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[b][u]Phillis Circus: Big Top - Rear[/b][/u]

"Who are you?"

Eric gulped as he looked up to the two faces staring him down. These two figures - the Phillis siblings, the ringmasters - had caught him. They looked so... stern. Mean. Distempered, even. Their regal atmosphere immediately gave off a no-nonsense vibe, and the man's contorted face looked as if he was about to burst in anger against the poor uncle.

"And what, pray tell, is that wretched smell?"

"He is not one of the performers. That is obvious enough." The woman stepped forward to get a closer look of Eric, while Vance stepped back. However, instead of berating him, she offered a soft smile instead. "Are you lost? Are you, perhaps, in need of the toilets?"

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A deer caught in the headlights, Eric merely stood there and gave no response. Sweat ran down his neck, threatening to build if they continued to interrogate him. He was only... he was only looking for his niece! She wasn't anywhere else in this gods-forsaken circus - she had to be here, in the Big Top!

His stomach grumbled. He could only thank the gods that it went unnoticed.

Vance turned to his sister with a look of disbelief. "Lost? He is in a restricted zone, Gwee!" He cast his arm to the side. "There are fences with signs labeled all around this tent detailing exactly that. How on Ddaear could a man be so [i]fatuous[/i] as to simply ignore--"

"Vance, you're frightening him." The woman placed a firm hand on Vance's shoulder, pulling him even further back. Flustered, he attempted to speak out against her, but she carried on speaking to Eric nonetheless - effectively shutting him up. "My name is Guinevere Phillis, and I am the ringmaster of this circus. Please excuse my dear younger brother, for he is rather... short-tempered, to say the least." She brought a hand to her lips and chuckled softly.

To this Vance let out a deep sigh through his nostrils, but reacted no further. He only stood there, arms placed at his side, with his dark eyes focused on Eric.

Still retaining her smile, Guinevere lowered her hand and continued to speak. "Every day we deal with children and adults alike sneaking into the Big Top and exploring what needs not to be explored. Men and women of all ages have curiosities they wish to satisfy, you see - they want to know the secrets behind our performers' tactics. So it is understandable..."

Eric's stomach rumbled again. He clenched it tightly with a single hand, but otherwise remained unmoved. Man, these ringmasters like to talk!

Vance brought a hand to his face. "Gwee, enough with the formalities. We are wasting time here. Have you forgotten already? There is still the matter of--"

"Nonsense, Vance. How I long for a day when you would not stress out during a performance."

Again Vance released a deep sigh from his nostrils. His sister never hesitated to interrupt him. "That does not change the fact that, Gwee, this man does not belong here. He must be kicked out of here, at once." With a sneer, Vance walked onward, passed Eric and towards the curtain which he had rolled from. "I'll see to it that a staff member escorts him immediately."

"No need, brother." Guinevere's smile never faltered. "I shall direct him to the exit personally."

The redcoated man stopped in his tracks, setting down his foot with a stomp. "Fine. But do not take too long!"

She giggled again. "You seem to have forgotten who is the older sibling, dear Vance... I shall return shortly." With that, Guinevere partially turned away from Eric, motioning for him to follow after her. They took the curtain on the opposite side of the room and continued down a small number of other rooms, many of which featured three or even four other curtains to go through. It astounded him, albeit wordlessly, that the circus staff had their paths in the Big Top memorized.

Eventually, the two reached a long corridor. "Here we are." Guinevere stepped to the side and motioned for Eric to continue down the path and out the final curtain, the Big Top's southern exit. "Now, Stevie and Lily should be on watch just outside of here. Do tell them that Guinevere sent you to be on your way, and they'll leave you be. Perhaps if you're lucky enough to catch Stevie, he may even offer to walk you to the toilets so you would not have to go there alone." The ringmaster chuckled again, coyly turning away as she had done so. "Enjoy the rest of your night, good sir. I pray you will not have to miss the finale."

And then she departed.

---

Dumbfounded, Eric watched as the curtain fluttered back in place following Guinevere's leave. That was... that was it? No punishment or hardcore beating or? They just... told him to get out? But they looked so prim and proper - he was certain they were going to beat him into submission for catching him sneaking around back there. Could these really be bad guys? Maybe they really weren't kidnappers.

Before Eric could proceed out of the corridor, he heard a flurry of muffled footsteps from behind the curtain he had just come from.

The curtain peeled open, and a little girl with a red ribbon in her hair poked her face out. She smiled gleefully upon seeing the man standing in the way. As he himself got excited to see the child, she quickly brought a finger to her lips to silence him. Then she stepped forward, holding the curtain open as she motioned hastily to someone behind her. Someone - two - three - four others followed after her into the long corridor.

One of them, a woman in her mid-twenties in an outfit similar to Isabella's, fidgeted with her hands as Eric came into view. She nearly stepped right back into the previous room. "Um... um... who is that?"

The ribboned girl turned to her with a wink - and the others understood immediately. All tension relaxed from their shoulders. The ribboned girl then took a quick dash forward to embrace her uncle.

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