////CLOSED THREAD/////Opening Day

Sounds echoed through the darkening sky, as lights of all colors started filling the sky. The shifting of time would force the Carnival Folk to start their tricks, their humming tunes that would pull people in towards their games and stories to tell. Of all the deep and dark secrets of this land, came forth the Zephan Carnival. Here comes the clowns.

Sounds, lights, action, it was like a beautiful scene that she had never seen before. The lights of the dark night flashed off the river that bent around the Carnival, sending and eerie aura around the ferris wheel and it’s treasures that laid beneath the colorful sky of lights. With her jaw dropped, a single moment to take in everything around her. The bright lights above, the darkening river below, how everything seems to have a mystical shape to it tonight. The difference of the night, laid only in the beginning of the weekend, the days that most people took a break on, and had many hours of things to do and say all coming out in these few hours of freedom.

Alas she arrived, as she trailed out of the forest path a smile against her face, like a child she was lit up happy and full of life. Like a doll she emerged from the trees, her hands covered in a dark leather glove that rose up her arms. A snuggly fit green shirt that was dotted with fading emeralds and sequins, that would only match the dark brown skirt that reached down to her knees, a small slit up the side of her right led, exposing skin against the fabric.

Her dark tall black boots would thud gently against the empty ground, slipping into the rose colored light. Her smile erupted in a slight giggle as she held into the light, as a man came up offering her mind questions and riddles, in which he boldly stated.

’’Come one! Come All! Come Large Or Small! To Carnival All Will Be Please, Surprised and Shocked! So Step Right Up And Have Yourself A Ball!’’

With this her face illuminated with the magic in the sky, in just a moment she pushed her way inside the dizzying lights and fading sparkles that faded through the night sky. Feeling the touch of magic against her skin, in her outfit she would fit right in with the locals that laid around on the stools and against the poles of the games that rounded the lines of the Carnival. With large golden eyes she stared around the Carnival, loosing track of everything until one moment. Her dragon Dionysus clung tightly around her waist, making it appear that she had a scaly tail of her own, and only a smirk fell on her lips, knowing that her dear friend decided to join her in the fun of the Carnival. Quickly she divulged herself deeper into the lights and chanting people, the fire breathing that shot out flames in nothing but an instant.


With awe and amazement in her eyes, she moved through the crowd like a breeze of wind through a lover's hair. In a moment she was standing in front of the Ferris Wheel, letting her head tilt back, long straight locks of black played against her back, tickling her spine as she stared in amazement of the height of it.

The fairgrounds were a distorted reflection of the night sky trapped in a funhouse mirror. Tiny bulbs of every hue decorated each structure and even spanned between them on lengths of wire. The lights glistened like droplets of dew caught on strands of spider silk. It was as if someone had shattered a rainbow and scattered the single-hued shards across the fairgrounds. The Puppeteer had never seen anything of the like before, and the tiny lights delighted him as if each was a fairy held captive, their soft rainbow luminescence lighting his way.

The light glinted on the silver head and bottom of the Puppeteer’s cane as he twirled the black shaft between his fingers. His deft digits danced across the smooth wood, keeping it suspended in the air with its perpetual rotations as if it was a propeller, yet another device the puppet master had not yet seen. So much had happened in the last two centuries, he had quickly realized. Despite living in a castle, a bastion of the past where he had expected only familiarity, the Puppeteer had been introduced to several innovations. Even light fixtures were unfamiliar to him--while gas lines fueling lamps on walls had been invented before his entombment, they were far from being the norm and he had only heard rumor of the invention. Candle light and oil lamps had still been the most popular form of lighting in his time, so the glimmering globes all around him were each a tiny marvel to him.

But yet, there was so much more to be explored than the lighting of the place. Perhaps the most obvious was the massive wheel that was decorated with so many of the fairy lights that every inch of it seemed to glow. Another attraction that caught his eye was something that reminded him of another invention that was on the rise when he’d been trapped in the stone coffin: the steam locomotive. However, the mechanical serpent that he eyed had no sputtering, coal burning head to lead the train of carts, and he wondered what powered it as it glided across the rails, carrying its load of yelling and laughing children. There were other oddities he had never seen before, but none quite so as attention-getting as the massive, lighted wheel and fast-moving, engineless train.

