"Onwards, onwards! Come one, come all! Journey into a world never before seen, witness the impossible before your very eyes!"
Felix sunk further into his shoulders like a turtle retreating into their shell, following Janette while keeping a firm grasp over KuliKuli's paw. The group carefully made their way inside before stopping at a pedestal with a welcome sign and a drawing held in display.
To avoid any suspicion, the Nekomata was given a custom-made dress with large sleeves to hide her paws from wandering eyes. The wide skirt at the dress would flow in those similar wavy patterns, the same style that KuliKuli was fond of with the first dress she received, only this one was tailored with a fine silver lace across her chest and back to adjust for comfort. Furthermore, the way her skirt puffed out gave extra room for her twin tails to hide underneath without resorting to wrapping them around her waist like how she would when traveling to Farmer's Den, and she wore an elegant yet simple white veil atop her hair with matched perfectly with her hair. The only thing she needed to be cautious about was if she encountered any reason to lift her dress while stepping over or around anything, and this was due to the nature of her cat paws unable to fit under the confinement of any boots or shoes due to their unique shape. She did not mind, in fact she preferred keeping her paws in that way, the gown of her dress extended enough to hide her paws so it did not seem like an urgent matter to her. Besides, she would rather the comfort of feeling the ground she stepped on than to try walking on those odd things hugging bare feet, it seemed so unnatural to her Nekomata comprehension and she wondered if this was simply a hoo-man thing.
Reta was carefully moving along behind the group, feeling the silky fabric of her new dress slide and rub against her shoulders as she too felt out of place in such a populated setting. Her eyes wandered around from side to side, observing the interesting figures they would bump into and taking silent notes in her mind. Her dress was fashioned similar to a traditional Kimono, with matching large sleeves similar to KuliKuli's dress with a wide green obi belt tied around the waist. Her hair was tied back in a topknot with a few blue hair strands at the side of her forehead to bring more focus to her face, and the color of her dress was a unique dark violet and detailed with pink flower petals descended from her right shoulder and spreading thin down the dress as if they were swept up by a breeze in the wind. She was reluctant at first, not because she disliked it but because she didn't wish to get it dirty or torn. It was a comment that filled Janette with joy as it subtly told her that the woman loved the new dress.
It was Janette who led the group with a wide mouth, her head spinning around as she took in all of the sights. When she would point and laugh, the others would turn their heads and be met with a strange sight. After passing through the entrance fee, the line had dissipated as the crowd spread out to enjoy all of the performers around, each one standing in their personal wooden stand showing off their own tricks. KuliKuli gasped in awe when one performer, a seemingly lanky man with twigs for limbs that left her wondering how he had the strength to hold himself up, had parted his legs and carefully inserted the top of a sword into his wide open mouth before swallowing it with just a bit of pressure on the hilt. He made it look easy, with one finger pressed down on the handle, he fed the rest of the sword down his gullet until only the handle stood out from his teeth. Raising his hands with his thumbs up, he urged the crowd around him to cheer and clap their hands, some of the children chanting "Again! Again!"
The man wiggled his arms and lightly tapped his feet before reaching out and carefully pulling the sword out as slowly as he had inserted it. Felix by this time had paused with the rest of his friends unable to look away as that man coughed out the tip of the sword, waving it around with a wobbly arm and impaling it into the ground. He raised his arms up and pressed his heels together before finishing off with a bow as his audience shouted in appraisal until they moved on. In no time, he was met with a new crowd and he went for a sip of water before readying himself to repeat the act.
"How did he do that? Can you do that?" KuliKuli asked, shaking Felix by the hand as he turned his head.
"Not unless you want to turn me into a kebab." He answered honestly, seemingly baffled as even Reta was at a loss for words.
Janette was laughing hard before slapping him on his back. "I told you guys this would be fun!"
Reta stepped forward, her eyes now scanning around the area. "It does seem smaller inside than out."
Felix felt inclined to agree, once they had entered inside, the background was illuminated in white and red colors but the interior appeared to be crowded with only two directions to traverse. Many of the performers were spread along the walls of the inner path, arched in a large circle judging by the round nature of the tent they were under.
Janette leaned into a pedestal and pointed at the drawing. "This looks like the map of the place, and it says we are here. See the arrow? Okay, it looks they have performers all around the tent no matter which way we go. Each tower is labeled as a biome, hmm..."
