(♛) The Ringmaster

After a couple of minutes, Amber returned with a container full of cookies and a whole plate of chocolate fudge cake. "I'm back!" She grinned and plopped back on the bed, waiting for Onew to start the movie. "I hope this is enough^^"

He grinned at the friendly actions, leaning onto his pillow as he waited for Amber to come back. He had some licorice in his nightstand which he pulled out to feed to Kira, figuring it was a good time to give the feline his favourite treat.

"Yes" jumped off the bed and kissed Onew's cheeks out of gratitude. "Thanks! Boss. I'll get the food." She quickly went out of the room and grabbed those cookies and some of the leftover cake she had in case of emergencies.

"Sure... I think i have a few in the cupboards over there," he said to Amber, pointing to where he kept his movies as he was far too lazy to actually get out of the bed. Actually, for once he could probably say that he wasn't lazy, rather too tired to even move a muscle. The simple walk to the door to allow Amber in had taken a lot out of him, and he wasn't sure he'd be able to get up again till the next day until he got some more sleep that is.

"Uh... can it be a gory movie?" She practically beamed at the mention of a movie. "I'll get some cookies and a cake from my room" Amber sat on his bed. Onew's kindness was one of the reasons why she had maintained her loyalty to her boss.

Onew chuckled at the last statement, feeling just the same way. It was funny how Onew had trailed after one person and had had to let them go. But Amber had gone through a more tough situation, having been heart broken one too many times for his liking. "Come on..." he invited, shuffling over in the bed and nudging Kira so that he could leave room for Amber to come sit or lay with him. "Let's watch a movie or something... To relax," he suggested, already reaching for the remote on his night stand.

"I would be lying if I said I'm fine." She chuckled and shrugged. "Just the same old Amber. I'm surviving... living...loveless." Amber couldn't remember when was the last time she fell in love. It felt like a century.
"I'll die a single old lady" She joked while turning her attention to the small feline Onew was holding affectionately.

"When do I ever do anything stupid?" Onew asked with a light laugh, fixing his gaze on Amber. He wanted to laugh at the threat she gave him, as playful as it was he knew she was serious when she wanted to be. His hand glided over Kira's soft fur as he closed his eyes, humming for a quick second. "How have you been?" he asked, hoping to make conversation that would draw away from him and how he was.

She sighed and watched Onew retreated to himself. "If you do something stupid..."
Amber touched his covered body and patted him repeatedly. "You're going to get it from me...." She warned. She didn't like seeing her cheerful boss slowly losing his glow. Amber loved him. In her own way, she wanted to protect the ringmaster. The only problem is that she didn't know how.

"Mhmm..." Onew murmured, lying back down on the bed. He pulled the blankets up over his cold body, feeling empty inside though he tried to keep a smile on. "At least you'll stay..." he murmured, pulling his kitten into his chest and hiding his face in the orange fur. Could he possible disappear and become a cat? That would leave him with less stress for sure...

"I just noticed.... Everyone's leaving..." She said still keeping a smile on her face. "I guess I was gone longer than expected..." She laughed, totally opposite of what she was feeling. She could only imagine how her wonderful boss was feeling right now. "I won't leave.... So please don't leave me... Being alone has its limit."

Good... He was happy to hear that yet distraught all at the same time. He didn't know what to think as his thoughts were scattered all over the place. He sighed, though, taking a deep breath afterwards so he could regain his composure. He couldn't believe that he'd just slipped up like that in front of a performer. "G-good..." he stuttered, cursing himself for sounding weak to his own ears. But he still couldn't believe... So many things... Still couldn't understand Minho's departure, couldn't grasp the fact that Kris had left... Or Sunny... Luna... Suho... Taeyeon... Where had all of his old friends gone... Yuri... Everyone was gone... Nearly everyone was leaving... Just a few remained... Like Amber, a few lingered around.

She shook her head vigorusly and panicked when she saw Onew's reaction to her words. "Don't misunderstand." Her hands automatically reached for his face and let her palms touched his soft skin. "No matter what happens, I won't leave this place. Even if it crumbles... Until that last moment, I'll be here." That was her promise ever since she stepped root inside this haven, Onew created.

"You're not leaving, are you?" Onew asked, sitting up straight with fear clutching his chest. He'd just lost one of his closest friends here, he wasn't about to let another performer go unless they had a damn good reason. The sudden urge to cry struck him and he gripped his wrist, clutching the cake charm in his palm and letting it dig in his palm to dull the pain in his body. "You're not leaving the circus, are you...?" he asked, his voice smaller this time. Kira seemed to sense his distress and came to his side to rub his head on his elbow, crawling into his lap where he tried to nuzzle and rub against any part of the ringmaster he could reach.