However, while children and adults alike ran around the grounds, faces masks of happiness, the Puppeteer’s own face drooped with a slight frown. This was sadly no Carnival as he had remembered the term. While he had lost so many memories over the years, he still treasured the few he had about the first festival of Carnival held in Venice among the beautiful canals where so many, including himself, had give into carnal cravings. This, sadly, was nothing in comparison. While every pleasure had been enjoyed at that pre-Lent festival season he was familiar with, it seemed that only the inner child was placated at this misnomer.

So many children seemed to delight in every festivity at the carnival, their parents indulging them. As each feminine, childish face passed him, he glanced at it, watching for the one he sought. He was certain she was somewhere nearby, the presence of the rose he had given her almost like a gentle warmth on his skin so that he could sense its nearness and a vague direction but nothing more. Each time he drew closer, sensation grew slightly warmer, but it would take time for him to find her. It was as if something had corrupted the cloth rose.

As he searched, he passed by another woman, who caught his eye as much as the lighted wheel. Just as almost anyone else from the Hallows, she stood out from the crowd more than a little. While he had been sheltered in the castle mostly, he had visited the village a few times like a secret specter, haunting the public places and even a few private ones, to learn about the time in which he was stuck. As a tailor, he had noted the dress and fashion of the people, and the attire of the woman with the tall leather boots and long leather gloves and glinting adornments on her blouse did not match the clothing the villagers wore. The details of her skirt and cut of her shirt were less noticeable though just as out of place in the fashion of the locals, and the Puppeteer caught them with his keen, appraising eyes as he watched her pass by him on her way to the whirling wheel.

Turning his gaze from her back to the crowd, the Puppeteer ceased the twirling of his cane and stabbed the silver-capped bottom into the grassy ground. “Where are you, my doll?” he grumbled, tiring of the game of hide-and-seek he was playing with a most likely unwitting opponent.

Bruxa had left the female dorms fuming. Gloved fingers clenched into small fists as she cursed beneath her breath. Dark lockes a muss. Tossled and in disarray so it fell forward to obscure the delicate features of that pale visage. The long black leather duster billowed behind her small frame with the brisk strut. Walking out her anger as she spit obscenities with the mumbling rant. Focused on the rage that seethed within at the situation she had so stupidly fallen into.


When she had finally began to calm down, she looked up to find the glow that streamed through the night. Ankle boots walked the path that drew her closer to the source of that light. Each determined step taking her nearer to the display of lights, games and sideshows. Entering the carnival and its atmosphere with a steadfast gait.


She looked out of place in the crowd of villagers that partook of the festivities she had embarked upon. The short leathered skirt, the bustier red top that hugged her small chest. The attire adorned with the red and black striped thigh high leggings and the blooded rose that laid pinned to the lapel of her coat. She felt the need to feed and this place almost reminded her of the back alleys of her beloved New Orleans. There was always some pervert lurking near to capture the attention of some young innocent soul...right?


Detouring from the crowd, side stepping behind one of the booths that held some obscure game of chance. A faint smile touched those velvet tiers as she worked her way to the behind the scenes part of the carnival. The seedier underbelly of the small villages activities. Ignoring the workers who stared at her as she moved by them. Knowing exactly what she was looking for, knowing each town had their fair share. The low lifes that helped balance out the worlds between chaos and good.


Coming up behind the ferris wheel, pausing to watch the slow rotation with the wonderment of a child displayed exquisitely upon her face. Fingers unclenched as hands lifted to perch upon the curve of those narrow hips. Ebon orbs followed the framework of the circling joyride until they leveled down towards the crowd. Gaze flickering over the array of subjects to alit upon the man with the top hat. "Hmm...he looks familiar..." She mused, remembering a figure of a frail man that resembled this one. Eyes narrowed in on the lone speciman, studying him with a keen curiosity.

She was near, he could sense it. The gentle caress of warmth guided him towards the lighted wheel as it spun, weaving a sense of wonder in the crowd almost as tangible as an actual thread. The joy it inspired wrapped around every member of the crowd, linking them in their shared awe. And then the Puppeteer looked up and realized that outer rim of the wheel supported metal baskets in which people actually sat and rode. What a marvelous invention! he thought, staring up with the same wonder a child might have at seeing its first Ferris Wheel. The name had come from the lips of a whining toddler tugging on the hands of its father, demanding a ride on the ‘Ferris Wheel’. The Puppeteer couldn’t help but share that greedy need to have his desires fulfilled, and now riding the massive wheel was one of them. However, it was one that would wait until he had his precious doll.