She paused before reading further along the map at the bottom of the image. "Ah, so each biome is suppose to be like entering a new land."
"A new land?" Reta questioned. "What kind of fools do they take us for? Am I to believe that in this tower we will be exploring a forest, or in here there will be a desert?"
"Seems only one sure way to find out." Janette grinned before grabbing Felix by the hand. "Come on, we have a bit of time before the main show begins!"
And so Felix felt like a toddler being dragged by his mother against his will, letting Janette take the initiative since this seemed to be where she was most familiar, whereas the rest of the group felt like fish out of water. They would often stop at each performing stage, all of them designed in a similar manner with wooden boards and two lanterns at the back, and each stage would be inside a large square tent that followed a checkered blend of red and white. They managed to move into the crowd at about ten paces before something else caught Janette's attention as they huddled around another stage. This time, it was dimly lit with a short feminine figure shrouded in black clothing as if this woman intended to hide in plain sight. But due to the night vision Felix, KuliKuli, and Reta shared, they could make out the subtle attributes of this woman through the dark even when her face was covered behind a black mask. She was short, almost smaller than the dwarf they had met before, actually they had a few examples to their left as some dwarves stood amongst the crowd watching. Another thing was her pointed ears and the many freckles under her eyes, along with a few strands of blonde hair that stuck out from under her hood. He would guess that this woman was a gnome sat atop a large wooden stool that nearly matched her full height.
When the crowd began to grow impatient with her inaction, the gnome slowly began to raise her pale hand which stuck out from her black clothing almost as if it levitated on its own. A small cut out of a wooden table was raised from the grown like a folded work of origami, illustrated to look like a stage with red curtains around the corners. She raised her other hand and now a pile of twigs lifted up and took the shape of a human man and woman dressed in fancy clothes. With a twitch of her index finger, the man faced the crowed and bowed his head. With the flick of her thumb, the woman imitated the mans actions. The two marionettes then proceeded to dance in a passionate embrace, coupled with festive music, their movement appeared so natural and smoothed that some of the children were fooled into believing that they were rule. It was an impressive display of puppetry, but the audience gasped when the gnome sighed and began flicking her wrists back and forth as if she were tired, and yet the puppets continued to dance!
"Holy shit!" A little elf cried out before being smacked on the head by his mom.
KuliKuli wrapped her arms around Felix with a tight enough grip that she nearly squeezed the breath out of him. He wheezed before rubbing her back, soothing her as she softened up and allowed him to breath.
Pushing the performance further, the gnome didn't seem all too interested anymore as she crossed her little legs and held a glass of water between her hands, taking a few eager gulps. The paired puppets beneath her feet carried on, with the man spinning the woman around before catching her as she fell back into his arms, pressing its little wooden head into hers as her wooden foot shot up from their passionate exchange. The song had ended and the two puppets turned their attention back to the audience, waving their little hands in a farewell motion before concluding with a bow. Once the song had ended, the gnome clapped her hands together and the puppets crumped to the group in a pile of wood and cloth in a way as if the show had reset back to the way it was before.
Felix looked around and saw Janette clapping with everyone else, raising his hands to imitate their action. KuliKuli noticed and was about to raise her paws as well when Reta snatched her wrist and held it down, shaking her head.
Unfortunately, they were unable to sit and enjoy each passing performance as Janette had to remind them that the main show was soon to begin, urging them to move forward. By then, KuliKuli found herself captivated by every trick and showing that the performers had to offer. There weren't just performers at each stage but several were passing through the crowd as well, Felix jumped back when he turned around and nearly crashed into a large wooden pole. When he stepped to the side, the pole lifted up and swung ahead, and it was then that he noticed the dwarf with a funny large hat and odd face paint walking on those stilts. He seemed rather occupied juggling five balls in his hands without letting a single one fall.
When he looked back, he realized that he had lost KuliKuli and the others in the crowd. His heart throbbed against his chest as he began to feel overwhelmed, unable to spot any of them with a quick glance around him. So many people were walking through, some even pushing him out of the way and forcing him to move elsewhere. He tried to stretch his neck up in an attempt to peak over the crowd, hoping to catch sight of anyone of his friends. He sucked in his breath, prepared to shout her name when he felt someone grab his arm and roughly pull him back to face him.
