Lounging as comfortably as he could on the stiff bench, Rayth breathed slowly as he felt the swimming sensation clear from his head. The circus’s after parties were just as much of a benefit to him as they were to the rest of the nonhuman creatures in the troupe, but he still hated the lingering effects of the incense they burned every time they invited their prey into the backyard. He wished there was an easier way to subdue the guests that didn’t make him feel so dazed. At least Lune seemed calm enough to have a civil conversation with him now. He followed her with his eyes as she sat down not too far away but still far enough that he could tell she didn’t trust him wholeheartedly. The gesture didn’t offend him. Just the fact that she had willingly stepped back into the big top with him alone was a step in the right direction. He wasn’t going to push her to buddy up when she wasn’t ready. “It really is,” he confirmed, ruminating on the year he’d spent with Cirque du Sombre so far. Life as a ‘circus freak’ was the perfect blend of adventure and security. He enjoyed the traveling and the performances, and in return for his contributions, he was protected from monster hunters by Frieda and the rest of the group. The ringmistress was good at gathering humans for them to feed on too, but the runaway wouldn’t be able to partake in that feature of their dark organization. Truthfully, he wondered just how long Frieda thought she was going to be able to keep the supernatural side of her circus a secret from Lune. The girl had to figure out sooner or later that there was something off about the other troupers. When she did, he hoped the faerie had some sort of plan in place to keep her from panicking. When Lune said that Frieda thought highly of him, a smile pulled at the corner of Rayth’s mouth. Since he’d joined Cirque du Sombre, he’d developed quite a bit of respect for the ringmistress, so hearing that she had praised him to the runaway made him puff up inside. “That’s right.” [i]Because no one here is on the menu,[/i] he finished silently. If the circus had been made up of human performers, it would have been harder for him to keep his fangs to himself, but he had no appetite for supernatural blood. He wouldn’t bite any of the other monsters even if he was woozy from malnourishment. [i]Well…[/i] he bit his lip as his scarlet eyes flicked down toward Lune’s neck. His nonviolent streak might be more difficult to keep up with an actual human living among them. However, he had just hit a century on this earth a few years ago. He liked to think he had enough practice not to lose control when the cirque already hosted after parties often enough to keep his bloodlust sated. As long as he was mindful around her between feeds, there was no reason for him to turn on her. “I’m still… what I am, and I can’t help my nature,” he continued, making sure to set realistic expectations. “But when I need to drink blood, I always find a source outside of the circus.” He sought her gaze amusedly. “I may be a vampire, Lune, but I’m not a mindless animal. I can control myself if I have to.” As he spoke, he idly reached back to pull the tie loose from his thick hair so that the dark curls fell down to frame his face. The performance had ended long ago, and he was more comfortable leaving it unbound when he didn’t have a reason to pin the unruly locks out of his eyes. “Anyway, if you’re looking for an adventure, this is the place to be,” he assured the blue-haired runaway with a friendly grin. “We travel all over America, and everyone in the troupe is really… [i]unique[/i]. I’m sure you’ll like it here if you give it a chance, and you shouldn’t pass up the opportunity just because of me. I promise I won’t bite.”