Slipping through the crowd, his cane held diagonally at his side so that he minimized the room it took for him to walk. No longer did he saunter, cane twirling or tapping the ground, but slinked between people as he passed through the queue that had amassed in the glow of the Ferris Wheel. While all eyes were turned towards the wheel above, he hopped the waist-high fence that encircled it, ignoring the sign with the words ‘CAUTION! DO NOT CROSS’ stamped across the yellow surface. Passing through a world that swirled with shadows and multi-colored lights, as if the opposing forces of good and evil were at war in the lonely region, the Puppeteer reached the other side of the sectioned off area beneath the Ferris Wheel where only the operator was allowed, and placed his elbows on the fence. A small smile split his thin lips. “Well, hello, my Doll,” he called to her, his darkly clad form awash with a dozen different constantly shifting colors from the attraction above him. “I am so glad to have finally found you.”

Blackest eyes followed the trek of the man as he weaved through the crowd. Noting how he no longer leaned upon that cane as a crutch, but rather carried it as some adornment to his attire. Keeping her stance, feet slightly apart, hands resting on the curve of her hips. Black leather duster billowing out behind her. Chin up with a confident stand as he strode right towards her.


One corner of her mouth twitched up, leaving an askewed smile as he hopped effortlessly over the railing of fence meant to keep patrons out. Gaze never waivered from the oncoming male as he made his way into the shadows behind the carnival. Stepping right up to lean on the rail as he gave his greeting. “I am so glad to have finally found you.”


A slight tilt of her head, a nod to gesture his presence. "Good evening Sir..." The smile softened as eyes washed over his frame. "I dare say I barely recognized you, what a remarkable recovery you have gone through.." The words were spoken softly and heard even through the din of the festivities playing out around them.


Lowering her hands from her hips and letting them fall down and forward so the palms of those black gloves were exposed as she lowered her small form slightly with a bending of her knees. A short curtsy to give respect to the one person who had yet to show her any ill will. Wary though from the earlier event, pulling back up to her full height. A lone brow lofted as a single thought wafted through her head. The previous fellow had conveyed a helpful nature, one that had seemed so innocent before the attack? "You have been searching for me Sir?" She asked in a polite tone as those small hands reclined back upon those narrow hips. Ebon hues gliding over his face before afixing with his own gaze. Striving to read this one rather than simply trusting in words or actions.

“That I have, that I have, my Doll,” he answered, his smile growing into a broad grin when she curtseyed. It was barely anything when compared to the polite pleasantries he was used to from over two hundred years ago, but it seemed that in this new time, such practices had almost entirely vanished. With a soft sigh of longing for both traditions lost and for her, he looked over his Doll-to-be.

When his gaze passed over the rose that he had bequeathed to her as a sign of his admiration at their first meeting, he realized again that something was off about it. The Puppeteer squinted, examining the red rose whose color was distorted by the flickering lights of the spinning Ferris Wheel behind him, it was if the cloth was being dyed a new shade every second. However, after less than a minute of scrutinizing the adornment, he realized that it had in fact been dyed. It was an insult for her to try to corrupt his handiwork. Propping his elbows on the railing topping of the fence, his cane nestled beneath one arm, the Puppeteer began working his magics. He tucked his manipulating hand behind the forearm of the other to hide the wriggling of his fingers as he possessed the strands woven into the rose. How he hated that he had to rely on such primitive means of control to maintain his mastery. “Whatever have you gotten on that rose, my Doll?” he asked, a hint of annoyance seeping into his voice like a drop of dye in a glass of water, the color diluting into the more abundant fluid until it was almost invisible… almost.

The Puppeteer masked his irritation, maintaining a grin as the strings began to quiver. Just like a dog shaking off the rain, the strings flexed and trembled, ridding themselves of the dried blood until not a single cloth petal was tainted by even a speck of scarlet dew. “That is much better,” he commented, flashing her a genuine smile. He was still uncertain of just what it was that had been soaked into the fabric, but given her beauty, he was willing to wait for an explanation. For a prize such as her, he would be willing to hear her out—perhaps it wasn’t even her fault.

That wide grin he gave her enticed a giggle to erupt from that bowlike mouth. Gaze faltered from the man in front of her. Following his eyes to the rose pinned on the lapel of her duster. She too noting the discoloration where her own blood had stained the cloth. Smile fading slightly as he posed the question that brought those dark hues back to his face. “Whatever have you gotten on that rose, my Doll?”


The explanation was given, the weaving of words distracting her from what he was actually doing. "An unfortunate event I'm afraid Sir.." She began as she took a step closer to the rail he leaned upon. "Stupidity on my own part sadly that left a smattering of my own spilt blood tinting the lovely present you had bequeathed." The corners of her mouth turned down ever so slightly, that lower lip folding out into a cute pout. Leaving out any details of the mishappening.


