Aqua spent the late afternoon of the next day, staring out the window of her small apartment. She was proud of it, though it really wasn't much. She had bought the place by herself, and with her own money. It made her feel independent for once. For Terra had helped to buy or gifted her with everything else. Possibly to try and make up for... The things he does. Sitting on the windowsill, she leans her head on the glass, watching the sunset. She really wanted to visit that circus that came to town. She's seen the fliers, and yet strangely enough she didn't hear anything from anyone who went to opening night. No rumors, nothing. Not even the children at the market had anything to say. Maybe they stayed up too late and were too tired to be excited anymore. Taking a deep sigh, Aqua bites her tongue, wishing she had had the nerve to tell Terra that she wanted to go to opening night, even though he said she couldn't go at all. He thinks circus' are useless. "Wastes of time" he says. That's ok though, Aqua had plans to go tonight, after their nightly phone calls that Terra insisted on, (and became livid if they were missed). The thought made her touch her cheek... At least the swelling went down...
A small blonde boy trotted along the winding pathways of the circus grounds, slipping through the groups of people beginning to form outside of the tents. Not that it was time yet, but shows were going to start soon. His blue eyes lit up, marveling at the magic stirring in the air. His outfit choices looked a tad peculiar compared to most of the people around him, attracting bits of attention. He wore a stark white shirt under a black vest, with a broken zipper. Teeth were missing out of it, but he seemed fond of the Zipper pull, so he refused to be rid of it. His shorts stopped just above his knees, making them seem a tad small for his body. His shoes were oddly pristine compared to the rest of his clothes. His socks came to his knees evenly, matching the color of his vest. He didn't terribly mind the stares, making a stop at a sweet-smelling stand. He grinned eagerly at the pink-haired man behind the counter. His hair was pinned back neatly, and strangely enough, smelled of flowers despite the booth he had been running. "Can I have a Popcorn ball, please?" The boy asked, flashing a cheeky grin. He fished around in his pocket for the small amount of munny he owed, and tossed it on the counter. He bounced on his toes just slightly, awaiting his food. The man behind the counter lowered his neutral gaze into a glare. "What are you doing, child?" He asked, looking down at the boy, who only grinned again in return. The man reluctantly gave him the food, eyeing him carefully. The boy said his thanks, biting into the popcorn and hurrying off. He took his time, making his way to a specific tent. With a slight spring in his step, he finished his food. He tried in vain to run his hand through his wild hair to straighten it. Giving up, he stepped through the doorway to the tent. It was lined with rows of tables, the tops of which were completely covered in small jars and bowls. It smelled like a complete mix of things, ranging from sweets, to incense, to rain. Children really seemed to love them, as did a few handfuls of parents, and elderly folks. Roxas stopped behind a smaller brown haired boy, who had been too short to reach across the table for a jar in particular. "Oh this is a good one." Roxas reassured, Taking the jar and kneeling down to show the smaller boy. He smiled widely, taking the cork stopper out of the wooden jar. The scent of Seawater filled the air around them, and a breeze actually followed. The child gasped, hearing the waves of the ocean, he could feel heat from the sun on his skin. They both could. Roxas chuckled, holding the jar in both hands, he sat cross legged. Everyone crowded around him as water began to bubble from inside the wooden jar. Music filled their ears. The small boy stared at the jar in Roxas' hands. "Close your eyes, Listen." He said with a nod, a small smile crept across his face as everyone did so. The Music grew louder. The ghosted feeling of water washed over him, he could feel it seeping into his clothes. He grinned, content with himself at tonight's choice. The child opened his eyes, a symphony of music greeted the crowds ears. They gasped and clapped, some from amazement, some from shock. Roxas now sat in the center of a circular room, entirely different from the confined tent he walked into. They collectively stood in a bed of sand. A small school of fish darted past. His vest floated on end, as did his shorts, and hair. "Where did the tables go? Young man?" a woman called, shocked to find she was able to speak, and walk through the room with ease. "Pretty down here, isn't it? Look." He pointed upward. The woman's thoughts were confirmed. They were underwater, at least, it looked that way. Some of the children hopped and ran, some dug their hands into the sand below them, holding their hands above them and letting it go, gasping in amazement as the sand hung suspended in the strange air. The adults marveled at the sun and bright sky through the surface of the water above them. Faint singing could be heard through the music, causing some to look around, trying to locate the source of the voice. One by one, the children sat in the sand, listening closely. The Adults soon followed suit, breathing a sigh of relaxation. The Pull on the broken Zipper of Roxas' vest glinted in the sunlight, causing him to grin sweetly at the children. "This song is so nice. Listen close, this is the good part." The group nodded, leaning their heads a little to the side as if it'd help them hear better. Their eyes fell closed, relaxing their bodies. A murky blue mist began to form around Roxas, drawing closer to the Zipper pull on his vest. He gave a curt nod, closing the cork lid back over the jar in his hands. The group opened their eyes, some flinched, some rubbed their eyes as if they were willing away sleep. They rose to their feet, absentmindedly feeling for their children's hands before making their way out of the cluttered tent in hollow-eyed silence. Roxas grinned, placing the wooden jar neatly back on the table.
