Aqua was too entranced to notice that the crowd had left. However, when she finally did, she looked around and her face flushed immediately. How long has she been sitting there alone? Standing up quietly, Aqua manages, "That... That was so beautiful. I'm sorry if I've stayed passed the time I was supposed to... I just... I was entranced to say the least." Aqua smiles and nods at Larxene, trying not to let her eyes wander. She stumbles shyly past another row of benches on her way to the entrance.
Larxene stood, wide eyed, seeing the girl rise to her feet. Her eyes closed. Suddenly she didn't know why she thought it'd work. She felt like she took a hit to the stomach, hearing the girl's voice. Did they have voices anymore after shows? Surely nobody ever spoke to her afterwards, let alone thanked her for it. Her eyes snapped open, wanting to get another look at this girl. It really DID work. She breathed a sigh of relief, knowing that she at least did something right. Wait. Her eyes widened in terror. She had been making her way to the door with the rest of the group. If she went out there, someone was sure to find out. Finding her strength to move, she stepped off of the stage to set off after her. She moved silently, trying to be quick to reach her before she left through the door. "Wait," She managed, her voice barely above a whisper. She reached out to touch the girl's wrist. What was she supposed to say now? She had to think of something, it'd turn weird. Larxene tried to push the thought from her mind. "Don't go out there." Concern marred her features now. She took a step backward, still keeping a light hold of the girls wrist. She pointed to the far side of the tent on the opposite wall. "Come, uh…" She cleared her throat, trying hard to control the blush she could feel creeping into her cheeks. "Come this way." She sincerely hoped she'd listen to her words, even if she were half-naked.
Aqua jumped at the initial touch to her wrist. This instant caution was a habit that she couldn't shake, from being with Terra all these years. She didn't mind though, for there was nothing hostile about this gesture. Aqua turned to look at the performer, her gaze wandered, and she looked down. "Wh-why can't I go outside? I thank you for the offer... But I..." She reaches a hand to cover her cheek subconsciously. Her voice falls to a whisper... "I suppose I could stay a bit longer... But n-not too long...it's already very late."
Larxene studied her face, hoping for some kind of agreement. If this were a different situation, the girl's expression would have gotten a response out of her. She had a knack for making people flustered and she loved that about herself. But now wasn't the time. What would she do now? If Xemnas knew. She closed her eyes to rid herself of the thoughts and memories that resurfaced. She nodded, opening her eyes to look into hers. She bit her tongue. A person's eye color shouldn't be able to make another person weak. She sighed to herself in slight aggravation, guiding the girl gently by the wrist. Somehow, she feared that if she let go, someone would find them. "K-Keep, um…" she glanced back at her, opening the hidden door in the wall. "Keep your voice down, okay?" She said with a nod, hoping that she'd comply. Her chest still burned from the strange event earlier. She never once thought that these trinkets could inflict pain on the user. She led the girl into her makeshift bedroom, closing the door tightly behind her. "What's….er.." She looked down at herself and mumbled out an "Oh, Christ." Before turning on heel to find a shirt in the worn cabinet on the opposite wall by her bed. She slipped a faded white and blue baseball style tee over her head and tugged her arms through, letting it fall to her hips. "What is your name?" She asked, looking back at the girl, trying not to stare at her eyes for too long.
Aqua couldn't help but laugh a little, both at the fact that Larxene forgot her shirt and at the whole situation in general. It was mostly a nervous laugh, however. She held a hand to her cheek, since she noticed the acrobat was staring at her, or trying not to. "Well... My name is Aqua... What's yours?" She smiled, trying to make the awkwardness go away.
"Aqua." She said with a nod, bringing herself to sit idly on the crate Xigbar had used days before. Both of her hands loosely held her choker, unsure of what to do with it. Just holding it in her hands made her queasy. She sat in silence for a few minutes, trying to map everything out in her head. Would this thing still work if she used it tomorrow? It'd hurt, wouldn't it? Either way, she couldn't exactly let her leave, could she? She swore under her breath. "I'm…well," She dug a hole the second she spared her, might as well keep digging, right? "Larxene." The dull pain in her chest began to die down. She scanned over Aqua's face, studying it a little closer. Bruises? Her eyes narrowed slightly. "What happened to you?" She asked, biting the side of her tongue immediately after she said it.