"Look at me, look at me." Reta spoke out to him while peering into his eyes, "She's fine, we're fine. It's you who needs to be in control, can you do that?"
He shook his head, his eyes darting around when she shook him once more.
"Baka, look at me! She's right behind me, we were looking for you and I can hear your heart beating wildly." She pulled him in her arms, closing her eyes and brushing his head. "Focus on my heart, can you feel it?"
He nodded.
"Good, now breathe with me. Breathe." She sucked in her breath, inhaling slowly and waiting patiently for him to copy her. He did that, finding the experience painful in his lungs because of how hard it was to breathe at that moment. But the way she ran her fingers through his hair and held him against her body did help him calm down as he began to focus less on the many faces and more on how she felt, her voice, the way she was petting him and helping him breathe...
"In. Out. In, out." She repeated, each time she would change her voice to a softer, more comforting tone. After a while had passed, Felix found himself able to breathe without feeling out of breath, and he looked up to her eyes as she raised her eyebrow and stroked his cheek with the brush of her thumb. "Better?"
When he nodded, she took the approach to smack him on the head, clicking her tongue and shaking her head. "Baka! Don't scare us like that. Come, they are this way."
"S-sorry." He mumbled out as he followed, meeting Janette and KuliKuli as they appeared to be sucked into a different kind of performance. It was a simple display of an old woman sitting at a table with an empty chair across from her. She wore a blindfold over her eyes and yet she carried this warm smile on her face as she waved at the audience and asked if any would like to join her. Someone took up her offer, another human it seemed as he sat down and she held his arms when suddenly KuliKuli grabbed Felix by his hand and looked up to him with concern in her eyes.
"Master, are you okay? We lost you for a moment and I could hear your heart go frantic! Were you scared?" She asked in a shaky voice. "I hope I didn't make you angry."
Felix seemed alarmed by her final statement, hugging her back and leaning in close. "I-I'm fine, just... it's all new for me, but you could never upset me."
"Good." She whispered back before kissing him. That helped alleviate his shaky feeling, with her around he felt much calmer in such a busy environment. Janette reached out and poked him in the gut.
"Hey lovebirds, you're missing the show!" She called out, motioning towards the blind woman in the white robe.
"What even is it?" Reta asked, watching as the man scooted his chair back with his mouth open, raising his hands in disbelief before crying out in laughter. The old woman turned her head and extended her hand to them, gesturing with a crook of her finger for them to come closer.
"Why don't you sit down and find out yourself, miss?" She beckoned in a tired voice. Reta looked around and scoffed, turning to see Janette tilt her head and motion for her to comply. She groaned before taking a seat and scooting in, keeping her hands on her lap.
"Let me see your hands." The woman asked, placing her palms on the table.
"Funny way of saying that." Reta mumbled, eyeing the woman suspiciously. "Why?"
The old woman smiled back. "Trust me dear, won't you do an old hag a small gesture so that I can see you?"
"See you?" Felix repeated from where he stood, keeping watch of the display and noticing Reta shuffle her feet around.
"Hmph, well... fine." She obeyed and rolled her sleeves back before placing her hands down. Immediately she began to regret her choice when the woman reached out and turned her hands over so that her palms were in display before holding her hands. She took a deep breathe and hummed a little tune to herself, her head swaying in a subtle side to side motion while Reta fought the urge to pull away.
"Aaaah," The woman licked her wrinkled lips and leaned back with a smile on her face. "You've endured through so much training and pain in your life, haven't you? It is a pleasure to meet a warrior like yourself, Miss Mizuki. Or do you prefer Norowa Reta?"
KuliKuli gasped and cupped her mouth while Felix and Janette felt like a current just shocked right through their spines. Reta scooted her chair back, her eyes wide and her bottom lip quivering as she stared at this woman with her mouth ajar.
"What the fuck!?" She cried out, pulling her hands away as the woman frowned and her fingers clamped down. Perhaps it was due to her surprise, but Reta found it difficult to pry her hands away from her grip. Regardless of her age, she was quite determined not to release her. "Let me go!"
"Please, relax." She replied back in an abnormally calm tone despite the struggle. Reta yelped and suddenly found her strength begin to disappear.
