Conley Brothers

She shook her head "In, I'm alright thanks... I should get one checking in with the others" she said, giving the unicorn a final few strokes "I'll be back by later though" she was very excited to ride a unicorn! She of course had no idea that her brothers had sought them out to satisfy a little girls dreams. for all his faults Felix did love his sister

--

Spectra smiled happily enough at their work. While they did that she went about getting items from her cart to put under the canopy, her own little booth for charms and trinkets for people to buy
 
Negru reached out and tried to snag her hair. Vlad caught the unicorn just in time, muttering a few quiet words of scolding ans he urged the unicorn back. "Take care, Miss Camila!" he called after her cheerfully, hoping she'd missed the whole hair-snatch thing.

~~

The twins finally finished their work. The canopy stood taunt and true against the sky! They nodded to each other agreeably. Good work! Then they wandered over to Spectra's booth and eyed the trinkets, their fingers twitching. SO many shiny things!
 
She hadn't but likely would have just laughed about it anyway. She glanced over her shoulder and waved her fingers as she went on her way making her rounds.

--

Spectra noticed of course "I keep inventory" she cautioned them "but be extra helpful this week and I'll let you have something each" she said, holding out a nicely sized lollipop for each of them
 
Vlad smiled and went to his wagon to take care of business. There was much to prepare and unpack for the shows tonight.

~~

The twins backed away reluctantly from the shiny trinkets. They brightened at the lollipops and eagerly accepted. "Thank you! These are yummy candies!" they crowed eagerly. "What will you do now?"

~~

Claudius stirred in his nest of blankets. He lifted his head, looking around blearily. Nope, that didn't help. His rectangular room was dark with only flickers of light coming from the floor. Oh... yes. He was in some kind of... rolling cage. Yes, that was right. It was currently covered with some kind of thick tarp or blanket thing. He laid his head down tiredly. How long had he been in here? He couldn't remember. It was warm here, soft, and there was no more pain. That was enough for now. This place was even bigger than his old cage. Maybe they would feed him if he did not trouble them? That would be nice.
 
Spectra smiled, pleased that they were so happy with their reward for helping "Well. I need to set up my stall then go start practicing for the show" she told them "And shouldn't you two be practicing too?" she raised a brow at them

--

It was Adanya who happened by the cage cart, she frowned, having long done away with caging her animals, with the help of the other circus members she had expanded the inside to give them all proper habitats. A cage would not do! and why hadn't she been told about another animal? Frowning she lifted the corner of the tarp to look inside, see what they had in there. She didn't bother asking anyone's permission. When it came to animals she never did ask, nobody else could talk to them as far as she knew, well, talk to them and hear them properly
 
They considered this then shrugged. "No one practices with us," said one of them. "We know how to act the act. It is fun." They turned and wandered off, happily enjoying their treats as they discussed what they should do next and where they should go next.

~~

He flinched instinctively at the rustle of the tarp. That never meant anything good. He lifted his horned head slowly and tried to focus on the being beyond, but he couldn't make it out. He dropped his head with a sigh and shifted. The spines along his back caught on the blanket and ripped a few as he rolled over. Some of the fresher wounds on his body split, blood seeping out and staining his pale skin where it was visible among the shreds of cloth.
 
Adanya squinted, certainly a creature like none she had ever seen but clearly very hurt and sad "It's alright, I will help you" she spoke soothingly and soft like she did whenever any of her animals were sick or injured. Though she spoke english animals always understood her meaning, it was more of a natural gift not something she had learned. mannerisms was what she'd had to learn to work with them
 
He jerked a little in surprise. The gentle voice startled him far more than harsh words or a striking blow. He stirred cautiously, moving back to the opposite corner. They had mostly left him alone for... however long it had been after he'd been moved here. He didn't know why the former master had gotten rid of him, but these new master(s?) seemed alright. Who was this new person? He kept his head down as he tried to look at them out of one eye.
 
"It's ok, I won't hurt you" she said softly "What food do you eat?" she asked him, not able to tell if he was an herbivore, carnivore or omnivore. If he didn't answer she would bring some of each, she hoped he would, or it would, she couldn't tell the gender either but didn't want to scare it by just jerking the entire tarp off. tarps were used to keep animals calm after all
 
What type of food? He was being given a choice? He stared at her, growing nervous now. Why was she giving him choices? What was he supposed to answer? In his exerience, there was always a right answer and a wrong answer.

