Leilani had just finished her last show for the day. It had been four days since they had arrived in France and she actually felt comfortable. Her hobby-kidnappers hadn't come back yet and she felt hopeful that that part of her life was done and dealt with.
Her shows in France were going splendidly. Just in the last one she had stepped up her game again. The switch between the audience screaming in terror and the euphorie when the applause halled through the room when she managed the impossible was more than just adrenaline. Leilani loved it. She truly did.
Rachel had followed her to her trailer and was handing her one of the towels that was placed on the clothes line.
Lei placed her helmet on the chair that stood directly next to her trailer door and used the towel to rub the sweat off her neck.
The blonde trapeze artist smiled "Gosh Skull! You aced it today!"
"Thanks Rach. I'm just trying my best."
"And you're brilliant at it. Can't tell you often enough how much of a born entertainer you are."
Leilani could feel herself blushing, naturally only the redness on her ears was visible. "That's too much praise."
"Not at all. To be honest when Paolo assigned you the role and made you act like that we all actually had bets on how badly you would fail but… you managed it and look what became of it and you're just getting better with every show."
"I had to earn my keep."
"You could have just helped with the cleaning and it would have been great. We all love having you around. You're a sweetheart, Skull."
"Rach.."
"No, no it's true. You were just plainly cute since you joined us. Always trying to help out and just so shy. Honestly this makes your act even more impressive. The idiotic, boisterous Skull just being a shy, cute, helpful and wholesome man behind the stage. You're a darling, Skull."
"Better not let that get out then."
"Yes. Not that it's hard. You're doing great Sweetie. You know if you weren't an adult man I would have adopted you straight away. I wish you would have been here as a kid. literally you in child size? We wouldn't even have needed to give you the role. You could have become an acrobat and just won them all over."
Leilani pressed her face into her towel, plainly embarrassed "Rachel. Stop it."
"No no. Just imagine little Skull just being this cute little goofball. None of that makeup either and oh gosh. You could have been the angel of the air!"
Leilani just placed the whole towel over her head and pressed it down "Raaaachel."
The acrobat giggled "Exactly this is what I mean. Just cute."
Skull vehemently shook her head, actually making the towel fall down, barely managing to catch it with her hands before it could connect with the floor.
"But something serious. You know we all were pretty sure you went off to another gig… you have talent Skull. Way more than most. None of us would hold you back. You belong on a far greater stage. The only thing I want from you is that you wouldn't forget us and where you started. We care for you, Skull. From Pietro to Alexis. Even Verona has a soft spot for you. We would miss you without question but we would never want to hold you back."
"But I don't want to leave…"
"You belong on a bigger stage. The whole world should see you. We appreciate however long of a time you will give us but don't be afraid to leap when you get the chance."
Before Leilani could refuse the claims Rachel had already moved, placed a kiss on her cheek and went off "I have to go help Jaquez. Just think about it, yeah? You don't have to feel bad!"
Skull was still red but with a soft smile on her lips. She would miss them incredibly when she went back to her world. way too much to be honest. She would name her future magical Circus Lunacy, exactly the same as the one she was with right now.
She picked up her helmet again, her towel back around her neck as she opened her trailer door, barely inside as she stopped dead in her tracks.
It wasn't just Reborn this time, aside from Luce every last of the group was crammed in her trailer.
Leilani could feel her smile fall off straight away "Seriously?"
"Seriously. Shall we go then?" Reborn asked.
Skull wrinkled her nose at that, the hitman had decided to suddle her chair with sitting on it. She would have to throw it out when she made it back. "I don't wanna."
"Well good thing then that you don't have a choice." he stood up, carelessly grabbing Skull by the neck who instantly just hissed at the sun.
"That reaction is new." the hitman said almost amused, but the dark glint in his eyes didn't really get the witch in a better mood.
Skull really tried to stand her ground, she really did. But well it wasn't much use when she got dragged out of her trailer. Honestly she even tried to claw herself in her trailer door, which she only let go in the end as she heard the loud crack. She really wasn't into having her property destroyed. Especially not because of Reborn.
