Circus Freaks

[Lilac]

As soon as Droplet saw the new arrival, she swam over to the glass side nearest him. By the light of the construction lamp, the only light source in the whole tent, the machine boy could see her clearly. Droplet was an average sized girl of about 9 or 10. She was thin and girlish, and had a pretty round face. Droplet had long black hair and blue eyes. She was dressed in a one piece black swimsuit that looked to be made more for function than for style.

Once the man left, Daisuke clambered over to the edge of the cage nearest to the girl, just looking at her in awe. "Wow. You're pretty." He quickly clammed up and looked embarrassed at his slip of the tongue. "I mean... I... I like your tank."

Droplet could also see the boy clearly in the darkness. "Yep," she thought, "He belongs in the freak show; that was for sure." Droplet watched as the boy's lips move, but she couldn't hear his voice. The tank walls and all that water blocked even the loudest of sounds. She fancied that she had become adept at reading lips during her time in the circus, but the reality was far from it. Droplet moved her lips along with his, trying to make out the words.

"Now you're sitting?" She crossed her eyes and tried harder to make out more of the boy's words. "I'm mean. Eye. Eye bike poor bank?"

"What in the world?" The answer was obvious. In addition to being a machine boy, he was also a completely crazy, gibbering idiot. So, she did the only thing there was to do. Droplet pressed her face against the glass and blew her cheeks out. From the other side of the glass her smashed up face, bulging cheeks, and pink tongue served as her formal greeting to her new "exhibit mate."

[Veiled Malice]

Daisuke blinked as the underwater girl puffed out her cheeks against the glass on the side of her tank, then laughed and clapped his hands together, making a metallic clinking noise with each contact. Well, if she wants to play it that way... he thought eagerly, then pulled down one eyelid and stuck his tongue out at her. "Naaahh!" he teased.

Where there would normally be pink flesh under the lid, the perfectly flexible metallic skin only revealed more of the same silvery sheen, if slightly more brilliant than the surface of the rest of his body. His tongue was much the same, the organ being covered in such a way that it combined it's former fleshy flexibility with the strength of metal.

[Veiled Malice]

Daisuke blinked as the underwater girl puffed out her cheeks against the glass on the side of her tank, then laughed and clapped his hands together, making a metallic clinking noise with each contact. Well, if she wants to play it that way... he thought eagerly, then pulled down one eyelid and stuck his tongue out at her. "Naaahh!" he teased.

Where there would normally be pink flesh under the lid, the perfectly flexible metallic skin only revealed more of the same silvery sheen, if slightly more brilliant than the surface of the rest of his body. His tongue was much the same, the organ being covered in such a way that it combined it's former fleshy flexibility with the strength of metal.

[Veiled Malice]

Daisuke blinked as the underwater girl puffed out her cheeks against the glass on the side of her tank, then laughed and clapped his hands together, making a metallic clinking noise with each contact. Well, if she wants to play it that way... he thought eagerly, then pulled down one eyelid and stuck his tongue out at her. "Naaahh!" he teased.

Where there would normally be pink flesh under the lid, the perfectly flexible metallic skin only revealed more of the same silvery sheen, if slightly more brilliant than the surface of the rest of his body. His tongue was much the same, the organ being covered in such a way that it combined it's former fleshy flexibility with the strength of metal.

[Barnum]

"Wait up!" Darla hissed (not for the last time). She followed after Dale as he went further into the large tent. It was a black maze of crates and curtains, but apparently Dale knew where he was going. They had only traveled a few paces before Darla saw light off to the left. "Look, Dale. Let's go that way." She pointed toward the light and then took the lead.

Darla reached the large curtain that had light spilling out around it. She peeked behind the curtain and saw the most amazing thing: a metallic boy and a huge tank with a girl inside . . . but she didn't look like a mermaid.

[Barnum]

"Wait up!" Darla hissed (not for the last time). She followed after Dale as he went further into the large tent. It was a black maze of crates and curtains, but apparently Dale knew where he was going. They had only traveled a few paces before Darla saw light off to the left. "Look, Dale. Let's go that way." She pointed toward the light and then took the lead.

Darla reached the large curtain that had light spilling out around it. She peeked behind the curtain and saw the most amazing thing: a metallic boy and a huge tank with a girl inside . . . but she didn't look like a mermaid.

[Barnum]

"Wait up!" Darla hissed (not for the last time). She followed after Dale as he went further into the large tent. It was a black maze of crates and curtains, but apparently Dale knew where he was going. They had only traveled a few paces before Darla saw light off to the left. "Look, Dale. Let's go that way." She pointed toward the light and then took the lead.

