eat your young (earinor & marquis)

"You are safe. And I won't fall either.", Louis strongly replied to swat away every worry Arthur might have. He was sure this boy profited from someone pampering him, like he was pampered in his previous rich life. He was sure that he wanted someone telling him, that he could take all the time in the world and that there was no pressure, but there was. Pempering him meant he wouldn't be able to pull his weight around here and that meant he couldn't stay. He needed to face his fears and Louis brought him up here, because Arthur wasn't one to start wailing and he was reliable. They needed reliable people up here. "Tomorrow is a good a day as any. The net won't move, the beam doesn't change and the height remains the same. Waiting won't make it any different. Once you jumped a few times, you'll realize that there is nothing to be scared of. Brooding over it for a week won't help and even if the net breaks you still have the rope." Leila understood that, Louis told her the same, but she was different. She actually had fun jumping into the net at some point and did it over an over again.

"Why do you apologize?", Leila asked watching the boy stand up. "Just sit down again if you're scared, come on." She giggled and softly pulled on him. Then she pressed the rope into his hand. "It helps holding on to something. But it's really not that bad!" All of them were interrupted by a voice calling out Louis' name. He looked downwards to see Josiah stand there, waiting for him and he clicked his tongue. Maybe he shouldn't have talked to him yesterday, it seemed to have created an unpresedented case, one Josiah would misunderstand surely. "It's alright, I'll stay with Arthur until you come back. Is that alright?" Leila looked at the boy and once he nodded, Louis got up. "I'll be right back...", he mumbled. He made his way down while Leila started talking again. "You know, when I started to live here, I spent aaaall the time up here. I ate here, I slept here, just to get used to it. Louis would check on me constantly, even though he thinks I didn't notice." She giggled again. "After I spent so much time here, I wasn't scared anymore." Louis finally reached the ground meanwhile, and jumped the last meter and a half. He faced Josiah who was waiting for him. "What?"

Arthur wasn't sure about that and as soon as he heard Josiah, he was sure he could get down from here - no, he had to stay up here, didn't he? Everything was questionable for sure, but for now, he wanted nothing more than to get away from the height and Leila, or his own incompetence - Louis tried, sure, but he wasn't really good at trying in the first place. Instead, the blond boy had no idea of what he wanted to think about all of this and grabbed the rope he was handed by Leila, albeit only so he had something to cling himself to. "B-because I'm scared! I bet that's silly.", the kid mumbled in the face of danger and shook his head. Was this what he was supposed to live through? All of this ... seemed dangerous, especially for someone his age, and the longer he thought about it, the worse it got. Everyone had to earn their keep, alright, that much was clear, and Arthur would have to respect that, but even still ... none of this was reassuring and the mere thought of being up here churned his stomach. Maybe, just possibly, he'd get over it by tomorrow morning, but then again, he doubted he would, given the fact that he ... well, he wasn't good at this, was he now? "So ... so I should stay up here tonight? S-sleep here? I doubt I can do that ... I don't think ... I'd sleep well ...", he confided in Leila, glancing down when he heard something hit the floor. Louis still moved, thank god.

"What, what?", Josiah asked with a raised eyebrow and looked up to both Leila and the little guy that had also ascended the beam. Well, he wasn't up there all that often, but when he was, he wasn't even sure if he enjoyed it himself. "Did you drag him up there like a sack of potatoes? Over your shoulder? I can see him shivering down here.", the blonde complained, but he knew that Louis was just doing it for that kids own good - in fact, he could guess that much, also from down here, and buried his hands in his pockets, and approached Louis, squaring up against him and tiptoeing the slightest bit so he was slightly taller than the other. "We need to talk. You got time?" Of course he did, he'd have shooed him away otherwise, but that was besides the point, even with hair as wet as his and the taste of breakfast still fresh in his mind. "Did you even eat anything yet? We can talk while you get breakfast so we don't look like we're being unproductive." Surely, he elbowed Louis into his ribs - as softly as he could, but with a smile on his face, just like always. Truly, he was being a little shit about it, wasn't he? Well, it was what it had to be - luckily for Louis, he could be less annoying than this. "Also, I need your opinion on something. Come on. Let the kids be kids."

"It's not silly!", Leila quickly exclaimed and giggled once more. "And you don't have to sleep up here. I'm just saying, I did, so I get used to being up here an now I'm not scared anymore." She could have demonstrated that, but she promised Louis to stay with Arthur, until he came back up, so she just sat here with her feet dangling down the platform. "I didn't want to jump into the net either, but once Louis got me to try it, it was actually kind of fun. You fly for a while and then softly land, it's as easy as that. Overall I love it up here. The stupid boys that juggle are boring, anyone can learn that, even the people that come watch us, they can just get some apples at home. But we flyyy through the air, like uh... like fairies you know? It's a great feeling!" Leila smiled once more and looked down, spotting her partner that was also climbing up to them now. She waved her. Cornelia was older than her, she was in fact almost as old as Louis, but the two of them looked like twins either way. They also worked together perfectly.

Louis faced Josiah and sighed loudly. "What do you want from me?", he clarified his question and crossed his arms in front of his chest. "He climbed up himself, but I doubt he'll climb down on his own." If need be Louis could slowly lower him back down on the rope, it wasn't really an issue. "What do we need to talk about? I'm sure it can wait, I'm kinda busy." Josiah never 'needed to talk'. What was this about? Arthur? He wasn't interested in a lecture. "I promised him I'd stay with him and Leila has to go through her performance before this evening. I also have a million more things to do before we open. You wanted a moment, you got it." Did Louis have breakfast? No, he prepared everything for everyones training, the net for example, he also prepared some of the costumes so it was easy to slip into and he readied the backstage area so everything would run smoothly, there had been no time for breakfast. "Besides the point...", he grumbled, shying away from Josiahs touch. "The kids have work to do too." Opinion? Josiah never asked of Louis opinion. The only times he was asked of his opinion without him offering, or forcing it upon someone was in questions of makeup. "Why are you so secretive anyway?"

"But it sounds silly ...", Arthur admitted, his gaze downcast, on the wooden floor of the platform they were standing on. Given, maybe Leila was right and he just needed to stay up here for a little longer than it would be healthy, but on the other hand, he didn't want to - by god, he wasn't stubborn, or even an idiot for the assumptions he made, but he definitely wasn't having fun right about now, even if Leila tried to hammer it home that all it took was practice. "So you're suggesting it might help, that's all?" It was an offer the blonde could take, one that would no doubt help him see everything from a different perspective, but ... that wasn't what was important, wasn't it? In the end, the one that persisted wasn't just him but also those that, for better or for worse, were still alive. Neither Leila nor her ... twin? Was that just another Leila? Looked like they'd broken a bone from their falls, or recently passed away. Was Arthur supposed to trust them? He raised his head and apologetically looked at the girl with big, almost glassy puppy eyes. "Jumping into the net is fun?", he asked. "How much fun?" Suddenly, he was interested in it, be it only because his parents were not really on board with fun. "Fairies do sound like a lot of fun ..." What nonsense, his mother would say.