The rest of the group walked around them, making it impossible for anyone else to actually see Skull.
Sure, she could have screamed but in all honesty? She knew that all of them had weapons and she wouldn't put it above them, that they would kill any of her friends.
The cheerful music that still came from the tent felt mocking, like a very sick joke and all Leilani could actually do was stare angrily in front of her and make the walk as uncomfortable as possible; she dragged her feet, leaned as far away as possible from reborn and sneered at him.
If she only had her wand! She would curse the bastard threefold and never utter the counterspell! Wouldn't it be great? Reborn for all of eternity rotting in a body bind? Or just using the chance to take that stupid gun off of him.
Skull got pushed in the car and even her seatbelt got put on for her. She had refused to use it the last time as they had exchanged it to lock it with a fingerprint or something like that. No matter what she had tried, Reborn had been the only one to be able to get it off.
She might have been at fault as she indeed had once thrown herself out of the car… It was a very short 15 seconds of freedom. But it had been sweeter than anything to see Reborn's actually shocked face, while he scrambled to stop the car and pursue her.
Lal sat next to him, lokking dissprovingly at the obviously mad Skull who had her arms crossed and stared angrily out of the window "You know if you want to fake your death it's plain stupid to go back to performing."
"You're stupid." She mimicked her voice.
Lal pinched her nose bridge "And that woman said you're a sweetheart?"
"I am. To anyone that isn't evil incarnation and robbing me of my own freedom. You know everyone else would pay money to just have me in their mere presence."
"Can you for once stop throwing such a childish tantrum? You're supposed to be a grown man. Do you have no shame or is there something wrong with you?"
Leilani turned her head higher before staring out of the window again "I'm not childish."
"Oh please you're the epitome of a child. If you weren't that tall I would bet on you being 13. Your behaviour alone is questionable at best."
"At least I don't have a stick up my arse."
Lal groaned, "I can't with him!"
Skull kicked the driver's seat in front of her "I am hungry and I need the toilet."
"Last time you said that you climbed out of the gas station window and I had to fish you out of a trash can." Reborn ashed his cigarette out of the window.
"The trashcan was still better company than you."
She could hear Reborn sigh "You know I can still shoot you even while driving. I wouldn't even have to look away from the street."
Leilani gave her best to send her most angry look at his back of head.
The miser from behind him spoke up "Skull."
Leilani just ignored them, the hood creeper always was annoying to deal with.
"How did you manage it?"
Skulls still ignored them.
Fon, sitting in the front sighed but his smile was unshaken when he turned his head to look at the cloud "We actually assumed you had been kidnapped and killed. We couldn't even be sure until we saw you perform."
"Good. You should have just stayed satisfied with that."
Leilani could feel the miser leaning closer, their breath in her neck and she shuddered in disgust.
Viper didn't leave it at that though "I couldn't track you with your name and even research brought no other name. How do you not exist?"
Skull actually turned around at that, sneering in a perfect copy of Snape - which she had practised to perfection since she met her kidnappers- ."Because it's not my name?"
"What is your name?"
"Why would I tell you?" Skull raised an eyebrow.
"Skull."
"No."
Her head snapped around as soon as she heard Reborn speak "Lackey. What is your name?"
"No chance in hell."
"What if you actually get kidnapped?"
"Then I thank them nicely for getting me away from all of you. Anyone is better than you."
"You really want to go about it the hard way?"
Verde cleared his throat "Statistically speaking… with Skull's obvious British accent. We can deduct his name by going off his birth year's most popular boy names in england. He's 26. Even his last name would be achievable like that."
Skull laughed "Sure, go ahead. if you manage it I would even admit it. Good luck, Fuckface. Not that any of you have any chance. None of you can even fathom how great the amazing Skull de Morts actual name is. You are defeated before you even start!"
Nonetheless the rest of the drive was riddled with them going through several lists. Not that anyone succeeded, after all they didn't consider girl names.
