xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx Tent House, 8:24 a.m. xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Inside the tent house next to the Psycho Circus guildhall, Bernard was laying on the bed in the center of the room, dressed in a white T-shirt and blue boxer shorts under the bedsheet as he stirred. Resting on the pillow next to his was Camilla, her eyes closed and facing Bernard as she lightly snored, dressed in a dark green tight long-sleeve V-neck shirt with two buttons down the front of her chest, blue shorts and a long sleeve blue shirt tied around her waist on top of the covers.
"Gaugh..." Bernard muttered as he opened his eyes slowly as he turned over to be face-to-face with Camilla. "Alright... Time to get this day done. Ultimate Carnival... Ultimate Carnival... Gotta find the time to- hmmm?" He thought as he reminded himself about the guild show later that night until seeing Camilla asleep in front of him. "Normally she wakes up before me... She's still asleep?" Bernard thought with a raised eyebrow as he looked at the attractive young woman sharing the bed with him.
"Haaaaa..." Camilla yawned as she stirred slightly, Bernard's face turning partially red as he stared at her sleeping expression.
"...Cute..." Bernard thought as he stared at Camilla before shifting his eyes downward towards her body. "...Wait, those don't look like the clothes she went to bed with- hey!" He thought as he became suspicious of her attire until he was caught off-guard by the feeling of hands touching his face.
Gripping both of Bernards facial cheeks was Camilla, still with her eyes closed, before pulling his head downward towards her chest, submerging his face between her breasts. Shifting her arms, Camilla proceeded to cradle his head before gently nuzzling her face against Bernards shaggy hair, her actions causing Bernard's face to turn bright red as he shifted his face out of her chest and inadvertently rested his cheek on her breasts while she continued to cuddle with him.
"Grsgh! Faahh..." Bernard mumbled as he gasped for air. "Thank goodness I don't sleep on my face anymore! If this was like last time, I would have suffocated to death!... Hold on... She smells really refreshed." He thought, remembering a prior time Camilla was clinging to him until noticing a rather sweet scent coming from her with how close she was. "...You're awake, aren't you?" Bernard said with half-closed eyes as Camilla opened her eyes slowly while resting her chin on his head.
"Guilty as charged, haha." Camilla said with a chuckle while brushing Bernards hair with her hand. "What gave me away?" She said with a smug tone as Bernard reached one of his arms upward and placed it on Camilla's shoulder, readjusting himself by force to now be face-to-face with his girlfriend once again.
"Your clothes are not the same as when we went to bed last night and you smell like you just came from the shower. And you usually wake up before me so that's three clues..." Bernard said on his side as he looked at Camilla.
"Ding-ding-ding, we have a winner. what do you want for your prize?" Camilla said with a smile on her face as she wrapped her arms around his shoulders as they continued to lay together. "I can think of something, hehehe." She said while pointing her finger at her lips.
"...How about some toast with butter?" Bernard said with an apathetic tone as Camilla's face changed to one of displeasure.
"...Would it kill you to play along for once?" Camilla replied with annoyance as Bernard removed her arms from around his upper body.
"It's the night of Ultimate Carnival and I have a long day ahead of me. For all of us." Bernard said as he sat up on the bed.
"And you're not the only one with an important job." Camilla mentally complained as she sat up as well.
"I have to double check everyone's routines, set up the chairs on the second floor, shift the tables out of the way-" Bernard said, listing off his work before getting cut off by Camilla tapping a finger on his shoulder.
"Just make Daphne and the weird cat plush men do that stuff, it's their jobs." Camilla said as she got closer to him with a bothered expression on her face.
"And I have a certain way I want it to be done and it's better I do it." Bernard said towards his girlfriend.
"Always so annoyingly anal-retentive." Camilla thought while pouting as Bernard reached over to the nearby nightstand and grabbed his beanie, placing it on his head. "Hmph." She huffed as she laid back down on the bed.
"...What's with the attitude?" Bernard said towards Camilla as she put her hands behind her head, turning her head away from her boyfriend.
"Nothing important." Camilla said with a slightly angered tone as she closed her eyes.
"...Great, I made her angry..." Bernard thought as he looked at his girlfriend. "Okay, think... Think... How can I-... Actually..." He pondered for a moment until he realized something he wanted to ask her. "Hey, Camilla." Bernard said.
"If you're asking for a favor from me, don't bother." Camilla said with her eyes still closed. "Second show since the guildhall was changed tonight and I need more rest... The first show we did, I had to make a barrier around the guildhall and the size of it-" She thought until Bernard spoke up.
"Been neglecting this but how were you after the last show?" Bernard questioned as Camilla opened one of her eyes to look at Bernard.
"Uh... Well, I was a bit beat before the usual post show afterparty." Camilla answered. "Making a barrier as big as the guildhall and maintaining it for several hours while the show goes on does take some out of me... It was easier with the smaller guildhall." She thought as she opened her eyes.
"That's probably because she was tired from the shift she did bartending before the show..." Bernard thought as he scratched his chin before crawling on the bed over to Camilla.
"Huh?" Camilla muttered as she noticed Bernard approaching her.
"Sit up." Bernard instructed as Camilla's eyes widened.
"...Excuse me?" Camilla said with confusion.
"Come on, sit up." Bernard said as he motioned with his hand for her to get up.
Unsure of what he was going to do, Camilla proceeded to shift herself to a seated position, her legs off the side of the bed as Bernard reached his hands out towards Camilla's shoulders from behind. Placing his hands on her shoulders, Bernard started to slowly rub them before shifting towards the back of her neckline, Camilla widening her eyes in response.
"Is... Is he giving me a massage?" Camilla thought with bewilderment as Bernard was kneading his hands into her upper body. "Ah!... Ohhh..." She muttered as Bernard took his hands off.