"Okay that's enough!" Felix jumped in to help free Reta's hand away as she slipped out from her chair and ran into the crowd. He was about to call out her name when suddenly the woman latched onto his hand instead. "Hey!"
She turned to face him and gasped, letting him go free and shielding herself with her hands over her face. The crowd had begun to whisper and look at Felix, the old woman had turned in her seat and trembled in fear while pleading to him in a wavering voice. "I beg for your forgiveness, it was uncalled for me to act so rashly! Please, don't-don't tell him I did it again! She'll be safe, I promise!"
"We're leaving!" Felix stated, grabbing KuliKuli and Janette away from the crowd, hearing the woman whimper to herself as another performer reached out to her. They found Reta rubbing her wrists and hissing to herself when Felix approached her. "Hey, did she hurt you?"
"I'm fine." She mumbled in a quiet voice, almost shyly as if she were embarrassed of her actions. Janette and KuliKuli were next to her, with KuliKuli reaching out to hold her when Reta pulled away. "I said I'm fine."
KuliKuli moved her head in close, her eyes squinting at her friend. Her nose sniffed around and she moved in close, wiggling her nose before pressing it against Reta's neck. She giggled before pushing the Nekomata back. "Knock it off! I said I'm fine, I'm calm so leave it!"
"You are calm." KuliKuli stated in awe. "You were angry and shocked a moment ago, and suddenly that smell was gone."
"Huh? What are you saying?" Reta questioned her before rubbing her arms. It was true, the way her strength fled from her body in an unnatural way, but it happened so fast that she struggled to comprehend it.
"So you're feeling well then?" Janette asked for confirmation, stepping in closer to look Reta in the eyes. "How are you feeling now, exactly?"
"Irritated, mildly. But, not really angry anymore." She admitted, her eyes growing wide before looking at Felix and KuliKuli.
Felix shook his head and directed his look to Janette. "I don't like this, I think we should turn back and leave."
"No!" KuliKuli cried out before covering her mouth. Her shoulders sunk down and she hunched in her posture before dropping her head in disappointment. "But Master, I wanted to see the show."
"KuliKuli, I don't know what just happened and honestly, this place makes me nervous."
KuliKuli looked up with hopeful eyes. "But you liked a lot of it didn't you? Like when that weird guy ate his sword, you had the same look I did and I was super impressed. Weren't you?"
"Well." He started only to be cut short as she leaned in closer.
"And you promised tonight we would se a good show! Please, Master?" She turned to Reta and Janette. "I mean, you two are enjoying this, right?"
Janette felt like she were put on the spot, feeling a bit of heat on her forehead as she folded her arms over her bosom. "I'm not so sure, in truth, I feel responsible for this trip since it was my idea. If anyone gets hurt, I wouldn't want that weighing on me and giving me sleepless nights. Maybe we should walk out before any more trouble occurs?"
"The only trouble happened when you pressured me into holding hands with that old creep." She scowled, "I do not mind staying so long as we stay to watch a show and not become a part of it ourselves, right?"
"Er- right, haha." Janette chuckled nervously, touching her fingertips together and hanging her head in shame. "Sorry, I guess I am to blame for that."
The lights around the pathway flickered and grew dim when a loud voice echoed throughout the tent, catching everyone by surprise.
Just as the voice had finished, the lanterns flickered and grew brighter, illuminating the tent once more. Now the crowd began to push through in one direction, forcing the group to move against the walls.
"Ow!" Janette winced as the scales of a Kobold scratched her arm while sliding past her. She turned her focus toward her friends. "I guess it's the last time to back out. Are we staying or leaving?"
Felix hung his head down, contemplating the decision and aware of the pleading look his mate was giving him. She raised her paws up, still hidden under her long sleeves, and pressed them under her chin as she prayed for her preferred outcome. When he sighed and swung his head before sheepishly giving her a nod, she squealed and hugged him tight, spraying his face with kisses.
"Thank you, thank you, thank you!" She cried out while hopping up and down. "Oooh I love you!"
"Cute." Reta rolled her eyes before grabbing their arms. "We should make haste."
"Yea, don't want to miss out on the good seats!" Janette added, offering Felix a smile and a hand. He nervously smiled back and took her hand as she led the way, pulling them into the crowd to follow towards this mysterious grand performance.