Aqua shuffles backwards slightly, turning her head away. "I-It's nothing really... I'm just a clutz. I trip a lot, you know... things like that." She tries to change the subject quickly, "But... It's nice to meet you Larxene. Your performance was amazing! It...It really was. How long did it take you to learn that dance?"
Larxene raised her eyebrows. Aqua dodged the question, but it'd be best not to press the subject. "Sorry," She murmured, looking away to the floor. "N-Nice to…..what?" She laughed a little. This girl really WAS oblivious to what she'd gotten herself into. "Nice to meet you too, girl." A small smile crept across her face, though it nearly vanished entirely at her question. "I…..y-you think so?" She blinked, processing her statement. Her cheeks flushed. Nobody had *complimented* her on her performance before. "Well, er…Thank you?" those words felt foreign on her tongue. "It's uh, It's definitely a process." She said with a laugh. She could hear the noise outside beginning to die down. "But I feel like that wasn't fair to you, I mean…" She glanced down at her hands. "You only caught the end." Larxene murmured, looking back up to Aqua. "How did you get in late?"
She scrunches her face at Larxene calling her "girl", but doesn't really have it in her to object to this stranger. Reaching a hand up to play with a strand of hair, Aqua tries to tell the story of how she got in. "W-well... I was running late for the Circus... and this nice boy at the ticket booth let me in. He looked a little young to be working, though. How young do you hire? Or is this one of those... secret family businesses?"
Larxene leaned backward, using her elbows as support. A 'nice boy'? She narrowed her eyes a little, trying to pinpoint who it could be. Demyx is 'nice' but there's…there's no way. Who else…? Young. Her eyes widened. Roxas. "Oh thaaaaat little…" She sat up, biting her tongue to stop herself from speaking. Larxene couldn't stifle her laugh at the 'family business' comment. "I mean, you could say that, but it's really based on skill." She moved to stand, opting to put her choker back on. Hopefully it wouldn't be too noticeable, but she figured having it off entirely would be more suspicious. "I would say come to another show but I…." Her voice broke off, eyes wide. Great. She scrunched up her face at her last sentence, severely wishing she hadn't said anything at all.
Tilting her head a little, Aqua leaned closer to hear, "You what...? I was planning on coming back... sometime... if I had the time... but I can be very busy with things-" She stopped talking when she heard a whine outside the hidden door. "Larxene...? L-Larxene? Are you in here? I promise I'm not touching anything this time! I just... need something?" Demyx's nervous voice rang from Larxene's stage area. Aqua shut her mouth tightly and looked to Larxene, unsure of what to do.
Larxene visibly jumped. Her eyes widened. She held a shaky finger to her lips, giving a glance to Aqua. "Stay…..Stay here…" She murmured, sincerely hoping Aqua would comply. She opened the door just barely. putting on her best glare, she tried to even out her breathing. Anxiousness crept up on her. "What could you possibly need from me, Demyx?" She asked, feeling the heat rising in her cheeks. She glanced to the side, not daring to turn her head. Refusing to open her door any farther, she spoke again. "Thank you for not touching anything this time." Being civil with someone as dense as Demyx always seemed to sap her energy, but something didn't feel right about being downright rude to him either.
Aqua followed directions, noticing how visibly uncomfortable Larxene was. She knew something was wrong. Was she not allowed to be here? As Larxene peeked out from the crack in her door, Demyx jumped and shuffled his feet a little, wringing his hands together nervously. "O-Oh... Hi Larxene! I ... uh... I need... I need..." He bit his lip, forgetting for a moment what he needed. A few moments passed of silence, but then he remembered. "Do you... uh...have any extra pillows I could borrow?"
Larxene didn't like the sound of this. She raised an eyebrow. "Why?" such a strange request for someone like him. "What could you possibly need…" She shook her head, putting a hand up. "You know what, don't answer that. I don't care." She began to step away from the door. Suddenly remembering her situation, she stepped back. "Do not come in here." She held a finger up to Demyx threateningly. Silently hoping he would listen, she closed the door quickly, making a dash for her bed. She froze. Great, because THIS isn't going to seem weird at all. She made her way back to the door with reluctance, cracking it open once again. Larxene eyed him up and down before finally asking, "How many do you need?" Her eyes narrowed, awaiting a response.