Darla reached the large curtain that had light spilling out around it. She peeked behind the curtain and saw the most amazing thing: a metallic boy and a huge tank with a girl inside . . . but she didn't look like a mermaid.

[cosmicarus]

Dale didn't hesitate when he came within full sight of the mermaid - he could 'see' her before that. Instead, he ran straight up to the tank and put his hands and forehead against it. Wow. He was sincere in his credulity. He began to get excited, turning back to Darla, sharing his excitement with her. He felt his hands react to the glass of the tank, begining to rot it away, and pulled them away quickly before he did any real damage, but leaving a visible mark. Holding his hands like a recently scrubbed surgeon he walked over to the cage next to the tank. There was a boy in there. He was moving, but he didn't 'glow' like the others. There was something different about him. This new discovery wrapped his attention more than the floating girl! He physically jumped in the air, pointing to the boy and looking back at Darla. He jumped three times, and on the third, he fell through decayed space into the cell. Without missing a beat, he moved up to the boy without life, invading his personal space in order to get a better idea of what he was.

[cosmicarus]

Dale didn't hesitate when he came within full sight of the mermaid - he could 'see' her before that. Instead, he ran straight up to the tank and put his hands and forehead against it. Wow. He was sincere in his credulity. He began to get excited, turning back to Darla, sharing his excitement with her. He felt his hands react to the glass of the tank, begining to rot it away, and pulled them away quickly before he did any real damage, but leaving a visible mark. Holding his hands like a recently scrubbed surgeon he walked over to the cage next to the tank. There was a boy in there. He was moving, but he didn't 'glow' like the others. There was something different about him. This new discovery wrapped his attention more than the floating girl! He physically jumped in the air, pointing to the boy and looking back at Darla. He jumped three times, and on the third, he fell through decayed space into the cell. Without missing a beat, he moved up to the boy without life, invading his personal space in order to get a better idea of what he was.

[cosmicarus]

Dale didn't hesitate when he came within full sight of the mermaid - he could 'see' her before that. Instead, he ran straight up to the tank and put his hands and forehead against it. Wow. He was sincere in his credulity. He began to get excited, turning back to Darla, sharing his excitement with her. He felt his hands react to the glass of the tank, begining to rot it away, and pulled them away quickly before he did any real damage, but leaving a visible mark. Holding his hands like a recently scrubbed surgeon he walked over to the cage next to the tank. There was a boy in there. He was moving, but he didn't 'glow' like the others. There was something different about him. This new discovery wrapped his attention more than the floating girl! He physically jumped in the air, pointing to the boy and looking back at Darla. He jumped three times, and on the third, he fell through decayed space into the cell. Without missing a beat, he moved up to the boy without life, invading his personal space in order to get a better idea of what he was.

[Veiled Malice]

As suddenly as it started, Daisuke's time with the mermaid girl was cut short. A skeleton lurched out of the curtains and rushed over to her tank, clawing at the side. To his horror, he saw the glass actually begin to rot under the little skeleton's grasp. Daisuke gripped the bars of his cage and opened his mouth to get it to go away, but that only seemed to draw it's attention.

All of a sudden, it was rushing over to him, reaching out with those terrible hands of his. The bars were no impediment at all. The thing dissolved momentarily, then reappeared in front of him with no warning. Daisuke fell back and raised his hands, now afraid for his life. <"No, please! Don't kill me!"> he shouted in Japanese as he stumbled back before falling over and huddling in the corner, waiting for the boney terror to claim him.

[Veiled Malice]

As suddenly as it started, Daisuke's time with the mermaid girl was cut short. A skeleton lurched out of the curtains and rushed over to her tank, clawing at the side. To his horror, he saw the glass actually begin to rot under the little skeleton's grasp. Daisuke gripped the bars of his cage and opened his mouth to get it to go away, but that only seemed to draw it's attention.

All of a sudden, it was rushing over to him, reaching out with those terrible hands of his. The bars were no impediment at all. The thing dissolved momentarily, then reappeared in front of him with no warning. Daisuke fell back and raised his hands, now afraid for his life. <"No, please! Don't kill me!"> he shouted in Japanese as he stumbled back before falling over and huddling in the corner, waiting for the boney terror to claim him.

[Veiled Malice]

As suddenly as it started, Daisuke's time with the mermaid girl was cut short. A skeleton lurched out of the curtains and rushed over to her tank, clawing at the side. To his horror, he saw the glass actually begin to rot under the little skeleton's grasp. Daisuke gripped the bars of his cage and opened his mouth to get it to go away, but that only seemed to draw it's attention.

