people said he doted on the child, he just said he loved her.

"Me and Jahir? We go back years, my love. He was my commanding officer." He grinned as he saw Jahir, giving a wave himself as betty tugged lightly on his shirt to be scooped up in his large arms, which he happily obliged. He cradled her in the crook of her arm, murmuring softly that she shouldn't suck on her thumb, gently removing it from her mouth. "You'll make your mouth hurt in the long run, my dear." He spoke softly as Betty wiped the saliva off on his shirt, making him huff with a laugh before he turned back to Zari.

"Should I not have invited him over? If you like, I can take him somewhere else for him to stay for a while." He ran through a list of names quietly in the back of his mind, trying to think of someone that Jahir would be comfortable with, and who he would be comfortable handing the care of one of his best friends over to.

It took a moment for his attention to be dragged away again, this time with Innie begging to be lifted up like her friend, which he again obliged, scooping her into his other arm until he cradled both the children.

"Is something wrong?"

Belias peered around Betty, to see Parry, wringing her hands slightly. "If it makes it easier-" She began before Belias gave a hard grunt, cutting her off before she could voice anymore.

"If you were about to say that you could leave, it wouldn't help anything." With that, Parry carefully looked to her feet, giving an obvious indication that she was about to suggest it.

[Mousen]

"Your commanding officer?" She asked, aware that she was simply parroting him. Zari tried to imagine it, but she could really only see him as the teenager who was always trying to steer her away from trouble. She'd seen him only in passing since then, never really returning home for longer than a few days. She saw how the years had begun to weather him down, the teenage slouch replaced with military stiffness, even while injured. She wondered what he must think of her, the little runaway now all grown up.

She looked at Belias and shook her head, the bells tied to her wrists jingling as she rested a hand on his arm. "No, no, of course not. He's more than welcome. Jahir is an old family friend, my mother would kill me if she found out we'd refused him hospitality. I was just surprised, that's all."

Jahir looked between them. "It was a surprise for me too. I mean, when you told me you'd gotten engaged I was not expecting it to turn into a reunion. Has the circus hiding the other half of the village or something?"

"Just me, Jahir," Zari said with a shrug.

Jahir peered around the couple, to where Parri was stood. He'd caught the tail-end of her conversation with Belias. "Sorry for causing a commotion, I got a knack for trouble. I don't think we've been introduced?"

"Jahir this is Parry and her daughter Innie, Parry's another old friend of Belias'. Parry, this is Jahir, who somehow knew both me and Beli before we'd met. In Belias' other arm is our daughter Betty," she caught Jahir's  shocked expression before rolling her eyes and adding, "not genetically, before you have kittens over it. And just adding to the chaos are my adopted parents, Mort and Drucilla."

Jahir offered a hand to Parry. "Nice to meet you." He resisted the temptation of saying something about Zari's own mother being perfectly alive and well, as he shook Drucilla's hand and turned to Mort. He didn't really know enough about the circumstances to judge and Amina was always difficult... he froze as he took in Mort's appearance.

Mort, for his part was unfazed and just smiled. "Sorry, didn't mean to surprise you."

Jahir blinked. "No, my fault. You're Mort, right?"

"Nice to meet you, Jahir."

[MythicDusk]

Parry inclined her head gently at the introduction, softly taking Jahir's hand for a firm shake before he moved on. She moved to Belias' side, reaching up to straighten Innie's hair slightly, to fix the pale bow she insisted it be kept in. It was nothing more than nervous fidgeting, in reality. Belias looked past Innie, arcing his eyebrow slightly before shifting to place Innie on the ground, turning to Zari with a hushed, gentle tone.

"My love, would you mind showing Parry where she'll be staying? I think she and Innie may need some time to settle in." He said it with purpose, his hand gently gripping Betty as she clambered onto his shoulder to hang upside down to get a better look at the newcomer, her green eyes wide as she watched Jahir, perfectly confident in the fact that her father would never let her drop.

Belias inclined his head to Parry and Innie slightly, giving a slight, meaningful quirk of the lips as Parry crouched down to be on eye level with her daughter, fixing her muddy jacket. He knew the motions, knew what she was doing. Keeping her focus on her child, her hands busy. She was scared. So much had happened to the poor woman. This was meant to be time for her to relax.

[Mousen]

"If any of the guests need anything, let us know," Drucilla said, her voice soft and musical. "Don't be afraid to disturb us. Zari you'll give them the tour?" She turned to look at the various guests Beli and Zari had invited. "And please remember that while the circus is very safe, the forest surrounding it can be dangerous, particularly at night. If you want to walk into one of the outlying villages please get someone to walk you there. We all know the route." She smiled at them, and slipped her arm through Mort's. He gave a nod to all of them, smiled at Betty and they headed back towards the center of the camp.

"I got it, Belias," Zari said. "Parry, Innie? It's this way. Jahir, we'll have to catch up later." She wondered what on earth she could say to him to stop him reporting all of this back to her mother. She took the two of them through the camp, a mix of striped tents and old caravans. "We look a bit rustic, but we've got all the usual amenities. I hope you'll enjoy yourselves." She pointed out where she and Belias could be found, as well as Mort and Drucilla, and then lead them to a small caravan. "Here we are. I just need to find the key..." she patted herself down, but didn't seem to be able to find anything. She looked between Innie and Parry like she'd just realised she'd made a mistake. "Wait, one second." She flicked her wrist and the key appeared in her hand. "Wouldn't be a very good magician's daughter if I hadn't picked up any sleight of hand."

