----Meka: Cloud Carnival----

_Hester_

The artist listened to her story with an amazing patience. His eyes never waving. It could not be said whether he was approving of her theory, or disproving it. All that could be determined was his thoughtful mood. "For the most part, you are correct. That is indeed the reason why these people come here. That is the sad truth about this city. You may come here for hope and find despair in its place. Peace, but war. Comfort, but insecurity. But the rest of it, I'm afraid you'll have to find out for yourself. It is something I can not simply explain in words. And my paints can only tell so much. This city is not everything it appears to be. There is a level of darkness not even the most diabolical criminal knows. I don't know. But I do know...it's terrifying." He wouldn't expand much on the subject, in fact everything he said seemed to be deliberately orchestrated to be as vague as possible.

"Indeed, this is how I see it. I am what people call an Empath. It is my gift, but it is also my curse. I know how people feel, how they really feel. I can even relive their past memories just by touching them. Most of these memories come from the dead." He smiled a sad knowing smile. "You hear tales of spirits and ghosts all the time. But is that not what ghosts are? Mere memories of a life left behind... Soon all of these people will be dead, adding on to the sadness and horror of this city. Some of them, will be very terrible..." He added a bit more red to the daylight sky absentmindedly. "And to think I thought I would be painting something happy here."

In response to her last question, the artist's interests was mild. Whether he did not care, or didn't want to think about it, was debatable. He looked up towards the direction he knew the people was staring, gave Hester one of his uncertain looks, then shrugged. Lifting a delicate finger, he pointed at the Robot Theatre, where an automation was juggling to entertain some lingerers. "There" he stated. "These people fear the machines more than anything. And perhaps rightly so."

_Alimbur_

Theo never uncrossed his arms as he walked away from the strangely dressed man, grumbling to himself bitterly. What a huge douche, he was. "Are you sure he just doesn't want your heart?" he asked sarcastically as his own way of how incredibly stalker-ish this guy seemed to be. Every now and then he would do as Alimbur suggested he'd do and look around to make sure he wasn't following them or anything. "Please tell me that guy was the only creep you know." He didn't want to think about what the rest of the Sohana passengers were like at face value. Mysterious, untrustworthy, hatefully clever usage of language...

He rolled his eyes at Alimburs next suggestion. "Complain...HA! Ain't gonna happen. I'm sorry but taking risks is your business, not mine. If I walk up to Flavius and complain odds are I'll be fired. Or worse. I haven't heard any stories about what he does to employees who piss him off (mainly because no one would even dare such a thing), but I'm pretty sure its terrible. On the other hand, I could be living in the ghettos, struggling to survive, falling prey to the criminal underworld that is constantly seeking expendable talents to further their own needs. I really don't know which is worse"


----Meka: On Top of a Roof----

_Xavier_

Voulez-vous coucher avec moi?

A slim figure sat on top of a railing of the upper walkways, a bottle of wine in hand. The delicate hand poored a pool of red wine into the glass, raising it as a silent toast. In the reflection of the sun's glare, precise eyes peered at the street, watching its new prey as he walked down the street. The figure giggled with amusement at the man's excitement. Heading towards the carnival most likely, how cute~ It was hard to believe he nearly defeated all of poor Maxy's lynthes, he was so scrawny looking.

She could just eat him up.

The sound of shattering glass came from inches away from Xavier, staining the concrete with a deep crimson liquid. Sitting over it was a womenly figure of extravagant glamour and poise. She was busying herself and fixing her hair and its accessories, but regarding him out of the corner of her eye. "Forgive me, I'm awfully clumsy lately" she insisted, resting her head on one hand. She was dressed in a long sleeved furred poiret dress which reached past her knees. Jewels covered her wrists, fingers, and neck, diamonds and gems of exotic origin, with two golden spherical earrings. Hanging off of her left wrist was a black folding pen decorated with feathers. She carried it in the way a lady would carry her coin bag. Curled raven hair was hidden underneath a black turban adorned with feathers of the dark variety, for the most part. A single strand of hair hung between her nearly black eyes which stared with sensual precision.

"I presume you're going to the carnival? A handsome man like you shouldn't go alone." She smiled a suggestive smile, "Perhaps you need someone to court? Or maybe..." She began walking towards him, her fan swinging from her wrist with each step, "You need someone to court you~"


----Meka: Cloud Carnival----

_Kharrighan_

"Kharrighan!" called a voice from the sea of people. Kharrighan would be able to see that it was Alexander, the handsome aviator Kharrighan met the other day. "Kharrighan!" Behind him was an exhausted Bartholomew, almost failing in his mission to keep up with the adventurous youth. Upon seeing Khrrighan, he gave a short wave, low of breath on account of running far too much for his short little legs. When Alexander finally stopped in front of her Bartholomew crouched over his knees, fighting to catch his breath. Alexander smiled at the beautiful gypsy, "My lady. You should see the balloons they have in the back. They are beautiful this year, some of them painted by Eastern artists. I've met this wonderful balloon vendor, and I convinced him that I shall chose one of the bigger, most beautiful balloon, and have someone release them along with me. So I thought about you, and thought perhaps we should do it together" he gave a small wink. "Yes, that's not the only thing you'll be releasing" commented Bartholomew, which caused Alexander's bright smile to strain a bit. Bartholomew slowly walked up to Kharrighen, still dabbing his scalp with his handkerchief, and held out his hand. "Good day ma'am. don't pay the young lad too much attention, I think he has had a wee bit too much to drink the other night. The boy has little understanding of the words 'self control'."

