The setting sun peeked through the cracks in the tent as Lavi looked down at the cards in front of him, the distant sound of music on the breeze. He'd memorized the worn deck ages ago, not that it mattered. The colored cards contrasted harshly against the black silk tablecloth.

Across the table sat a timid girl, nervously twisting the end of her dark braid around her finger. She watched the cards on the table as if they held the meaning of Life. With a friendly smile, he spread out the deck, reading what he saw—

Only he didn't look at the cards; he looked at the girl. She held all the clues he needed to earn his keep. Her clothes were tattered, stained and worn threadbare in some spots. Her fingernails were chewed, and some had dirt stuck under what remained of them. The last clue he needed was wrapped around her wrist — a crudely made bracelet. He'd seen them all over in the towns they had passed through. The girls called them promise bracelets, and the boys in town would give them as gifts to the ones they were interested in.

She made this too easy.

"I see a boy," Lavi said, his hands hovering over the cards. "He cares for you deeply."

Her eyes widened, and excitement sprung to her face. "Really? He does? Are you sure?"

"The cards wouldn't lie," Lavi replied, a placating smile on his face. "I see you're stuck in a place you dislike, that you want to leave and see new places."

The girl nodded, her hands clasped together in her lap. She looked to be barely holding in her emotions. "I do."

Lavi touched a few of the cards in front of him and closed his good eye, as if he were receiving mystical answers from the spirits. "Keep your chin up. One day you shall cast off the trappings of servitude and find your true calling."

The girl gasped, pulling her hands to her mouth as she stared wide-eyed at the cards. "I've always wanted to become a seamstress. Do you really think I can do it?"

"As long as you work towards it, you can achieve it. The cards wouldn't steer you wrong."

"Thank you so much," she said, standing up off of the rickety stool and leaving her coins on the table.

"Come again if you have more questions you'd like the spirits to answer," Lavi added as she walked out of his tent.

"I will."

As the flap closed, Lavi sighed rubbing his temples to blunt the growing headache that had been affecting him for hours now. Not wanting to deal with any more customers, he packed up his tarot cards, grabbed his earnings for the day, and set up the "Closed" sign in front of the tent.

Tucking away the coinpurse deep in his shirt to keep pickpockets from grabbing it, Lavi left the Fortune Teller's tent and hurried off to the main attraction. Weaving through the throngs of excited patrons, Lavi navigated the dusty paths with ease. As he neared the large tent, he slipped in through the back entrance, for carnival workers only.

The air in the main tent boiled with heat and humidity, even as the hot day dragged into a cool evening. Lavi ignored the higher temperatures and moved in closer to get a better view of the ring. People packed in like sardines along the rickety wooden benches that sprawled out along the outer edges of the tent. As he came to a stop, he noticed a familiar face. With a grin, he elbowed the long-haired boy.

"Yuu, I'm betting you came to see her perform, eh?"

"Shut your trap, idiot," Kanda snapped back, his dark eyes still glued to the open area in the middle of the tent, waiting for the show to begin.

"Aw, don't be so mean," Lavi complained, but quieted down as a hush fell over the crowded arena. When he looked up, he saw them enter the ring, kicking up dust as they each took a bow.

He had watched them perform countless times now, ever since he and Bookman had joined the traveling carnival a few months ago. For all the oddities and performances that were available at the carnival, Lavi never failed to miss theirs.

Allen and Lenalee stood in the ring, dressed in matching black and white outfits. They stood silent in the arena, the crowd waiting with bated breath. Lavi felt the tension as he always did just before a performance, the excitement and energy of the atmosphere never failing to get the best of him.

Then, the music began.

Their choreography was perfect, and no matter how many times Lavi watched them, he never saw them miss a step. The ring was littered with props for them: a trampoline, a large ball to balance on, ramps, and a tightrope nearly ten feet above the ground. They moved about the ring, doing handstands, cartwheels, and various poses to the music. Each movement synced perfectly with each other, and they flew around the ring like birds, full of grace and not weighed down by gravity.

