Sweet as Sugar

"Cool. What kind of stuff did they do?" asked Steven. "What did you do, for that matter?"

"He did aerobatic-type stuff," Melly explained.

"They swam through hoops. Did flips. Kail did mere magic" Mu replied. "I worked the high-wire with Hao"

"Was Hao a human?" Steven asked, before pausing. "Here's the studio. I sit outside with my paintings when I'm trying to sell them, but right now I need to make more. It'll be a mess inside."

"It would be suspicious if it wasn't," Melly chirped back.

"Hao was like me" Mu replied. "He was a regular panda though"

"...Regular panda costume, you mean?" asked Steven as he unlocked the door to his studio.

"Well yeah!" Melly answered. "Could you imagine a big fat panda walking highwire?" She gave Mu a warning nudge.

"I would certainly pay to see it," Steven answered as they walked into his studio. Paintings in all kinds of unfinished states littered the area, the walls stained with little splashes of colors. His paintings were more realistic than Melly's typical art, most of them focused on either scenery or wild animals.

"Well of course, but Hao isn't fat. He's smaller than me" Mu stated.

"Is he younger or just smaller?" asked Melly, admiring one mostly-done painting of a barn surrounded by daffodils.

"Yeah, plan to finish up that one next," said Steven, before gesturing to a family of moose. "Once this one is done that is."

That picture already looked down to Melly, but she knew how things went. The artist always knew when work still needed to be done, even if it appeared finished to anyone else.

"Both" Mu replied. "He doesn't talk much either."

"Aww, must be shy," Melly replied. She noticed Steven seemed uneasy. "You okay?"

Steven sighed. "Oh, just realizing how much work I need to do. That's what I get for being lazy."

"Hey, art's not work," Melly scolded playfully.

"Well, there's still a lot of it to be done."

"It's never done. Once you end one project another crops up, if not more."

"I know that feeling."

"Sounds like a regular circus" Mu mused happily. "Kinda makes me home-sick"

"How long have you been away from the circus?" asked Steven.

"A few months." Mu shrugged. "Didn't like it as much when Summer and Gao left. Then Hao followed them. I just didn't feel much at home anymore."

"Home is who you're with, not where you live," Steven remarked.

"So who are you with nowadays?" asked Melly.

Steven was silent for a moment. "...You know, I meet with the usual customers and the usual artists. That kind of thing."

"I know." Mu frowned. "Summer and Hao and Gao are my home. But they're with each other and happy and I felt out of place"

"Don't worry, we'll help you find a new place," Melly reassured, patting Mu's back.

"Its alright" Mu smiled. "I can do it myself"

"Doesn't mean I can't help," Melly chirped back.

Mu smiled. "I guess"

Steven glanced over to Mu. "Hey, do you know where the bakery is?"

"Yeah, we just we there-" - Melly's stomach rumbled - "...A while back, actually."

"Yeah! The baker was nice and gave us some sweets for free cause I performed for him" Mu grinned. "Why do you ask?"

"I was thinking of picking up some stuff from there," Steven replied. "So what do you guys want?"

"I can pick it up for you" Mu smiled.

"Can you? That would be perfect," said Steven with a grin. "I want a ham and cheese sandwich."

"Another cinnamon bun for me," chimed in Melly.

"Kay!" Mu chirped. He left, quicker to get there, quicker to get back.

Steven watched him leave, and then turned to Melly.

"...Melly, you don't believe him, do you?" he asked her.

"Believe what?" asked Melly innocently enough. "I think he's very nice. Don't you like him?"

"He's a demon," said Steven flatly. "Or least something not human. Mechanical tail my ass."