All of a sudden, it was rushing over to him, reaching out with those terrible hands of his. The bars were no impediment at all. The thing dissolved momentarily, then reappeared in front of him with no warning. Daisuke fell back and raised his hands, now afraid for his life. <"No, please! Don't kill me!"> he shouted in Japanese as he stumbled back before falling over and huddling in the corner, waiting for the boney terror to claim him.

[Gaea]

Gael the Amazing Body-Man started his day like any-other. He took a brief bath, admired his horrible visage in the mirror, put on his loin-cloth and made his way to his tent.

That gave him just enough time to get comfortable, and set the stage for his performance of "weird and miraculous marvels".

The first couple of shows went fairly well, the audience hooting and hollering at his extra arm, etc... He varied his extra limbs from time to time, just to alter the tedium of performing the same show for the same slack-jawed adults.

But he got paid. Which put food in his belly. He was never going to leave. Since he had run away from his parents, he had only had two homes. One was in the sewers, scrounging along side rats and other carrion. And then this one. He was barely over a decade old, but it seemed to him that he had a pretty sweet deal here.

And the other freaks treated him with respect. Unlike everyone else. Unlike his bastard parents.

[Gaea]

Gael the Amazing Body-Man started his day like any-other. He took a brief bath, admired his horrible visage in the mirror, put on his loin-cloth and made his way to his tent.

That gave him just enough time to get comfortable, and set the stage for his performance of "weird and miraculous marvels".

The first couple of shows went fairly well, the audience hooting and hollering at his extra arm, etc... He varied his extra limbs from time to time, just to alter the tedium of performing the same show for the same slack-jawed adults.

But he got paid. Which put food in his belly. He was never going to leave. Since he had run away from his parents, he had only had two homes. One was in the sewers, scrounging along side rats and other carrion. And then this one. He was barely over a decade old, but it seemed to him that he had a pretty sweet deal here.

And the other freaks treated him with respect. Unlike everyone else. Unlike his bastard parents.

[Gaea]

Gael the Amazing Body-Man started his day like any-other. He took a brief bath, admired his horrible visage in the mirror, put on his loin-cloth and made his way to his tent.

That gave him just enough time to get comfortable, and set the stage for his performance of "weird and miraculous marvels".

The first couple of shows went fairly well, the audience hooting and hollering at his extra arm, etc... He varied his extra limbs from time to time, just to alter the tedium of performing the same show for the same slack-jawed adults.

But he got paid. Which put food in his belly. He was never going to leave. Since he had run away from his parents, he had only had two homes. One was in the sewers, scrounging along side rats and other carrion. And then this one. He was barely over a decade old, but it seemed to him that he had a pretty sweet deal here.

And the other freaks treated him with respect. Unlike everyone else. Unlike his bastard parents.

[Lilac]

At Deadboy's sudden approach, Droplet kicked off the glass.

"Who the heck are you?"

Daisuke fell back and raised his hands, now afraid for his life. <"No, please! Don't kill me!"> he shouted in Japanese as he stumbled back before falling over and huddling in the corner, waiting for the boney terror to claim him.

"Hey! Leave him alone!" she yelled, but no sound escaped the tank. Lila didn't really know one of these kids from the other, but she knew which side she was on. It was the freaks against the world. For all she knew these kids were minions of that wizard whatshisname. "I said leave him alone!!!!"

The water around Droplet began to churn and she hurled herself at the top of the tank.

THUNK!

Droplet sank back to the bottom of the tank holding her head. "Ouch..." She had never tried to escape from her tank before. It was watertight. Jeze had thought of everything.

[Lilac]

At Deadboy's sudden approach, Droplet kicked off the glass.

"Who the heck are you?"

Daisuke fell back and raised his hands, now afraid for his life. <"No, please! Don't kill me!"> he shouted in Japanese as he stumbled back before falling over and huddling in the corner, waiting for the boney terror to claim him.

"Hey! Leave him alone!" she yelled, but no sound escaped the tank. Lila didn't really know one of these kids from the other, but she knew which side she was on. It was the freaks against the world. For all she knew these kids were minions of that wizard whatshisname. "I said leave him alone!!!!"

The water around Droplet began to churn and she hurled herself at the top of the tank.

THUNK!

Droplet sank back to the bottom of the tank holding her head. "Ouch..." She had never tried to escape from her tank before. It was watertight. Jeze had thought of everything.

[Lilac]

At Deadboy's sudden approach, Droplet kicked off the glass.

"Who the heck are you?"

Daisuke fell back and raised his hands, now afraid for his life. <"No, please! Don't kill me!"> he shouted in Japanese as he stumbled back before falling over and huddling in the corner, waiting for the boney terror to claim him.

"Hey! Leave him alone!" she yelled, but no sound escaped the tank. Lila didn't really know one of these kids from the other, but she knew which side she was on. It was the freaks against the world. For all she knew these kids were minions of that wizard whatshisname. "I said leave him alone!!!!"