Lavi stared, watching in awe as Allen lifted Lenalee upside down above his head, her legs hooking over the tightrope as she swung herself up to her feet. As soon as she had her footing, Allen hopped onto the giant ball, inverting himself until he until he balanced on one hand while the crowd cheered them on.

For all the times he'd seen this performance, Lavi was hard pressed to recall Lenalee's choreography. His gaze never left Allen's form. He watched as he flipped and cartwheeled around the stage, the muscles in his arms, legs, and back flexing like taut, corded rope. Lavi knew he was shamelessly staring, and if he had a shred of dignity left in his body, he might have blushed. Maybe.

The show continued, and with each new stunt, the crowd grew more excited. The grin on Lavi's face never wavered as he watched, enamored with how Allen's body moved. Minutes passed, and before he knew it, the act ended the same as it always had, with Lenalee on Allen's right shoulder as they both extended their arms towards the crowd and bowed their heads in thanks.

As the applause sounded, drowning out all other noises, Lavi slipped out the back and away from the oppressive heat of the tent. He sighed and looked up at the sky, now orange and deep purple as the sun set. A cool breeze blew through the tents, drying the sweat off his brow and cooling his hot skin. He took a deep breath, then headed towards the boss' trailer.

Weaving through the tents and trailers, Lavi found his way to his destination. Knocking on the door, Lavi waited until he heard the familiar call of of "Come iiiiin." As he entered, Lavi saw his boss sitting at a desk that was far too small for his lanky build. Crossing the short expanse of walkable area, Lavi pulled the coinpurse out of his shirt and plopped the money onto the desk.

With hands on his hips, he smiled. "There's my earnings for today, Komui."

Komui grabbed the coinpurse and tested the weight in his palm. "Seems as if you had a good day."

"What can I say? I'm good with the ladies." Lavi shoved his hands into his pockets, grinning.

With a sigh, Komui pushed the glasses back up the bridge of his nose. "I must say, you and Bookman have been valuable additions to our troupe these past few months. I'll be sad to see you two leave."

Lavi's smile faltered for a quick second, but he masked his unease before his boss could notice. "Yeah, but it can't be helped. Later," he said, turning to leave. Once he closed the door, and the cool night air hit his face, Lavi's shoulders slumped.

Patrons still traversed the grounds, admiring the sights before they closed up. He wandered around for a while, checking the stalls as he strolled down the paths. The crowd had thinned substantially, and most of the attractions were shut down for the night.

Slipping around the personal trailers at the edge of the carnival, Lavi avoided running into anyone as he scrutinized them, looking for the right one. When he found it, he smiled and knocked on the door.

Lavi heard shuffling inside, and a few muffled curses, before the door opened. Light spilled out from the entryway, cascading around Allen like a halo. He stood there, a towel around his shoulders, bare chested with fresh droplets of water sliding down his skin from his damp hair. Allen only had on a loose pair of pants, and looked to be fresh from the baths. His initial look of annoyance dissolved as he laid his silver eyes on Lavi.

"Hey, what are you doing here? I thought you'd still be telling fortunes."

Lavi shrugged, his hands stuffed into the pockets of his pants. "I finished early. Had a good night." Shuffling on his feet, he tried to avoid looking at Allen for too long. "I wanted to know if you were up for heading into town? I've been bored out of my skull and could use a little sight-seeing before we leave."

Allen smiled immediately, pulling at the edge of his damp towel. "I'm up for it. Give me a minute to dress and I'll be right out."

The door closed again, and Lavi let out a long, soft breath. Leaning against the trailer, he looked up at the sky, staring at the waxing moon and trying to scrub the image of his friend's lithe body out of his mind.

It was moments like those that he loved and cursed his perfect memory in the same breath.

Before he could get his thoughts in order, the door opened again and Allen hopped down to the dusty ground, fully dressed and ready to go. He looked to Lavi, smiling brightly. "Let's hit the town."

Lavi nodded, smiling back. "We'll paint it red."