Khufu wasn’t all that excited over the prospect of the circus himself, sure he liked performers but he didn’t like them that much. He was more planning on bringing his wife and children there. Kahi deserved a night out, even if it meant they had to take their kids with them. She worked so hard to raise the kids, especially with how often Khufu would stumble in late at night or how often she would need to come and rescue him from some sort of a crazy situation. The least he could do for her was to bring her to the circus to enjoy herself a bit.

But for now, the circus was still being set up, and for the most part they were only doing smaller shows to try and tempt people in for the full show.

That night had been a typical night for the two of them, they had retired to one of their favourite places after the work day, and they had dived head first into the wine. After what could be considered too much wine between the two of them, they had decided that they would check the circus out. Khufu wanted to see if it was even a place that would be entertaining enough to bother bringing his family down.

“Oh lighten up and have fun.” He said when Zoser asked about if he had double tied his coin purse. He nudged his friend and shook his head. Sometimes Zoser was far too serious for his own good. This wouldn’t be the first or last time that Khufu risked losing his coin purse, though usually it was to games of dice.

“Are you sure she’s looking at us, or are you just hoping that she is?” He asked with a laugh, giving his friend a goofy and drunken grin. He couldn’t believe that his mentor was still a single man. Mind you, Khufu had gone to other lands to get his wife, he could have easily settled for some other woman in Egypt.

He supposed he had been lucky to find someone who loved him like Kahi did, Zoser hadn’t been quite as lucky. Or perhaps he was the lucky one, able to be single and be with any woman he chose.

Either way, it was fun to tease Zoser about women. And if it truly was the case, Khufu would always wingman for the older male. Just because he himself was married didn’t mean he couldn’t have fun with his friend and try to get the other man some women.

“Come on then, lets go find out why she’s starting at us.” He said. He grabbed his friends arm and pulled him over towards the direction of the woman he had pointed out.

“Hello there, my friend here thinks that you were staring at us.” He said, laughing drunkenly and giving her a grin that he thought was charming at the time, but was likely just a stupidly drunk grin, making it clear that the two men had probably had far too much to drink.

"I am having fun!" Zoser sniped, his brows furrowing and his nose scrunching almost comically, hilariously contrary to the point he was trying to make. It was nearly like a script from a performance, the way the two of them parroted those same phrases to each other over and over. Like an old married couple.

That being said, it usually took Khufu having to say the words aloud, almost like permission, for Zoser to end up relaxing into whatever night they got into. At this point, it was nearly ritualistic. If he looked at it from the outside, his resistance to such things would have made him feel 'old' - but the moment he gave in, it was like Zoser was transported two decades, to Athenia...

The woman wasn't Greek...Zoser knew Greek women well...and perhaps that what added more to his perplexity.

At Khufu's remark, Zoser broke eyecontact with the woman to give him a glance and then roll his eyes. Before he could think of something dreadfully clever to say, thanks to the copious drinks earlier, Khufu was all but dragging them over to the woman.

Every alert in Zoser's brain was set off, unsuccessfully trying to pull his arm away from Khufu's hold, sputtering wordless protests that could not be strung together in a proper sentence. What if Khufu was right and she wasn't staring...but then they were just staring? The childish fear that she would think he was weird prodded at the back of his mind decided to hide behind as clear of a logic as he could when he finally formed a sentence.

"That is not necessary!" Zoser hissed, the volume in his voice dissipating as they stepped closer and closer until he slapped on what he hoped was a perfectly normal and relaxed expression. It was not. It closer resembled someone who had the very intent need to relieve themselves. His lips parted to reveal a flash of white teeth. The corners of his lips seemed slightly too sideways, too much so to press up the wrinkles that accompanied on of his true smiles, despite his eyes not narrowing naturally into his catlike grin. The result was uncomfortable, bordering on horrifying.

Thankfully, this disastrous attempt at pleasantly greeting the woman was ruined the moment that Khufu spoke. Zoser's head turned at stared, outraged, at the side of his friend's head. If he had been in his usual state, not several cups of damn good wine into the evening, he could have just brushed it off and laughed like a normal person.

However, Zoser had not just been drinking...he was drunk.

"Well, that's not...I mean to say, well...you were..."

Fortunately, he half-rumbled and grumbled the words out, gesturing flippantly with his hands and clearing his throat more times than necessary. Even if Zoser had been secretly wishing the woman was staring at them, even though that was not how this started, his current state would have said otherwise.

Then, the woman spoke.

Suddenly, every sound that Zoser made fell completely silent as he heard her words, musically lilting on an accent that felt unfamiliar yet strangely beautiful when speaking Coptic. If he were of a right mind, he would try to place the accent - a little mental game that he played with himself - but instead, he found the words and the promises they held ever so intriguing, despite the wine-smothered voice in the back of his head protectively yelling 'It's a trap!'

Instead, he watched as the woman turned, oddly excited or at least insanely curious to hear what she was talking about. Yet, his feet remained rooted for a moment as Khufu's eyes met his own in tandem, silently asking: should we follow?

With a shrug, Zoser followed. Each moment that passed as they followed her, his mind began to contend with itself. Exceptional energy? Really?? His inner voice scoffed, almost making it audible. It was a scam, or a play on things...make a coin here and there. Right? Entertainment only. If the woman was able to hear the gods, she would be a priestess, right? And besides - she wasn't Greek or Egyptian so what gods was she talking about, huh? And if not, maybe she was just...some sort of witch? Right?