"Onwards, onwards! Come one, come all! Journey into a world never before seen, witness the impossible before your very eyes!"
Felix sunk further into his shoulders like a turtle retreating into their shell, following Janette while keeping a firm grasp over KuliKuli's paw. The group carefully made their way inside before stopping at a pedestal with a welcome sign and a drawing held in display.
To avoid any suspicion, the Nekomata was given a custom-made dress with large sleeves to hide her paws from wandering eyes. The wide skirt at the dress would flow in those similar wavy patterns, the same style that KuliKuli was fond of with the first dress she received, only this one was tailored with a fine silver lace across her chest and back to adjust for comfort. Furthermore, the way her skirt puffed out gave extra room for her twin tails to hide underneath without resorting to wrapping them around her waist like how she would when traveling to Farmer's Den, and she wore an elegant yet simple white veil atop her hair with matched perfectly with her hair. The only thing she needed to be cautious about was if she encountered any reason to lift her dress while stepping over or around anything, and this was due to the nature of her cat paws unable to fit under the confinement of any boots or shoes due to their unique shape. She did not mind, in fact she preferred keeping her paws in that way, the gown of her dress extended enough to hide her paws so it did not seem like an urgent matter to her. Besides, she would rather the comfort of feeling the ground she stepped on than to try walking on those odd things hugging bare feet, it seemed so unnatural to her Nekomata comprehension and she wondered if this was simply a hoo-man thing.
Reta was carefully moving along behind the group, feeling the silky fabric of her new dress slide and rub against her shoulders as she too felt out of place in such a populated setting. Her eyes wandered around from side to side, observing the interesting figures they would bump into and taking silent notes in her mind. Her dress was fashioned similar to a traditional Kimono, with matching large sleeves similar to KuliKuli's dress with a wide green obi belt tied around the waist. Her hair was tied back in a topknot with a few blue hair strands at the side of her forehead to bring more focus to her face, and the color of her dress was a unique dark violet and detailed with pink flower petals descended from her right shoulder and spreading thin down the dress as if they were swept up by a breeze in the wind. She was reluctant at first, not because she disliked it but because she didn't wish to get it dirty or torn. It was a comment that filled Janette with joy as it subtly told her that the woman loved the new dress.
It was Janette who led the group with a wide mouth, her head spinning around as she took in all of the sights. When she would point and laugh, the others would turn their heads and be met with a strange sight. After passing through the entrance fee, the line had dissipated as the crowd spread out to enjoy all of the performers around, each one standing in their personal wooden stand showing off their own tricks. KuliKuli gasped in awe when one performer, a seemingly lanky man with twigs for limbs that left her wondering how he had the strength to hold himself up, had parted his legs and carefully inserted the top of a sword into his wide open mouth before swallowing it with just a bit of pressure on the hilt. He made it look easy, with one finger pressed down on the handle, he fed the rest of the sword down his gullet until only the handle stood out from his teeth. Raising his hands with his thumbs up, he urged the crowd around him to cheer and clap their hands, some of the children chanting "Again! Again!"
The man wiggled his arms and lightly tapped his feet before reaching out and carefully pulling the sword out as slowly as he had inserted it. Felix by this time had paused with the rest of his friends unable to look away as that man coughed out the tip of the sword, waving it around with a wobbly arm and impaling it into the ground. He raised his arms up and pressed his heels together before finishing off with a bow as his audience shouted in appraisal until they moved on. In no time, he was met with a new crowd and he went for a sip of water before readying himself to repeat the act.
"How did he do that? Can you do that?" KuliKuli asked, shaking Felix by the hand as he turned his head.
"Not unless you want to turn me into a kebab." He answered honestly, seemingly baffled as even Reta was at a loss for words.
Janette was laughing hard before slapping him on his back. "I told you guys this would be fun!"
Reta stepped forward, her eyes now scanning around the area. "It does seem smaller inside than out."
Felix felt inclined to agree, once they had entered inside, the background was illuminated in white and red colors but the interior appeared to be crowded with only two directions to traverse. Many of the performers were spread along the walls of the inner path, arched in a large circle judging by the round nature of the tent they were under.
Janette leaned into a pedestal and pointed at the drawing. "This looks like the map of the place, and it says we are here. See the arrow? Okay, it looks they have performers all around the tent no matter which way we go. Each tower is labeled as a biome, hmm..."
