Who: Eric and Finnerty. What: Getting settled. Where: The Lagoon. When: November 8, an hour before sunrise. Warnings: TBD.
Eric had slipped into the Cirque without a ticket in the middle of the night, drawn by the scent of salt water so far inland. He had suffered, though, through being shown to a trailer, an empty trailer, with a contract. It had taken him several hours to read it over, because his reading wasn't very good and the electric lights in the trailer hurt his eyes, but he signed it, with his false name, and went on to meet the Ringmaster. All he wanted to do was swim, was feel like he was home again, but he held under that gaze, listened to the rules, and nodded quickly through all of them before excusing himself and following his senses to the lagoon.
There were already guests there, customers, he supposed, ringing around the edge, and he supposed he looked like one of them as he moved through them, shedding clothing as he went. Eric remembered that humans had silly customs regarding clothing and decency, so he left himself in his briefs and dove into the water. Immediately, the bioluminescent pattern crisscrossing over his body started to glow green and blue to the gasps of the crowd, his hair glowing aqua as well as he swam, swam downward, trying to see if he could get deep enough to feel the pressure pounding down on him, giving him comfort.
But he hit bottom far too soon and bared sharp teeth in frustration. Still, he was here to put on a show, so he swam back up, twisting int he water to let his glowing scales blur together with the quick movements, talented ears picking up the cheers of the crowd. It felt good. He felt good, for the first time since he'd washed ashore looking for his cousin. Eventually, though, the crowds started to thin and Eric emerged, climbing out of the lagoon, wanting food and not sure of whether he could eat one of the women who had given him lengthy looks.
Pulling on his jeans and leaving his chest to dry off in the cold air, the glow of his scales started to fade as he padded away from the lagoon, breathing in deep and trying to catch the scent of food he was allowed to eat.