Jahir was slightly grateful to be alone with Belias, mostly because he didn't have to pretend to be well mannered. "What are you thinking, you old dinosaur?" he asked. "It's not my place to get involved, but do you know how many times her mother phoned me and tried to convince me to bring her home, away from this place? I told her it was her choice to go, and I wasn't about to be on the receiving end of her hooves, let alone whatever they do to unwelcome guests here." He looked around, at the colourful tents with lights strung between them, and Zari's figure vanishing around the corner as the bells on her wrists tinkled lightly. It seemed nice, and they both seemed happy. He sighed. "You know more about this place and more about her life here than I do. I just want to know that you're not in above your head."

[MythicDusk]

Innie was awed at the tents, at the sounds of nature and people mingling around her, her eyes wider and a delighted smile on her face as Zari produced the key. Parry smiled at her daughter's wonder, her own heart a strance cinch in her chest. Maybe everyone was right, maybe she was too protective of her daughter. She worried her lower lip between her teeth before she crouched down, pulling Innie's attention towards her. "Listen, you don't ever leave the camp without me or my express permission okay? Promise." Parry held up a hand, a pinkie extended, and Innie looped her pinkie with her mother's, murmuring a soft 'promise', awed by what was happening.

"Alright, and don't bother anyone okay? Now go find Betty and go play. I want you back here for bed time when Betty has to go in, though." She called, grinning as her daughter raced away with giggles in the wind. After a moment, Parry turned to Zari, giving a shy smile and a nod of the head in thanks for the key. "Hey, I trust you all but- she's all I really have. She's also accident prone and enjoys climbing stuff more than she should. I know I don't have to ask but could you just- keep an eye on her?" Her voice was hoarse as images of Innie, bloodied and broken at the roots of a tree forced themselves into her mind before she shook them away, her eyes begging Zari for any sort of comfort.

Belias huffed a laugh as he carefully sat on one of the logs that served as a bench by the fire, inviting Jahir to sit with him as he wringed his fingers carefully, his thumb brushing against the stump of his ring finger. "She was the one who treated me, yknow. Every time I came home with injuries, every time I was hurt, she was the one who bandaged me up and stayed by me." He smiled at a vague memory, Zari's lips on his after all of the anxiety had been pushed to a side. It was always so sweet tasting.

"Even if I don't know anything about her, even if I have no idea what I'm getting into, do you really think I'd give up now?" He grinned, the cocked, scarred grin that pulled at his face in ghoulish ways. "I trust her, and I like to think she trusts me. I want whatever she wants, and right now, she doesn't really want to see her mother." He shrugged slow, his eyes lidding as he watched the flames. "Who am I to tell her what to do?"

[Mousen]

Zari reached out towards Parry, stopping just short. It was instinctive really, a gesture of comfort from one-- did she really feel like a mother now? Zari had never really doted on children the way Belias had. She'd grown up with younger siblings, she was good with kids but that didn't make you maternal. And there was no doubt that she adored Betty and would do anything for her and woe betide anyone or anything that got in the way of that child's happiness. So, yes, she supposed she was. "Of course. The whole circus keeps an eye on the kids. They might be a little rough around the edges, but I promise you every one of them has a heart of gold. Everything'll be fine." She smiled in what she hoped was a reassuring way. "Is there anything I can do for you, Parry?"

Jahir sat down with him, his movements stiff. He nodded as Belias spoke. "I get it, Belias. I really do. I haven't seen her in years myself, I know you much better than I know Zari really. It just... surprised me, I guess. But I'm glad you're happy. It's difficult out there, to find someone you really care about and build a life. Congratulations, man." He meant it. It an odd match, but who was he to judge it really? "And thank you. For letting me stay. I don't want to bring down the mood, but it's been pretty shit not having a place to come back to, so I appreciate this."

[MythicDusk]

She took a slow breath, feeling her heart still, the knot in her gut slowly unwind. She would have to trust, the idea was hard, the action was harder, but she needed to trust that her child would be okay. Betty was, after all. The worst she had ever seen that child get was a skinned knee. Even so, injuries during childhood were normal and natural. She licked her lips slowly, taking another slow breath before she gave Zari a weary smile. [/color=#800040]"You've done more than enough, thank you. But- if you're not busy, could you show me around?"[/color] In truth, a small part of her hoped to befriend Zari. Having someone to talk about motherhood with would be comforting, in the least.

Belias nodded slowly as he listened. It reminded him somewhat of the nights they would spend with their unit, curled defensively around a campfire, new wounds bandaged roughly, their faces rougher. But, he smiled as he watched Betty streak past, a scream in her throat as Innie, who was decidedly more mussed, with mud on her knees and twigs in her hair, chased after her cackling. "If you can deal with kids, you're more than welcome." He joked, watching as Betty tumbled, bringing down Innie on top of her, leaving them both to laugh in a pile of jumbled limbs.