"Crap, did that hurt? I haven't tried this before, I read a book on how to do some massages to help with stress and-" Bernard said until Camilla turned back to look at him.
"No! No, it's fine, keep going." Camilla said as she leaned back slightly, motioning for Bernard to try again. "This is kinda awesome..." She thought, quietly enjoying Bernard trying to give her a massage.
"Alright, let me see here." Bernard said as he lifted his right arm and started to lightly dig his elbow into her upper back.
"Ahhhh..." Camilla moaned as a smile formed on her face. "You know, you should do this kind of thing more often." She said as she looked back at her boyfriend while placing a hand atop of his on her shoulder.
"Don't get cocky. I'm doing this to help the show tonight to make sure you're fine beforehand so I kinda want you to be well rested." Bernard said as he continued to knead into Camilla's back and shoulders.
"...So, does this mean you don't want me to bartend today?" Camilla questioned with a raised eyebrow.
"If it helps you feel better, you can just waitress while Daphne and Harriet take care of things behind the bar." Bernard said with a casual tone as Camilla looked at him with a blush on her face. "I'm hoping the massage will be enough... But knowing her, she'll want something more from me." He thought as he locked eyes with her before she shifted her gaze away from him.
"And it's official... "Ultimate Carnival" day is the best day ever!" Camilla thought with excitement at her easier day ahead. "Weeeelll... This massage is nice and all but I- eh?" She said with a playful tone until Bernard tapped her on the shoulder, causing her to turn towards him again.
"Okay... Hold still." Bernard said with a serious look in his eyes. "Here goes nothing." He thought as he leaned forward.
Taking a deep breath, Bernard proceeded to place his hands on Camilla's shoulders and then inched forward towards her before planting a kiss on her mouth. While her eyes were widening to an extreme degree, light particles begun to come out from under Bernards shirt as they formed into Corvus and Vulp, both materializing on the bed.
"Morning, kid and boobs, how're- what the?!" Corvus said until he spotted Bernard kissing Camilla with the crow and foxes eyes widening in surprise as Bernard pulled himself out of the lip lock with his girlfriend.
"Hey..." Bernard said with a slightly embarrassed tone as Camilla just stared at him, not blinking and her jaw slightly dropped.
"Were you actually smooching her and not the other way around like usual?!" Corvus shouted in shock as he waddled over to Bernard and Camilla. "Never thought I'd see the day you develop some balls!" The crow said as Bernard winced in annoyance.
"I have balls!" Bernard shouted in an offended tone. "Not exactly something I am used to doing though. I only really did it because I need Camilla at her best to keep the show safe with Mary and Kawazu." He thought as he placed his left-hand index and middle fingers on his mouth as Corvus spotted Camilla's lack of movement.
"Did you put some kind of paralysis toxin on your lips or something because the hot brunette ain't moving." Corvus said as he looked over at the S-class wizard, still not moving or blinking her eyes.
"Huh?" Bernard muttered in confusion as he noticed Camilla's immobile state with Vulp approaching her, tapping her on the shoulder with his tail. "Hello? Camilla? You in there?" He said as he raised his hand and started snapping his fingers in front of her face. "Did she seriously slip into a coma or something?!" Bernard thought with growing concern as he got off the bed.
"Want me to check too? I can help her by poking her "pleasure points-" I mean, her "pressure points." Hehehe." Corvus said as he made a perverse face towards Camilla with his wings making a suggestive gesture until her eyebrows furrowed as she shifted her attention towards the crow. "Oh, hey she- blurgh!" Corvus said until Camilla swung her fist back and punched Corvus with the back of her hand, sending him flying off the bed and causing Bernard and Vulp to back up in surprise with the beanie sporting young man now standing up.
"Whoa!" Bernard exclaimed.
"Keep your pervy wings away from me!" Camilla said with a furious look on his face. "Dumb animals ruining a perfect moment!" She thought with anger.
"Owwwww..." Corvus said as he sat up from the ground.
"So much for the kiss helping with the stress." Bernard commented as Camilla quickly turned towards Bernard with the anger disappearing from her face.
"...If it's not too much..." Camilla said with a moderately anxious look in her eyes.
"What?" Bernard replied in confusion.
"Could you... Possibly... Try that again?" Camilla said as she stood up from the bed.
"Ah!" Bernard grunted in surprise from her request. "She wants me to kiss her right now after that first one?!" He thought in bewilderment.
"I know that first one was just because he wanted me well rested for the show tonight... But I don't want him to just kiss me just because of it being beneficial for the guild..." Camilla thought with a bothered look on her face. "...And could you send them away too, please?" She said while pointed behind her at Corvus and Vulp.
"Hey, we just got here!" Corvus said as he flapped his wings and took flight as Vulp looked at the crow Celestial Spirit before shifting his gaze towards Bernard, curious to see his answer.
"Uh..." Bernard muttered. "...She must have really liked it when I did that, huh? Guess she doesn't want onlookers..." He thought while locking eyes with her before turning towards Vulp. "Vulp, can you take Corvus and wait outside for a minute? I need to get ready." Bernard said towards the fox as Camilla's bothered expression shifted into a joyful one.
"You can't throw me out! I deserve to watch you both suck face with each othe- reguh!" Corvus screamed in protest until Vulp stretched his tail outward and wrapped it like a rope around Corvus' neck, shutting him up.
Following Bernards order, Vulp jumped off of Bernard and Camilla's bed and proceeded to drag away the crow Celestial Spirit towards the doorway outside of the tent house.
"What the hell! Vulp, let go! I want to stay and watch! Damn you!" Corvus exclaimed as he tried to free himself from Vulp's tail, digging his talons into the floor and leaving marks to try and stay in the room as Bernard and Camilla looked on before shifting their attention back towards each other.
