Lost Smile and Strange Circus

twelfth half

Oscar left the girl to ponder on her own, as she had requested. Although she was getting a little bit more familiar with her surroundings, the whole setup was wide, and she had confused an odd orange tent with Jack's place.

As she opened one of the flaps, a tall, muscular man who wore on his face something akin to that of a gas mask, greeted her.

She explained her situation and how she got her places messed up, but the man, who looked intimidating at first, didn't seem to care about anything other than welcoming a new human girl.

"You're Noah, aren't you? Seen you around a few times. My name's Daigo, a performer specializing in the use of fire, and I consider myself lucky to have someone as wonderful as Angeletta as my lover."

He said in a single breath, seemingly excited to finally see the girl up-close.

He explained that he had been seeing Noah roam around for quite a while (and had also heard from the blind mermaid), but he never really got the chance to introduce himself.

Noah stood, dumbstruck, taking in the new figure of this being named Daigo. His clothes seemed a little Eastern, and his red hair was tied in a small ponytail behind him.

He really did suit the 'fire' type.

The brunette took a deep breath, willing away all her negative thoughts about what she had heard just a few minutes ago from Mr. Mush, and focused solely on her eagerness about meeting new people.

She tried, atleast. But not having had emotion to feel for years made it a little difficult to cope up with these new warm butterflies inside her heart.

"I see. It's nice to meet you, Daigo."

"Yeah. Hmmm... You're not feeling well?"

"I am. Don't worry about it."

"But you seem depressed, Noah. Wanna talk about it?"

She blinked a few times, the dead air between them getting a little bit more awkward by the second.

"Errr... Did I say something wrong?"

"No, you didn't. It's just that... I was surprised. All my life, people have been telling me that they couldn't understand what was going on in my mind."

She unconsciously confessed another form of maltreatment she had experienced back in her world, and Daigo offered her a seat.

"I see, I see. Well... I don't think you want to make your troubles public in the meantime." he snapped his fingers and lit a rose up. "Here, Noah, have this."

The girl took it in her fragile fingers, and although she was afraid it would burn out at first, the flames stood still on the petals individually.

"Don't worry, it's not an ordinary burning flower. It's a flower of fire, Noah. I infused the flames with the aura of comfort and positivity. It won't burn out until I decide to destroy it, which I never will think of, and it ought to help you. Here, try looking into the fire."

Since everyone else has been nothing but kind, Noah couldn't help but feel happier now. She looked into the flames just as Daigo had suggested, and she was surprised at how nicely her mood seemed to improve.

Although, like Oddman... how many doubts could she have about each of them?

Shaking her head, she looked up at the mask-wearing man.

"Thank you so much, Daigo. I feel myself getting a little happier."

"Right? I'm glad you can say you're happier now, Noah." he put a hand on her head, ruffling her pale brown locks. "Remember to trust yourself in making decisions and don't forget to smile."

She could only nod, thinking of how good of a father Daigo would be, and at the same time, a lover to a serene woman who enotmbed art within herself.