_Killegan_

"It's a'right" insisted the boy, oblivious to the man's annoyance. "I dink dey're wonderful. My family owns tons of birds, but none of dem are as cool as dese ones." Both of the hawks stood proudly at the child's compliment. "We own a bunch of animals" the boy continued, "Some from da northern lands of Icilee, others from da deserts of Sophya. I should show you sometime! My mentor's sister takes care of dem. But be careful, I heard one of dem murdered hundreds of villagers..."

Before the boy can continue a She-Ork pushed her way through the crowd of frightened people, paying no heed to their concerned glances. "El'an!" she called to him. There was a commanding edge to her voice, and her deep brow furrowed in agitation. Standing at at least 6'7", she was a picture of a huntress who once spent her days gathering food for her children during the war. And now, it seemed she was Elian's nanny. "El'an, What are ya doin' out of da tent? Ace has been lookin' all ov'r, he is worried sick! How is he suppos'd ta perform when he is worried sick?" Elian took one look at her and clung to Killegan. "Aww, can't I stay and show him some of my tricks? Please?" he begged. The She-Ork grunted, and looked Killegan in the eye. "Is dis cub botherin' ya?" she asked.

_Jeggred_

Meanwhile, near the She-Ork, tradesman, and young boy a mousy man had his hand outstretched, desperately trying to avoid the She-Ork's attention. But then, a new smell filled the air, which his nose caught almost immediately. It smelled exotic and spicey, not the spicey smell you would get from the drug, but pure unadulterated seasoning. Mouse breathed it in deeply, filling his nose with the pleasurable smell, causing his mouth to water. He stopped, and began sniffing the air for the source, finally turning around to spot the kebab, just sitting their on the ground in the middle of a sea of people. 'Now why would anyone want to throw a perfectly good food away?' he asked himself, and being the opportunist he was, Mouse chose to take the opportunity in stride instead of dwelling on his suspicions. And so, he took a couple of cautious steps toward the food, before finally snatching it up, and putting it between his teeth, acting as ordinary as possible.

_________________

Musicmac: "Sam4Books: Always ready to cheer things up with awesome art. Terms and Conditions apply."

-Killegan, Cloud carnival-

"If you two don't watch out your feathers will fall out if you two feather-heads swell up any further." Killegan said in a dull tone as he looked down to the lad, the boy's talking still irritated the man mostly because it reminded him of something long forgotten. "Huh, sounds like your family's keeping a good collection of birds, thanks for the offer kid but ya really shouldn't invite shady looking folk like myself that easily. For one thing ya don't know who they really are and another it makes the invitation seem very suspicious lad. Trust me, you don't ever want to go in blind for a deal without having some caution." He said somewhat darkly as the lad offered to show him the birds he was talking about.

There was a commotion suddenly from the crowd, frightened people parted to allow a She-Ork to pass through. She began to talk with the lad and in hopes of actually getting away while the kid was busy Killegan turned away, unfortunately the kid latched on to him like some kind of parasite...
With a sigh the man looked up towards the heavens as if to ask, "Why me?", for a moment his hawk-like eyes rolled to the back of his head in resignation to the fact he had to put up with the kid for a bit longer.
The She-Ork rather bluntly asked him if the kid was bothering him, he gave a long sigh before replying to the question, "For the moment Ze'lovk, your charge does not bother in the way you'd think, unfortunately he is an inquisitive child... but at least he keeps my interest." The kid might have annoyed him to a degree but he hadn't earned any scorn so far, so Killegan simply let it slide, "So, interesting place this carnival... I'm not usually on land when there are these kind of festivities. The man rather calmly changed the subject as to avoid any kind of attachment to the kid.

So far he hadn't given his name and if his luck held the kid would go with the She-Ork and Killegan could be on his merry way.

-Jeggred Nalaar-

Jeggred's smile grew wider and wider as Mouse ignored the food by the people in the open, and took his bait. 'Almost too easy.' he thought as the man gulped down the Kebob in one bite. 'Now then, the hard way, or the easy way? Let's try easy first.' he thought to himself as he approached Mouse through the sea of people. He stopped just in front of the man, a friendly smile on his face. "Boy you sure ate that quickly." he said as politely as he could. "If you're that desperate for food, I'd be willing to buy you something so you wouldn't have to scavenge for more food off the ground. What do you say?" he asked as nicely. 'This better work, I hate acting.' Jeggred thought as he waited for Mouse's responce.

_________________
Fenix13 : Cheesemore if you get any more awesome this thread is gonna explo- WHAT THE FFFUUUUUUUUUUU- *Everybody dies*
BeeAre : i'm just going to go ahead and say it: this thread is cheesemore's thread now. like. he's officially spam's last post crusader, always seeking the last post like a knight looking for the holy grail. poor bastard. godspeed you goofy motherfucker.
JesusChrist : 16. Cheesemore should always be addressed as "fucking Cheesemore" because he's so pathetic [see: Last one to post thread]
SoulScavenger : Cheesemore, your avatar is awesome. That is all.
Akaine : Cheesemore...if this was facebook, I'd approve of your comment with clicking 'like'.
sam4books : Cheesemore earns an awesome point.

Hester Claerwen Willow – Chatting to the artist

Hester felt her heart sink. So things truly are how he’s painted it, then... she thought, looking at the painting, and then at the scene it was depicting. It made her feel sad and disturbed to think that it was true...what could be so terrible? Hester honestly couldn’t think what would have made the city like that.

The albino sat by the edge of the fountain, swinging her thin legs about. “You have a lot to say, and yet you don’t say much, do you?” she sighed rhetorically. “But...” she stopped swinging for a moment, “...if the city’s really that terrifying, how can they stand to live with it?” Frowning, she stared off into the distance for a moment, chewing another strand of hair. “They must be really scared...or really brave. Or both.”