"So... Uhhh..." Bernard said while rubbing the back of his head until Camilla stepped closer to him and closed her eyes, anticipating Bernards next course of action. "...Remind yourself, Bernard. She's your girlfriend... This is completely normal stuff to do with her..." He thought before swallowing spit and placed his hands on her shoulders as she grabbed her wrist behind her back.
Puckering his lips, Bernard pulled Camilla forward and pressed them against hers, kissing her a second time that morning. Moving her hands out from behind her, the S-class head of security for Psycho Circus wrapped her arms around Bernards waist to hug him briefly before Bernard pulled his mouth away from her, the two young adults now locking eyes with one another.
"You uhhh... Alright?" Bernard asked nervously as some sweat started to fall off his face. "...I can't believe I just did that..." He thought with embarrassment over his actions.
"Better than that." Camilla said with a warm smile towards Bernard as she separated from him, walking over to where her boots were on the ground. "You get ready. I'm going to head in and see if I can instruct Daphne and those cat plushie things to get the guildhall the way you want it." She said while looking at Bernard as he scratched the back of his neck.
"Th-thanks..." Bernard replied as he turned away. "I'm kind of glad I kicked those two out of the room... I never could have done that with people watching." He thought as he wiped his mouth slightly.
"Oh, one other thing..." Camilla said as she placed her hand on the doorway out of the tent house, catching Bernards attention. "You kissing me is a lot different of a feeling than me kissing you. I like it a lot, hehehe." She said with a smile that sent a chill up Bernard's spine.
"...Please don't tell anyone I kissed you more than once, everyone is already spreading more than enough weird rumors about me..." Bernard said with an annoyed look in his eyes.
"Anything you say, "Clown Prince."' Camilla said as she quickly dashed out of the tent house.
"I did not approve of that nickname!" Bernard screamed in frustration.
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx Psycho Circus guild, 7:48 p.m. xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Inside the guildhall was a packed crowd of people, consisting of men, women and children, all seated in chairs in neat rows on the first floor and rows on the two second floor pathways of the guildhall. With lights beaming down towards the center of the staging area, a massive group of clown and acrobats appeared, all performing different routines to entertain the crowd as a young man with spikey dirty blonde hair and dressed in a red and black petticoat with white pants and black boots with white gloves over his hands walked out in front of them, removing a top hat that was on his head.
"I believe it is time to move on to our next attraction here at the Psycho Circus "Ultimate Carnival!"' The blonde young man said with a dramatic tone and striking a showman's pose. "Up next! For your pleasure, we'll see the immense power of one of the strongest men in the world! The muscular mastermind himself, Pietro!" He continued as one of cat plush men moved some of the lights towards Pietro, dressed in a black singlet and boots and sporting a large wrestling championship belt around his waist with the guild logo made of gold on the front, waved at the cheering crowd.
As the show went on, a crystal orb that was on top of a small base with a tiny magic circle underneath it was floating above the guildhall, reflecting the image of the show against it. Away from the main hall where the Ultimate Carnival show was taking place was Bernard, dressed in a light black hoodie with the Psycho Circus guild logo on the front with green cargo pants, black and white shoes and his signature beanie with the monster capturing pins in it, sitting on a couch in a small room within the guildhall whilst looking at a similar crystal ball on a coffee table in front of him as Corvus the crow Celestial Spirit was perched on the backrest, Vulp the fox Celestial Spirit was sitting on Bernard's left, Tavio the Exceed sitting cross-legged on the table, Hoyabembe the massive white gorilla looming behind the couch with his head bent forward as it was directly pressing against the ceiling, Baurs the Earth Elemental lizard looking on from next to the couch and Zaphkiel the Angel deer standing next to Baurs, doing the same.
"Okay, Pietro's up next... Kain didn't do too bad of a job with his act with the clowns but like last time, Abel had to compel him to do anything with the Mr. Cursey doll, so I need to talk to them again." Bernard thought as he made a contemplative expression as he looked at the crystal ball.
"Yo, kid." Corvus said, attempting to get Bernard's attention.
"Nole and Andy's act needs an update, I think people are getting bored of watching a conjoined twin swallow a unicycle and riding it as it sticks out of the other's mouth... Silencio's act needs an update too, but what can I do with a guy who can make invisible constructs?... Orguh... That's going to take me forever to find something I think people are going to like!" Bernard continued to mentally ponder ideas.
"Hellooooo?" Corvus said, shifting over to where Bernard was and poking him on the shoulder with his wing to no avail as the beanie sporting young man was still lost in thought.
"Mr. Bernard?" Baurs said, also attempting to get his attention as Vulp poked against Bernard's knee with his paw.
"Ooh-ooh-ooh." Hoyabembe muttered as he took his large left hand and nudged Bernard in the shoulder with his index finger.
"Next up after Pietro is going to be Vidaldus with his music as the penultimate act and then we'll be ending with the dance routine from Marlene, Gigantia and Swan. They got the largest pop from the crowd at the first show with the new guild so they might be worth making the main-" Bernard thought, still ignoring everyone until an agitated Corvus proceeded to peck Bernard in the back of his head multiple times. "Ow! Ow! Ow!" He exclaimed in pain before turning around to confront the crow. "What the heck was that for?!" Bernard asked as he rubbed the back of his head.
"I don't like being ignored!" Corvus shouted as all the other creatures looked at the crow. "Why are we watching the show from here and not in the back with the rest of the guildmembers?" He asked as Bernard turned back towards the crystal ball.