"I hear things Jinki" she said with a cryptic smile. She may live alone most of the time but she hears things. "I just hope you'll get through this just like me." She squeezed his hand to show she cared.

"And here..." She took something from her pocket and put it around her boss' wrist. It was a bracelet with a single charm on it; a cake. "As a thank you for letting me live here." She grinned.

He retreated to his bed, finding the mattress more comfortable than the gravity weighing him down when he stood. Hearing that the other made a comment about how he wasn't doing well piqued his curiosity however. "Who told you that...? I'm doing fine," he murmured, trying to make the words sounds sincere.

"Here and there." She answered vaguely. She needed fresh air to think about some things and deliever one of hoer cubs to a friend. She couldn't handleannnnny any more animals. " i heard you're not doing well. "

He was taken by surprise by the sudden caress from the girl. These days he hadn't been out much so human contact that was with anything other than a cat was unnatural to him. "Hey," he repeated, chuckling softly as he awkwardly hugged her back. "I missed you, too... It's been a while," he said, pulling back with a step. "Where have you been?"

Without a hesitation, she flung her body at him and hugged him tightly. "Boss! I missed you!" She was acting out of character but after being away for so long, being affectionate was on top of her list at least for a couple of days.

Onew yawned, scratching his head sleepily as he stared at the door. Did he really have to get up and answer it? Dressed in jammies no less... But he was the ringmaster, and alas he could not let the door go unanswered. "I'm coming..." he mumbled, running his fingers through his hair. He adjusted his ruffled clothes, pulling his pants on the right way and straightening on the wrinkles on his shirt. He reached the door with only a minor stumble, grinning tiredly when he saw Amber. "Hey Ambz, come in," he greeted, opening the door wider for her.

Amber excitedly waited in front of her boss' room. She was unusually giddy and knocked continuously. It had been far too long for her since she last saw her cute boss. If he wasn't into men, she would have done something about her feelings. "Boss?" She called.

@Lay The trampoline was probably one of the better surprises that the tent had sprung on them. And all of the puns were intended there. He laughed loudly and happily as he chased Lay down the trampoline hallway, watching with intrigue as he flipped and did some stunts. It was incredible how some people just had no fear... Knowing his own clumsiness, the ringmaster was afraid of walking because something was probably going to come out and hit him or gravity would decide that it'd be a fun time to make his acquaintance. "Yah! Don't go too fast you don't know if - hey watch outttt!" Onew didn't have time to finish the warning he had wanted to give to Lay. The walls started rumbling, the trampoline carpet floor thing started sinking and melting and soon Onew found that instead of standing on a trampoline he was standing in jello up to his knees and was sinking fast. "Jesus... What are we? Dessert?" he cursed, glancing up at Lay just a few feet ahead with worried eyes full of intrigue and anxiousness. What the hell was the tent trying to do right now...

@Onew/Jinki Lay got up off of Onew and was very thankful for the springy floor, especially after a ride like that. "You could definitely say that I wasn't expecting that at all!" Yixing chuckled and bounced a little on the floor. "Oooo this could be fun."he said as he pushed a little bit off the floor. "Oh I think I just might love the tent even more for something like this." he said as he started to bounce and do a couple of flips along the hallway following Onew. "She can just keep coming up with surprises like this and I would be happy!" Lay chuckled as he bounced up and down.

He didn't know what else to say to tell Heechul just how much he appreciated the trinket. He didn't want to place it in his room quite yet, not with the disarray all around his room. He was afraid the phoenix might get lost and break in this mess, hence why he kept it tucked safe in the box, away from anything that could shatter it. "I should be thanking you... For coming to the circus and just... Becoming part of our family," he murmured, smiling happily as he passed his eyes over the artwork in his hands again. Yes, he was totally smitten with a glass phoenix and he had no shame in admitting so. Nothing had even been so great before... He really didn't know how to tell Heechul that he loved this. "I feel like I should give you something too... But the only thing that could match up to this coming from me doesn't exist... I can make you another music box," he said with a smile, since that was one of the hand made things that he could customize in a way to show Heechul all that he liked about him. Yes... He could make him a music box.

Heechul silently observed the ringleader, his features, his posture, the way that his body almost seemed to try to hold back on something. He could tell that Onew was trying his hardest to keep the emotions pent up and sealed, just for Heechul's sake. But in all honesty, the elder would think no less of the other man if tears started to fall. Because if they did, he would understand. "You took me in and gave me a home. You welcomed me with open arms, and gave me something that no person has truly ever given me, and that was love and compassion. And that. That was the best thing anyone has ever given /me/." The sincerity that laced Heechul's voice was pure and true, and there was no trace of lies or deceit to the words. The man chuckled lightly at Onew's words, oh so happy to know that the person before him really did have his back. "Thank you Onew.. Really...." The words came out with a small finishing crack, signalling Heechul's own attempt at keeping the emotions that began to well up within him held back.