Aqua remained still, trying her best not to be noticed, or in the way of whatever it was Larxene was doing. Demyx waited nervously, and jumped again when she peeked through the door. Holding a finger up at her question, he squints his eyes and looks up. "I need... I need... Two. Yeah. Two is good."
Larxene's expression remained. Giving a short nod, she closed the door again, closing the space between her and her bed within seconds, she swiped two of the four pillows and doubled back to the door. She opened it a little wider, shoving the pillows in his direction. "You making a fort or something?" She joked, not entirely wanting to ask what he was doing, but she needed to say something to make this less weird to Aqua. She knew the girl would start asking questions as soon as he left. She glanced back at her, silently thankful that she'd remained quiet. She turned her attention back to Demyx, waiting for his colorful reasoning as to why he needed her specific pillows.
Demyx took the pillows and hugged them to his chest. "I uh... I'm... Yeaaaahhh! I'm making a fort! That's what I'm doing! Making the fortiest fort to ever fort." At this he points at her and raises an eyebrow, trying to be sneaky and slick. However his attempt at slick looked more like a terrible impression of the Escape Artist. No doubt, Demyx has been trying to learn how to be sneaky from him. Dropping that pose, Demyx comes back to reality, says a quick thank you, and dashes out of Larxene's tent in a hurry. Aqua tries peeking out the crack in the door while Larxene leans out, she is too curious not to try.
Larxene blinked slowly, making a mental note to smack Xigbar at the nearest opportunity. Someone like Demyx shouldn't be taking pointers from someone like him. She sighed, closing the door finally, putting her back against it. Her breath caught in her throat at the sight of Aqua. The hole she'd gotten herself into had seemingly grown deeper. "I'm sure you've got quite a few questions racked up at this point…" She shifted her weight from heel to heel, unsure of what to say. It'd be too dangerous to send her home, especially if she plans on returning the next night. That's a death sentence either way, right? But staying here could be bad too, how could she even convince her to stay? They were pretty much strangers to each other, why would she agree? Larxene exhaled slowly, trying to remain calm. She didn't want to think about tomorrow night in the slightest.
Aqua smiled, enjoying the adventure of the night so far. "I do have a few questions. But I won't ask about the pillows, or who that was... What I really want to know is why I have to be so quiet. I'm assuming you're not allowed to have guests?"
Larxene knew she really had to choose her words carefully. "Well, uh…." She trailed off, unsure of how to respond. "Nobody's really ever stayed after a show before." Her eyes downcast, running her fingers over the pendant of her choker. "But at the same rate, nobody's ever showed up late, let alone, been allowed past the gates after sales closed…" She smirked, sitting herself on the corner of her bed. She DID really want to know why she decided to just come late, instead of showing up the next day. Though, Larxene didn't want to ask this for fear of the explanation that'd come after.
"Yeah... about that..." Aqua looked to the side, thinking hard about something. Her eyes widened, and she turned sharply back to Larxene. "D-Do you know what time it is by any chance? I-I have to... call someone at a certain time." Her nervousness was obvious now, almost panicky.
Larxene sat up a little, concern marring her features now. "Wh….Why? uh…" She looked down at her hands. "There's really no telling, I guess. Why?" She asked, making sure to keep her voice low. "H-Hey…" She reached her hand out but fell short. Whatever it was, it was making her quite upset. A measly phone call can't be that important, can it? "Sit down a minute," She motioned for her to sit, drawing her knees to her chest to ensure more room. Why was she so worked up all of a sudden? "What….What is it?" She asked quietly, not really expecting a response.
Aqua sits down next to her, visibly shaking, but she tries to level her voice. "It's nothing really... I just have an important call to make in the morning. A doctor wants me to call. They can be... finicky... if you don't call on time..." She knew that this excuse sounded odd... but at the moment she was too tired to care.
"A…..A doctor." She stated, somewhat in disbelief. "I uh….I don't know what kinds of doctors you're seeing but it sounds like you need a different one." She looked away in silence for a few minutes. Larxene knew it was a lie, but she wasn't wanting to press the subject. "You may not be allowed back if you leave now…" She murmured, mentally kicking herself for letting that slip. Larxene hoped that she'd just cave and stay put for the night. She ran her fingers through her hair, unsure of what to say. "Sorry."