Josiah mimicked Louis, copied his stance, sighed loudly and shook his head. "Now now, mister clown. I want to talk to you.", he chuckled, anticipating another annoyed sight or breath being thrown in his direction. Sure, this meant nothing, and barely anything could repair whatever bond was torn between them, and yet, in a way, Jo had picked today to mess with someone that was busier than a dying bee. "So you're going to toss him down? Or are you at least being sensible to this little guy? Look at him, he's defenseless and scared, and the big meanie tells him to go up there. Sometimes, you really lack tact." This time, it was him that sighed, him that couldn't help but furrow his brows in confusion as he was focused on Arthurs body language, only for his mind to trail off and his attention to be redirected. "I didn't have my moment yet, I need your help with something. Leila and Cornelia can take care of him just fine - you're not the one flying around up there anyway." Not most of the time, at least. If someone needed a stand-in, Louis was the man, entirely dependant on his very extensive portfolio of differing skills. "Yes, and the kids can work by themselves if there's three of them and the newbie is strapped in, and besides, Cornelia is old enough to watch Leila and Arthur. Now, you didn't have breakfast, get a move on, or else you won't eat anything until late at night.", Josiah explained, and he wasn't wrong. "Connie? I'll borrow Louis for a bit, you're in charge!", he simply let them know by yelling at the top of his lungs and grabbing Louis hand. "Now get going."

"Yeah! It doesn't look as high anymore once you've been up here a long time, you know?", Leila smiled and looked at her partner who joinded them soon after. She looked back at Arthur when he seemd a bit more open to the idea that this might be fun after all. "A lot of fun! You fly for a moment and then you land softly. There is nothing more to it." All of them looked down when Josiah was yelling something and Connie was saluting to both men, Louis included. Leila turned her attention back to Arthur. "Connie can show you." She looked up at nodded to her friend, who nodded and soon after jumped down the little platform. She did a little flip in the air and landed on her feet, then bowed with a smile. Leila smiled as well and took Arthurs hand. "Do you want to try? We can jump together if you want, I'll hold you the whole time." Connie meanwhile moved out of the way so neither of them would jump on her hand. She also watched Josiah and Louis leave, sighing just a little bit.

Louis did sigh again and rolled his eyes. "And you lack a sense of urgency and responsibility. I never said I'd toss him anywhere. What do you want? We can't have every single one of them juggle, you know? If I'd put him with knives, you'd be scared he'd cut himself, if I'd put him with the animals, you'd tell me he's too scared and could get hurt, but it's not like I have to explain my reasons, you're not in charge, I am." That much was true and Josiah never really tried to get a more important role here in the first place. He was quick to critique Louis wherever he could though. "Still I promised something and Leila and Cornelia can't watch him and train at the same time.", he retaliated. Even though Josiah was right with Louis ending up not eating if he didn't soon, he didn't see the point. "Can you just tell me what you need help with...?", he grumbled. Surely Josiah didn't need to be fed by him, but instead Louis was pulled out of the tent against his will.

"Mhm! But it's still dangerous ... are you never afraid about the net ripping or you missing it? Or ... or ... is there even a net during your perfomances?", he asked, none the wiser, just after warming up to the idea of enjoying all of this a tad too much. Arthur was, in a way, just a scared kid that didn't know what he was wanting to agree on. No matter what, his decision seemed steadfast, and yet, at the same time, he sounded almost as if he wanted to keep finding excuses for what he was or wasn't doing. As all of this transpired before his very eyes, as he kept thinking about it, he only could react in a flabberghasted way as Josiah excused himself and Louis. So much for taking care of him, huh? "What ... if you don't land?", Arthur mumbled, unsure about all of this, but even as he watched Connie, who sho confidently approached the end of the platform and, indeed, performed like she'd grown wings for the blink of an eye, for a second that transpired faster than it should, he was mesmerized by nothing but her own assertiveness. Wasn't ... that a bit much? Even when she landed softly, he couldn't help but stare in awe - and bite down a shriek as he shied back in surprise, his heart thumping against his ribcage. A sigh. "A-and nothing going to happen, right? Just ... just one jump, yes?" Reassurance was important, but he did squeeze Leilas hand. "I ... I ... don't think I'm ready .... but ... but I think I'd like to try."

Josiah had none of it. Interacting with a little kid wasn't what he wanted - he genuinely had wished to speak to Louis, and yet, his mood seemed somewhat soured. Not even a sigh was something he could muster; he smiled through the annoyance and dragged his friend out of the tent, to their storage wagon and the moment he had shoved him inside, he closed the door behind the two of them. "Yes, yes. And you lack any sense of selfcare - go pick some food, more than an apple, we have plenty of stuff here - worst case, I'll cook you potato mash. You need to eat something, you know? You're the backbone of this place and without you it would fall apart.", Jo eventually came clean and raised an eyebrow, looking at Louis like here some emancipated little street rat they'd just picked up. There was no reason for him to misunderstand, sure, but there also was no reason for him to misinterpret all of what happened between them. "I need you to eat. And also, I need you to tell me: Is that what you had in mind for him since yesterday? Or did you just have a stroke of genius?" Self-inflicted genius, that was. Not only did Jos not see this as a fit role for Arthur, he also doubted that the little one wanted to be up there. If Louis wanted this, though, he wouldn't stop him. "There's two of them and one of you, they can do that. One watches, the other trains. You're way in over your head, all the time, every single moment of your day. Relax. I can't goof of with my share of kids all morning either. And I came up with a way to help you."

"It never ripped as long as I am here. When I started to perform up here the net stayed, but as I grew more confident we removed it. For the show it will be gone. People love the thrill when watching, you know? They love to have this gut feeling, being scared for us, just what you feel when you see us jump. It's part of the experience.", Leila explained cheerfully. "As I said, at some point you won't be scared anymore. Louis told me that it'll feel like walking eventually and he was right." Leile squeezed the little ones hand. "Nothing will happen to you, I promise. It's safe and you have the rope too." She slowly stood up, still holding Arthurs hand and eventually helping him to his feet too. "If you don't want to jump a second time after this, it's fine. Do you want me to just hold your hand, or should I pick you up?", she asked him. If need be she was strong enough to carry him over the edge and jump with him in her arms.