He stepped out of his tent shortly after, patting himself on the back for his pick of the night. He moved the rope over the entrance to the door, signaling that it was closed for the night, before making his way to the circus gates for Final admissions. He spun on the chair in the ticket booth absentmindedly, making faces at the silent residents stiffly shuffling out of the grounds' gates. Shortly after he began spewing out his routine greetings to the patrons queueing at his ticket stand. Final admissions always attracted a slightly stranger crowd, compared to the regular admissions throughout the day. He sometimes wondered what went on during the final admission shows, and he wanted to ask Larxene, since she seemed to be the most popular but he wouldn't know what to say. He shook the thoughts from his head, picking up his routine greetings again, taking the patrons' munny in exchange for a grey ticket. People were flocking in by the masses, moreso than the night before. Occasionally he'd tell them to enjoy themselves, not that it mattered. After a while, an alarm behind the counter chimed, signaling the end of ticket sales. Roxas muttered a quiet 'thank you', having become very bored with the same mindless banter. He let out a sigh, resting his head on his hand lazily. Nothing else to do but sit here, now. It was ill-advised to wander the grounds when final performances were in progress. Not the least bit tired, Roxas stayed put.
Aqua had to sneak out of her apartment much later than she had planned. Terra's nightly phone call ran on a little longer than she expected. He kept questioning her, as if he knew that she was up to something. She shook her head and locked her apartment door behind her, as she sprinted down the stairs and out the lobby doors. Hopefully the Circus hadn't closed yet. She made her way through the diminishing crowds of people in the streets as the dark of night began to thicken. Clutching to her munny pouch, she turned the corner and slowed to a trot as she saw the Circus in the distance. Hurrying to the ticket booth, she shyly stepped up to the boy inside. No one else was around. She must be too late. "E-Excuse me...? I'm sorry to bother you... but are you closed..? I was hoping to attend a show tonight..." She was expecting him to say no, so her voice fell quiet as she looked away.
Roxas initially flinched, hearing her call out to him like that. He stared at her in silence for a few seconds, processing her request. People have come late, sure. But they weren't ever allowed in. He hadn't ever disobeyed Xemnas' rules before, that man struck fear into him in the strangest way. And yet… "W-Well..er," He spoke, eying her carefully. A girl certainly hasn't shown up late, especially to a final admission. "Hello, Miss." He straightened himself in the chair he sat in. "We are closed, I'm sorry." He nodded apologetically. Hearing her voice falter, he narrowed his eyes a little. Why would someone be disappointed for missing something like this? He chewed his tongue for a moment. If he really hadn't broken any rules set by Xemnas, would he really get in trouble, if he let one slide? Surely not, right? Where's the harm? "Wait," He nearly blurted, scrambling through drawers behind the counter. "What's one more, am I right?" He grinned widely, leaning more on the counter and holding out the grey ticket. He studied her face for a few seconds. Her hair reminded him of Saix, bringing a genuine smile to his face. And her eyes were the same color too! His breath caught in his throat, catching a glimpse of the mark on her cheek. Did she get into a fight? His stomach felt like it did a backflip. Something was telling him 'no'. "Y-Y'know what," He finally murmured, clearing his throat. "You take this, enjoy yourself, Miss." Roxas' cheeks turned pink. "Don't uh," He gestured to her munny pouch. "Don't worry about it!" He said cheerfully, encouraging her to go inside. "Hurry now, you'll miss the good parts!"
Aqua's face flushes, she takes the ticket with a small bow. "Th-thank you so much..." She hurries inside, taking his advice. She comes to a stop in the middle of the square, because she realizes, as she looks around, that she has no idea which tent to enter. Aqua shuffles her feet and looks at the ticket. She was having second thoughts... Maybe she shouldn't have come after all... she'll just interrupt someone's show with her lateness. A strangely accented voice breaks her thoughts. "Are you lost, lass?" Aqua looks up to see where the voice came from. A blond man with a goatee was standing before her in a neatly fitted pink and white checkered suit. She honestly didn't know what to say. He smiled and stepped closer to her. "It seems you're in a bit of a dilemma. You don't know which show to pick do you? Well... Lady Luck smiles on you today, lass." Aqua frowns at him, growing confused. "You see, I'm the resident Fortune Teller... So I know...for a fact that you'll want to attend the show in the tent behind you." He points to Larxene's tent, but quickly turns to walk away. "But you don't 'ave to follow my advice, love..." Aqua didn't know what to say, but it didn't matter, because the strange man was out of sight now. She turned to the tent he pointed to, and decided to follow his advice. Quickly and quietly, she steps through the tent's doorway, and takes a seat in the front corner of a bench, as that was the only space left. Looking around at the beautiful setup, she was strangely glad she followed the Fortune Teller's suggestion.
