Lake

@Heo Youngji Her facial expressions made Taemin want to listen to her thoughts, but he stopped himself from doing so. Everyone deserved privacy in their thoughts. Yet her words didn't seem to surprise him. He'd heard freaks say similar words to his aunt and then to him when he became the ring master. "I'm sure," he responded calmly with a soft sigh. "You say this because I don't open up? Hmm, fair enough to me but not to the others. They're rather open with each other. I'm just not that type of person, I guess."

He resisted the urge to roll his eyes as he sighed again and nodded. "I've been here since I was 6 years old, when we started in Paris with my aunt as the ring master. Of course, I helped people. But it's different helping as a fellow freak and helping as a leader." Shrugging lightly. "Obligations have the ability to hang over your head like a dark cloud." Her words made him laugh for some reason, covering his mouth with the back of his hand before he slowed the laughter to a light chuckle. "As for making people uneasy, it's not something I try to do. Actually, I try to do the opposite. It's a bit hard when...'people'," he added, pointedly looking at her, "have it in her, I mean 'their', mind not to trust me." His words were accusing only to prod her, wanting to know what type of response he'd receive.

@Heo Youngji Seeing her follow his movements in a teetering way, making him want to reach out and help her once again. However, she got to her feet, so he let his arms rest at his sides once again. At her words, the corners of his lips twitched slightly into the smallest of smiles, shaking his head. "I can't help but feel guilty. This is a home. I want it to feel like one for everyone, even our most recent additions," he added slowly, hoping she understood that he'd been talking about her. The small smile on his lips grew as he let an airy chuckle fall from his lips. "I have a habit of trying to help whenever someone needs it. I guess it comes with the job."

At an unfamiliar emotion on her face, Taemin allowed himself to hone in on her thoughts for a moment, feeling immediately guilty afterwards. He'd come across plenty mind readers during his time at the Cirque, which allowed him to pick up the ability whenever he thought to do so. He never used it much unless he was too curious for his own good or he felt it was need. "You should open yourself up a bit more, Youngji-yah," he told her, allowing himself to be less formal so she'd feel more comfortable talking to him. "I know it's a bit hypocritical coming from me– I don't open up much. But many of the others trust and rely on each other." He didn't bother keeping it secret that he'd looked into her thoughts, sighing softly. "It's hard, but it's something I'm willing to do. Something I have to do."

@Heo Youngji He let go of her hand when she was up and he was sure that she was stable on her own two feet. Even though he'd let out a sigh of relief, a brow quirked at her statement: 'There is no way I couldn't recognize you.' It was true that Taemin was the ring master of the Cirque, but that was merely by default, something that happened only because his aunt left him in charge. If it were up to him, he'd just be another performer, helping others and doing what he can for the Cirque family. Though he was her recruiter, of course she'd remember him. He now felt even stupider for his words, and he bowed back to her almost apologetically. Her question made him forget his worries for a moment, chuckling softly as if to brush off her claim of not wanting to sound rude.

"You don't sound rude. I don't usually come to the lake, but being the one who recruited many of the members and being the sole...caretaker, I guess you could say, I feel obliged to check on everyone. If something were to happen to any of you under my guidance, I'm sure I wouldn't forgive myself." His voice was quiet, as if he were willing his words not to come true. Gesturing to the waterfall, parted around them, Taemin's hand wavered slightly. "Do you mind?" He leapt down from the rocks onto a dry area, letting out a sigh of relief since he was no longer in danger of getting drench– memories from what seemed like another lifetime making him all too fearful of being completely immersed in water. He did, however, keep his hand up, not wanting the waterfall to fall back on Youngji suddenly.

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@Heo Youngji Quickly forgetting that he'd been trying not to get wet, Taemin lunged forward to where Youngji was when he saw her fall onto the rocks. In the back of his mind, he reminded himself about the waterfall, and he parted the water with one hand– one of the abilities he'd forced himself to remember, so he could use to his advantage– while holding his free hand out for her to take. "I'm so sorry," he mumbled, internally cursing himself for being as stupid as to startle someone in such a position.

His brows furrowed lightly at his own stupidity, hoping she wouldn't be mad at him for the accident. His other hand was still positioned above his head to keep the water from falling down on him or her. His shoes were now soaked, but he didn't care as much about that. "It's not often that I see someone with your abilities completely surrounded by water," he mused aloud, trying to offer some friendly conversation in case she actually was angry with him. "I don't know if you remember, by the way. But I'm Taemin." His greeting was short, as they often were with him and people he didn't know well. It seemed he lacked an ability to talk to people well, something he wished he could replicate like supernatural abilities. But he did succeed in letting a small but amiable smile grow on his lips.

@Heo Youngji [Can Taemin jump in?]

Doing his routine sweep of the island, something that he'd always done to make sure everyone was alright and accounted for, Taemin stopped when he spotted someone in the midst of the waterfall. Something in him sensed heat, which could only mean that Daehyun, a close friend of his, or Youngji, one of the Cirque's rookies, were present. Squinting a bit, he made out a female figure. Youngji. With so many thoughts and memories and abilities running through his mind, it was always hard to remember how or when he recruited a new person to the Cirque. However, he knew that the female hadn't been a member long because she still seemed to isolate herself from the others.

Careful not to fall into the water himself, Taemin walked on the rocks as close as he could to her without getting himself wet. "Are you alright?" He asked, his words still formal despite her younger age in a strong attempt to be polite. He internally shifted between wanting her to feel respected and wanting her to feel comfortable. For some reason, he couldn't bring himself to speak informally to her, though.