She paused before reading further along the map at the bottom of the image. "Ah, so each biome is suppose to be like entering a new land."
"A new land?" Reta questioned. "What kind of fools do they take us for? Am I to believe that in this tower we will be exploring a forest, or in here there will be a desert?"
"Seems only one sure way to find out." Janette grinned before grabbing Felix by the hand. "Come on, we have a bit of time before the main show begins!"
And so Felix felt like a toddler being dragged by his mother against his will, letting Janette take the initiative since this seemed to be where she was most familiar, whereas the rest of the group felt like fish out of water. They would often stop at each performing stage, all of them designed in a similar manner with wooden boards and two lanterns at the back, and each stage would be inside a large square tent that followed a checkered blend of red and white. They managed to move into the crowd at about ten paces before something else caught Janette's attention as they huddled around another stage. This time, it was dimly lit with a short feminine figure shrouded in black clothing as if this woman intended to hide in plain sight. But due to the night vision Felix, KuliKuli, and Reta shared, they could make out the subtle attributes of this woman through the dark even when her face was covered behind a black mask. She was short, almost smaller than the dwarf they had met before, actually they had a few examples to their left as some dwarves stood amongst the crowd watching. Another thing was her pointed ears and the many freckles under her eyes, along with a few strands of blonde hair that stuck out from under her hood. He would guess that this woman was a gnome sat atop a large wooden stool that nearly matched her full height.
When the crowd began to grow impatient with her inaction, the gnome slowly began to raise her pale hand which stuck out from her black clothing almost as if it levitated on its own. A small cut out of a wooden table was raised from the grown like a folded work of origami, illustrated to look like a stage with red curtains around the corners. She raised her other hand and now a pile of twigs lifted up and took the shape of a human man and woman dressed in fancy clothes. With a twitch of her index finger, the man faced the crowed and bowed his head. With the flick of her thumb, the woman imitated the mans actions. The two marionettes then proceeded to dance in a passionate embrace, coupled with festive music, their movement appeared so natural and smoothed that some of the children were fooled into believing that they were rule. It was an impressive display of puppetry, but the audience gasped when the gnome sighed and began flicking her wrists back and forth as if she were tired, and yet the puppets continued to dance!
"Holy shit!" A little elf cried out before being smacked on the head by his mom.
KuliKuli wrapped her arms around Felix with a tight enough grip that she nearly squeezed the breath out of him. He wheezed before rubbing her back, soothing her as she softened up and allowed him to breath.
Pushing the performance further, the gnome didn't seem all too interested anymore as she crossed her little legs and held a glass of water between her hands, taking a few eager gulps. The paired puppets beneath her feet carried on, with the man spinning the woman around before catching her as she fell back into his arms, pressing its little wooden head into hers as her wooden foot shot up from their passionate exchange. The song had ended and the two puppets turned their attention back to the audience, waving their little hands in a farewell motion before concluding with a bow. Once the song had ended, the gnome clapped her hands together and the puppets crumped to the group in a pile of wood and cloth in a way as if the show had reset back to the way it was before.
Felix looked around and saw Janette clapping with everyone else, raising his hands to imitate their action. KuliKuli noticed and was about to raise her paws as well when Reta snatched her wrist and held it down, shaking her head.
Unfortunately, they were unable to sit and enjoy each passing performance as Janette had to remind them that the main show was soon to begin, urging them to move forward. By then, KuliKuli found herself captivated by every trick and showing that the performers had to offer. There weren't just performers at each stage but several were passing through the crowd as well, Felix jumped back when he turned around and nearly crashed into a large wooden pole. When he stepped to the side, the pole lifted up and swung ahead, and it was then that he noticed the dwarf with a funny large hat and odd face paint walking on those stilts. He seemed rather occupied juggling five balls in his hands without letting a single one fall.
When he looked back, he realized that he had lost KuliKuli and the others in the crowd. His heart throbbed against his chest as he began to feel overwhelmed, unable to spot any of them with a quick glance around him. So many people were walking through, some even pushing him out of the way and forcing him to move elsewhere. He tried to stretch his neck up in an attempt to peak over the crowd, hoping to catch sight of anyone of his friends. He sucked in his breath, prepared to shout her name when he felt someone grab his arm and roughly pull him back to face him.