"This Surveillance Lacrima was installed above the guildhall so we can watch the show from here. And from here, I can gauge the audience reaction and check out how things are going around the big top while Camilla is generating her barrier around the place to keep everyone in." Bernard explained as he reached his hand out, placing it on the top of the Lacrima as the view panned to a different area of the guild. "The second-floor addition is going over well, might need to rearrange the seats though for the sake of small viewers so they might see better." He thought as he scratched his chin.
"And any particular reason I am not allowed to look away from this dumb thing?" Tavio said with a disinterested tone as he was unable to divert his attention from the crystal ball.
"Because he ordered you to keep an eye on the show and you can't disobey the Obedience Collar around your waist." Baurs stated.
"Oh, thanks for stating the obvious, you dumb boulder! And it's not a collar, it's a weightlifter's cummerbund!" Tavio shouted without turning his head.
"Yo, antlers." Corvus said towards Zaphkiel as the quiet and murderous deer turned towards the crow. "You ever wanted to stab a tiger?" He said with a smirk as Zaphkiel turned her head towards Tavio as a malicious smile formed on her face, the Exceed starting to sweat in nervousness.
"I can't even tell if that thing is looking at me, but I am sensing bloodlust... My alpha senses are telling me so..." Tavio thought in fear.
"Ooh-ooh-ooh..." Hoyabembe said as he started to crack his knuckles with a malicious smile forming on his face whilst glaring at Tavio.
"I can't look at you, but you should be on my side! We're both creatures of muscular superiority!" Tavio screamed as Hoyabembe made an expression that signified he wasn't sure what Tavio was talking about.
"You have no "muscular superiority!" All you can do is scream, fly and be a kitty cat!" Corvus exclaimed in annoyance as Vulp watched on.
"I am an alpha! Not a "kitty!"' Tavio replied in protest as Bernard started to shake in frustration.
"And stop stealing my bit!" Corvus shouted.
"Enough!" Bernard said with a loud tone as his beastly allies minus Tavio looked at him. "No infighting allowed." He said while rubbing his eyes. "My eyes are getting sore, and I want you guys to pay attention to the show." Bernard said.
"And why are we watching again?" Corvus asked, once more.
"Because sooner or later, you guys are going to be performing for the show I'm making, and I want to give you guys a clearer example of the kind of stuff you're going to be doing." Bernard said while pointing at the Lacrima. "Corvus, Vulp and Baurs have some experience with trying to perform, I had you guys appear with Chester the ringmaster once to build up some hype but that's not the same as actually performing." He said as he panned the focus back towards Chester as he continued to present for Ultimate Carnival.
"Still don't like that guy." Corvus said as Vulp nodded in agreeance.
"Have you and him engaged in any constructive conversation in regard to the show?" Baurs questioned as Bernard shook his head left and right, signifying a negative response.
"The show ringmaster doesn't need me to give him any instruction, his whole thing is predominantly improvisation... And it also means I don't need to speak to this asshole." Bernard said with a bothered tone as he pointed at Chester. "So long as I avoid talking to him, everything is right with the world." He said as he panned the focus away again, this time over to the second floors where Kawazu was and then to the opposite side where Mary was.
"Looks like those two are doing their job." Baurs commented as Bernard took off his beanie and then scratched his head.
"Seems like it. No sign of Camilla though." Bernard said as he put his beanie back on and looked around for Camilla on the Surveillance Lacrima until the door to the room opened up with Camilla appearing, holding a platter with a pair of water bottles, two glasses and a bottle of liquor on it.
"Don't have to go very far to find me." Camilla said as she entered with a smile on her face.
"Hey, what's up?" Bernard said with a casual tone.
"...Brought that hooch to share with me, hehehe?" Corvus said with a debauched chuckle towards Camilla as she placed the drinks on the table next to the crystal ball.
"What makes you think either of the two glasses here are for you?" Camilla said with a harsh tone towards the crow. "This is for me and him." She said as Bernard raised an eyebrow before putting the platter down next to the couch and then walking over to sit down next to Bernard.
"How're you feeling?" Bernard asked as Camilla looked at him.
"Feeling alright. Thanks to someone giving me an "energizing" start to my morning." Camilla said as she reached over to the liquor bottle and removed the cork. "Course I wish the bar was handled a bit better. Daphne behind the counter with Harriet was funny but a bit of a mess." She said with a wry smile.
"I had noticed when someone ordered a "Screwdriver."' Bernard said with an embarrassed look in his eyes.
"Orange juice and vodka." Camilla said, listing the ingredients.
"Oh, I heard of this!" Corvus said, speaking up as the pair looked at him. "She took some orange juice and put a literal screwdriver in it! Bahahaha!" He exclaimed loudly as he started laughing as Bernard reached over to the Lacrima and panned over to another area of the guildhall.
Over towards the entrance to the big top was Daphne, sitting on a stool behind a stand that was promoting a large series of merchandise such as bobbleheads, hoodies, t-shirts, novelty drink mugs as well as food such as popcorn, peanuts, water, soda and Daphne's special dietary food dubbed "Metamo-chan." In Daphne's hand was a bullhorn that she was speaking into, Bernard and Camilla looking through the Surveillance Lacrima and not being able to hear her.
"...She's probably shouting over the show..." Camilla said with an exasperated look in her eyes. "And her weird diet food still isn't selling..." She thought as she noticed the lack of movement on Daphne's specially made snack.
"Looks like it." Corvus commented as Vulp nodded.
"...And I'm going to need to talk to her about it..." Bernard said with a tired tone. "Again..." He thought. "Also, I need to find out what she did with those three cat plush men who went up the mountain with me, I'm actually getting a bit worried she might have euthanized them for little-to-no reason..." Bernard pondered further.
"When I said you needed help around the guildhall to lighten your workload, I didn't think she'd be as much trouble as she actually is." Camilla said as she poured the liquor into the glasses and then handed one to Bernard.