"I do cherish the gift and plan on having it......." Her words of having it cleaned were cut short as he spoke up again. “That is much better” Side glancing back to the rose made of the material of his own jacket as the last remanents of the dried blood was dissipated. "How did you do ....." She paused and shook the question off as a gaggle of screaming children ran from the ferris wheel that was taking on new riders. Another step brought her up to the rail that seperated them.


Laying her hands on either side of where he rested his elbows. Fingers curling around the girth of the metal fencing as she leaned in closer. "You, my dear Sir, seem better than any dry cleaners.." A warm smile given as her eyes swept back to his face. "So tell me, are you out here seeking enjoyment with the villagers activities?" She was already losing that hunger that had brought her to this very spot. It seemed his small signs of kindness were helping to squash the anger that still lingered within her own small frame.

“Dry clearners?” parroted the Puppeteer, quirking an eyebrow at the unfamiliar term. It must have been something else that had been developed during his entombment. By the name and context, he inferred that it was a method of cleaning cloth without the use of water. What a curious notion, he thought, a soft chuckle spilling from his lips, but he still had no idea what the reason for such a method of cleaning was. But before he could ask about it, his dear Doll had asked him a question.

Mischief sparked in his eyes, his lips tugging to the side in an impish smirk. “No, I told you, I came seeking you, my Doll,” he said in a calm, quiet whisper, his voice almost inaudible amidst the gleeful yells of the children and children-at-heart riding the Ferris wheel behind him. After he had spoken, the Puppeteer flicked his gaze up and down the girl, admiring the petite form swathed in the leather duster like a fluttering shadow. Lifting his hand from the railing, he attempted to catch her chin with his soft fingertips. Despite being a tailor, his skin was as smooth and supple as if no callouses had ever grown to resist the prick of a needle. It was obvious that the Puppeteer had never done a a hard day's labor in his life from the texture of his fingertips. If allowed, he tucked his fingers beneath her chin and lifted it so that she was looking up to his eyes. "You aren't human..." he muttered, appraising the Doll. Gently, if he grasped her chin, he guided her to turn her head one way and then the other as he continued to scrutinize her. "Pale skin. Petite frame. Childish countenance. A vampire? Turned when you were young, I would guess."

Leaning in to his whispered words. Smiling as the man boldly let his eyes roam down her small frame and back up. Letting him catch her chin between those fingers. Gaze lifting to affix with his eyes as he coaxed her to raise her face. Feeling the warmth of his flesh against her own tepid skin.


"You aren't human..." The words cut into her like a knife. The previous event of the night still fresh in her mind. Head muddled with screaming thoughts as he encouraged a turn of her head to the left, then to the right. Tentively regarding her like one would judge a fine beast or a rare treasure. "Pale skin. Petite frame. Childish countenance. A vampire? Turned when you were young, I would guess."


Startled by his words, jerking her chin from his fingers and taking a step back. Was she so easily read? Was he also one of those creatures who lusted after her blood like it was some rare vintage of wine? Was this how he had recovered so remarkably from his former state? "How do you know of such things?" She asked warily, needing to know exactly what was going on. Had she stumbled across some form of erotic feeding grounds where others fed from the those who walked the night?


She felt reality as she knew it slowly slipping away. The happenings of the night was weighing on her more heavily that she had realized. She stood there still, just out of his reach. The look of a fear stricken child conveyed upon her face. "Who are you?" she mumbled, staring at him.

As if they were nothing more than wisps of smoke caught in the wind, his fingers fell away from her chin at her slightest retreat. When she seemed to panic, he tried to reassure her with a gentle smile that budded on his lips like the bloom of a rose. How different his façade was now that he had recovered from his imprisonment. No longer were his cheeks sunken and the skin stretched taut across the bones, but instead fleshed out with muscle and the faintest bit of fat to soften the angles of his face. His skin had darkened a few shades as well, as if dusted with a faint copper, indicating that he’d spent some days outdoors since his release from the tomb. “One learns many things after an eternity,” he chuckled, the sound tumbling from his lips like the sputtering of a waterfall cascade.

