Again, I only own the OCs!

Eli H. Lee

"Please, Vitaly!"

"She does not seem to vant-"

"Dude, I don't care if she gets uncomfortable around you! Aside from me, Gia, Cousin Al, and Cousin Al's friends, you're really going to be the only one in this circus that she'll most likely warm up to!" Ayo yelled, the train now moving to their next stop for training. "That, and you're the only one who has any experience with fire to begin with! And hoops! But mostly fire!" Vitaly sighed, resting against the wall.

"Vhy would your sister 'varm up' vith me zee most?"

"Because you have stripes!"

Vitaly raised an eyebrow at the statement before growling. "Dude, it's not an insult. Well… ok, if you were a lion, it would be, but you're not. You're a tiger. That's natural… for you," Ayo continue, pacing back and forth as he talked, moving his paws around as well. "And besides, if the two of you do get along, she probably might also be more comfortable too. You know, since of your position among the others and-"

"Vhat?"

"You know, your position! The others look to you as a sort of an alpha! A leader!" Vitaly narrowed his eyes as he started to twirl a knife in his paw. Ayo sighed and rubbed his paws through his semi-mane. "Look as it this way, if this circus was a lion pride, you'd be considered its Alpha. Since in a lion pride, Rosella would be shunned, that would mean that her only 'true' protection would to be on good terms with you, the Alpha."

"Zee penguins are zee owners," the tiger stated, an unamused look across his face. "Zhey vould be 'Alpha' then, da?" Ayo sighed as he shook his head.

"Nope… well, maybe. But you're considered the circus leader, you're the guy everyone looks up to, you even got the posture of an Alpha that would command respect! In fact…" Ayo looked at him for a long pause before continuing with, "Are you sure you're not a lion that just never grew his mane and painted stripes on him?"

The teen quickly dodge the three knives.

"I missed."

…..

Meanwhile in Aya's and Stefano's chart…. (About time too…)

"So this Circus before fire accident?" the fossa asked, looking at the photo album the sea lion was showing her.

"Si! Here-a is when-a Gia had joined the-a circus. She was-a such a little bambino. Oh, and-a this was-a shortly after Vitaly did his-a first hoop act with-a the small hoops!" As Stefano went on explaining each picture, Aya quickly noticed one of the pictures containing Vitaly and a tigress that had red eyes and wore a strange hat.

"Who be that?"

Stefano looked at the picture she was pointing at and frowned slightly. "Natalia… She was-a Vitaly's wife." Aya perked her ears and stared at Stefano for a moment before looking back to the picture.

"Did she die?"

"No… she-a left with-a musician shortly-a after Vitaly's accident." Aya stared at the photo for a moment, confusion taking her for a moment.

"W-Why? He… he need her help then," she said, looking back at her new roommate. "Did they have problems?" Stefano shrugged and shook his head.

"I don't-a know."

*Sigh*… Finally got somewhat of a building up for Stefano's and Aya's future relationship (shouldn't surprise anyone). Also, I have accepted Natalia as the name for Vitaly's wife…

By the way, favorite if you agree with Ayo on the whole conversation he had with Vitaly.

Eli out.