Aqua frowned at that strange comment, slowly getting more defensive. Tensing, she gripped the sheet of the bed a little. "What do you mean I 'won't be allowed back'? I'm not sure I understand. Who would stop me?"
Larxene bit her tongue for a moment, listening carefully to her words. "N-Now I didn't say you wouldn't be, it's just that…." She trailed off, trying not to let her voice waver in any sense. The chance of her leaving undetected by anyone is one thing, but for her to return undetected is another thing entirely. At the same time, if she DID return, what if she went to someone else's show? Allll of what she did would be for nothing, then. "Did you happen to run into anyone, after you went past admissions?" She asked, a hint of seriousness in her tone. "You talked to the boy at the ticket counter; did anyone else stop to speak with you?"
Noticing the seriousness in Larxene's tone, Aqua decided to give her the right answers. However, this did confuse her a bit more. What was going on here? "I did speak to a man, who called himself a Fortune Teller. He guided me to your tent actually..."
"Fortune Teller? Wh…" Her cheeks flushed. "Why on earth would he do a thing like…." She shook her head. Doesn't matter now. "What made you decide to listen to him?" She asked, a sense of exhaustion began to creep up on her. "Isn't it kinda dangerous at this time of night out there, anyway?" She asked, trying to sound convincing enough to change the subject.
Aqua pauses and thinks for a bit. She could try and run home... but recently there have been some pretty strange rumors. Many of the shops have been telling stories about a creature stealing their goods. It wasn't that Aqua believed them... it was more that she was, wary of the situation. "It... it does get pretty dangerous in the city at night... Oh gosh I'm so sorry for staying so long."
Larxene stood, raising her arms up above her head in a stretch. "You…." She shook her head. "It's fine, really." She took a step back and gestured to the bed. "You can….uh." She blinked, trying not to make things more awkward than they already were. "You can sleep here if you'd prefer." She stifled a yawn, awaiting response from the other girl.
Aqua nods covering her yawn as well. "Thank you... I think that would be best. Still, I'm sorry to inconvenience you." She did not feel comfortable sleeping in this strange place, especially since leaving was so... difficult. But since she would rather not run home in the dark, she decided that this would be the safer option.
Larxene waved her hand in dismissal. "if anything, I'm inconveniencing you." She shook her head. "Get some rest, you have to call your….er…Doctor in the morning, right?" She asked, bracing herself for the answer. She shouldn't have asked. Larxene's stomach turned. "A-Anyway, I can just sleep in there, unless you're scared of someone finding you." She stated numbly. Larxene herself was afraid of that. What would she do if someone came in to find a stranger in Larxene's place? She shivered at the thought.
"Finding me? N-No... no one would find me there right?... I'm sure I'll be fine... Thank you again, Larxene." Aqua nods, before yawning again. She stands up and waits for Larxene to show her where she will be spending the night.
Larxene nodded once, looking away from her. "It's no problem for me, really." She drew a sharp breath. "But the best bet for you would probably be…..well…" She pointed to the bed she previously sat on. "I mean, it's pretty comfortable for a bed." She shrugged. "I mean, I don't know how good you are with silk, it can be kinda tricky to sleep in." she rubbed her shoulder absentmindedly, making her way to the door in the wall. "It'll take a few minutes to set up but, I'll be in there if you need anything, alright?" She placed her hand on the door, awaiting a response. She hoped Aqua would fall asleep fast.
Laughing a little, Aqua sat on the bed. "Yes... I would probably fall out if I tried to sleep in silk." Aqua lays down slowly, growing visibly tired. "Thank you... again..." She closes her eyes and nods at Larxene's question. She hasn't had a good night's sleep in a while. Bad dreams kept her awake.
Larxene looked up at the ceiling, shaking her head to herself after Aqua's voice trailed off. A few minutes passed, silence looming in the room. She made her way back to the bedside, looking down at the girl's sleeping form. Larxene bent down quietly, pulling the blanket over Aqua's shoulders as gently as she could, getting a good look at her cheek in the process. Her heart sank. There's no way that could be from 'being a klutz.' Larxene sighed, straightening her back. She made her way back to the door in the wall, puling it open just barely. She murmured a 'goodnight' before slinking off into her showroom.