"She's a handful but it's not like she hasn't been helpful. The cat plush men are actually useful around the guildhall, the merchandise stand gets us some additional revenue for the show and- she just took some money out from the register." Bernard said, attempting to defend Daphne until noticing she was taking a few Jewels out of the register they were in and quietly placing them in her white coat.
'"Permission to kill?"' Camilla and Corvus said with smiles forming on their faces as all of Bernards pets minus Tavio looked at him, hoping for a specific answer.
"...I'll think about it..." Bernard said as he sipped his drink. "I really shouldn't though... Maybe I'll just dock her pay and save it for the money divvying to the other members. I'm already considering giving a pay bonus to the performance with the largest reaction." He thought as Camilla shifted closer to Bernard, now sitting even closer next to him.
"So, thoughts on the show so far?" Camilla asked as she inched her face close to him.
"Uh... It's um... Good." Bernard said as he nervously shifted his eyes away from Camilla. "You think you can uhhhh... Give me some more room, please?" He said as he put his drink down as Camilla reached out and grabbed his now free hand.
"Today's been a real good day." Camilla said with an earnest smile as she interlocked fingers with him. "So, I thought I'd sit with you, and we could watch the show together." She said as she laid her head on his shoulder before shifting her gaze to Vulp. "Care to join?" Camilla said towards the fox as she patted her lap.
Eyes widening, the fox smiled before walking over Bernard and Camilla's laps and then laying down on top of them, Vulp's tail wagging in personal enjoyment as the other creatures looked on.
"Should we leave?" Baurs questioned.
"Yes! Please! I think my eyes are melting!" Tavio exclaimed in annoyance as he still was unable to move his body away from the Lacrima.
"Tavio, stop." Bernard ordered as Tavio's body glowed for a brief moment before taking a deep breath and now was able to lift his paws to rub his eyes.
"Oh, thank god!" Tavio shouted as he laid down on the table, looking at the ceiling as Camilla started to pet Vulp's head while her other hand was still interlocked with Bernards.
"Ooh-ooh-ooh! Ahh-ahh-ahh!" Hoyabembe exclaimed as he laughed at Tavio's suffering.
"And no, don't leave. The show's almost over." Bernard said with a blush on his face as he tried to avoid looking at Camilla who was resting her head on his shoulder as Corvus, still perched on the backrest, looked down at Camilla, having a decent view of her chest from above her.
"Hehehe..." Corvus mentally chuckled as he lecherously looked at his owner's girlfriend.
"I know you're looking down my shirt..." Camilla said with a disgruntled look in her eyes but not facing the crow. "...But you acting like a moron isn't bugging me right now because todays been a great day." She said as she looked at the Surveillance Lacrima with Bernard.
"Glad to see you're getting used to my personality. First step in building a valuable relationship." Corvus said with a confident tone as Camilla and Bernard reacted by rolling their eyes.
"Corvus, knock it off..." Bernard said with a bothered tone. "I want to focus on the crowd reactions..." He said as he rubbed his chin with his free hand.
"All things considered; the new guildhall is going over well, and the new members are doing a good job with integrating, too." Camilla said as Bernard stretched his free hand forward and started to pan the focus of the Surveillance Lacrima into the crowd, moving it in different directions. "Something up?" She asked as she and Vulp looked at the crystal ball.
"I'm trying to find someone..." Bernard said with a serious tone.
"Who?" Corvus asked as the creatures in the room all looked at their owner.
"The governments little "watcher."' Bernard said with annoyance. "I just know for a fact that there's someone in the crowd here who is secretly a knight from the government." He said as he continued to pan around. "I wish I had some magic that could spot specific people in crowds." Bernard thought.
"Still keeping an eye on how you're doing, huh?" Camilla said as she looked at her boyfriend.
"Either that... Or they're interested in seeing how the loan was spent... Urgh..." Bernard said until he removed his hand from Camilla's grasp and proceeded to place both of his hands on his face before groaning in frustration.
'"...Why did I ever ask for money from the soon-to-be queen and head of the royal army" is what you're thinking right now, isn't it?" Camilla thought with half-closed eyes as she watched Bernard despairing over the potential monetary issue the guild might be in.
"Why did I ever ask for money from that princess and that broccoli-headed knight...?" Bernard said as he peeked through his fingers at the crystal ball.
"Close..." Camilla thought, noticing she was mostly accurate at the thoughts coursing through Bernard's head.
"Every coin was spent in this place... All I wanted was a table update..." Bernard said whilst shaking his head.
Tired of hearing him whine, Camilla proceeded to raise her hand and then smacked Bernard in the back of his head as Vulp jumped off of their laps and landed on all fours on the floor. Clutching at his head, Bernard made a disgruntled expression as he rubbed where she smacked him.
"What the heck was that for?!" Bernard exclaimed.
"Complaining and dreading about the money isn't going to fix the problem." Camilla said with a serious tone as Bernard looked at her. "Haven't you had any other thoughts about that loan in any of the time that's passed since the update to the guildhall?" She asked.
"Actually, he did discuss it once before with me." Corvus said as everyone looked at him.
"A thought came into my mind, and I did mention something to Corvus about it offhand." Bernard said as he spoke up. "My dad's Carnival Tricks Magic can control and create space within the tents he conjures up. But amenities like the bathhouse's piping and water, the stuff in the props room, the beds in the infirmary, the liquor behind the bar... Those were all separate buys. They would have needed to be acquired from somewhere." He explained as he thought about the various objects and items that were in the guildhall currently.
"And as far as I know, no one has seen Master Barnum since that first day of the new guild. He uses his magic to hide the door to his office and when it does appear, he just makes the door move around." Camilla said as she put her hand on her cheek. "And he does that just for jokes..." She thought as she remembered the personality of Psycho Circus' guild master.