The water around Droplet began to churn and she hurled herself at the top of the tank.

THUNK!

Droplet sank back to the bottom of the tank holding her head. "Ouch..." She had never tried to escape from her tank before. It was watertight. Jeze had thought of everything.

[Barnum]

"Dale! You'll hurt him!"

Darla panicked, and for a moment her concentration lapsed. It was a classic mistake and the downfall of many lesser (and some great) wizards. In the back of her mind she had been keeping the teleport magic active, so they could zip back home in a pinch if needed. But when Darla panicked, the magic was unleashed again, uncontrolled and reshaped by her imagination.

"STOP!"

A large mystical hand that looked to be made of red smoke formed right in front of Darla and punched through the machine boy's cage. The whole cage nearly toppled over under the impact. The bars crumpled, and the hand pushed inside, fingers splayed, forming a barrier between Dale and the other kid.

"Just . . . be careful, Dale," she said in a much softer voice. "You don't want to . . . um . . . hurt anyone . . ." They seemed like empty words given the damage she could have done. "Sorry," she said and the red smoke of the hand began to slowly disperse.

[Barnum]

"Dale! You'll hurt him!"

Darla panicked, and for a moment her concentration lapsed. It was a classic mistake and the downfall of many lesser (and some great) wizards. In the back of her mind she had been keeping the teleport magic active, so they could zip back home in a pinch if needed. But when Darla panicked, the magic was unleashed again, uncontrolled and reshaped by her imagination.

"STOP!"

A large mystical hand that looked to be made of red smoke formed right in front of Darla and punched through the machine boy's cage. The whole cage nearly toppled over under the impact. The bars crumpled, and the hand pushed inside, fingers splayed, forming a barrier between Dale and the other kid.

"Just . . . be careful, Dale," she said in a much softer voice. "You don't want to . . . um . . . hurt anyone . . ." They seemed like empty words given the damage she could have done. "Sorry," she said and the red smoke of the hand began to slowly disperse.

[Barnum]

"Dale! You'll hurt him!"

Darla panicked, and for a moment her concentration lapsed. It was a classic mistake and the downfall of many lesser (and some great) wizards. In the back of her mind she had been keeping the teleport magic active, so they could zip back home in a pinch if needed. But when Darla panicked, the magic was unleashed again, uncontrolled and reshaped by her imagination.

"STOP!"

A large mystical hand that looked to be made of red smoke formed right in front of Darla and punched through the machine boy's cage. The whole cage nearly toppled over under the impact. The bars crumpled, and the hand pushed inside, fingers splayed, forming a barrier between Dale and the other kid.

"Just . . . be careful, Dale," she said in a much softer voice. "You don't want to . . . um . . . hurt anyone . . ." They seemed like empty words given the damage she could have done. "Sorry," she said and the red smoke of the hand began to slowly disperse.

[cosmicarus]

Dale didn't heed Darla's warnings at first, his intense curiosity leading him to ignore even his subjects cries to stop. It isn't until a giant red hand comes crashing through the cage that Dale reacted. He got a sudden shock and fall backwards, his skeletal clinking being lost emidst the cacophany of broken metal. When the hand came to a stop, Dale reach up to it, running his hands through the smoke. He looked over to his sister, and then in the next moment he was standing next to her, leaning into her side in a gesture known to Darla to represent an apology. It was from this safe place, by Darla's side, that Dale watched the reaction of the rest of the room. He felt safe there.

[cosmicarus]

Dale didn't heed Darla's warnings at first, his intense curiosity leading him to ignore even his subjects cries to stop. It isn't until a giant red hand comes crashing through the cage that Dale reacted. He got a sudden shock and fall backwards, his skeletal clinking being lost emidst the cacophany of broken metal. When the hand came to a stop, Dale reach up to it, running his hands through the smoke. He looked over to his sister, and then in the next moment he was standing next to her, leaning into her side in a gesture known to Darla to represent an apology. It was from this safe place, by Darla's side, that Dale watched the reaction of the rest of the room. He felt safe there.

[cosmicarus]

Dale didn't heed Darla's warnings at first, his intense curiosity leading him to ignore even his subjects cries to stop. It isn't until a giant red hand comes crashing through the cage that Dale reacted. He got a sudden shock and fall backwards, his skeletal clinking being lost emidst the cacophany of broken metal. When the hand came to a stop, Dale reach up to it, running his hands through the smoke. He looked over to his sister, and then in the next moment he was standing next to her, leaning into her side in a gesture known to Darla to represent an apology. It was from this safe place, by Darla's side, that Dale watched the reaction of the rest of the room. He felt safe there.