Circus Freaks

[Lilac]

"We should get out of here . . . quick!"

Droplet didn't deliberate on this very long. The only reason she was in the circus was because the ringmaster guy had convinced that it was the only way to keep herself and her family safe. This obviously wasn't safe, not in the least. Either that monster was an intruder, in which case the circus was no protection, or that monster belonged to the circus, in which case the circus was no protection. Either way, to her mind, there was no need to stay.

"Take me with you!"

[cosmicarus]

Dale stopped trying to pull his leg out from under the cage. Instead, he melted through space and came up next to where he was standing. He looked at his leg - it was hurt. He rubbed it, but that didn't seem to help. Instead, he reached out and grabbed the cage that crushed him. His hands glowed black and green and then the cage began to melt away. As it did, Dale's leg began to feel better. Eventually the bars he was touching were gone and he felt as chipper as he always did. He walked over to Darla through the squelching mud, finding it a little hard when his thin, skeletal feet got sucked into the now, soaking Earth. He looked at Darla eagerly, as if reporting for duty.

[cosmicarus]

Dale stopped trying to pull his leg out from under the cage. Instead, he melted through space and came up next to where he was standing. He looked at his leg - it was hurt. He rubbed it, but that didn't seem to help. Instead, he reached out and grabbed the cage that crushed him. His hands glowed black and green and then the cage began to melt away. As it did, Dale's leg began to feel better. Eventually the bars he was touching were gone and he felt as chipper as he always did. He walked over to Darla through the squelching mud, finding it a little hard when his thin, skeletal feet got sucked into the now, soaking Earth. He looked at Darla eagerly, as if reporting for duty.

[Veiled Malice]

"You don't have to tell me twice!" Daisuke responded to the girl's prompting. He wasn't here by choice anyway, and the only reason he hadn't left was the cage that the skeleton had just... well, melted.

"Come on!" he shouted to the mermaid girl. He didn't know any of the people he was now running with, but strangely, he felt more at home among them than he had in a long time.

[Veiled Malice]

"You don't have to tell me twice!" Daisuke responded to the girl's prompting. He wasn't here by choice anyway, and the only reason he hadn't left was the cage that the skeleton had just... well, melted.

"Come on!" he shouted to the mermaid girl. He didn't know any of the people he was now running with, but strangely, he felt more at home among them than he had in a long time.

[Barnum]

"Not that way!" Darla yelled to the kids who were about to take off running. "Come with me. I can get us out of here!" I think. Darla sat down in the mud, closed her eyes, stretched out her arms, and started breathing deeply. She was wracking her brain for the right spell, something that would get them all out of here at once.

"YAAAAAAAAAAAAARHG!"

The elephant bellowed somewhere off in the distance. And then the ground started shaking as the beast began running back toward the tent, angrier than ever.

[Barnum]

"Not that way!" Darla yelled to the kids who were about to take off running. "Come with me. I can get us out of here!" I think. Darla sat down in the mud, closed her eyes, stretched out her arms, and started breathing deeply. She was wracking her brain for the right spell, something that would get them all out of here at once.

"YAAAAAAAAAAAAARHG!"

The elephant bellowed somewhere off in the distance. And then the ground started shaking as the beast began running back toward the tent, angrier than ever.

[Lilac]

Droplet jumped over the remains of the glass tank and ran over to Dale and Darla. She peered though the big hole in the tent to see if she could see the giant elephant storming back. She could, and screamed.

"HE'S COMING!" She turned to Darla. "Whatever you're gonna do, do it fast!"

Droplet began trying to absorb more water from the ground to prepare to blast the elephant again, but without the element of surprise, she doubted that it would do any good this time. Darla started to jump up and down in place.

"Hurry! Hurry!"

[Lilac]

Droplet jumped over the remains of the glass tank and ran over to Dale and Darla. She peered though the big hole in the tent to see if she could see the giant elephant storming back. She could, and screamed.

"HE'S COMING!" She turned to Darla. "Whatever you're gonna do, do it fast!"

Droplet began trying to absorb more water from the ground to prepare to blast the elephant again, but without the element of surprise, she doubted that it would do any good this time. Darla started to jump up and down in place.