Josiah shoved Louis into their storage wagon and shut the door. What was this all about? Rolling his eyes he looked at their selection and picked an apple as well as some stale bread. "There. Happy?", he asked waiting for Josiah to get out of his way so he could leave again. "Why are you asking?", Louis questioned Josiahs inquisitive questions and raised an eyebrow. "I saw you two yesterday, I doubt he'd be well equipped to pick something up fast enough. He's scared of his own shadow, even more of the crowd, I promise you that. You can't put him on the stage, but up there he might get over it and he has more time to prove himself. You want him to stay, right? Besides, did I ever pick an act for someone that didn't work for them? I'm not trying to get back at you only because we had a fight yesterday if that's what you're thinking and even if, I would certainly not involve some child in that." Louis had no clue what Josiah was on about and what exactly it was he expected. "Sometimes I'm wondering if you're trying to annoy me or if you're actually stupid. They are a pair, their performance only works together, they have to train together." Louis wanted to leave. "If I was in over my head, things would not work out, but everything is working perfectly fine for years now, so don't tell me what I can and cannot do. I didn't ask for help with whatever you're scheming, nor do I need help with anything." What help could Josiah possibly provide? "Wait, is this because you want to get Arthur off my hands? Because you want to train him yourself? He needs another act before that, or he won't be able to stay. Getting to a point in which he can do an act with you will take months, he won't be given that much time. I don't mind if you train him and if he can handle that as well, but he'll have to stick to both things at the start."

"Ah ... mhm.", Arthur mouthed, his head leaning in a fourty-five degree angle as he curiously studied the net as far as his eye could see. From up here, it seemed like it had been tied around the poles on both ends multiple times and fixated on some sort of hook as well. Sure, the way down wasn't one he was actually looking forward to, but as his stomach turned and another finger on the monkeys pawl curled, he wondered if he needed to be as scared as he currently was. Fear was normal, not irrational, and for that, he didn't have to pat himself on the shoulder. Sure, it was a given he understood these things, but Leilas explanations helped, at the very least just a little bit. "So ... it's the thrill, like, the feeling that's making me scared right now that excites them? But ... that's ... isn't that a bit ridiculous? I mean ... I ... I get what you mean, but still, it's uh, just - hard to imagine, kind of?", he tried to reason, but was instantly reassured once more as his hand was kept warm and held tightly. Leila was capable of keeping him safe, wasn't she? Arthur couldn't help but wonder what she thought about the likes of him, and yet, at the same time, already had figured it out before saying anything. "Y-You can pick me up? A-are you sure? I-I wouldn- n-no. Holding my hand ... should be enough."

Now that he was back, alone with Louis and confined to a smaller space than he wanted to admit it was, he sighed, albeit happily and tried to cheer up more - nobody was watching them here, or listening to their stupid little conversations, which was a given, but at the same time reassuring. For now, he could only say and do so much, but Josiah had his own ideas and desires when it came down to making the world a better place, even if that sometimes wouldn't agree with him. "No, that won't keep you full. Why not grab some dried meat so your bread isn't stale? And I'm sure we have some butter somewhere - then I'll be happy with your meal. Also, sit down, I brought a chair here, just for that." He motioned to a what was a chair once upon a time, right now, it was just the lower half, with one crude leg, but a circus would take whatever a circus could get, even if it was an old, broken chair, and sitting wasn't what they did most of the day anyway, which meant that their equipment sometimes was just fine in horrid shape. "I'm not wanting to talk about that, yes, I get what you mean, but I'm not a little kid.", Jo asured his younger peer and grabbed an apple for himself. He had eaten, this was nothing but a quick snack for him. "And I don't think that lowly of you either, stop being paranoid, alright? Yes, I am mad you just made him go up there without much of a choice, but it's not like I can stop you - and I also won't, because that'll just lead to more stressful situations that can be avoided." A bite, then another, and his clothed fingers dug into the skin of this thing, as his back hit the door, effectively locking Louis out from ever going anywhere. "They train together, and soon they'll have a third part o incooperate into their performance. Let them figure it out, they can train with him or put him on the sidelines. You don't even have anything planned for him besides staying on that platform, not for today anyway, you worry too much." Arthur looked strapped in and safe enough, and Jo had no need to distrust his dearest friend. "You don't think you need it, but you can use it. So I'll be helping, if you want to, or not - because you don't take enough care of yourself, but someone has to.", the blonde clarified and smirked. "No, this isn't about Arthur. I know that what I do isn't attained over night, and that he serves as nothing but my replacement, should I ever need one - at least that's what I was intending him to be. I'm also not mad about what you've picked for him, that's besides the point. I'll get more involved in all of this myself, that's all. I drag the kids where and then leave them for you to handle, soooo, I figured you'd enjoy some responsibility from me, among other things."

"That's just how it is! They like it more that way.", Leila explained with a shrug of her shoulder. She held on to the little boy still smiling and she gave him time to assess what he was relying on here. The net was save, she was sure of that, she'd jumped and fallen into it countless of times. When he started to stumble over his own words she giggled. "So you want me to pick you up! You're just too polite to ask for it. It's fine!" With those words she leaned down a bit, crossed her arms under Arthurs butt and lifted him up so he could put his arms around her if he wanted to. "This way you don't even have to jump yourself, I know that's sometimes more scary." She tiptoed to the edge a bit, but she didn't want to keep Arthur in suspense for too long, lest he changed his mind. "Ready? On Three. On, Two, Threeee!" With that Leila stepped of the edge and for a brief moment they fell. The net wasn't too far down, it didn't take long at all and together they landed in the net. Leila wasn't used to extra weight, she landed on her feet, but then lost balance and both of them fell into the soft embrace of the net. Leila giggled. "Are you alright?"

Louis rolled his eyes and grabbed whatever meat he found first, slamming it onto his bread, before shoving it into his mouth. Louis briefly sat down just to satisfy Josiah and ate both bread and apple so fast, he barely chewed and his throat hurt because of it. Afterwards his chest hurt too, as if the food got suck on the way down, but he played it off, not acknowledging it at all. "Happy? Can I go now?", he asked, his voice sore for just a moment, but the feeling subsided soon enough. "I'm also not a little kid you have to sit down to feed.", Louis retaliated annoyed. "I didn't threaten him, I didn't yell at him, I simply told him to get up there and he did without arguing. What do you want from me?" Josiah always disapproved in Louis way of treating the children, but he usually didn't ambush the clown to lock him into a room. "And yet he is my responsibility, I promised to stay with him and I don't want to put the burden on others without as much as a thought." No, only Josiah did that. Maybe Louis shouldn't have given into his uneasiness last night. He met Josiah voluntarily, but after giving him his pinky, Josiah now swallowed his whole arm. "I didn't come and talk to you yesterday because I am overwhelmed, or because that was my subtle way of asking for help. In fact you asked me to help and stay the night. Me being there yesterday means nothing." Josiah wanted to take responsibility? "I actually don't enjoy it. Just do your thing, like you always do and keep out of my business. You are already complicating things and ruining my plan for today." Louis finally stood up. "So, can I go now?"