"And that loan the green haired cutie gave you was pretty sizable." Corvus said as he inched his beak down towards Bernard.
'"The amount that would've been spent on a Fairy Tail property damage reconstruction project."' Bernard and Camilla said in unison.
"So... In other words, there has to be some of it left." Bernard said as he turned towards Camilla.
"And the only person to know about that is the person who spent the money on the updates: Master Barnum..." Camilla replied.
"...And he's one of the last few people I have any interest in talking to in this place..." Bernard commented while shifting his eyes away.
"Is your problem with your father that prevalent?" Baurs said as she spoke up.
"Yes." Bernard bluntly stated as Camilla just looked at him with a raised eyebrow.
"You're only saying that because you don't want to have a discussion about the successorship to the guild master position." Camilla thought with a judgmental gaze towards Bernard as a red magic circle appeared behind the couch underneath Hoyabembe with a small figure appearing beneath the huge gorilla.
"Ooh-ooh?" Hoyabembe said as he noticed the glow.
"I just don't want to talk to him, alright?" Bernard said as Corvus noticed a small person had jumped up and onto the backrest of the bed.
"Talk to who?" The voice of a jovial middle-aged man said.
"Talk to you, dad- ahhhh!" Bernard said as he turned around and noticed a familiar figure standing on the backrest of the couch, causing him to jump to his feet in a startled manner as Camilla and Bernard's pets looked on.
A short, middle-aged man of knee-high height appeared with a body that could be described as "bowling pin shaped" and sporting an attire that consisted of white button up shirt with a green and black striped vest, black pants and shoes, a black cape, a tiny cane in his hand and a top hat on his head. Smiling with a wide grin, he looked around at the room before shifting his attention to Bernard, the beanie sporting young man clutching at his pacemaker, still reeling from the shock.
"Master Barnum!" Camilla exclaimed.
"Seems to me that my entrance skills are still top notch in my old age, hehehe." Barnum joked as everyone made unenthusiastic expressions.
"Sense of humor still sucks..." Corvus commented as Vulp, Baurs, Tavio, Hoyabembe and Zaphkiel nodded in agreement.
"Oh, come on. They can't all be gems." Barnum said as he turned towards Corvus, perched next to him on the backrest. "But all jokes hit someone, don't they?" He said with a humorous tone as he poked Corvus in the chest with his small cane.
"Hey, don't ruffle my feathers!" Corvus complained in anger as Bernard made an enraged expression.
"I'm the one who should be getting angry around here!" Bernard said as he reached his arms forward and grabbed his strangely shaped father by the collar. "You!" He exclaimed.
"Me!" Barnum replied with the same comical tone he normally has.
"Whoa! Whoa!" Camilla said as she stood up from the couch, approaching Bernard and placing a hand on his shoulder to get him to calm down.
"I've been looking for you for a month, you dirtbag!" Bernard exclaimed as his father continued to smile at him.
"No fighting in the guildhall Bernard!" Camilla said. "Even if it is slightly justified." She thought as she looked at the guild master of Psycho Circus.
"Oh? Finally decided to spend some time with your pops? Did you want to play "catch?"' Barnum joked as Bernard was growing more and more frustrated.
"Master Barnum, you're making it worse!" Camilla shouted to try and stop the fighting as she grabbed Bernard's wrists and pulled his hands off of his father's clothes.
"Where's the rest of the money the royal family sent me!?" Bernard loudly questioned.
'"The rest?"' Barnum replied with a simple expression on his face.
"Settle down, please..." Camilla said with a serious expression forming on her face as she got in front of Bernard, locking eyes with him as he pinched the area between his eyebrows to calm himself down.
"Fine... Fine..." Bernard said as he shifted his attention from his concerned girlfriend towards his annoying father.
"I'll take it from here." Camilla said as she turned around towards Barnum, who proceeded to slide down the backrest onto the couch cushions, now sitting on it. "Master, can we ask you something?" She continued.
"Perhaps." Barnum replied with a humorously sarcastic tone as Camilla's eye twitched in response.
"We know that the guildhall update last month was paid for with a large loan meant for Bernard and you spent it... But we know there should be some of it leftover." Camilla said as Barnum nodded.
"Very astute. Nice to see my son's brain behind that beanie is still working in tiptop shape." Barnum said as Bernard made an offended face towards his bad joke spewing father.
"So... On your son's behalf, I'd like to request you give us the rest of it." Camilla said, asking for a favor from the guild master.
"Kid certainly ain't going to talk to this bowling pin so he has to get the hot brunette to do the vocal work." Corvus thought as he looked on, everyone awaited Barnum's answer.
"Well, you did ask politely. That's usually the best way to getting what you want." Barnum said with a smile on his face.
"Wait, really?" Bernard said with a shocked tone as all of his pets raised their eyebrows.
"That-that's great! So where have you kept it in the guild?" Camilla said with an ecstatic stone before asking for the location of the money. "Good! I managed to keep these two from getting into an argument! Crisis averted; good day continues!" She thought with relief.
"It's not here." Barnum replied with a confident tone as everyone stared at him with wide eyes.
'"What?!"' Bernard and Camilla screamed in joint frustration.
"What do you mean "it's not here?!"' Bernard reiterated as Corvus put his wing on his face and Vulp did the same but with his tail.
"Is everyone but me here insane?" Tavio thought.
"Exactly what I said. It's not at Psycho Circus. It's also not in Hemlock." Barnum said as everyone grew even more confused.
"Then where is it?" Camilla asked.
"It's with Alfana." Barnum said as he jumped off the couch and walked around the coffee table towards the door to the room.
"Mom?" Bernard muttered as Camilla's face turned slightly blue.
