Chapter 5: Intruders Join the Circus

The next day was...odd. It didn't start as such but the trees were whispering that something was coming, something scary and powerful. Eden was checking the perimeter on foot and enjoying the rare rays of sunshine, her usual dress of green leaves and vines around her body. England wasn't very sunny and it was winter which made her feel a bit sluggish. A stranger had already appeared but the forest still buzzed. And then she saw it...or more precisely, them. The demon and the young boy with blue-black hair. This time, the boy wasn't dressed in such fine clothing. Obviously, this was a disguise to intrude on the circus.

As the two got closer, she stood her ground, the flowers she wore in her hair turned to a vibrant red to express her unspoken warning. That didn't stop the demon and boy until they were 5 feet away. Now it was a stand off/stare down.

"You promised not to kill anyone on circus grounds..." she whispered softly, green eyes gazing into his sapphire.

The boy narrowed his visible eye and tilted his head. "I have."

"The promise still holds..."

"Only if you answer our questions when we make inquiries."

Eden nodded and her flowers turned back to yellow. "I have nothing to hide. Ask your questions." She didn't trust them but as long as the promise was kept, she wouldn't fight them.

The tall demon cleared his throat and took a step forward. "Our discussion will have to wait until after we have obtained clearance into the circus. If you would please lead the way to Joker so my young master may have his try-out? I have already been guarenteed a spot in the circus by Joker as of last night."

"Sebastian, do not call me that when we are in the presence of the other members. I will come up with a name when it comes to the introductions."

The forest child waited until they were done speaking before she lead the way. Really, she didn't see what it mattered-names were simply that, something to call someone else. Something that could be forgotten over time. The circus accepted her name as Eden, claiming it was perfect for her-why it was perfect, she did not know. But she was sure that Joker would give these two stage names that were perfect for them.

Soon, she came across Snake. He didn't look very happy to see the handsome butler behind her. Wordsworth hissed from Snake's arm and Oscar leaped from the top of his shoulder and into her cleavage, obviously staking his claim. Eden chuckled softly and approached Snake. She gently pet Wordsworth's head, giving him a kiss. "No worries, my friend. These two are not intruders. I am told that Joker wants the older man to join the circus. The little one wishes to follow."

Her pale friend took her hand and pulled her along the path to the main tent where Joker and a few of the others were. She could feel Sebastian and the boy following along behind her. This was going to be very interesting. The small human looked rather frail. How was he going to survive the circus life if he managed to get through the audition? That was a very big if...

xxx Time Skip xxx

Well, the small one did it. It was no small miracle however. The human only did it with the help of the demon and a bunch of small pebbles. Eden was making an herbal salve to aid the painful welts that the boy no doubt had under his clothes. Speaking of clothes, the two outsiders had changed clothes and gotten some face paint to match their new circus personas. Black and Smile... well, the red-eyed man did wear a lot of black and when the child smiled, he did have quite the radiant smile. Discretely handing Black the salve with a nod at Smile, Eden left the tent. Oscar was still tucked into her warm cleavage. Snake had left to get something to eat and she was feeling a bit peckish herself.

She wandered into the mess tent and grabbed some soup made with fresh potatoes, parsely, and onions that she'd grown for them. During winter, it took her own energy to grow anything or move her plants so she needed to make sure she ate or she'd pass out. The forest child sat down next to Snake and plucked Oscar from her chest. "You should go get something to eat, Oscar. Winter is tough enough without food but since you and the others are not hibernating, you'll need your strength."

Oscar gave her a nod and brushed his tongue against her lips in a pseudo-kiss before slipping from her grasp and down her legs to the floor. He had developed an immunity to her kisses and had become a bit bolder as far as the affection went. At least he no longer fainted from pleasure.

"...are you okay, Snake? You seemed unhappy that Black and Smile were here."

The white-haired male didn't respond to that. He didn't have to. His body language said what he did not. Eden couldn't help but think of how cute he seemed. Her human was rather protective of her~. She finished her soup and stood up, taking her dishes. She gently leaned down and kissed his cheek. That got a reaction from him- wide yellow eyes, an adorable flush across his cheeks, and his cowlick seemed a little more up than usual. She gave him a happy smile before moving to the dishwater container and putting her dishes in.

First string people didn't cook or wash dishes. So she left to go into the woods, growing different plants with her seeds and taking parts that she needed. She felt the need to let loose some music but wasn't really in the mood to sing. She remembered when she was young that her father used to have a fiddle and would play the instrument that he had constructed with his own two hands. She was determined to make one as well, a violin to be exact. She had learned how to play the violin when she was little but had never made one herself. But that would change now that she had the will to make beautiful music for her plants. And if it worked the way she thought, the music would help her skills in utilizing her plants in winter. At any rate, it was worth a shot. The last thing she wanted was to use her abilities in the dead of winter to defend her human and the rest of the circus only to end up fainting and causing trouble for Snake. It was time to train.