[img]http://i.imgur.com/8mPMSWF.png[/img] [b][u]Phillis Circus: Outside the Big Top[/u][/b] Marcus had been at a loss for words as Syed and Moira hurriedly tried to explain what had happened to them and the others, and how things had taken a turn for the chaotic mess that the Phillis Circus had now been gripped within. With smoke rising into the air from a few wayward burning tents and scorched earth and a chorus of panicked shouts and screams from the fleeing civilians around them, Marcus could see with only too clear clarity that everything had descended into bedlam. Moira and Syed were at least fine, fortuitously, albeit with minor injuries. Despite it all, he could only pray that the others were okay as well, especially Estelle. Finding her was his primary concern, as well as the truth about what it was exactly that had been going on here. To think that this struggle had started because of some crazy fire loving chef… No sooner had he and his companions stepped foot within the boundaries of the circus then they had been besieged by laser fire and strange looking opponents. Some woman, charging at Moira, managed to split her actual bodies into multiple parts to avoid Moira’s attack, before then attacking Marcus himself – making a kick for his staff, she tried to knock it free of his control! But Marcus’ grip on his staff was solid, and he kept control of it, even when he was knocked off balance somewhat by the surprising attack. “Fascinating,” Marcus commented, blinking at the strange and whimsical Poppy. “What on Ddaear are you?” A gust of wind erupted from where Marcus stood, sending Poppy’s foot whipping through the air and disrupting the rest of her body’s balance alongside it. Blowing the appendage as far away as he could, he then quickly concentrated on another spell, buffing the agility and speed of all three of his companions, before slowly refocusing on Poppy and the two armoured stiltmen. --------- [img]http://i.imgur.com/2uDBgEK.png[/img] [b][u]Phillis Circus: Big Top[/u][/b] [i]Why?![/i] She screamed. [i]Why can’t I control myself?![/i] Against all of Estelle’s wishes, all her protesting screams to stop, her body kept moving and fighting despite it. Her body moved with a mind of its own, tackling Crispin and punching him over and over again, relentlessly hitting him no matter how much she begged herself not to. “Crispin!” She weeped, tears forming from her eyes. As she punched the man pinned down beneath her torso, over and over again, a teardrop feel from her face and onto the fire brawler’s. “I can’t… stop myself…” “Please…” She begged. “Help… me…” [img]http://i.imgur.com/BzPWL7E.png[/img] As the duo fought, Abram silently watched with obvious discomfort and unease. He wasn’t adverse to fighting in order to protect something important to him, as he had done so earlier before when he battled against Crispin and stopped Estelle from attacking him. However this… this was something he disliked. He looked towards Vance, and the particular way in which he resolved his business, and he shook his head. There was something very, very wrong about the way in which Vance fought for Abram’s liking. He preferred to settle matters and resolve problems himself, with his own two hands. Vance, on the other, preferred to use others. As such, there was a mental anguish he found himself vehemently disliking. It was almost like… torture. And yet, with what these people had been attempting to do since the minute Crispin tried to set fire to the tent… what more could they do? He had tried to reason with the man – forcing him to stop his resistance and instead give up quietly, yet he had refused. What the redheaded girl, Estelle, was doing to him was Vance’s fault, no question about it. But Crispin, he too had a responsibility for that. He sighed. Surely there had to be an easier way to simply stop all this. And then he shook his head. “Vance, leave the girl alone. Abram will deal with tiny… man…” And then [i]she[/i] appeared. The adorable little girl who was too shy to speak, the circus’ latest joinee and newest member of their family. This was not a scene that a girl as young as her should have ever had to see. The large man grimaced, his eyes closing tightly shut, and a large breath of air expelling from his lungs. Big, powerful Abram could only imagine one of his own daughters coming here, to see a scene as violent and horrible as this, and it was almost more then his large heart could bear. “Vance, I make little man stop now, da?” Abram turned to his superior, and then began walking towards Crispin. He aimed to put Crispin out of his wild antagonising ways in a flash, and put all of this calamity to as quick an end as they could. Meanwhile, on the other side of the Big Top’s performance ring, Isabella silently nodded to Guinevere as she parted from her side. She began slowly walking towards Baltimore with a soft smile, planning on leading her away from the scene, not yet realising the young girl’s own intentions. And to add onto this dramatically unfolding scene… A pair of bodies slipped through one of the Big Top’s exits, quickly and quietly rushing to hide behind a group of seats, and peering round their corner to take in all aspects of the situation and what was going on. Lucien and Aria both incapacitated, the former by the magician girl Tammie, the latter by the Circus’ ringmaster Guinevere (although her plush’s hold on the illusionist had been dislodged somewhat by the timely arrival of…). Baltimore, the young silent girl who was actually, unbeknownst to them, the niece of Eric was being approached by the circus acrobat Isabella. The circus’ second ringmaster, Vance, stood near the walking Abram, who began to approach Estelle and Crispin, who were confusingly enough locked in a fight of their own… and with no one else left to see inside. Xandra and Trixie looked to each other in confusion, wondering what the best way of them helping their friends would be. [img]http://i.imgur.com/dO6vRyy.png[/img] [img]http://i.imgur.com/ZEQcnsM.png[/img]