"Yes, I gave it to your mother." Barnum said as he jumped slightly and turned the knob to the door to open it. "She's currently north of here, her caravan was around that one place, Shirotsume Town, last time I received a letter from her." He continued.
"Why did you give her the money from the loan?" Bernard questioned.
"She had a project idea that I was delighted to help invest in. Trust me, you might benefit from it too." Barnum said towards his son.
"Huh? "A project?"' Bernard mentally wondered.
"Plus, she needed something else to do besides her usual work. We did leave her in charge of keeping an eye on Warwick after all." Barnum said as he quickly ran out of the room as Bernard's pets made confused expressions until they all turned to notice Camilla's body was starting to violent twitch.
"War-... Oh no..." Bernard said until he felt the feeling of a large amount of hostility and anger. "Cam-Camilla?" He said with a scared tone as he turned around as his girlfriend was starting to radiate with magical energy, her eyes glowing yellow from her powers.
"That name..." Camilla said with rage in her tone.
"Kid?! Explanation, please!" Corvus said with a frightened expression as the other creatures, minus Zaphkiel, made worried faces.
"We don't say that name in the guildhall!" Bernard exclaimed towards Corvus. "Take it easy! Take it easy! My turn to keep you from going ballistic!" He said with a mix of fear and concern as he grabbed Camilla by the shoulders as she grinded her teeth loudly.
"...Warwick?" Corvus muttered as Bernard started to sweat nervously as Camilla turned her attention towards the crow Celestial Spirit. "Uh?!" He grunted as the S-class head of security for the guild had her glowing eyes of pure anger directed at him.
"I am going to kill you!" Camilla screamed loudly as Bernard reached his arms under hers, placing her in a full nelson to prevent her from getting towards one of his beastly allies.
"Everyone! Help! She's gone mad!" Bernard exclaimed as Camilla violently thrashed about, attempting to grab Corvus as he took flight.
"What the heck, kid?! What happened to her!?" Corvus asked as Bernard and Camilla fell backwards, landing on the coffee table and knocking over Tavio, the crystal ball for the Surveillance Lacrima and the drinks they were having earlier.
"Blrugh!" Tavio grunted as he fell onto the floor.
"It's called "post-traumatic stress syndrome!" We never say that person's name in the guild! Especially- guh! To the women... Ow..." Bernard said as he tried to hold back Camilla, his words getting partially cut off by Camilla elbowing him in the gut while he still trying to stop her outburst as Hoyabembe reached an arm forward and attempted to grab Camilla on the table.
"Aaaah!" Camilla screamed as she covered her hand in a barrier orb and punched Hoyabembe's open palm away.
"Aah-aah-aah!" Hoyabembe grunted in pain as he clutched at the wrist of his struck hand.
In an effort to help, Vulp stretched his tail towards Camilla and wrapped it around her wrist, but her strength and agitated state overpowered Vulp and threw him into Hoyabembe's face, causing the white gorilla to fall backwards and land on his rear.
"She's like a feral tiger..." Tavio commented as he sat up before Baurs looked at the Exceed.
"Your angry outbursts aren't this intense." Baurs said casually.
"Wait, I remember this... "Women in the guild..." That's the name of the other S-class wizard who's never around?" Corvus asked as Bernard.
"Yes! Now- heeellellep!" Bernard exclaimed. "This is not how I expected the next time I'd have my arms around her!" He thought as he tried to hold back Camilla in the midst of her tirade.
Walking down the hallway was Psycho Circus guild master Barnum as he ignored the loud noise coming from the room that Bernard, Camilla and Bernard's pets were in as he stopped at a wall. Raising his cane slightly, a magic circle appeared along the wall as a doorway revealed itself with the ever-jovial Barnum entering inside with the door disappearing behind him.
"Honey, I'm home!" Barnum said loudly to an empty office space that consisted of a mahogany desk with a black chair behind it, a pair of couches and a series of shelves that were littered with random knickknacks and items for pranking. "Should have saved that one for when I was on the call." He thought as he hopped and skipped over to the desk and sat down in the chair.
Reaching into a drawer, Barnum pulled out a crystal ball Lacrima on a small yellow stand and placed it on the desk in front of him. Tapping on it a few times with his finger, the Lacrima proceeded to light up as an image began to form.
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx Somewhere near Shirotsume Town, 8:17 p.m. xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Inside a dark room with brightly lit purple candles was a relatively pretty woman with large and shaggy ashen hair that reached all the way down her backside and dressed in what appeared to be a black robe that was tight around the torso with loose sleeves and the bottom hem completely concealing her feet and shoes with a large golden belt around her waist. Sitting in a chair at a large stone table, the woman looked at a crystal ball Lacrima in front her light up as she pressed on it.
"Heeeellloooo. How're you doing, my darling Alfana?" Barnum said with his usual jovial tone as an image of him in his office materialized within the Lacrima.
"Ah! Hey, Barney." Alfana said as a smile formed on her face. "To what do I owe the call?" She said as she leaned closer to the glass of the Lacrima.
"Can't a loving husband call to his wife without any prejudice?" Barnum said as he leaned back in his chair, plopping his short legs on the desk.
"Well, I wasn't expecting you to make a surprise Communication Lacrima visit to me today, so something must be up." Alfana said as she looked at Barnum.
"Just checking to see how your project is going." Barnum said with a smile on his face.
"It's going swimmingly! That money you sent me was just the kick we needed to get it off the ground!" Alfana said with a confident look on her face. "Won't be too long before the Jewels coming flooding in!" She said as she stood up from her chair and reached over the Communication Lacrima and picked up a tankard filled with a brown fluid.
"That's nice. By the way, I wanted to give you a heads up." Barnum said as he took off his top hat and reached inside it, pulling out a chocolate bar and starting to unwrap it.