Arthur had all the time in the world to agree or disagree. No matter what he did, or if he did it now or later, he still had time - he still had enough to count everything through, still could see if he gained traction and thrived in this kind of environment, or deny Leilas request, but in a way, he'd already said yes, had doomed himself and was about to jump off of a platform he'd never had crawled onto in the first place. "It's... it's the thrill, right?", he asked aloud, now that he could add one and one together; it made sense. Why else would anyone go visit a circus but for entertainment? And even without any kind of entertainment, he'd still have to ask himself if he, of all people, was suited for this type of stuff. Louis hadn't picked him for a reason and Josiah probably just because he was all alone yesterday night - he had to impress one of them, didn't he? "N-no! It ... I ...", his idea of how any of this would work was stiffled, just as he realized that maybe, maybe he wasn't doing himself enough of a favor with all that he accepted as an unfavorable truth. For now, Arthur had to bite his tongue and accept it for what it was, didn't he? "Leila, I-" But it was too late anyway - his heart jumped against his ribs as she started counting down, and it exploded as they fell. She held him, tightly and earnestly, and yet, he couldn't help it; his heart had left him and his body was tensing up as he closed his eyes. It stopped, but there was an impact shortly after, and ... and ... Arthur slowly blinked, his eyes opening, peeking at his surroundings - he was caught by the net, still ways away from the ground, but ... this was fine. A breath of relief left his body as he touched his face, then his arms and legs. Nothing happened, Leila had been ... right. "Y-yes, I t-think? What ... what about you?"

Often enough, the two of them didn't agree, clashed, had a disagreement - there was no reason for either of them to give in, there was no reason for one of them to accept defeat. They were adults now, had their own ideals and agreed on barely anything anymore. Yesterday was a situation that had frustrated Josiah, instead of Louis, and today, all of that was different yet again. Today, it was his turn to annoy another man, today, he was the one that could as things, or perhaps the one that could try and make peace with something that should have never happened in the first place. Jo scoffed. "No, I'm not. If you don't bite your food properly, you're just going to end up with a stomach ache.", he disagreed, but he wasn't absolved of that problem either, as he finished his apple and left nothing to take care of. "You act like one sometimes, so this was the easiest way to get you to do something, because if I'd left you alone, you'd have done nothing.", the blonde argued and that was the truth. The two of them were hopelessly lost in this charade of theirs, and now, that he actually wanted to help with something, it seemed like he wasn't doing all that great, not in the slightest. "That sounds an awful lot like you're blaming me for making him your responsibility and when I try to rectify my mistake, you complain about it anyway, because apparently that isn't my business either." Was this even worth to get worked up about? In his mind, no, it wasn't, because in the end, no matter what the two of them did, they'd either try to avoid one another, or just make a fool of themselves. "You still refuse help. And you don't need to ask for it. I decided myself I'm going to do that, whether you want me to or not - I just have the courtesy to tell you that I'm going to do something unlike someone else." Josiah raised an eyebrow as Louis got up. This wasn't all fun and games with him and Lou anymore, was it now? Both of them were bitter about the weirdest things, or about the most miniscule of stuff - regardless, they were adults, and an isolated place like this one worked just fine. Still, he wished he was met with more acceptance. "Then what are you being so pissy about? First you blame me for making your day shittier by droping another kid on you - something I never asked of you because I can take care of Arthur by myself - then you say you don't enjoy it when I take responsibility. Make up your goddamn mind before you spout crap." Normally, he wasn't easy to piss off, but Lou seemed to have struck a nerve; something that bothered Josiah more and more, the longer this conversation went on. "You know what? No. You can't go. What the hell is your problem with me anyway? First you spend ages ignorning me, then you creep into my wagon yesterday and agree to spend the night with me, but I can't ask questions. Then, you keep waffling on about if I don't want a life outside of the one I have right now, and after pissing me off yesterday, you piss me off again today again. Just what the hell is your problem with me?"

"Of course I'm alright!", Leila proclaimed, then slowly got up, elegantly balancing onthe ropes without getting her legs stuck in the holes. She offered Arthur a hand to help him on his feet too. "How did it feel? Do xou wabt to go again? Or just sit on thr platform again? We can also sit here.", Leila offered. Connie haf already climbed out of the net again and was doing some warm up exercises on one of the platforms. She figured Leila and Arthur didn't need her right now and she needed to get some training in. Leila would have joined, but she wanted to stay with Arthur until Louis came back so he wasn't alone and didn't feel lost up here. With time he would grow to love it up here, she was sure. Maybe he thought they would both die, but they clearly didn't, maybe it helped with his worries. "Have you seen our show before?", she eventually asked , because Arthur didn't seem like he had. This wasall new to him wasn't it?

Louis sighed loudly once more, he crossed his arms and rolled his eyes at Josiah. "You haven't taken care of me in years and I'm still alive. Why start now? I can takr care of myself.", he retaliated. Why would he suddenly need help or someone that wanted to act like his non existent mom? "I do blame you for bringing child after child here without thinking about how much work they are, without thinking of if they can contribute here and without thinking about any consequences. The moment you hastily pressured him into signing that contract you - again - pushed the responsibility on to me. I don't want your help, because you don't take any of this seriously. You don't care if they succeed, you don't care if they can stay and once they are gone you don't think about them anymore." Louis stared at Josiah at this point, he meant every single word he just said. "Unlike who?", Louis asked. What was Josiah on about? "As long as you don't get in my way, do whatever you want." But he wouldn't let Josiah mess up his schedule every day now. "My mind is made up and I already explained it. If I leave you to care for him, he won't last a week and I don't want that." Louis didn't trust Josiah with training the kids, simply because hehad no reason to take it all too seriously. Josiah didn't know what was at stake and even if Louis tried to make him think about possible consequences, he never cared and brushed it of. Josiah was being unreasonable. "What do you mean creep? I knocked and you let me in." Louis massaged the bridge of his nose, this was giving him a headache. "Well, if you don't like who I've become then just stay out of my way. I didn't ask you for help. I'm managing this place fine for more than three years now. Better yet, just..." The words he wanted to add wouldn't leave his mouth and he clicked his tongue in frustration." You came to me today. You dragged me here, your cornered me, you let me abandon my responsibilities, because you don't even care about your own. Next time you want something of me, forget it, or at least wait until after the show so I don't lose time to some petty argument over nothing." He should have just stayed up on the platform, next time he'd just ignore Josiah. "Now can I go?" He already attempted to brush past Josiah in this narrow space. Even his slim figure was enough of an obstacle when standing between Louis and the exit.