She looked back at him, interested at hearing that he was an Empath. She cocked her head. “So you talk to dead people too?” she said, with a smile. “I’ve spoken with the dead before. They’re not all bad. They tell great stories, when they’re in a good mood. Some of them are livelier than the living! I even once threw a party for my late great uncle...best party I’ve ever been to....even if the cakes did accidently get soggy in the rain...but that was only because the umbrella got stolen...I had to go help my uncle get it back, which was terrible, but still, a great party for a dead man...although I didn’t actually know he was dead at the time. He didn’t think to mention that little detail.” She swung her legs again absentmindedly, dangling as she sat on the wall of the fountain. One of her black laced boots had started to come undone, the bootlace trailing on the ground, but Hester took no notice. She looked to the artist, cocking her fluffy white-haired head on the other side now. “...What makes you say some of them will be very terrible?” she asked, with a touch of concern, seeming to take the issue seriously. “Did the ghosts tell you that too?”

Hester looked in the direction he pointed, following his finger. Her pink-red eyes rested on the Robot Theatre and frowned. “Why?” she asked, looking back at him quizzically. “Why are people frightened of the machines? Is there something wrong with them?”

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Hiryu: Doc's bag is a portal. She's actually from another dimension and when she jumped into it, she ended up at a desk with a browser open on this site. That's how she found it.
We have a Doctor Who thread now. Doctor Who threads are cool.

He stared at the woman since she landed, what a waste of perfectly good drink. 'Klutz!' he shouted to himself in his head. Remaining silent in person, Xavier watched the alluring woman and listened to her. It was odd that he was first avoided and now he was attracting attention? Strange. He continued to look at her, almost as if he were examining her, he had only spoken with a beautiful woman when she was buying some useless bauble from him.

Court? Now that changed everything. Xavier's expressionless face turned into a grin. Having some company for a carnival, however short he was planning on staying, would make it more interesting. Or perhaps she could take care of it. "I'd be happy to join such a beauty in the carnival," he said, "Whether she's courting me or I her," He let out a chuckle, causing the wound that 'Maxy' had given him to surge with pain, almost as if it were reminding him that it came before any other fun. He grimaced in pain as more blood leaked from the sewed wound.

"But before we join each other's company perhaps you could take care of something for me," he moved his cloak to show the blood stained portion of the silk for a moment before covering it once more. "I made friend last night," he said quietly, grinning at her again but staring at her with suspicion. It was convenient for a stunningly beautiful lady to speak to him, of all the men here. If she did turn out to be another business person trying to kill him he wouldn't stop himself from doing the same to her.

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-Cloud Carnival: "Straight to the Top"-

“Maybe.” Alimbur said with a smirk, glad to finally be away from Leon. “But only for his next meal.” The remark was near dead serious. “Don’t worry though we’re safe for a while at least. Admon is on the menu first.” Once again the reporter’s wry smile returned. Perhaps she was kidding after all. Alimbur for one wouldn’t put it past Leon. He might actually do it. “In Meka? Back home though, let me tell you, there were plenty. There was this one guy, Mitch Daley, he worked for the tax department you see. I swear to you, oh, hold on a second.” Alimbur swiveled and around and snapped a photo of a fire breather in the middle of his act. Alimbur then took another for good measure.

Once she was satisfied Alimbur continued with her story. “Anyway, I swear to you he was taking bribes from nearly every port and trading firm in Faelee. Daley and his buddies were taking money to let traders and the like get off on paying taxes on all sorts of imported goods. Bastard spent the money like there was no tomorrow; Fancy Mekian metal servants, a mansion in Icilee, land in Terrantula, stock in every company under Pyr outside of Faelee, you name it! The worst part is he got away with it. Oh sure, we smoked out his little ring alright. Half the damn tax board was arrested aside scores of others. Mort be damned though we couldn’t pin the guy down. We had the evidence but it conveniently disappeared the night before the trial. No doubt he was behind it, and we still haven't sorted out the details of what happened that night. He got swept under the rug pretty fast but it still burns me up. Last I heard he was living it up in Icilee somewhere. Could be up to anything at this point” Alimbur shrugged. “He’ll get his someday.” She spat with an ounce of venom.

Finished with her story Alimbur looked up to see a giant iron wheel spinning slowly against the sky. It was decorated with a multitude of brilliantly colored lights flashing in alternating patterns. Best of all, you could ride the contraption. Alimbur was impressed. “Good.” She said with a chuckle. “Less competition that way. This business is all about the risks, and all the wrong people have all the right stories” Alimbur looked up to the spinning wheel again. “You know, I bet you could see the whole carnival from up there.” Alimbur smiled. She had an idea. “Come on Theo. We’re going to the top of that ride. Some areal shot would be great!” With any luck they might just be able to spot the young emperor as well. “There’s more than one way to complain my friend, and the best way to do it is by giving Flavius what he wants, not what he asks for. ”

----Meka: Cloud Carnival----

_Killegan_

The boys smile dropped like a bucket full of water. "Awwwww", disappointed tears started to well up in his eyes. "That's okay. We can still hang out whenever you want to." The She-Ork looked from Elian to Killegan, deep in thought. She looked surprised when Killegan called her by her chosen profession's title. "Hm? You know our kin's tongue?" she asked, studying him closer now, a battle ax at her side. "I have not met a Man-kin who could speak our tongue before." She gave him a nod of approval, "For dat, you have my respect. Not many of your kin can manage it." She refocused her attention on a child, picking him up off of Killegan and resting him over her shoulders, ignoring his cries of complaint. "Yes, he is a good kid. A runaway, like many who go into da circus business dese days, but one with a big heart." She looked around at the surroundings before continuing, "Dis carnival does not belong to us, it is merely a place where we can meet. I can tell you one ding, da owner, I do not like him. He is a disgrace to my kin. He only cares about big business, da people come as second best. I personally cannot wait 'til I leave dis place."

