Everybody's Got Something to Hide Except Me and My Monkey!

[Ivan Tsarevich]

The oddly-dressed street performer panted heavily, arms held wide in a flourish to punctuate the very, very long ending note he just finished belting out. With a grin, he looked down at his monkey. The fuzzy little creature gave a little twirl, before smiling at the crowd of people that had gathered and clapping its tiny hands. As if on cue, the crowd began to applaud, accompanied by the sweet, sweet sound of coins clinging and bills rustling as the performer's captive audience tossed money into his collection hat.

"Grazie! Grazie!" The performer gave a couple bows. "I appreciate your kindness! I'm gonna take a small break, so feel free to go about your day! Or, stick around for about ten minutes. Tell your friends!"

With this message, the crowd dissipated, and the performer gave an exhausted 'phew' as he sat down.

"Well, I think it's goin' well, Grey!" Ivan said with a grin, poking at the monkey. The primate gave a bit of a nod in reply, thinking it wise not to speak aloud in this situation. "Boy... I'm sure I'm not really thirsty, bein'... y'know, what I am, but it certainly feels like I should be."

Clink.

Ivan perked up, looking at his collection hat. Somebody had dropped a glass bottle of iced coffee in there.

"Ah! Spasibo! I mean, grazie!" Ivan gave a smile and a wave to the kind passerby who'd left him the drink, playing up his Russian origins a bit as Grey had suggested earlier. Somethin' about how people are fascinated by the foreign? He wasn't paying too much attention, to be honest. Ivan lift the cap off the ground, resting it in his lap as he picked up the bottle of iced coffee. "Wonder if this is enough to get us started? I mean, this is, what, our second, third hat full?"

With a twist and a pop, Ivan removed the cap of the coffe, taking a big swig. "Mmm! Not bad. Creamy. I like it!"

Setting the bottle down, Ivan began to carefully dump the contents of his hat into his Master's bag with the rest of the money he'd acquired, before placing his hat back out. "Alright, Grey. Just another few minutes, then we'll give it another go, alright?"

The monkey nodded, taking a seat next to the hat and watching people walk by, already trying to build up buzz for their next performance.

[Crowe Burst]

The bottled water feels warm in Crowe's mouth and throat as he drank. Sitting on a chair outside a cafe near the performing duo, Crowe finished the few days old bottled water, and set it down on the table beside him. He was getting a few nasty looks from the employees (because he is just sitting down there without ordering anything), but none has approached him yet.

Yet, Crowe still feels thirsty. So he stood up, fished his pocket for a few bucks (which he discreetly took from Rider's collection bag when the first haul was put in) and went inside the cafe to order a drink.

As he went out of the cafe, Rider has already finished his performance, the crowd was breaking away save for some few suckers that was probably waiting there for another performance. As he sat down, the person seated next to his table, who Crowe noticed that he hadn't even touched his bottle because he was too distracted by Rider's performance, stood up, and put a glass bottle of coffee inside Rider's collection hat, and went on his way. Rider, being the kind, noble, gentle soul that he is (after all, he's the one working here for Crowe) waved in thanks to the man, and took a drink.

As Rider emptied the bag inside the collection bag, Crowe couldn't help but grin. Jackpot his mind was screaming. After all, if his estimates are correct, the amount of riches inside that bag is higher than any amount of money that Crowe ever had in any given period of time. But, since this is Crowe we're talking about, that really isn't a impressive fact.

Taking a sip from his coffee, Crowe looked around the area. They're probably safe from any direct confrontation, since after all, no sane magus would want this crowded area to be a witness of a magic battle. However, though, he hasn't ruled out any crackpots and psychopaths, and is ready for any sort of confrontation against any sort of person...he hopes. He gazed back at Rider and Grey, who had, amusingly, turned into a monkey for the performance, and wondered if he's good enough to the more...celebrated heroes that he had read about in his youth. He dismissed the thought, not wanting to jinx the whole thing.

Crowe crossed his legs and looked away from Rider and placed his gaze upon the masses walking by, entering and exiting little shops and stores. People going home from shopping, and people going to shop. As the ice cold coffee travels through his throat, his eyes dart from people to people, wondering if anyone of them is a master, or is aware of the fact that here in this bustling city few souls is gambling their all for the sake of a single wish. Perhaps, one of them is indeed a master, and that there's a Servant out there, looking at them right now, preparing his trump card, preparing to launch the finishing blow. Rider hasn't said anything about that yet, so he hoped that it's just his paranoia.