"Look at me, look at me." Reta spoke out to him while peering into his eyes, "She's fine, we're fine. It's you who needs to be in control, can you do that?"
He shook his head, his eyes darting around when she shook him once more.
"Baka, look at me! She's right behind me, we were looking for you and I can hear your heart beating wildly." She pulled him in her arms, closing her eyes and brushing his head. "Focus on my heart, can you feel it?"
He nodded.
"Good, now breathe with me. Breathe." She sucked in her breath, inhaling slowly and waiting patiently for him to copy her. He did that, finding the experience painful in his lungs because of how hard it was to breathe at that moment. But the way she ran her fingers through his hair and held him against her body did help him calm down as he began to focus less on the many faces and more on how she felt, her voice, the way she was petting him and helping him breathe...
"In. Out. In, out." She repeated, each time she would change her voice to a softer, more comforting tone. After a while had passed, Felix found himself able to breathe without feeling out of breath, and he looked up to her eyes as she raised her eyebrow and stroked his cheek with the brush of her thumb. "Better?"
When he nodded, she took the approach to smack him on the head, clicking her tongue and shaking her head. "Baka! Don't scare us like that. Come, they are this way."
"S-sorry." He mumbled out as he followed, meeting Janette and KuliKuli as they appeared to be sucked into a different kind of performance. It was a simple display of an old woman sitting at a table with an empty chair across from her. She wore a blindfold over her eyes and yet she carried this warm smile on her face as she waved at the audience and asked if any would like to join her. Someone took up her offer, another human it seemed as he sat down and she held his arms when suddenly KuliKuli grabbed Felix by his hand and looked up to him with concern in her eyes.
"Master, are you okay? We lost you for a moment and I could hear your heart go frantic! Were you scared?" She asked in a shaky voice. "I hope I didn't make you angry."
Felix seemed alarmed by her final statement, hugging her back and leaning in close. "I-I'm fine, just... it's all new for me, but you could never upset me."
"Good." She whispered back before kissing him. That helped alleviate his shaky feeling, with her around he felt much calmer in such a busy environment. Janette reached out and poked him in the gut.
"Hey lovebirds, you're missing the show!" She called out, motioning towards the blind woman in the white robe.
"What even is it?" Reta asked, watching as the man scooted his chair back with his mouth open, raising his hands in disbelief before crying out in laughter. The old woman turned her head and extended her hand to them, gesturing with a crook of her finger for them to come closer.
"Why don't you sit down and find out yourself, miss?" She beckoned in a tired voice. Reta looked around and scoffed, turning to see Janette tilt her head and motion for her to comply. She groaned before taking a seat and scooting in, keeping her hands on her lap.
"Let me see your hands." The woman asked, placing her palms on the table.
"Funny way of saying that." Reta mumbled, eyeing the woman suspiciously. "Why?"
The old woman smiled back. "Trust me dear, won't you do an old hag a small gesture so that I can see you?"
"See you?" Felix repeated from where he stood, keeping watch of the display and noticing Reta shuffle her feet around.
"Hmph, well... fine." She obeyed and rolled her sleeves back before placing her hands down. Immediately she began to regret her choice when the woman reached out and turned her hands over so that her palms were in display before holding her hands. She took a deep breathe and hummed a little tune to herself, her head swaying in a subtle side to side motion while Reta fought the urge to pull away.
"Aaaah," The woman licked her wrinkled lips and leaned back with a smile on her face. "You've endured through so much training and pain in your life, haven't you? It is a pleasure to meet a warrior like yourself, Miss Mizuki. Or do you prefer Norowa Reta?"
KuliKuli gasped and cupped her mouth while Felix and Janette felt like a current just shocked right through their spines. Reta scooted her chair back, her eyes wide and her bottom lip quivering as she stared at this woman with her mouth ajar.
"What the fuck!?" She cried out, pulling her hands away as the woman frowned and her fingers clamped down. Perhaps it was due to her surprise, but Reta found it difficult to pry her hands away from her grip. Regardless of her age, she was quite determined not to release her. "Let me go!"
"Please, relax." She replied back in an abnormally calm tone despite the struggle. Reta yelped and suddenly found her strength begin to disappear.