_Jeggred_

Mouse looked up at Jeggred, a bit fearfully at first. This man had seen him, getting caught was the one thing he hoped would not happen, particularly after yesterday's events. He was about to run, until he realized the man was being nice to him, which struck him to stay. He was awestruck, but at the same time he wasn't too trusting of a random stranger coming up to him in an act of kindness. He knew well enough such things were often too good to be true in Meka. He raised an eyebrow when he finally snapped out of it, "R-really?" he stammered, "This isn't some sort of trick?" The mouse-like man's eyes narrowed slightly, waiting for the man's answer.

_Hester_

"Hope" he answered as a matter of factly, "They live here because of hope." He stood silent to let the joyful chatter in the distance fill their ears. Chatter of the day's events and the day before's, of tomorrow. "Hope in a dream so falsely promised to them. That they too can become rich and support a family. And yet..." His eyes rested on the direction that would eventually lead to the tenement housings. "...They still live in poverty."

The man did not seem to notice Hester's concern for him, but instead chose to answer honestly as if they were having a mere friendly conversation. The expression he wore reflected this, in fact, he never thought of his relationship with the dead to be something people should be concerned about. For him, it was as normal as waking up every day. "Go down to the bottom of the city, and you shall see what I see." he said, "It is there that the dead speaks the loudest, it is there you will see the true terror that lies in this city." He looked directly at Hester. "The dead tell me everything. All I need to do is touch them and I see..." he could not continue. Something was stopping him from doing so, and eyes were watered. Even so, his abilities still affected him.

The artist was glad to have the subject changed. He could easily answer the next question. At the theatre, a man was winding up a ballerina doll, and his audience watched merrily as she danced. The automation nearby fumbled over his balls, and they fell across the ground. A child was too visibly frightened to pick them up. Her father laughed as the automation struggled to continue his act. But the artist knew, he knew. "People fear what they cannot understand", the artist explained, starting with the basics. "Machines that mimic Man-kin is a new prospect to them, even though the idea has existed for thousands of years. They are almost too Man-kin-like, Man can't help but fear them. They believe machines will replace us, and we will become victims of our own brilliance. People naturally like to have control, that is why magic is such a popular thing. It gives people the illusion of control. There is nothing wrong with the machines. It's us."

_Alimbur_

"Next....meal....?" Alimbur's words of reassurance didn't exactly work to calm Theo's nerves. Was she suggesting this Leon guy was....he gulped....a cannibal? 'Khron forbid that it's true' he thought. Still, he wouldn't be surprised.... Theo looked back at Leon warily, and gulped again. His eyebrows raised a bit at Alimbur's wry smile, or perhaps not.

Theo found it hard to keep concentrated on Alimbur's story. It was interesting, that's for sure, but he kept on thinking that the carnies that were all around them were going to jump them or something. Paranoia, now that was a feeling that wasn't alien to him. "Sounds terrible", he finally managed with a huff after Alimbur finished her story. "You know what would be funny? If he was here all along."

He had thought they were actually going to get up close to the emperor's son during this assignment. Never in his wildest dreams did he expect his partner to suggest that they took a ride on the Ferris Wheel. "WHAT?! B-b-but..." he exclaimed, clearly surprised, and sort of nervous. Rides like that always made him nervous. He wasn't sure why but something about the machinery... "Alright, fine. If you have something up your sleeve I want to see what it is. I just hope anything bad doesn't happen..."

_Somewhere within the crowds_

The emperor's son edged nearer and nearer to the grand tent in the center of the carnival, being pushed along by his guards. Every now and then some performer would try to stop him in hopes their performances would amuse the young prince and gain them favor in the empire. Some succeeded, a whole lot more failed. Currently the guards were busying themselves trying to shoo off some clowns on stilts who were trying to offer the rich youngster some flowers. They didn't even notice that the Stranger in black was right behind them, observing from the distance. Like it was some sort of guardian angel. Nearer still, a man dressed in armor quite different from the guards, and wearing a mask made completely out of metal glared at some of the performers from behind the mask's eyes, including the Stranger. He did not trust any of these people, but that black figure, there was something strange about it. He watched as it glided towards the child, still playing that haunting music. He could've sworn that the figure stared right at him for a split second. Such a stare was so intense, it almost made him froze up. It was immediately met with the gruff faces of the guards, denying the Stranger audience with the young master. But then it spoke.

"I wish to offer the young prince a gift" it said in a woman's voice, soft and muffled by the volto mask she wore on her face. It was completely white with black painted lips. Diamonds decorated the forehead in an elaborate pattern. The face was overshadowed for the most part by a black cloth with star-like patterns which was used as a veil. A silver string with more diamonds hanging off of it tied everything together, but her clothing was plain and modest enough to convey a sense of humility. The guards were not impressed by her confined beauty, "Don't waste your time miss, the young prince does not have anymore time for your kind's feeble attempts to win the emperor's favor. Now move along, before we get physical."

Unfortunately for the guards, the Stranger did not seem to want to move. She turned her head to stare at the emperor's son himself. "But this is not an ordinary gift. It is a gift worthy of power and untold riches. Something I'm sure the future emperor would be interested in." Some of the crowd stopped to watch the strange lady in black as she attempted to woo the young prince. There was a tense air around, that the mask warrior sensed. For a moment, it seemed the guards were about to lose their patience with the stubborn Stranger who's music was the only thing that kept this scene from becoming shrouded in a veil of absolute silence. However, it seemed the Stranger's words were enough to capture the young prince's interests. "What is this gift?" the boy asked in a commanding voice. "Show me!"