When she asked her second question, his smile spread further and he eased back from the fence, arms lifting from the railing. One hand caught his cane as it fell from its place tucked in his armpit, while the other rose to pinch the brim of his top hat. He lifted the hat and gave a slight bend at his waist, bowing to the Doll he sought. “Why, my dear Doll, I am the Puppeteer!” he answered, his eyes rolling upwards to watch her as he folded in the full-body gesture. After a few seconds, he eased up from the posture and straighten his back. His fingers returned his stove pipe hat to its nest of brown hair, and then his hand returned to the railing, grasping it so that his knuckles paled. "And what is your name, my precious Doll?"

She stood before the overly large sized Ferris Wheel with amazement in her eyes, taking a deep breath as she watched people rise up to the top and let out shrill remarks that made her laugh as she was still on the ground where it was safe and she could touch the ground with both feet. A hand raised and covered her lips, those gloved fingers of hers reaching up through the long brown locks that covered the shoulders and chest that was exposed from the suit she wore. Sounds of voices surrounded her, and shadows played tricks on her eyes as she watched people go around the Ferris Wheel, in the dark night many creatures roamed and stole the light of life.

A shudder ran through her spine as she stepped back from the Ferris Wheel, her eyes did not come off of it as she moved into the crowd, as she felt safe in the crowd then she would take those brown hues from the Ferris Wheel, things worried her, like what creatures could be out there that she should be frightened of pissing off, so to speak. Hands collected over the leather bound child, the hand raised up and tapped gently against the gold band that wrapped around her bicep like a tattoo. She tapped against it like a small clock that made her keep up with time.

She walked through the festival folk, seeing lots of different people that hid beneath the surface of the strange. Her eyes lit up as she moved into the game section of the carnival a smile wiped across her face as large as it could get. Games. And toys. Lots of prizes to be won by the shadows that came up on the light that flashed of names and she stood there in front of the lights, watching as people shot darts towards balloons that hung so lightly from the wall that was created. She watched them play for a while, before she started getting curious, and closer she got looking at the game, how it amused her so much and how the colors and sound of it made her become lost in it's simplicity, it's joy of sounds and distractions.

Then she heard the Carni's going at it again. ''Come one! Come all! Come test your skill, dip into some magic, and see beyond the unknown!'' Her head only shook as a smile crept across that face once again. She should have brought her little Dragon friend Dionysus , they would have marveled at him for a few days if nothing at all.

This was a new one. Stepping trhough the gates of a carnival as a visitor. Kouichi's gaze crossing the scene for a moment. What a wonder it was. Mind blowing. His path no clearer than a foggy morning air. From one amusing feature to the next. As a cutomer, it all seemed so new. Though it was far from what he was used to. His lightning blonde locks crashed against the damn-like bandana. Clad in thick fabric jeans and a multi-season jacket. His wooden sandals with wooden blocks to elevate the sole. The youth stared at the ferris wheel. As if it was a new wonder of the world.

How did he find his way here? The familiar atmosphere? Was he merely curious? These thoughts wisped away like a haze of twilight. As the trail his feet followed began to twist and turn. The crowd making him dodge as though locked in a battle of reflex with a demon of the wind. That thick jacket, protecting its occupant from harm, also acted in reverse. It was that special security. Like a cave to a bat, or tree to a bird. His hands lifted and popped the hood up. Hiding within its confines. Oh how these folk seemed to take such cheer in seeing those twisted forms or queer sights of abnormality. A rather sickening thought.

The games seemed next to best choice. An area where freaks and ghouls were less common. And yet, these types of enertainment had long since lost their luster to him. Yet, a girl caught his eye. She was not like those who were obviously from the village. Much more like those fellow students that he accompanied at their school. It was merely a glimpse. A momentary gaze upon someone who might even be worth while. Quickly stolen from him by the crowd. He began towards her. His foot falls were silent. As if perfected in a theater or some other stage. The gap between them soon closed. His stride halting right beside her. "Ya' want a bear?" His voice held a gentle tone. Still, that face remained hidden within the deep cavern of a hood. Casting only thick shadows over his features. "I can try ta' win ya' one." With such a friendly overtone, he chuckled. With such a good mood, a southern dialect and asian accent came out. Something he had worked so hard to hide from others.

"The Puppeteer?" She repeated his title. That smile twitching faintly at the corners of her mouth. Even though she now viewed any who knew what she was with a wary eye, his eloquent antics kept her intrigued. That ache deep inside to belong, to be accepted, still just a child at times trapped in the agonizingly slow aging body.


Keeping her stance, watching as he alit back to the grasp on the rail that laid between them. "Bruxa..." She answered in almost a meek tone. "Bruxa Vipir from New Orleans.." Eyes lowered to the ground briefly...perhaps a sign of confusement. She felt the urge to just leave, distancing herself from this place. She felt also an unnatural curiosity of the man before her. He was an odd sort.