"H-huh? Y-yeah, right. This isn't the first time you have done this a-anyway. I, uh, expected this to be worse?", Arthur answered, his voice muddled and his entire being confused. As he thought about it, maybe he was being stupid, or perhaps his idiocy was just another moment of his own inexperience. Politeness was everything, or maybe happiness was it all - regardless of that, he couldn't help but wonder: Was this his life from now on? As he climbed back onto his feet, his entire world was being turned onto its head and all the questions he had only grew larger, perchance he answered some of them himself without saying anything, or maybe he was simply late to a discussion he couldn't partake in. His eyes went upward, to where the platform had been, and his feet shuffled, as he tried the balancing act that Leila seemed to have mastered. "I peeked, yesterday, just a bit ... b-but it was exciting! My ... my parents aren't f-fond of fun.", he elaborated, shaking his head head in disappointment. As he tiptoed along the lines, trying to stop himself from either getting stuck in the open parts of the net or match Leilas elegance, he felt almost as if he'd picked a wrong place to be. "I don't ... want to disturb you and your sister, actually ... uhm ... can I watch?", he nervously giggled. "I think ... that might also help. I ... mean ... you know ... me?"

The wagons wooden floor creaked under them, and Josiah had to admit, it felt like a game of hide-and-seek; just that neither of them was trying to hide behind a tall shelf filled with almost-expired food, or trying to blend in with their surroundings. Both of them were adults, and for that matter, both of them weren't idiots either. "You didn't want me to care for you when I wanted to. At first it was the ringmaster, then it was you yourself - I tried to take care of you before.", Jo elaborated, gritting his teeth as he did so; there was no way for him to undermine that statement, but Lou knew that he was being honest, that he wasn't joking around, and that he wouldn't lie about something like that. White lies were his thing, but this hardly qualified as one - what was more of a white lie was the half-truths he told lost children, the ones he brought here, the ones he abandoned in the midst of a circus that cherished him simply for existing. The children loved him, there was no doubt about it, but was that even enough? Not in a billion years, no - and yet, Lou was wrong. "Who said I don't care for them once they're gone? How would you know when you couldn't be bothered to check on me once the past few years? No, you didn't want me to help you, not once, and when I tried to get close to you again, all you did was shove me away. Don't you think I'm tired of your excuses? Oh, wait, that doesn't matter - you have many more important things to take care of, so many children to take care of that would have died lonely and hungry on some streets, forgotten and never found, partially pecked to shreds by ravens and eaten by rats and ants, but that doesn't matter - it only matters when it's inconvenient for you." His chest puffed with anger and his words similarly infected by it, he balled his hands to fists, his nails digging into his palms until white crescents formed on their base. Since when had it been like this? All the frustration within his body was just welling up and his own mind was tuckered out and any words he could have said at this point, were they even necessary? "Unlike you.", Josiah eventually hissed. "Do with Arthur what you will, that's up to you at this point anyway, because I certainly won't be the one to change your mind. I never am." Despite being so close together, the two of them hadn't really interacted much these past few years - they had changed, and Josiah was the one that took it out on Louis now, on someone that he had offered to share another wagon with just yesterday, on someone he had thought of as his best friend, even through all of that happened, but there wound up being just about nothing that could show for it; in the end, none of this carried any weight for this guy, it seemed. "And why did you show up in the first place? You haven't given a crap about me in three years and the first thing you talk about when we meet again is if I wouldn't prefer to just leave and look for my parents." So that's what this was all about - the little bit of self-restraint that Lou showed was for naught, as Josiah bit his own tongue and listened, though, it wasn't to anyones benefit. "Better yet, what? Just leave? Are you afraid of saying that? You're always afraid of telling me anything." Nobody could build anything on a weak foundation, and this one had surely crumbled over the years of one of them trying to maintain it and the other shoving it in some sort of corner he couldn't care less about. This didn't matter to Louis, not when it was relevant, and maybe it never had - maybe he was right all along. "This is some petty argument to you? Fine. You know what? If you've been having such a great time those past three years, you can have more of that. I'm done with this, and I'm done with you. You were right. I'm stupid and naive. I thought that maybe, just maybe, you still cared for me, or that giving you some distance, some time to heal, would help you, and maybe it did, but I don't know. You don't care about me, you just live in your little world with your own little assumptions, and everything you assume is automatically the truth to you, because you don't care what happens outside of your little bubble. I don't matter to you, I haven't mattered to you for three years." Did he now? For all intends and purposes, Louis could have let him die that night, it didn't matter, but Josiah knew that this wasn't something he wanted to assume, knew it would just do more harm than good if he spat it out like that. It didn't matter - he lived another night, another day, and another performance. Maybe he was even being unfair to Lou, probably, but he'd had it, too; he should be over this. "What responsibilities do I even have if you don't let me handle anything on my own? I wanted to take them, the ringmaster says no, you say no - I've tried to, for the past three years, but no. It's always no. And now that I want to, it's still no. I don't need help, you say and yet you complain how useless I am in the same breath. You know what? Fine. Have it your way. Do you even care for anyone but yourself? Probably not, but I don't know, because you haven't talked to me seriously in three damned years and yet you still expect me to sit idly by and let you do whatever the hell you want and maybe come and pat your back every once in a while like, 'Good joby Lou!' or 'I'm so proud of you, Lou!' - the moment you walk out of this door, you're dead to me, I hope you know that. But oh, wait! I've been dead to you for three years anyway, doesn't matter, bye bye Lou, have fun with stressing about your important schedule! You should have just let me die, then." Finally, Josiah stopped, but only to shove Louis away from him and open the door, leaving it wide open and walking out himself first; he had no right to say all those things, and yet, he couldn't take them back, but it was too late anyway. Louis could go fuck himself.

Leila looked at Arthur kind of confused. "You still have parents?", she asked. Most of the children here, her included, didn't have any. They all had been abandoned, but Arthur didn't construct his sentence in a way that would suggest his parents suddenly died. It seemed like they were still alive. "Did they hurt you?", she asked somewhat concerned, bu figured, that this topic was definitely not for now, or maybe ever. She shook her head. "Nevermind that. Come, I'll help you back on the platform and you can watch us, okay? As long as you're okay with being by yourself? I'm sure Louis is back soon anyway." She smiled again, stretched out his hand and waited for Arthur to take it. Together she helped him walk around on the net. She climbed back to the beam and the platform and heaved him up. For now she joined him up there too, she needed to stretch a bit anyway.