He wouldn't cry, Onew told himself. He could not cry, especially not now in front of his performer, especially not now. Nope, he would not cry. His eyes weren't watering because he was so heart felt about the gift, nope. There was just some dust in his eye. Perhaps he'd gotten a paper cut on his cornea in his sleep or something, but he was not crying. No, no, no, no, no. "It's beautiful..." he whispered again, cursing himself for the waver that slipped into his voice. He swallowed past a large lump in his throat, taking a few breaths to steady himself and letting the big, beaming smile split his face open. He traced the lines on the bird with his index, following the flame and then going back to trace the outlines of the feathers. "It's great... one of the best things anyone's ever given me..." he murmured, swallowing again so he could get the rest of his words out to Heechul. "And don't worry... if you fall and crash I will guard your ashes and the little baby birdie Heechul until he's ready to spread his wings and fly on his own," he added with a small giggle, still dragging his fingers all over the phoenix. It really was just... Stunning. He had no other way to describe it and the whole meaning behind it... He would not cry. Nope. He was not going to... Cry.

"It is indeed" The corner of his lips turned up when he watched Onew open up the gift. Seeing the ringleader light up at the sight of the bird sent a stream of gladness through Heechul. He was quite glad that Onew liked the gift, and that all of the hard, diligent work he put into the phoenix had paid off. "I'm glad you like it.. I felt like I should show my appreciation towards you in some way, since you've worked your off day and night to keep the circus afloat. I know the gift may not seem like much, but I put a lot of thought and meaning into the piece when I was creating it." His dark bulbs traveled to the glass bird, the live flame seeming to jump and flutter in sync with Heechul's own heartbeat. "It was just kind of supposed to be a little reminder, that if I ever do happen to go away, I'll still be here with you, and always will be. I also made it to reassure you that since I am a fragile person, there will come a time that I am bound to break and shatter. But just like the phoenix, I will rise from my ashes and my broken traces, and I will be stronger and better than ever."

Hearing the description of what was contained within the box already had Onew at a loss for words. It sounded beautiful... Sounded lovely... And a phoenix... "Isn't the phoenix the only bird that when it dies... another one grows from its ashes?" he asked, carefully opening the lid and having his breath catch in his throat when he caught the beauty within. It was lovely... Pure art in its finest form. The glass was radiant and the fire that it had been built with seemed to swarm with life inside of it. Onew felt immensely touched that Heechul had even incorporated his own aura into the gift... He was holding not just a glass sculpture in his hands, but a beautiful part of Heechul's life that he would treasure for as long as he could - till death he hoped. "This... This is absolutely beautiful..." Onew gasped, still marveling over all the little details this one bird contained.

When the box was being taken from his hands, Heechul made sure that the exchange would be one without problems. The gift was quite fragile, since it was indeed made out of glass, but the older man had made sure that it wasn't a brittle, break at the touch kind of delicacy. A petty sigh of relief escaped from his lips when the pass went smoothly, and his eyes watched Onew with pure delight and excitement. "It's a bird that I had hand-blown out of glass. A phoenix to be exact." he responded with a nod, "I wanted to try to spice it up a bit, and I was up for a challenge. So, as a result I gave it a living flame that was formed from my own aura as well as my fire." Heechul had hoped that the ringleader would enjoy his gift, because it had a special meaning to it, which, if Onew was clever enough, he'd be able to figure it out without the other telling him.

Onew was nodding along to Heechul's words, intently listening like he always did when speaking to his performers. He was happy to hear that Heechul was faring well and even a little touched to hear that he had cared enough to come down and pay him a visit to see if he was doing okay. There may have still been faith in his circus after all. "A gift?" he asked however, perking up when the black box was held out to him. With gentle fingers he pried it away from Heechul, clutching it to him like it was a new born infant. He observed the box, its size, the smoothness of the black velvet. His curiosity was boiling with what could be inside yet he knew whatever was in it he would adore because it had come from someone he liked. "What is it...?" he still asked, wondering if he could open the box or not. He nudged Kira out of the way, afraid that the feisty cat would get excited by the new item in the room and knock it out of his hands unintentionally. He had no idea if it was fragile or not and he would damned well be heart broken if it broke, especially before he even got to see it in its true splendour, in front of the person giving it to him.