The mystery around him keeping her engaged. How he knew so easily what she was and even pin pointing the time she was turned. How he had taken on the miraculous transformation since their first encounter in the graveyard. Arms moved behind herself, fingers entangling and resting at the small of her back.



The draft from the turning ferris wheel sending a gentle breeze so her hair and clothing wafted around her petite frame. "So what exactly are you Mister Puppeteer? Do you make dolls, perhaps put on shows for the children? Are you planning to perchance hold a performance at this very carnival?" The questions abound in her head, spilling forth from those velvet lips. The voice was childlike, though with a tinge of awe and playfulness intermingled.

Her vision logged by bright lights and shining prizes, flashes of smiles from Carni's alike trying to lure people in to their games. Hunni's arms wrapped around her body as she stood there watching the game, off to the side but close to the counter so she could see the objective of this game. A shudder went through her body and then a soft voice was heard, this made her jump slightly and then with a small shift in her stance the head would tilt just enough to see the profile of the man that spoke. She wasn't sure if he was speaking to her or not, but by the way he looked and dressed she could tell that he wasn't a local villager but something like herself, one that came for the beautiful school of Caislin Hallows.

With but a smile on her face, his second speaking making it apparent that she was whom he was talking to with but a stretch of her arm upwards. She pointed at the small stuffed blue bear that hung by a hook, ''That one just looks adorable, I've been pondering on trying the game myself but I don't know how well I will fare with darts...Never been one for games of talent...'' Her eyes searched the pile of stuffed toys, then fell upon the blond haired man. With the smile piercing her cheeks like little rose blossoms she'd search his face then his form before allowing her hues to fall back on his own eyes.

The way he spoke reminded her of a voice she had heard once before, but couldn't place the accent or tone of his speaking. Either way, he had her full attention, from his wooden sandals to the bandanna around his head holding his hair up. The smile would fade, and turn to a smirk yet her face still blossomed with the touch of roses on her cheeks.

With a quick thought, his right hand shuffled within the confines of his pocket. Finidng the amount needed, his left hand shot out. Digits tangling about her wrist like a vine. "Then let's winn ya' one." His feet began to move. Pulling him along, which pulled her also. His smile brightened as he drew the required currancy. Once more finding a place at the counter. His gaze returning to the girl. He watched her reaction. "Blue, right?" As if double checking her targeted desire. It was a new feeling to him.

And yet, he did not retrieve the darts, nor pay. Was she sure she wanted that bear? Neck going limp for a brief moment. Nodding, he seemed to take in very special details. Wind, size of the target, size and weight of the dart. They all were very important. His right hand dropped the money on the counter and he stole once last glimpse of her. "You have three darts to figure it out." He chuckled, and reached for a dart, tongue sliding over thin lips as he calculated this task in his mind.

His left fingers grasped the three darts. Each resting in the gaps between his fingers. It didn't take long. His right hand snatched the first dart. Inhaling a slow deep breath, he drew his arm back. His exhale was joined with the launching of the first dart. His arm arching forward, as the dart left his finger tips, and flew at the balloons. A loud pop echoing as the first dart found its mark. "That's one down." He chuckled.

When she repeated his title, a soft smile played across his lips and he nodded his head, to confirm that she had indeed heard correctly. He quirked an eyebrow when she answered him with her name, he gave a shake of his head unfamiliar with either of the names, though the gesture halted when she mentioned ‘New Orleans’. “You mean that French colony in the Americas?” he asked, his interest obviously perked by the name--to think that the city on the bayou had survived after two centuries.

For a few seconds, the Puppeteer was silent, pondering the nature of New Orleans and why the girl spoke English so fluently if she was coming from French town. In that time, it seemed the girl had changed her positioning, hiding her hands behind her back. Brown eyes focused upon her again when she began asking questions. The gentle smile that had long faded from his lips returned, though mischief was tucked into the curls at the corners of his mouth. “Well, I’m not really the kind of man to just… give away his secrets,” he chuckled, giving a dismissive wave of his hand, as if her words hung in the air like smoke and he sought to dissipate them. “No, no… My secrets must be earned, my Doll,” he added after a few moments, grinning to her.

A nod of her head at his reply. "Indeed New Orleans in America." She confirmed as he smiled at the rest of her questioning. His retort bringing her own smile to brighten with his teasing answer. "And how would one earn such secrets Master Puppeteer?" She asked before adding. "And how would one discern that the secrets are worth any display to earn such information?"