"Hurry! Hurry!"

[Veiled Malice]

Daisuke screeched to halt near the edge of the tent, and instead ran up to the magical girl. If she had some way to get them out here without the running involved, he'd gladly take it. He hunched down next to her and her skeleton, attempting to not freak out at the sound of the elephant pounding back towards them.

He wasn't exactly sure how this spell was supposed to work, so Daisuke tentatively placed one metallic hand on her shoulder. If it needed contact to work, and the only reason he got left behind was that he wasn't touching her, he'd be in really big trouble. "Um... I think we have to leave now."

[Veiled Malice]

Daisuke screeched to halt near the edge of the tent, and instead ran up to the magical girl. If she had some way to get them out here without the running involved, he'd gladly take it. He hunched down next to her and her skeleton, attempting to not freak out at the sound of the elephant pounding back towards them.

He wasn't exactly sure how this spell was supposed to work, so Daisuke tentatively placed one metallic hand on her shoulder. If it needed contact to work, and the only reason he got left behind was that he wasn't touching her, he'd be in really big trouble. "Um... I think we have to leave now."

[cosmicarus]

Dale turned back to see the Elephant - he stared at the rampaging creature blankly before turning casually to his sister and placing his hand on her knee.

"Um... I think we have to leave now."

Dale turned to the intriguing robot boy and tilted his head. Dale reached out and began to pat the boy on the shoulder, trying to comfort him.

[cosmicarus]

Dale turned back to see the Elephant - he stared at the rampaging creature blankly before turning casually to his sister and placing his hand on her knee.

"Um... I think we have to leave now."

Dale turned to the intriguing robot boy and tilted his head. Dale reached out and began to pat the boy on the shoulder, trying to comfort him.

[Veiled Malice]

Daisuke flinched away from the bony hand reaching out for him, then stopped as it became obvious it wasn't going to melt his arm off. "Er... thanks?" he offered tentatively.

Maybe the skeleton wasn't so bad. That bear he was carrying with him looked pretty cool too.

[Veiled Malice]

Daisuke flinched away from the bony hand reaching out for him, then stopped as it became obvious it wasn't going to melt his arm off. "Er... thanks?" he offered tentatively.

Maybe the skeleton wasn't so bad. That bear he was carrying with him looked pretty cool too.

[Barnum]

Darla had tuned everything out, even the earthshaking approach of the angry elephant, but she wasn't making much progress. Her previous teleport spell wasn't sufficient to get them all to safety. Mokar was just too destructive for an attempt like this. They could all end up dead. They were, however, losing time fast; it was time to improvise. Julakin's shakra was protective and inquisitive, and Darla had never tried to use it to teleport. They needed protection right now, so it seemed like her only shot.

Darla's mind began to conjure up the words and symbols just as the elephant creature tore back through the tent. It slid in the mud, regather its footing, and charged right at the kids. The beast reared up on its back legs and came down on the children with crushing force. The children, however, weren't there anymore . . .

. . . they were standing in the middle of a highway. Horns were honking. Breaks were squealing. Headlights were flashing.

Darla sat in the middle of the road, blinded by oncoming headlights.

"Uh oh!"

[Barnum]

Darla had tuned everything out, even the earthshaking approach of the angry elephant, but she wasn't making much progress. Her previous teleport spell wasn't sufficient to get them all to safety. Mokar was just too destructive for an attempt like this. They could all end up dead. They were, however, losing time fast; it was time to improvise. Julakin's shakra was protective and inquisitive, and Darla had never tried to use it to teleport. They needed protection right now, so it seemed like her only shot.

Darla's mind began to conjure up the words and symbols just as the elephant creature tore back through the tent. It slid in the mud, regather its footing, and charged right at the kids. The beast reared up on its back legs and came down on the children with crushing force. The children, however, weren't there anymore . . .

. . . they were standing in the middle of a highway. Horns were honking. Breaks were squealing. Headlights were flashing.

Darla sat in the middle of the road, blinded by oncoming headlights.

"Uh oh!"