"Very well....it is in one of my hands...." The Stranger whispered, holding them out for the boy to see. "Chose wisely. While one will grant great fortune, the other will grant great misfortune." One of the guards unsheathed a steam powered weapon with the appearance of the sword. "Wait!" commanded the young prince, who glared at the Stranger's hands in determination. Everyone watching held their breaths, looking upon the scene with an exaggerated interest. He finally made his decision, pointing to the Stranger's right hand. The guards behind him were just about ready to strike when the hand opened.

It looked like a normal everyday rock, nothing was particularly special about it at all. It's texture was rough and jagged, and it's color was equal to that of dry dirt. The rock's appearance made the prince twist his face in disgust. "This is the sort of gift you would give to the son of the leader of the greatest Empire Rathya has ever seen?!" he shouted angrily at the lady in black. The crowd around them gasped, looking at the Stranger expectantly. The armored man in the metallic mask found himself worrying for the lady's safety as well, much to his surprise. "Should we arrest her for insulting the Empire, young prince?" asked one of the guards. The boy shook his head, "I want to hear her first." he stated, staring intently through the eye holes of the acrylic mask. "Well?"

The Stranger answered the boy's plea, but her answer was the confusing sort, that hardly made any sense. "Keep it, and you will never be harmed. Only good fortune will come your way. Throw it away, and your life will become the garbage you thought it was. Break it apart, and it's effects will disappear. Such is my gift to you. Take care young prince..." the Stranger bowed deeply before the prince, and left without a word, once again turning the lever to the black box that she pushed, ignoring the stares of everyone around her. Only once did she actually give any sort of regard for her surroundings. And when she did so, it was to stare at the giant Ferris Wheel. The masked warrior watched as the lady in black begun heading towards the giant machine. '....What in Khron's stomach?'

The prince on the other hand, bit the rock to test its worth, only to spit out the tangy taste of salt. "Yuck!" "Sir! I advise that we get inside the tent, before there are further interruptions." The boy nodded absentmindedly, seemingly absorbed by the rock in his hand. 'It's just a rusted piece of rubbish' he sneered inwardly.


----Meka: On the Road to the Cloud Carnival----

_Xavier_

"Oooh?" the lady in red exclaimed licking her lips as she examined Xavier's wound, "Mmmm, somebody's been a bad boy~" She reached one hand inside of her dress and pulled out a tiny black bag, swinging it from her one finger. "Don't worry sweetum's mama's going to clean up that nasty mess of yours." Slowly she undid the man's shirt revealing the large gaping cut. She let her finger softly brush it, lapping up some of the iron tasted blood. With a wink, the beautiful woman undid the bag's string revealing that it was filled with white colored powder. What use it could have for a wound was unknown, for the most part. But one ice cold breath from the mouth of the lovely vixen sent a cloud of magical dust into the air, leisurely floating about for a second before it acted on its own, snaking its way towards the wound. Then, right before Xavier's eyes, the wound began closing as if sewing itself up, leaving only a pink scar where the wound should be. The woman kissed the spot lovingly, tracing her finger over it and smiled. "Hmm, may I advise treating this part of your body in the most delicate, mm, manner. I wouldn't want it to tear, as much as I love scars on a man." She stood and re-pocketed the bag filled with some sort of healing powder. Looking at Xavier in the eyes she added, "Would you like me to button that up for you?" she asked, referring to his shirt.

_________________

Musicmac: "Sam4Books: Always ready to cheer things up with awesome art. Terms and Conditions apply."

{Leon Borren}

_Somewhere within the crowds_

As man with the metal mask watched the figure in black stroll onward to the ferris wheel, he would also see, a man in a reddish orange suit with a purple feather mask of the rapture staring down upon him. Leon had been luckily amongst the crowd, when this event occurred. And such event it was, Leon couldn't believe it actually happen. "So did he choose poorly, ma'am?" Leon asked as he approached the woman with the most elegant mask, he's ever seen a woman wear. He walked her until, he stood in way of the ferris wheel.

The single yellow eye tilted as Leon tilted his head as he remarked " From what you said to him, I doubt it, but you never know." He had listened well to the conservation between herself and the young would be successor. " Through, giving something that can curse you if you toss it to a brat like that is asking for him to be cursed so maybe, after all, he did choose unwisely." He thought out loud to the mysterious woman. " Through, I hardly care about that. What I would like to know, is if you're willing to offer the other item?" He asked sincerely " And, why in particular, do you do it at all?" Leon could find the answer in his usual matter, but it did interest to see what she would say, if anything at all.

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"Fate smiles on the strange. So its a good thing, I'm the strangest of all." - William Livingstone, Cirque de la Nuit

-Jeggred Nalaar-

Jeggred was confused by Mouse's reaction, usually people were more happy when offered things like free food. But he didn't dwell on it long, because he'd been asked a return question. It was understandable, when he reconsidered the situation. Jeggred pretended to scratch his head, trying to make it convincing that he was confused as to why Mouse would ask the question. "Well, it isn't a trick I can tell you that much. As you probably can tell, I'm not from Mek. I'm having a bit of a difficult time getting around and you looked like someone who knew his way around here." he said before giving Mouse a smile. "So I hope it wouldn't be too much trouble if you could try to answer a few of my questions about this city if I treat you to lunch." Jeggred said as he held out his hand. "If you're fine with that, than I'll treat you to whatever you want. So what do you say?" he asked Mouse.

_________________
Fenix13 : Cheesemore if you get any more awesome this thread is gonna explo- WHAT THE FFFUUUUUUUUUUU- *Everybody dies*
BeeAre : i'm just going to go ahead and say it: this thread is cheesemore's thread now. like. he's officially spam's last post crusader, always seeking the last post like a knight looking for the holy grail. poor bastard. godspeed you goofy motherfucker.
JesusChrist : 16. Cheesemore should always be addressed as "fucking Cheesemore" because he's so pathetic [see: Last one to post thread]
SoulScavenger : Cheesemore, your avatar is awesome. That is all.
Akaine : Cheesemore...if this was facebook, I'd approve of your comment with clicking 'like'.
sam4books : Cheesemore earns an awesome point.

