The woman selling tickets barely blinked before changing her tune. "Then four adult tickets, 100 bucks."
Ririko stepped up to the booth and rested a hand lightly on the edge of the counter.
"We're not here to buy tickets. We're from the Wayne Circus, here to discuss a joint performance with your ringmaster, Bill Haly."
The woman looked up and sized them up again.
Her gaze moved from Ririko's well-maintained face to Dick's honey-tanned skin, then swept over Oliver's expensive leather jacket before finally settling on Selina's strange goggles.
She curled her lip dismissively. None of them looked like people who had spent years in a circus, weathered by wire and sand.
Without another word, she picked up her phone and spoke into it.
"Boss, a few people are here, saying they're from Wayne's. Come take a look."
Less than two minutes later, a round, potbellied middle-aged man emerged from a small private tent out back.
He wore a vest, his thinning hair slicked back, and approached them briskly with an overly enthusiastic smile plastered on his face.
He extended a thick hand and shook Ririko's.
"Welcome, welcome! I was quite surprised when Mr. Wayne called me. I didn't think you'd actually come! Is it just you four?"
Ririko coolly touched his hand and released it, then stepped aside to introduce the people behind her one by one.
"Dick is a trapeze artist, and Oliver is an archer." Ririko pointed to Selina last. "This is Selina, our animal trainer."
The ringmaster glanced over Selina's petite frame. She hardly looked built to share a cage with lions and tigers.
"What animals do you train?" he asked dubiously.
"Cats," Selina said flatly.
The ringmaster froze, thinking he had misheard.
"...Cats?"
"She trains tigers," Ririko smoothly supplied beside her.
"Oh," the ringmaster said,