In truth there was nothing Josiah could do for Louis, nothing he could take care of and nothing he could fix. Louis died that day of the fire and this, him now, was what was left of him. He wasn't the same person and he couldn't pretend he was either. There were so many things Josiah didn't know, shouldn't know and would never know because Louis couldn't tell him. He spent the last years avoiding him, trying to push him away, to make him so upset, he'd actually pull through and leave this place. Josiah never gave up on him though. Only after seeking him out one time did his plan seemingly work, but it hurt more than he anticipated. Louis wasn't even able to retaliate. What was the point in telling Josiah that he acted irresponsibly by bringing all those children here? He did it time and time again, but how could Josiah grasp the magnitude of his actions if Louis couldn't tell him anything? He knew it was frustrating for both of them. Louis never saw Josiah this angry before. They fought when they were younger, but never truly. Sometimes when children got bored they stole each others treats or things, but never with the intention to cause harm or pain. They'd wrestle it out and that was it, but they weren't children anymore. At one point Louis wasn't even sure if Josiah made any sense anymore and there was nothing he could have said to calm him down, not as long as he had secrets. He wanted to tell Josiah that he had selfish reasons to seek him out the night before, that he simply felt uneasy and he didn't want to be alone, but at the same time, he wanted Josiah to give up on him and maybe even leave this place. This was what he wanted all along... well not really wanted, but he deemed it the best way to protect Josiah. Maybe it was a good thing that there wasn't any room for him to reply, he just stood there and took Josiahs barrage of words. What he didn't expect was the sudden shove. It startled him and he stumbled into some cabinets behind him. He heard the door slamming against the outer shell of the wagon when it was swung open so fiercely it traveled all the way and he heard Josiah walk away. Louis heart was racing and for a while he just remained there leaned against the interior. He pressed his eyes shut, trying to drown out whatever turmoil he found himself in. He knew he couldn't go back into the tent before he didn't calm down, but he also felt like remaining here alone would only make it worse. It took him some more time to collect himself. Eventually he cleaned up the little mess he maid when he was knocked against the furniture, then he left the wagon, closing the door again. Before he reentered the tent he took another deep breath.

Eventually he joined Arthur back on the platform, apologizing for the wait, albeit being a bit distracted. Together they watched Leila and Connie perform without talking. Eventually they were done and Louis helped Arthur down the beam and he was finally standing on solid ground again. Next he gave him some lunch he could eat on a little tour around the premise. Louis showed him where he'd work today, helping with selling food and tickets. The next course of action was finding him something to wear. For this he led him into their costume storage where Louis rummaged for a while, until finding something that would fit the kid. He let him change and in the meanwhile also changed himself. Arthur now wore a cute white outfit with big red poms as buttons on it. Next was some makeup and Louis led Arthur into a smaller tent with lots of light, makeup and mirrors around. It was rather full, everyone was getting ready and Louis sat Arthur down on a little stool next to a dirty mirror. He gathered some stuff and sat in front of him to make him ready for tonight. As he did so they were joined by three older members of the circus, older than Louis and Josiah. "Hey Louis, hun!", one of them chimed while circling both of them. Louis noticed Arthur tensing up when he saw them and chalked it off as him being anxious around strangers, yet Louis had a similar reaction. "That the new kid? Leila got to play with him sooo much, why don't you ever let us play with them?" "We're busy. Don't you have something to do too...?", Louis grumbled, not stopping his work on Arthurs face and not looking at them either, at least until an arm was placed around him. "Louis is always soooo grumpy. You know, I'd prefer him like during the shows, all cheerful and sweet and a little bit dumb!" All three snickered, while Louis jerked the arm away from himself. "And I prefer you like during the shows too." "Oh? Beautiful? Mesmerizing? Amaz-" "Mute.", Louis rudely interrupted the self praise and the woman he talked to sighed dramatically, as if she was truly hurt by that statement. "Don't worry little one, the first people trying to get a peek are surely on there way." "Yes and that means Louis gets to be tame in three." "Two." "One." They said one after another and as if Louis was a clock himself, his face changed in an instant. "So Louis, will you help me with my makeup?", one of them asked with a sugary voice. "Of course! I'll be there for you in just a second!", he cheerfully announced and finished up Arthur. "Aren't you cute!", he happily announced, turning the boy around on his stool so he faced the mirror and could see himself. There wasn't much his face needed if Louis was honest, but it still made a huge difference. He leaned over his shoulder to get a more similar view on the face in the mirror and smiled. "I hope you like it! Well, you know what to do, meet up with Jack when you're ready, okay? I've got a million more things to take care of, but if you need anything, I'm just a shout away!" With that he vigorously got to his feet and was already beckoned by the woman from before. "Loouiiis hun, still waiting." "Right there~", he answered while the other woman chimed in as well. "Oh shoot... I forgot my costume in my wagon..." "I'll get it, no worries!" If Louis could have, he would have probably split in multiple parts right now.

Arthur was, for the most part, mesmerized by all that surrounded him. For the worst part, he was taken aback by the breathtaking display before him and for all intents and purposes, he wasn’t sure how to feel. People would be watching him perform up there at some point, and as soon as he thought of just that, he couldn’t help but wonder if he was more scared of countless eyes glued to his form or of immeasurable height being between him and the ground - it mattered little, with or without Louis there, and even as he found a job on the ground for the night, he couldn’t be sure that he enjoyed thinking about what was yet to come. Instead of yesterdays clothing, he worse something different, not necessarily new, but something that fit him anyway - something that made him look at his own form in the mirror and giggle about it; Arthur thought his costume was funny, but not just that, he also knew that this had to come with a price. Tonight, that wasn’t a big one, but even then, now that he had spent all day with Leila, Cornelia and Louis, he couldn’t complain about any of them - his legs still felt like pudding, and he was grateful to walk on even ground again; only for a while, until he needed some make-up and a paint job. The old ladies sure were loud and inquisitive, and Arthur, who couldn’t move much, tried to hide behind Louis, to no avail, but at least he kept them at bay. “I like it …”, he mumbled, still shy. It wasn’t entirely pleasant, but what freaked Arthur out more was the expression on Louis face that changed in an instant - he couldn’t even focus on his words or the make-up, or on the mirror; Arthur was taken aback and slowly but surely stole himself away, to Jack, so he’d escape from his own confusion for a bit - hopefully Jack was a nice guy.