----Meka: Cloud Carnival----

_Leon_

Gems of truth are always found
if you truly seek.
They are hidden from the haughty,
but are gifts unto the meek.

The woman betrayed no look of surprise when the man. Instead she merely turned her head and spoke to another masked figure. "Excuse me sir, I wish for you to deliver warning to the engineers of this wheel in the sky." The man froze in his tracks, 'FUCK.' The woman continued her stare and asked again, "Please." After a short moment of stubborn defiance, he nodded, and continued around the strange man in the Rapture themed outfit towards the Ferris Wheel. The women returned her gaze to Leon, her answer was prolonged and short, and just as vague. "There is not one answer to that question, dear sir, for in the end it is the gem that chooses one's fortune." She tilted her head to the side in a curious manner, "Why do you feel need for the lost wealth of another? Are your eyes the color of leaves? Or perhaps you are plagued by the primate's heart? You are welcome to take it if you wish." She opened up her left hand, in her palm was a gem the size of a dewdrop, connected to a silver string. "Keep it, and you will always feel safe, but you will live a short life. Lose it, or destroy it, and that feeling of safety will turn into dread, but the way will appear. Give it to someone, and that person will never die an unfortunate death, and you will have good fortune also. As an alternative may I also recommend the finest of jewelry?" The woman pushed a button on the side of the box, and it opened up a secret compartment filled with the richest of gems any man may have laid eyes on. "My reasons I am forbidden to say. What I shall say, for you dear sir, is to not worry, for they are only tests. Of which I am Administrator and Observer. And I must remind you, I'm afraid, that this test is not meant for you. So please..." she pressed on, "Take the alternative instead."

_Jeggred_

Mouse rubbed his chin, considering whether or not he should help this guy. On one hand, he never trusted anybody except Zeke. On the other hand, free food. His stomach rambled in the most embarrassing way, something he tried to hide, but obviously failed. Flustered, he began rubbing his balding head as well. "Ehh..." He had to wonder though, what did this guy want to know about the city and why did he come to him? Usually when people wanted to know something about Meka, they went to the information booths, not some thief on the streets such as he. Once again he narrowed his eyes. Oddly suspicious if you asked him. But still....his stomach rambled again. 'Why do I have to be hungry now?' he scolded himself. He had no choice but to agree, but mostly because it was convenient for him, and he did not feel like getting caught by someone who would actually turn him in, even if there was really no reason to. "Alright, fine. Just don't tell any of the city's guard I was here."

_________________

Musicmac: "Sam4Books: Always ready to cheer things up with awesome art. Terms and Conditions apply."

Hester Claerwen Willow – Ramblings and sketches

Hester inclined her head, listening intently to the artist in a somewhat melancholic manner. Have I come to the wrong place to try and make a name for myself, then? she wondered to herself, gazing around her. It sounded like such a different Mek to the one she had heard about, she now wondered if she had made the right choice in coming here. Of course, she would still try and see how things panned out...but what if they didn’t? Would she end up like these people too? Hester frowned deeply, thinking about it.

“The bottom of the city?” she queried. The artist’s story had certainly stirred her curiosity. “I’ll keep that in mind. I wonder if the dead have any cakes or parties down there, though...” She slipped a strand of wispy hair between her fair fingers, sighing sadly. “...I’m guessing not.” The albino felt sad for the man, as she watched him unable to finish what he was saying. She couldn’t imagine what kinds of things he had seen or heard. Clearly it troubled him, although she was afraid to ask any more about it.

“I see,” she said, looking over to the machines. “I don’t find them particularly scary personally, but maybe that’s just me.” She shrugged. “Don’t judge something until you understand it, that’s something my grandmother told me. Cause the chances are, whatever you’re afraid of and don’t understand, is afraid of you too. Only...you’ll never know if you don’t know.” She shrugged again. “At least that’s what I believe. Maybe if we all took the time to get more knowledge on things, we’d find there’s nothing to fear. Or if there is, then you’d know for certain, and you could prepare yourself for it...And if they’re that scared of machines replacing us, they just shouldn’t make the machines. That’s just silly, otherwise.” She looked to the artist, smiling.

“Well, it was nice talking to you, but I should go and enjoy the carnival, even if other people aren’t enjoying it much,” she said, jumping off the wall of the fountain and back on her feet. “They say ignorance is bliss, but I think it’s more that knowing you’re ignorant and therefore not so ignorant, is bliss.” She looked to the sky for a moment, thoughtful. “It’s always struck me as odd, that saying. I would of thought ignorance isn’t bliss, because...well, it’s ignorance. Don’t you think?”

Hester then took out a small sketchbook from a pocket in her black and white frilled dress, and a pencil. “You don’t mind, do you?” she asked the artist, pausing. “You see, I always like to make sketches of people I meet. Especially if they’re interesting people. It’s kind of a hobby of mine.” The girl licked her fingers, before flicking through the pages of sketches. Even flicking through them, she could see every image moving, a babble of disjointed voices bubbling from the pages.

“Young lady...”
“H’em”
“What are you-”
“Where’s my newspaper?”
“Hey!”
“Splendid, more company.”
“Come back here!”
“Excuse me”
“For Kron’s sake stop flicking my page!”
“Who is that...?”
“Wonderful.”
“This is beginning to get...”
“Why are you...?”
“I was just saying...”
“Huh?”
“Hester...there better be...”
“How rude.”
“Oh great not again...”
“Woof!”
“What’s happening?”
“If I could walk off this page I swear...”
“Hester! Oh you’re back! I...”