Or, as logic would dictate, it was a scam.

Before he could even vocalize, they arrived to at the tent and watched her disappear through the curtain. Zoser's eyes immediately flicked to Khufu as if to ask - are we really doing this?

Maybe it was the drink or simply one of those rare moments when Zoser had a devilish thought. As he passed through into the tent, he glanced around at the oddly mystic feel of the place. The air was thick with incense and an actual grin crossed his lips as he noted that his friend gave the place the same once over.

Half his mind found it utterly ridiculous but the other half was entirely fascinated and enthralled, taking it all in without realizing the words passed his lips.

"You some sort of witch?"

Miri felt a flash of anger at the first man’s words, though her face remained as mystic and calm as ever. A witch? To accuse a messenger of the gods of sorcery was both unheard of and highly offensive. The other man’s laughter only insulted her further; he may have apologized on his friend’s behalf, but the mirth made it clear that he did not take her seriously, either. But the anger passed quickly, and it was easy to smile wryly at the customers and wave them into the seats across from her. While rare for her to receive direct insults, Miri faced her fair share of disbelief and stares. Besides, both men seemed to be more than a little under the influence, and she would not do well to take their words to heart.

“It is quite alright. I am not a witch,” she murmured, the ghost of a smile still flitting across her face. “Though I do not think your words are true.” Miri nodded at the darker haired man. “Your friend has encountered quite a few women, if I am not mistaken, which I rarely am. As have you.” She did not need the gods to tell her so.

Once they were both seated in front of her, Miri gave each man in turn a lingering stare, all hint of indulgent laughter having vanished from her face. Her eyes widened and swirled with some deep, observant knowledge, and perhaps a hint of something more. The gods began to murmur, clouding her ears with wisdom and elevating her mind to the height of her abilities. She scarcely heard the more charming’s man newly insulting inquiry, so lost was she in the knowledge of the gods. Reaching to take the darker haired man’s hand in her own, Miri fixed him once more with her gaze. “The Egyptian gods, the true gods, the only ones that matter.” She arched an eyebrow, almost in challenge, and drew her fingers lightly across his palm without breaking her stare. We took away his power and set him on a better path, said Thoth, and Miri noticed the stiff way he held himself, surprising for a man of so many jokes and smiles.

“You have been successful in your more recent endeavors,” she began, vague as always. “The gods set out a path for you that made you think you would never find happiness. You suffered losses both physical and in terms of ambition.” Miri paused, and listened. He will continue to learn, praising me above all others, Anubis took over now. Miri could see why a man who once was lost would pray to the god of judgment. “Now your knowledge has made you prosper, and you live a life of joy and love and, yes, some mischief.” Miri’s fingers continued to trace each line of his hand slowly, and though she stared at him still, her eyes had grown strangely distant.

“This life will continue.” Miri hesitated, listening once more. “And while your biggest trials have passed, Anubis and the gods will continue to test you. You will trust where you should not, and take a game too far. But you will also continue to love fiercely and take each moment as something important, something to learn from.” A bit life re-entered Miri’s eyes, though they were still softened and somewhat distant. She released the man’s hand and turned to his companion. “Would you care to hear the gods plan for you, or are you afraid this witch will cast her spell?” She smiled wryly at them both, shadows dancing across her face in the candlelight.

In response to Khufu's outrageous accusation that he had never been around a woman before, Zoser responded with a strangled, insulted gasp followed by the most mature blowing of a raspberry that a scholar of his merit could produce. He knew it was a joke, but still, when it came to picking on one another, Zoser found himself more often on the receiving end than the dealing end.

When the woman responded, insisting on the truth of the matter, Zoser's shifted slightly between the two of them for a moment. Initially, his glance was suspicious, slightly narrowed before flicking back to Khufu, who received the same rather obvious observation. They were both handsome men - of course they had been around women before, but the only difference was that Khufu was married.

"Well, don't tell Kahi," Zoser teased, smirking towards his friend as he watched him get settled before the woman. His arms crossed out of habit as his eyes first watched on observantly, before the drink had his gaze flicking about the curiosities in the tent. It was all for ambiance, surely....right? No one could actually talk to the gods unless they were chosen for the priesthood. And if they could and they were legitimate, they would be shuttled off to a temple, not traipsing around after a circus.

Zoser rolled his eyes a bit at the woman's response. He was positive that if a Greek walked in the tent, it would be word from Ares or Aphrodite. Definitely not from Osiris and Set. It was all a ruse...and for coin.

It was all entertainment, he knew.

At least, he thought he knew.

The woman's words were cloaked in enough mystique and mystery to keep them from being obvious one way or another about his friend, but still rang true. He knew of Khufu's past as a soldier and the injury that had theirs cross within the archives. It was not something Khufu would have ever chosen for himself, he knew, but he could not deny the benefits of their friendship.

Okay, witch...you may be onto something...

At least for Khufu, the fortune ended well. Continued love for Kahi and the children - it was all his friend would need.

Then again, it could mean anything...

At the woman's tease, followed by Khufu's, Zoser's catlike eyes narrowed and he scoffed slightly.

"I fear no witch," he lied, the strain of genuine caution instilled in him during his formative youth in Greece unable to be shaken off, "But, hey, why not."

While internally, he tried to balance out the logic of this illusion with the prickle of superstition and suspicion, he managed to take a seat before the woman, getting a better look at her up close as he offered his hands.