Still the fact that he pointed out she was a creature of the night concerned her as she warily took a step towards the railing once more. The thought to feed had left her head, now more interested in the man before her. "And does me being a Vampire disturb you? Or even create any cravings that I should know about?" Evidently the event with Riley had created a paranoia that she had not experienced before. Sure she was trying to be careful, but how would anyone really know what was masked behind a face or words.

His only answer for her was a wide grin when she asked how to earn his secrets and if they’d be worth the price. Given that she approached the railing again, as if lining up, he assumed that she was already enticed by the mystery he presented. Sometimes that was all the bait it took to catch a girl’s curiosity.

“My dear Doll, why should your being a vampire disturb me?” he chuckled, his expression darkening more with each word. In the chaotic colors of the Ferris wheel’s lights flashing over his face, the Puppeteers countenance took on an almost demonic quality. “When I am something far worse.” For only a few seconds, the diabolical sneer remained on his lips before dissipating and leaving a mischievous smirk. “I have no fear of you, and so long as you never displease me, my Doll, you have nothing to fear of me.” After pealing his fingers from the railing, he brushed his hand along the front of his buttoned jacket, pale digits dancing across the dark cloth until he seemed satisfied. His gaze lowered to his torso, inspecting the pristine fabric. “So, my Doll, the question is, are you willing to try earning the knowledge of my mysteries?”

Eyes flickered over the Puppeteers face as his features seemed to change momentarily. Taking on a darker personna...or it could have been the lighting from the colorful bulbs...right?"Well, you never know what hidden fears or desires lay beneath anothers surface.." Was her answer to the first question. "Far worse?.." She simply mumbled his own words back to him.

Gaze following his hand as he brushed at the front of his clothing, listening to the next question after the statement was made. "Well, that all depends Master Puppeteer, will me striving to unlock those mysteries somehow displease you?" Ebon hues slid back to his face, the smile returning warmly to those velvet tiers. "And I would think it depends all on what you want from me, something you deem worthy for such a prize as your precious secrets"

Curious about the craft that he taunted her with. By the way she acted he knew he had her attention on the matter. Encouraging her inquisitiveness to blossom as he insisted that she or anyone else would need to perform some deed to earn the things still left unsaid and hanging in the air.

The sound of a balloon popping caught her attention again as her eyes moved from the blond haired man that was oh so kind and sweet to her. A soft blush played on the tops of her cheek as her head would spin and follow the dart as it splashed into the wall against the balloon. The snapping sound echoed in her mind as she watched the Carnival hosts' jaw drop in slight amazement of an on spot shot. Which in turn made Hunni smile even more so as she'd stepped a few steps backwards to allow this boy more of a clear and not distracted line of sight.

Her eyes lit up and watched the lights over head flash and jingle with the tune of music that surrounded them. Trying not to get pushed around as the crowd moved around her, trying not to disappear within the many people that found it easier to shove her out of the way, then move around her. Shifting in spot, she clapped her hands gently but loud enough for the young man to hear. ''Good luck!'' Her face beamed with a smile that made her cheeks frost in a soft rose color. As eyes that shined with the lights in her eyes, stared from between the boy and the balloons that hung so gently from the wall.

Transfering the second dart to what seemed as his dominate hand. Twirling it between his fingers, he looked for a good target. Was this game supposed to be hard for people? Dart in hand, his right elbow bent and his hand drew back. And yet, she moved. His head turned back to spot her once more. "You can't leave yet. I haven't gotten your bear." His smiling face was partcially illuminated by the carnival lights. Another portion was darkened by shade. Still, how could he be a threat? Weaponless and smiling. No offensive aura about him. But then her encouragement rang in his ear.

Head turning back to the game at hand. The balloons jumping and dancing in the breeze every now and then. His right hand which weilded the dart began to prepare to launch. Slowly repeating a foreward motion then withdrawing back. The hand then sprang out. Launching the dart in a straight line directly into the second balloon. The dart redirected slightly left and popped the balloon with a scratch. His lips spread into a grin . "Hehe, I thought this would be harder." He chuckled out, looking at the last dart.

The sound of his voice was noticeable over top the sounds and voices of others in the carnival. A soft smile filled her dark toned face and quickly she redeemed her spot next to him at the counter. Hands laid against the wood that was stained with drinks and colors of paint, nails tapped gently against the surface of the wood as her head would turn and let brown hues lay on the man with such blond hair. His face was just and true, very sweet looking from where she stood. She found that he was a nice man to have as company, one that was trying to win a bear for her. This thought made her face flush with a soft red hue, filling her cheeks and covering her skin as eyes moved from the man and back to the balloons that waved gently in the wind as they were pierced into the wall in front of them.