Hester hastily turned the sketchbook onto a clean sheet. “Sorry,” she said apologetically to her sketches. “Later, I promise.” She looked up to the artist, pencil poised. Looking closely at him, she began to make very swift precise movements with her pencil, her eyes flicking from her sketchbook to the artist, and back again.

“By the way,” she said as she worked, “I was wondering, are you always this unhappy? You seem so sad...I think you need to spend some time talking to some more happy ghosts, just like I need to spend time talking to some less happy ones.” A few more strokes of the pencil later, and she held the drawing up to the artist from a distance, frowning. “What do you think?” she asked, turning the pad around so that he could see her sketch of him. She made a small smile, before closing the sketchbook and tucking it away again. The pencil too was put away.

“Thanks for your patience. Maybe I’ll bump into you again sometime,” Hester said. “And thank you so much for the chat. You’re quite nice.” She made to step forward, but before she had gotten five steps away, she tripped over her loose bootlace, which she had completely failed to notice. “Ow. I knew I forgot something!” Hester got up, rubbing her grazed elbows. After tying her bootlace up, she ran back over to the fountain. She waved at the artist again. “Sorry, I completely forgot. My name’s Hester, by the way. Hester Willow.” She picked up her easel and other artist equipment, still propped up against the wall. “It was nice meeting you, Mister...” the untidy albino woman stopped for a moment. “Sorry. What’s your name, Sir?”

_________________

Hiryu: Doc's bag is a portal. She's actually from another dimension and when she jumped into it, she ended up at a desk with a browser open on this site. That's how she found it.
We have a Doctor Who thread now. Doctor Who threads are cool.

{Leon Borren}

_ Gems_

When she looked at the Ferris Wheel, Leon glanced at it as well, under the mask, he had an arching eyebrow. He gave no answer, and she knew, he wouldn't until she answered his questions at least that's what he figured. " Morbid curiosity, I guess." Leon said as his answer to the woman when it concerned the wealth of others. " Am I? Am I, really?" He questioned again as she mentioned that he had the option of taking the other item.

" So the test isn't for me, well, can't have everything." Leon joked as she introduced herself as some sort of Administrator and Observer and causally mention that this wasn't for him. Yet she still gave him the test, something about this was unusual. His hand was in front of the strange box, one side contained a gem the size of a dewdrop connected to a silver string and the other, fine jewelry. The first had more pros and cons, while the second had just one pro as Leon weighed his options.

" Frankly, if I always felt safe, that would be a total bummer." Leon mentioned as that was the con, more than a shorter life span. " However, what is tempting about it is that a friend will never die an unfortunate death." He went on to say " A brilliant mind that could be lead to great evil or good, a future rival, I've turned into my best friend , and someone, who will become my enemy, so very tempting." His hands grabbed a handful of the fine gems as he then said " But the thing is, you asked nicely, so I'm going to choose the alternative, the fine gems and go deliver your warning." With that said Leon pocketed the gems.

Leon then took off his mask, exposing his face with the three facial scars across it and his slick back brown hair. " I think, they'll listen to me, better without my mask. Hopefully the next time, we meet you'll have a test for me." Leon mentioned before he quickly departed.

_________________
"Fate smiles on the strange. So its a good thing, I'm the strangest of all." - William Livingstone, Cirque de la Nuit

Killegan, freedom finally

The man gave a sigh and rolled his eyes at the boy's disappointed look, he didn't really care if the boy cried his heart out after all Killegan only told him his honest opinion. The She-Ork's question didn't surprise him in the slightest, it was true that very few man-kin took the time to try and learn some part of the Or-kin culture.
"Not to the degree were I can trade insults and fierce battle cries, Ze'lovk, just enough to avoid earning the hatred of your people when I travel to your lands... Merchants who use the wrong form of address don't see the next sunrise, as I recall." He replied plaintively before listening to the She-Ork's complaint about her view on the owner, who ever was in charge here apparently had more an eye for the pay than for the folk under his watch, "I hope that when you do leave this place your hunt shall be bountiful and that your blades remain true."

He didn't care particularly for the She-Ork's reasons for being in this carnival, only that she had them. But the comment about how this place did not belong to them interested Killegan, he wasn't sure what she meant with it yet he held his tongue, for now.
"Perhaps I might come to your act kid, what kind of performance do you partake in might I ask? If I can't find my would be client then I should have some spare time to watch it." It wasn't a promise but it would give him time to look for the person who sent him the message while trying to figure out what the She-Ork meant after all it could be her way of phrasing things.

-Jeggred Nalaar-

Jeggred laughed at Mouse's comment about the city guards. A bit of an odd responce he thought. "Only if you take the rest of my money with you." he said with a smile as he looked over Mouse again. 'His drive for food will be stronger than his gut feelings. Definately him alright. Now that I have him, let's go somewhere quiet. Don't want others overhearing this conversation.' he thought as he glanced over the food area of the carnival again, trying to scope out a good spot. "Alright sir, since I've agreed to treat us, why don't you lead the way. You look like you know a lot of good places to eat." he said happily before looking back down at Mouse. "Oh I'm sorry, I didn't catch your name." he said quizzingly to Mouse, Jeggred still had to keep the act up for a little while.

_________________
Fenix13 : Cheesemore if you get any more awesome this thread is gonna explo- WHAT THE FFFUUUUUUUUUUU- *Everybody dies*
BeeAre : i'm just going to go ahead and say it: this thread is cheesemore's thread now. like. he's officially spam's last post crusader, always seeking the last post like a knight looking for the holy grail. poor bastard. godspeed you goofy motherfucker.
JesusChrist : 16. Cheesemore should always be addressed as "fucking Cheesemore" because he's so pathetic [see: Last one to post thread]
SoulScavenger : Cheesemore, your avatar is awesome. That is all.
Akaine : Cheesemore...if this was facebook, I'd approve of your comment with clicking 'like'.
sam4books : Cheesemore earns an awesome point.