Josiah was different - he hardly ever practiced his gig, he hardly ever occupied a spot in the tent for it, but even if he did, people could just work around him. Today, however, he wasn’t in the mood for it, shut himself in his wagon and thought about it; or rather brooded over it. By now, he had no leeway, and the first thing he thought about were those stupid markings they’d made as a kid - he went as far as to cover the two visible ones up and then calm down by actually practicing what he wanted to do tonight, in a crammed trailer that wasn’t meant for being used for too long; but he didn’t want to see anyone for a while. Shirking his responsibilities was something that Josiah seemingly was good at, and even the mere thought of it was enough to miss him off once again and make him work on that stupid performance and his idiotic tricks even harder, until he was sweating bullets and his legs felt numb, until he wasn’t even sure what he was so mad about in the first place. A change of wardrobe was in order, and then a face of paint - the contortionist fixed his hair as he was at it, prepared himself for whatever big show and then emerged from his wagon, with puffy eyes and a sour expression on his face. Things like that were rare for someone like Josiah, but incidentally, it didn’t matter much - what mattered, though, was the fact that the moment the wind hit him in the face, he felt even angrier about it; nothing in life was just, but in his case, he’d probably hit rock bottom for the day. His way led past the other wagons, back to the “back entrance” of their giant tent - maybe it was bad luck, or maybe he’d simply deserved it, but the first face he saw walking out of there was Louis, and the first thing he considered was punching him square in the fact; thankfully, he didn’t, and simple bumped right into his shoulder as he walked past him, ignoring the younger ones existence. “Oh, look who’s finally here!”, one of the older ladies chimed upon seeing a familiar mug show up in the tent. “It’s Josi!”, another one sing-sang. “It’s Josiah.”, he corrected them with a sour expression on his face. “Uh-oh, what happened to your smile? Did you lend it to Louis for the night?”, the third cackled as Josiah was the one that rolled his eyes and sat himself down somewhere that was free, grabbing a comb to brush his hair with. “No. Stop being annoying.” “Me? Annoying? Darling, you love me - have you already forgotten?” “I’m not in the mood today.”, he scoffed. Surely, that stirred the rumor pot and incessant, but silent gossiping between the three of them started, at least until Louis came back. “Ah, Louis my dearest, thank you so much for getting my costume!”, the brunette declared. “You should take care of Josi, he’s all puffy and angry today!”

Louis hurried out so he could fetch the requested costume. On the way out he ran into Josiah, quite literally. Their shoulders bumped into each other and while Josiah steeled himself, stoically looking ahead, Louis turned. "I'm so sorry.", he told him, but his friend just moved along without even turning towards him. For a moment Louis just stood there, like a lost child whoms parents simply left without him, but he soon enough remembered his current task and hurried along. He fetched the costume from one of the trailers, then went back to the buzzling so called backstage area. He delivered the costume and received some thanks before looking over to Josiah who in fact looked all grumpy today, which was very unlike him. Before he went over however he put some finishing touches on one of the girls face like she asked before, hurrying with it. Josiah brushed his hair meanwhile, maybe a bit longer than necessary and he stared into the mirror all the while. He wasn't in the mood for smiling, or chatting or anything really it seemed.

Eventually Louis got up, went over to Josiah and sat down on the edge of the table in front of him, smiling. "Jo, it's been a while since I've done your makeup. Want to try something new today? I have so many ideas!", he cheerfully announced, but then again, he usually came up with better designs and ideas when he wasn't in the middle of preparing the show and helping everyone out. Either way, he wanted to cheer Josiah up and maybe a new look for tonight could accomplish that. Without waiting for an answer he grabbed some makeup that sat on the table. He also stuffed some tissues into Josiahs clothes so they wouldn't get dirty in the process. Josiahs makeup was always a bit darker, much like his performance. He wasn't a clown and he didn't wear bright colors and a big smile on stage. Louis figured maybe he was able to cheer his face up a little anyway.

The buzz and all the chatter was normal, it had become frequent, almost ghastly apparent, and even then, he'd never paid it any mind. Not only had he always been part of it, he'd also have to admit that there was something that the wind whispered to him. Tonight, he didn't want to engage in any of this, and for the first time in forever, he wished to be genuinely sick, for his body to fail him, just this once, so he could get out of something he'd love to do otherwise. Maybe it was because he was in for a world of hurt, or maybe it was because he'd already lost his mind in rage hours ago, but even now, even with all that ghosting around in his head, there was one thing he failed to admit: This was a grave he'd dug himself, and he'd lavish in the cold earth that he was trying to force to reclaim him. There was no way out for him, much like there wasn't any way in for him; there was nothing he could do about any of this, except apologize, and Josiah didn't want to do that. Wasn't this supposed to be the lesson he learned? He only ever did what he wanted, not what others expected of him, and even when the wind carried words back to him, it mattered little. Sorry for what, now?

But it went on, never-ending, always clattering and chattering - Josiah had enough at some point, he wasn't here to get someone to apply his make-up, he wasn't here to entertain anyone in his room; he just had to do his performance and then he'd be fine, he'd have earned his keep and could do more important things for the night. There was no need to mingle with the others, but there also was no need to just sit idly by. Louis was loved for what he did, and Josiah, who only looked at himself in the mirror - furrowed brows, combed strands of trangled hair, sour expression on a lovely face - couldn't help but hear the praise; truly, Louis didn't need to do any of this and if anything, he should at least have someone to help him, but he didn't, he never had. As his thoughts trailed off, the inevitable happened anyway - Lou was the one approaching him, with utensil after utensil, and saying something about a new face of paint; Jo wasn't even listening, because to him, this guy was supposed to be dead, but that wasn't easy to do when a ghost was all the way up in his face. Before long, he was gripping that hand holding the brush, his fingers digging into the wrist as he pried it away. "I don't, and you haven't done it in forever. I can take care of it myself, I don't need your help.", he grunted and inched away, thinking about it himself. His expression soured, much to his dismay, but it didn't escape one of the ladies from earlier, either. "Oh, what's this, trouble in paradise?", she cackled. "None of your business.", Jo replied. "My, my ... alright, I'll leave you two be."