[Veiled Malice]

Daisuke looked back and forth between the rapidly oncoming elephant and the magical girl. "We need to go," he said slightly desperately as the pachyderm stampeded closer and closer. "We need to go. We need to go. Weneedtogo!" The elephant had gotten close enough that Daisuke could swear he saw the winkles in his ears by the time they finally... went somewhere else.

Horns blared and light bombarded him as he stepped out into some roadway. In fact, all of them were there on an elevated highway, directly in the path of oncoming traffic. This was hardly better than being stomped flat by an evil elephant, but he could at least help out here. Daisuke ran at the three other kids (sort of) and scooped them up as best he could.

"Hang on!" he yelled at them... then jumped off the road. For a moment, they were in freefall, then gravity took over and Daisuke fell faster than the rest. That helped to partially cushion their fall. The car that got flattened under Daisuke's five hundred pounds helped too. "Wow. That was fun," he mumbled from under the pile of children.

[Veiled Malice]

Daisuke looked back and forth between the rapidly oncoming elephant and the magical girl. "We need to go," he said slightly desperately as the pachyderm stampeded closer and closer. "We need to go. We need to go. Weneedtogo!" The elephant had gotten close enough that Daisuke could swear he saw the winkles in his ears by the time they finally... went somewhere else.

Horns blared and light bombarded him as he stepped out into some roadway. In fact, all of them were there on an elevated highway, directly in the path of oncoming traffic. This was hardly better than being stomped flat by an evil elephant, but he could at least help out here. Daisuke ran at the three other kids (sort of) and scooped them up as best he could.

"Hang on!" he yelled at them... then jumped off the road. For a moment, they were in freefall, then gravity took over and Daisuke fell faster than the rest. That helped to partially cushion their fall. The car that got flattened under Daisuke's five hundred pounds helped too. "Wow. That was fun," he mumbled from under the pile of children.

[cosmicarus]

Dale tumbles over the side with the others. He looks down, realising that he's soon due for a meeting with the underpass - what is, perhaps, more worrying than this is that his siter will meet the same fate! He reaches out and grasps her, melting through the space between them both and the ground. He looks up, prepared to help the others, but he isn't quick enough, and shields his skull face as the car the others lands on collapses. He immediately teleports over to them, examining them gently, hoping that they're ok but not really sure what to look for.

[cosmicarus]

Dale tumbles over the side with the others. He looks down, realising that he's soon due for a meeting with the underpass - what is, perhaps, more worrying than this is that his siter will meet the same fate! He reaches out and grasps her, melting through the space between them both and the ground. He looks up, prepared to help the others, but he isn't quick enough, and shields his skull face as the car the others lands on collapses. He immediately teleports over to them, examining them gently, hoping that they're ok but not really sure what to look for.

[Lilac]

Droplet hit the car hard, and to everyone's surprise (including her own), she burst. Like a water balloon. There was no crunch, no splat, not blood and guts, just a big splash. And all that was left behind besides her swimsuit, was lots and lots of water. About 65 pounds worth.

[Lilac]

Droplet hit the car hard, and to everyone's surprise (including her own), she burst. Like a water balloon. There was no crunch, no splat, not blood and guts, just a big splash. And all that was left behind besides her swimsuit, was lots and lots of water. About 65 pounds worth.

[Barnum]

"She . . . she . . . popped."

Darla was covered with water. Or was that Droplet she was covered with? The girl wiped the water off of her face and then held out her hands to examine them. "Is she gone?" With just her fingertips, Darla lifted the wet swimsuit off the hood of the smashed car. It was dripping with water which had collected in a puddle in a dent on the hood.

"Or is that her?" Darla poked at the water with her finger. "Eeeeew . . . and saaaad."

Darla looked at the others, not sure how to feel. Did that girl really just die?

[Barnum]

"She . . . she . . . popped."

Darla was covered with water. Or was that Droplet she was covered with? The girl wiped the water off of her face and then held out her hands to examine them. "Is she gone?" With just her fingertips, Darla lifted the wet swimsuit off the hood of the smashed car. It was dripping with water which had collected in a puddle in a dent on the hood.

"Or is that her?" Darla poked at the water with her finger. "Eeeeew . . . and saaaad."

Darla looked at the others, not sure how to feel. Did that girl really just die?