"Okay that's enough!" Felix jumped in to help free Reta's hand away as she slipped out from her chair and ran into the crowd. He was about to call out her name when suddenly the woman latched onto his hand instead. "Hey!"
She turned to face him and gasped, letting him go free and shielding herself with her hands over her face. The crowd had begun to whisper and look at Felix, the old woman had turned in her seat and trembled in fear while pleading to him in a wavering voice. "I beg for your forgiveness, it was uncalled for me to act so rashly! Please, don't-don't tell him I did it again! She'll be safe, I promise!"
"We're leaving!" Felix stated, grabbing KuliKuli and Janette away from the crowd, hearing the woman whimper to herself as another performer reached out to her. They found Reta rubbing her wrists and hissing to herself when Felix approached her. "Hey, did she hurt you?"
"I'm fine." She mumbled in a quiet voice, almost shyly as if she were embarrassed of her actions. Janette and KuliKuli were next to her, with KuliKuli reaching out to hold her when Reta pulled away. "I said I'm fine."
KuliKuli moved her head in close, her eyes squinting at her friend. Her nose sniffed around and she moved in close, wiggling her nose before pressing it against Reta's neck. She giggled before pushing the Nekomata back. "Knock it off! I said I'm fine, I'm calm so leave it!"
"You are calm." KuliKuli stated in awe. "You were angry and shocked a moment ago, and suddenly that smell was gone."
"Huh? What are you saying?" Reta questioned her before rubbing her arms. It was true, the way her strength fled from her body in an unnatural way, but it happened so fast that she struggled to comprehend it.
"So you're feeling well then?" Janette asked for confirmation, stepping in closer to look Reta in the eyes. "How are you feeling now, exactly?"
"Irritated, mildly. But, not really angry anymore." She admitted, her eyes growing wide before looking at Felix and KuliKuli.
Felix shook his head and directed his look to Janette. "I don't like this, I think we should turn back and leave."
"No!" KuliKuli cried out before covering her mouth. Her shoulders sunk down and she hunched in her posture before dropping her head in disappointment. "But Master, I wanted to see the show."
"KuliKuli, I don't know what just happened and honestly, this place makes me nervous."
KuliKuli looked up with hopeful eyes. "But you liked a lot of it didn't you? Like when that weird guy ate his sword, you had the same look I did and I was super impressed. Weren't you?"
"Well." He started only to be cut short as she leaned in closer.
"And you promised tonight we would se a good show! Please, Master?" She turned to Reta and Janette. "I mean, you two are enjoying this, right?"
Janette felt like she were put on the spot, feeling a bit of heat on her forehead as she folded her arms over her bosom. "I'm not so sure, in truth, I feel responsible for this trip since it was my idea. If anyone gets hurt, I wouldn't want that weighing on me and giving me sleepless nights. Maybe we should walk out before any more trouble occurs?"
"The only trouble happened when you pressured me into holding hands with that old creep." She scowled, "I do not mind staying so long as we stay to watch a show and not become a part of it ourselves, right?"
"Er- right, haha." Janette chuckled nervously, touching her fingertips together and hanging her head in shame. "Sorry, I guess I am to blame for that."
The lights around the pathway flickered and grew dim when a loud voice echoed throughout the tent, catching everyone by surprise.
Just as the voice had finished, the lanterns flickered and grew brighter, illuminating the tent once more. Now the crowd began to push through in one direction, forcing the group to move against the walls.
"Ow!" Janette winced as the scales of a Kobold scratched her arm while sliding past her. She turned her focus toward her friends. "I guess it's the last time to back out. Are we staying or leaving?"
Felix hung his head down, contemplating the decision and aware of the pleading look his mate was giving him. She raised her paws up, still hidden under her long sleeves, and pressed them under her chin as she prayed for her preferred outcome. When he sighed and swung his head before sheepishly giving her a nod, she squealed and hugged him tight, spraying his face with kisses.
"Thank you, thank you, thank you!" She cried out while hopping up and down. "Oooh I love you!"
"Cute." Reta rolled her eyes before grabbing their arms. "We should make haste."
"Yea, don't want to miss out on the good seats!" Janette added, offering Felix a smile and a hand. He nervously smiled back and took her hand as she led the way, pulling them into the crowd to follow towards this mysterious grand performance.