Louis smiled, seemingly unbothered by their fight from before and acting like it hadn't happened. It seemed like he wasn't sure why Josiah was upset, what made him look so down and grumpy today and why he looked past Louis as if he wasn't there. Yet he wasn't bothered by it and intended to care for Josiah today, in hopes of cheering him up, but that wouldn't work out. His hand was gripped mid work and Louis looked at Josiah with a bit of shock in his blue eyes. He never touched him harshly like that, he never hurt Louis and he didn't know what to make of it. Louis didn't fight Josiah, yet his grip was strong, as if he had to fight Louis to make him stop. At this point it would have been clear that Josiah was mad at Louis and didn't just have a bad day. Something seemed to break inside of the clown. His smile faded for just a moment and even when it was plastered back on his face, his eyes didn't match it.

Louis flinched, a sharp pain was rushing through his body, but it subsided soon enough and he started to smile again. "Alright, no worries, if you change your mind I'm right here.", he offered, brushing everything that just happened of. His wrist hurt and there were some indents caused by Josiahs nails, but Louis ignored that and sat the brush aside. "As long as you don't scare our customers with that grumpy face of yours!", he chuckled as if this was nothing more than a joke. He even went as far as too boop Josiahs nose before getting off the table and back to one of the woman to help her with her makeup and hair. "Being so mean to you Louis...", she criticized Josiah loud enough for him to hear. "It's nothing.", Louis cheerfully announced. "Did you have a fight?", another girl asked, much less provokative and truly interested in what just happened. Louis didn't have an answer for her, he just shrugged his shoulders and shook his head.

Josiah was ticked off by the fact that this guy could even smile, but albeit all of that, maybe it was because he had to. Putting on a show was important, not only for the people around them, but also for their guests that wanted to be lost in the mesmerizing moments that a circus had to offer. Frankly, he didn't have to smile, but it helped if he did, especially out there, on a stage where dim lights were illuminating his performance and every single person that dared to enter the dimly lit tent was waiting with abated breath to get their moneys worth - even if that included someone like him. Louis looked at him like somebody had finally put a dent, a crack, into his though guy act and Josiah, who let go of his wrist, was simply staring him down, almost as if that was just what he had wanted, almost as if he couldn't imagine anything more satisfying than this, and yet he wasn't happy about it in the slightest. Why would he be? "I won't.", he answered, his voice stern and certain of his decision. There was no reason for him to wish ill upon Louis, and yet, he didn't feel good when he lurched over and grabbed one of the brushes for a new coat of pain on his face, using the base that had been laid by Lou as a foundation that he could build upon.

The blonde simply rolled his eyes at the remark - scaring off the customers had been his job, especially when he did perform. Some of them thought of him as disgusting, simply because he could move in ways that none of them ever would, and other found it weird that his movements were so close to that of a contorting snake; all in all, maybe he'd be better of if he considered Constanze his one and only friend for now, but even then, at least the kids found the weird things he did, that had adult guests scoff at him, to be somewhat amusing - so much so they latched onto him, but right now, there was none of that happy Josiah, that mesmerized so many of the little ones to show. There was no dazzling person beneath this layer of paint, was there now? It all was just an act, just like Louis stupid smile. "God forbid Louis gets some of what he deserves and I'm immediately being an ass.", Jo scoffed back at the woman that had to involve herself. A nosy bunch of hags they were, nothing else. "I hardly think he deserves any of that.", the other woman answered Josiah with a shrug of her shoulder. "Why is that any of your business in the first place?", he groaned, finishing his make-up. "Because you're the one that's letting his bad mood get to himself and everyone else." A puff of rage, then a scoff. Storming off wouldn't get them anywhere, so Josiah leaned back instead and focused more on this conversation than anything else. "None of your business." And that only led to another squabble ensuing.

It seemed Josiah didn't want to have anything to do with Louis today and he wouldn't press him. He didn't want to fight and he also didn't want others to fight over them. He thought leaving Josiah in peace would resolve this matter, but apparently it didn't. While Louis was busy helping everyone as much as he could, the talk continued. "Please, just stop fighting, all of you.", he pleaded with another smile on his face. There was really no need for this, especially not on his behalf. "I am fine! If Jo doesn't want to talk, let's just leave him be, okay? The gates open soon, we should get ready and have a smile on our faces!" There was some urgency in his voice as he finished up one girls make up and headed to the next to help with her hair. "Lou, what did you say to him? I've never saw Josi this angry before.", another one asked and Louis looked at her puzzled. "I... I don't know. Jo, I'm sorry if I offended you in any way, truly."

One of the three women from before decided to add some fuel to the fire instead, turning to Josiah. "Well look at him hiding behind the customers and the show and this fake smile." Then she looked at Louis. "Half of our attitude would do it." Again the clown looked at her completely lost. "I'm sorry.", he voiced, not sure what he was apologizing for. He felt uncomfortable and as if all the eyes in this tent suddenly lay on him. A second later he seemingly forgot about it, smiling and finishing up the girls hair. It was unusual no one was asking for his help right after and he decided that he had time to prepare the rest of tonights show. "Just shout if you need anything.", he offered to everyone, before turning away. There was plenty of things to do yet, if only checking if everyone and everything was ready before opening the gates.

Talking about it only made it worse, but what put the nail in the coffin were those words that Lou offered him - he acted almost as if the entire conversation they had had earlier today didn't matter to him, or he hadn't even listened to it. Another reason for Jo to curse him out under his breath and glare daggers at him for just a bit - he didn't need to acknowledge this mans presence, nor did he need to actually endanger himself just by being around this guy. Who knew, maybe he'd go to the ringmaster and request Josiah be put on leave, or worse, thrown out for his attitude - at this point, Jo figured it to be likely, given that he felt like he barely recognized his friend at all. Jo simply sighed and finished up, looking more like a clown than a contortionist tonight, but maybe it helped, at least in a way, to conceal his gigantic frown and the his haphazardly wandering eyes, ones that sought out Louis, were glued to him and then looked for something else, just to get away from someone that, in reality, was maybe not even at fault. The curtains would fall soon, and until then, he had more than enough time to figure it all out for himself.

"Everyone needs to shut up, not just Louis.", he grumbled when their incessant nagging was getting to loud and others took it as an opportunity to gossip to him about this guy. He didn't need reasons to hate him, he already had them, and he didn't care for that smile at all; Lou was just good at hiding his feelings, even if the veneer of his performance was cracking and Josiah wondered if he only needed to hammer it home some more to get the result he wanted. "Who even cares. Let him do what he wants. Lou knows it better than any of us anyway.", Jo continued stirring the pot and got up from his seat, dusting off the clothing and putting away the brush that had been left at his place. First and foremost, he was gonna need to get away from where he was; away from this gossip. "Don't you think you're too harsh to him?" "No.", he grumbled and looked for a corner that he could stand around in until he was needed, but of course, someone was trailing after him, talking holes into his already tired brain. People were like vultures, but only sometimes, weren't they?