"What?" Alfana said before beginning to take a sip from her drink.
"Bernard is coming to visit you tomorrow." Barnum said as Alfana's eyes suddenly widened.
"Pfffhgh!" Alfana exclaimed as she spat out her drink from her mouth, spraying it against the black curtains in the room she was in. "What?!" She said in shock before putting her drink down.
Running around the room, Alfana put out the purple flame candles and pulled back the curtains to reveal the all-white living space she was in that was similar to the inside of Bernard and Camilla's tent house. Wiping her mouth of the drink she was originally enjoying; she looked at Barnum on the Communications Lacrima with an odd expression.
"Be-Bernard's coming here?! Why?!" Alfana said with her hands tightly clutching at the edges of the table.
"He wants to see his mommy, obviously." Barnum said in a joking tone before Alfana picked up the crystal ball and held it in both of her hands.
"Tell. Me. Why!?" Alfana said in an agitated tone.
"You seem upset. Aren't you glad to be seeing your son?" Barnum said with a raised eyebrow as he took a bite out of his chocolate bar as it melted caramel onto the floor and then suddenly disappearing into particles.
'"Glad?!" I'm ecstatic!" Alfana screamed out with a face that seemed filled with glee before placing the crystal ball down. "I haven't seen him in five years! It's been far too long! He never even reached out to say anything to me when he got back to the guild!" She continued as she knocked her chair over without thinking.
"Oh, you know him, "all work and no play."' Barnum said with a smirk on his face as Alfana's face turned from one of happiness into one of disappointment.
"...Is he still acting like the only thing that matters to him is the guild stability?" Alfana asked with a twitch in her eye.
"Somewhat, yes." Barnum said with a smile as Alfana proceeded to walk away from Barnum and reached for a sword that was sheathed on the wall, pulling out the double-edged blade and walking back over.
"Why..." Alfana said with a tone of frustration. "Is he such..." She said further before turning around. "A sourpuss!" Alfana screamed with tears in her eyes as she threw the sword, embedding it in the wall.
"Now, now." Barnum said, ironically attempting to calm his wife down in her frenzied state as Alfana panted heavily.
"This is such bullshit! I finally get to see my son after all these years, and you're telling me he still acts like a bitter douchebag!" Alfana said in a whining tone. "Imagine how it feels to be the parent of someone like that!" She said as she pulled her chair back up and sat down in it. "If that stupid accident never happened, I would have-" Alfana said while slamming her fist into the table before Barnum spoke up.
"Not much we can do about that now, Alfana. You know that." Barnum said with a calm voice as Alfana looked at her husband on the crystal ball. "He's alive and functioning fine, if not a little fragile and still a bit of a stick in the mud." He continued as Alfana put her hands on her face. "This is where Bernard gets his emotional outbursts from. I understand what happened to him at such a young age put a damper on his relationship with everyone, but you shouldn't get so extreme, Alfana." Barnum thought.
"Him being a "stick in the mud" upsets me!" Alfana exclaimed as she got out of her chair and moved the view of the Communication Lacrima in the direction of a closet and walked over to it. "This was what I wanted to do with him when he was a tot!" She said as she pulled the door open and revealed an excessively large number of thin rectangular boxes, grabbing two of them. "I was going to play board games with him!" Alfana screamed with tears in her eyes as she extended the boxes close to the Communication Lacrima's glass.
'"Dark Sliders" and "Forty-Four Chutes."' Barnum said as he read off the titles of the board games in Alfana's hands. "A team-based "dungeon crawler" with preset scenarios and an "area control" focused strategy board game. Heard they're good." He thought as he looked at the boxes.
"I was waiting to play these with him when he was able to follow the rules..." Alfana said as she put the board games down on the table. "And I was going to teach him swordsmanship too..." She said after sitting back down and pointing at the sword in the wall.
"We've been over this before. He was eleven when what happened to him happened. He couldn't even lift a blade up effectively to teach him your style of swordsmanship." Barnum said towards his wife. "And like you said, he was so rambunctious as a youth, he couldn't sit down and be patient enough to learn a board games rules." He continued.
"I was hoping to teach him this stuff when he was thirteen!" Alfana screamed out while forming fists with her hands. "But no, fate just had to ruin an element of me raising my only son..." She thought with agitation.
"Also, you're going to make Warwick clean that up, correct?" Barnum asked, referring to the sword in the wall as Alfana nodded in response. "Where is he actually?" He questioned.
"I'll let you guess..." Alfana replied with a bothered tone. "Disgusting idiot..." She thought.
"Well, high odds are Bernard is coming to see you with the others like Pietro and Camilla, so you'll probably want to keep Warwick on a short leash." Barnum said as Alfana scratched her head.
"...Yeah, sure..." Alfana said with a disgruntled tone.
"Cheer up, you'll finally get to be able to see him. Make the most of it." Barnum said with a sincere look in his eyes towards Alfana. "Love you. Talk to you soon." He said with a wave of his hand.
"Bye..." Alfana said with a sigh as the communication ended. "Well... I guess I should just take solace in the fact I can see him..." She thought as she glanced at the board games she took out. "I just want to play one game..." Alfana thought while grabbing the board game box and then sighing once again.
I'm not making any comments until we get to a chapter I haven't seen changes in, you hear me! None!
Author's Note: (So for the most part, this chapter is relatively the same except for changes in the intro part with Bernard and Camilla and how they interacted. Also, the addition of Hoyabembe now in the room with everyone. But the most notable addition is that I decided to introduce Alfana earlier and I decided to add more to her characterization such as her love for board games and the fact she knows how to fight with a sword. I felt that she needed more to her character and a better understanding of her "somewhat lacking" relationship with Bernard.)