The sound of his voice caught her attention, and again eyes set on the man as a smile found its way onto rose petals. Hands collapsing from the counter, to her lap and folded against her stomach as she leaned back only slightly. ’’Harder? I’ve tried this game six times and I can’t seem to get the dart to stay in a straight line. Then again, dart’s is a talent that I do not have patience for…’’ Leaning towards him, she would give him a gentle nudge in the side with a smile she resumed her spot standing aside and watching him play the game with ease. She would not have picked someone to be so easily great at such a game, but then again, she hadn’t met the strange people she had anywhere else but here in Ireland, at Caislin.

’’But it does seem you have a natural knack at playing this game…Hate to bother more…But how are you enjoying the Carnival? It is suiting to your taste for a small get away tucked in the woods between Caislin Hallows of the strange, and normality of the almost cave-man like era in town?’’ With a soft smile, she’d laugh only slightly before she allowed arms to fold over her chest, leaning slightly against the side wall of the Dart Game.

He chuckled and stopped for a moment. Thinking of a good way to say it. "This is the type of crowd I'm used to." He chuckled, eye lifting to the balloons once more. His right hand took the last dart. Head turning to her, he tossed the last dart lazily. Lofting it up more as it came lobbing down and popped the last balloon. "It's not that I am skilled at darts. I simply judge upon weight and wind."

What a logical way of thought. He chuckled and stayed gazing at her. A wide smile, full of friendly aura, aimed at her. "Your bear awaits." He informed her. Bowing his head to her in a very respectful manor. His gaze begining to scan for other small attractions that would be entertaining. "Though, now that it's done, what shall we do?" A brow quirked. Still, he awaited for her responce. That friendly smile seemed to relfect the illumination of the carnival lights.

The sounds around were almost mezmorizing. Echos call for passers by to come see this great thing. Or play this great game. Well balanced with the symphonic melody of the background.

The sounds and echoes of the carnival made her head spin as she tried to tune herself into the boy that stood before her. It would seem without a care or trouble in the world he'd just toss the dart like it was nothing more than a instinct. Hunni's cheeks lit up with a soft red color as she watched the dart lazily flop into a balloon. The Carni behind the counter started to scold and curse beneath his breath about the mishap of his loss at the moment. But with all ill-willed intentions he carried on to grasp the bear that she had spoken of before hand.

Brown hues found their way back onto the man as a soft smile pierced into her cheeks, flushing her face. ''Well I must say, thank you ever so much for the delightful bear. This surely raised my spirits.'' Brown hues waved from the man, to the carnivals' lights that surrounded them the colors and quick flashing of lights amazed her in a slight way. The body moved and slowly started to wander forwards towards the boy, and past him towards the soft flashing lights in the distance.

His voice made her turn so she was facing him, yet walking backwards still. As she took a moment to appreciate the man's company in such a delicate matter. With a shrug of the shoulders, the cloth of the vest would shake as she did. ''Let us venture further into the night, perhaps they have a haunted house?'' She would merely smile and give a gentle laugh as she spun back around her back facing him, she walked in a slow pace in anticipation of his company.

A swift lunge forward, sent him darting after her. His wooden elevated sandles seemed to have the perfect spot to use for a low run. Using the foot pad, and the wooden block rising. This simply brought him to shoulder height, as he dodged people. And yet as swiftly as he started, slowed to a steady pace at her stride. "Well, then. Names Kouichi, what's your's?" His smile was quite childish. His light chuckle full of cheer. Hand burying themselves dep within his pockets. His gaze locked up this smiling girl. This seemed well worth swallowing his fears and coming out. To meet someone who could enjoy such simple things he could do. "If a Haunted house is what you desire, let us venture and search." He snickered, perhaps one might see it as teasing, but he was serious.

The lights seemed to illuminate the both of them mezmorized him. And yet he never lost sight of the path, or his companion. To him, sounds around them blurred. Lost their meanings and even their origins. In fact, he seemed focused on listening to her. Staying close, his elbow brushed against her's when passers by would cause him to twist or turn. A slight blush creeping up his face. As though he was shy or scared. Following her lead to any destination she saw fit. "Guide the way, oh spirit of the woods." He chuckled again, laughing at the joke he doubted she would understand.