~~

Keith slunk up to Felix and knelt next to him. "The lion tamer is pestering your new aquasition," he reported. "She seems to be causing it distress. I thought no one was to touch it yet."
 
"Hey it's ok.. " she said softly to the poor thing "I'll bring you some of both alright" she had free access to animal feed given what her job was so finding some variety would be easy enough.

Felix sighed "Of course she is..." He tended to avoid Adanya whenever possible but he supposed he would end up having to handle this anyway, doubted he could pawn it off on his brother "Thank you Keith" he stood up "Oh, I did notice we had some stow aways get on the last cart with the supplies... take care of that would you?" Couldn't afford pesky mundane humans ruining things
 
"With pleasure!" Keith purred. He slipped away, cackling quietly as he went to find the supply wagon and the stowaways hiding there.

Claudius coward back away from the person speaking to him. How could he answer what he did not know? And the more she tried to sooth his fear, the more certain he was that she hid a scalpal. She was going to do something to him.
 
she put the corner of the tarp back and turned to go get food when she nearly ran into Felix. He was tall, lean built while she was much shorty and well muscled though not bulky but certainly no bit of fat on her. He was pale as could be and she was of course, black with a thick main of dark curly hair "Why is this animal caged!" she barked at him, not intimidated by the ringmaster in the least.

"He's not an animal and he's not for you, leave him be" Felix said sternly.

Adanya glared at him and folded her arms stubbornly. "Here we go.." Felix muttered to himself "If we need your help you'll know it, you're just scaring the boy, now be off with you!"

Adanya would not be so easily swayed though, standing her ground. She didn't believe that it could be anything but an animal!

Felix had no patience for her, his magic charm having no effect like it did on the others
 
He moved in the cage, cautiously slinking closer to the bars. One thin hand wrapped around the bars as he listened to the argument. So. That was the voice of his new master and owner, who apparently did not want him to be bothered by the female, whoever she was. He hoped she would be okay. His last master had had an assistant who had tried to interfere, and he'd never seen him again.

Leon heard the argument and turned in that direction. He found Felix and Adanya arguing. Again. Didn't Felix avoid Adanya just for that reason? "What seems to be the trouble here?" he asked in his most cheerful neutral tone.
 
Felix had little patience for her. Used to people just doing what he said. He didn't actually know how to deal with people.

"He has an animal in a cage. Injured and scared and won't let me help" Adanya spoke up before Felix could "he promised no more cages" she turned accusing eyes on Felix
 
Leon glanced at the covered wagon cage then to Felix, then to Adanya. "Hmm, this is a bit of a pickle, isn't it?" he mused. "He did agree to no more cages, yes, but please tell me this: when you first made the transition from cage to no cage, did you just throw your animals out into the wide, glorious sunshine? Or did you make a nice, slow transition?"
 
Adanya blinked at him. "I opened the cage and let them decide. This cage is locked" she answered him.

Striker sat down beside her but those golden eyes were on Leon, studying him. Even old as he was, always unsettling when an animal that large studied someone so intently.
 
Leon deliberately ignored Striker, keeping his focus on Adanya. "Yet as I recall, some of those animals had lived in those cages for so long, they were terrified of the freedom you offered," he pointed out. "It would have been detrimental to bring them out. Also, some of them, at least at first, were an outright danger to everyone else here, human and animal." He turned slightly and gave a delicate wave to indicate the cage. "Yes, this cage is locked, but did it occur to you that perhaps it was locked to protect the creature inside from those outside? There are some who are so used to your tame animals that they would climb right into the cage with an unknown, and who knows what would happen then?"

He was, of course, speaking of the twins, but there were also humans, children, and other visitors of the circus who might come across the cage. There was always at least one annoying little snoop who made it into the back alleys of the circus set up.
 
She frowned "my animals are not tame only a fool would think they are" she stated flatly "and if they are fool enough they deserve to be bitten. Then they will learn" she put a hand on Strikers head. Yes he was calm and docile now but he was still a wild animal just too old and tired to concern himself with agression but if provoked, or hungry, he was still a 700 pound healthy tiger.

"No more cages" she said again
 
Leon waved a hand. "Tamed, docile, I really don't care what you call them as long as you understand that if they do bite anyone, they will be put down. That's not just me saying it, either, so do not bother with your death glare. That is every government out there, so keep them not-biting. As for no cages..." He leaned close, his eyes snapping dangerously. He, too, was losing patience with her. "You do not give the orders around here. You are allowed full control over the animals, but that is not an animal. Eventually, he will come out of the cage, but only when we decide it. Understand?"
 
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