Chapter 2: Circus

There were many people within the boundaries of the circus. Nameless faces that didn't really stand out. However, one group did. Snake lead me to this single group as Oscar rode within my cleavage, his small head poking out from between my breasts. I had gotten used to him being there so I did nothing to remove him.

"Oi, Snake! We sent ya fer food, not to gather some young chippy! Do ya think we're gonna eat her?!" A small angry boy was positively fuming at the stranger before him. This was Peter, as he was introduced Of course, just by looking at the people around him, I doubted that I was the most strange.

A young girl beside him giggled and waved childishly. "But Brother, surely Snake had a good reason to bring her here. After all, his snakes seem to like her~" A tall, muscular bald man silently nodded from his place by the two twins. Wendy was the girl and the bald man was called Jumbo. It seemed apparent that the twins and this man stuck together.

Snake nodded as well, holding out a sack of food. "This is Eden, says Emily. She gave me food and wants to join the circus, says Keets."

That wasn't entirely true. Honestly, I didn't know what a circus was. It seemed like a wandering village to me. But that big colorful tent must have been for something important. Perhaps for their meetings? At any rate, I was only there for Snake. I was tired of being alone and he felt so nice, seemed very good.

A tall man with orange hair and an interesting skeletal right hand came forward, grinning from ear to ear. "Oh, is that right? Hmm, well, she seems pretty wild. Nice eyes...costume could use a bit of work. I say we put her to the test 'fore we make any rash decisions. So, what can be do?" Joker, which was his name, seemed rather joyful, grinning at the newcomer. His name was quite appropriate.

I eyed him wearily. What could I do that would be useful to them? I looked towards Snake, unsure about what to say when I spotted someone juggling balls. Performance...this circus was for entertainment? I smiled, happy that mystery was solved. I turned back to look at the man and told him I could dance, had excellent balance, and could cook using the foods of the land. Hey, everyone needed a good cook and I could help them out by feeding them the plants I could grow. I doubted these people were able to grow their own food if they traveled place to place.

The orange haired man laughed, nodding his approval. "Aye, aye~ so since her smiles seem top notch, how's about we kill two birds with one stone?" I didn't understand his odd phrase but I followed him to a pair of trees that had a wire attached to the trunks, linking them together. "Alrighty, we use this high wire for practice. Get up there and show us what ya can do. Don't forget to dance while yer up there and no falling! We don't have a net for this one."

I turned my clover eyes to the trees and smiled. Besides for the wire, this was what I did to pass time at home. Reaching up, a branch lowered down for me to take hold. It moved up, lifting me into the air and putting me up in the air by about 30 feet. My leaf skirt grew in the back and the front grew enough to keep me covered from the eyes of the group watching below. Oscar hissed for me to be careful and I nodded to him. But I was fine. What was dangerous in this situation was nothing more than child's play to me.

And so I danced, swaying and moving my body to an unknown beat that I could hear in the winds. I used my superior agility, dexterity, and bold movements to give them a show. At one point, I purposely stepped off the wire and used my calloused hand to grab hold of it. I winced at the pain but did not let go. Instead, I twisted my body so I would pop back up onto the wire. And I landed, nimble as a ferocious wild cat.

Most of the group below clapped their applause. The youthful boy crossed his arms and scowled, seemingly determined to not show his true feelings. A older young man clapped but was gazing at a curly haired lady, commenting how "big sis" could have done that. The young man had black and blond hair and carried many sharp daggers, as was his namesake.

However "big sis" was still all frowns and narrow eyes. Her arms were crossed under her ample breasts, hips tilted in a way that showed much attitude. This was Beast, an animal tamer who was as strong as she was beautiful. She also wore the strangest, tightest clothes I had ever seen. All strings and short skirts that did nothing to disguise her body. I had no right to say anything but I had lived alone for so long that I didn't think about bearing my flesh. Besides, the material of the clothes looked odd, like leather. I used plants for my clothing. Anyway...

I didn't understand what I did wrong. Was it because I winced and showed an expression that wasn't all smiles? I decided to confront her about what was wrong and willed a free branch to guide me to the ground. I stepped off it and whispered a gentle word of thanks as I approached the curly haired female.

"Did I do something wrong? You seem unhappy with my performance…"

She glared at me with her ruby eyes before turning to Joker. "She's filthy. There's no way we can let her perform like that." She turned her eyes to the young girl. "Wendy, grab her. We're going to the stream to wash up." She didn't bother to wait to see if Wendy did as she ordered. Instead, she ducked into a small tent and came out with cloths, bars of colorful soap that smelled good, and larger cloths to dry with.

Wendy had taken hold of my hand and I noticed the differences in size and color. Of course, she had some dirt on her pale skin but nothing compared to my own. And it was so small compared to mine, it almost fit in the palm of my hand. The warmth of that small hand filled a spot in my chest.

Looking at Snake as I was dragged away by the strong girl, I figured that he must feel this way about this group of people too. They were warm, no gunpowder could be scented on their clothes, they seemed to just accept me for what I was (after all, they hadn't yelled out when the trees helped me). For the first time in a long time, I felt like I belonged in a family. Snake's family of normal humans, snakes, and a troupe of performers who all felt so good to me. At last, I found my home. And I blushed softly at the swelling hope in my chest.

The stream rushed quietly to and fro, rocks on the bottom sparkled in the water. We traveled down the water's edge and found the designated washing portion. While the two circus performers removed clothes and accessories (including a fake leg that belonged to Beast), I set about reducing my leaves and vines. I was so much a part of this earth that I had learned to use plants to make clothes for myself. Usually it wasn't much more than a simple covering of leaves and vines but I had made other clothes out of flowers, the petals finer than any silk or satin that I had ever come across.

The three of us got into the water and Wendy and her companion got to work, scrubbing at my body before washing themselves. I had no modesty, knew that Oscar had gotten quite the eyeful and was currently passed out on a warm rock next to the fake leg. I did make sure that I washed what I could reach on my own but they seemed Hell-bent on washing my dirty feet and hands, paying close mind to my face. Well, I had a feeling I had to get used to staying clean while I travelled with the circus. Guess that was my burden to bear...