-Cloud Carnival, Ferris Wheel: “To The Skies”-

“Well wouldn’t that just be peachy. Then I could finally sock him one for slipping through my fingers way back when. Then we simply must find out what he’s been up to of late.” Alimbur smiled palming her fist. She wasn’t expecting to ever run into Daley again but it would be nice to see what he was up to after all this time, and then shut him down, hard, so long as he was still flaunting the law of course. “Why Theo? You aren’t afraid of heights are you? Hmm? Oh I know.” Alimbur leaned in close to her companion and spoke in hushed tones. “You just nervous about being alone in that little box with a pretty woman. Am I right?” Alimbur pulled away and laughed heartily. “Oh don’t you worry Theo. I always have something up my sleeve. You don’t have to come, but if you’d rather search for the emperor’s boy on foot through the crowds be my guest. I’m going to see if I can spot him from the air. Besides, like I already said, some areal shots of the carnival would be great.” Alimbur shrugged a spun on her heels and walked on towards the Ferris Wheel, stepping right up to the ticket booth. “Two please, if you will my good sir.” The reporter flashed her press pass. “Oh, and see if you can’t get em to stop at the top for a moment. I’d like to get a few shots overlooking the carnival. Thanks.”

----Meka: Cloud Carnival----

_Jeggred_

"Mouse" answered the scrawny man, not looking at Jeggred. "Just Mouse." The man was noticeably against sharing his actual name with anyone at the moment, none the less a complete stranger. He sneaked through crowds of partying bystanders awaiting the opening of the circus's tent to all. Even though he kept his head low, his nose was kept high, trying to pinpoint the best place to eat in this sea of souls. Occasionally he would check on his new "friend" was following along, not particularly trusting of the fellow. He reached a street corner not too far from the fair where there was a side street that was filled with restaurants of any and all sorts, with cuisines that originated from all corners of the world. Some of the restaurants had the strangest names, such as The Dirty Flipper, Footsprouts, and the like. Mouse ignored most of the stores, which were already filled to the brim with customers. Each time a passerby would gaze blindly at him out of fear or repulsion, Mouse would turn to them and hiss exactly like a rat would, obviously not in the happiest of moods.

When they reached a rather unique looking building, with what seemed to be two floors that made up the restaurant along with three extra floors. The front walls were mostly paned with glass on the first and second floor, allowing its customers to view the well kept garden the miniature fountain out front which featured an assortment of exotic plants and fish. Something about the restaurant closely resembled Faelean buildings. From shades stacked between each floor made of wood hanged various items of sacred significance that Mouse recognized as the sort they would hang on trees. The name of the restaurant was "The Birch".

"It's a southern stylized restaurant, geared towards the pigs who have some sort of interest in Faelee. I.e. the entire nation of Mek. In other words, they're backed by the city. The owners grew up in the same town I was born in. Don't let the appearance full you, they don't serve mainly vegetables. Here you'll find pastels, cooked beans with rice or stewed in hot boiled soup, plenty of spiced chicken, torresmos, and most importantly the best cheese around." There was much emphasis on the last part, but Mouse didn't give it much afterthought.

He quickly dodged out of the way of various entrepreneurs that were dining there while on his way to the stairs. The interior was heavily decorated with plant life, as if to reflect the restaurant's namesake. It had a sort of jungle like charm to it. Even the stairs were wooden, and spiraled upwards around a tall wooden pole. "I know a waiter here who spends his time on the top floor" he explained. "He's one of the few people that I trust completely."

On the second floor the decorations were a lot more colorful, and ceremonial objects hung off every wall. In one corner their was a small bar where a couple young adults laughed and drunk. It wasn't as crowded as the bottom floor, so Mouse found it easier to navigate without drawing much attention to himself. The waiter in question was attending to a lovestruck couple. Mouse hesitated until the waiter was finished, before approaching him...


_Hester_

The artist couldn't help but smile as the girl spoke. She was so innocent and so open minded, she amused him. "So you're an artist too?" he reasoned quietly, "Heh, I should have noticed earlier." He gazed intently at the girl's drawings as the pages flipped one after another, pinpointing the details, taking notice of the expressions. He was surprised when they started talking, as if they were real people.

"You are very talented" he said silently, taking note of the young lady's strokes with a new found interest. He almost become lost in the one memory of when he first picked up a pen and started drawing. He could never forget the shear range of emotions that filled his soul as he poured out his entire self onto a piece of paper. Something about this girl was truly special, he knew. He could tell.

"I was wondering, are you always this unhappy?"

The question caught him completely off guard, to the point where he lost the small smile he had managed to make. "...I wasn't always this unhappy. I used to be bright, happy, and innocent, much like yourself. That is until my heart was broken by my first crush, and I attracted the attention of a spirit who died of a broken heart, then many more after that. I didn't know they were spirits at the time. I thought they were normal people who were like me. But then they wouldn't leave me alone." The artist started set the painting he had just finished to the side, and looked at Hester in the eyes. "Misery loves company you see. So we clung to each other. I suppose you can find out the rest." He chuckled sadly to himself. "It took me a long time to discover that they were dead. I have never met a happy ghost in my life, but maybe one day I shall come across one..."

Absentmindedly he began cleaning his brushes with a single dirty brown rag. "I hope for the same, Miss Willow. You are quite the gifted individual. I hope to see your work up in a gallery one day." Reaching for a blank canvas with a shaky hand, he answered Hester's last question, "And you may call me John Corwin!"


_Killegan_

"You'd be correct my friend, but I shall spare you da gory details" boasted the She-Ork with a grin. "Your good tidings are well received. May da twin moons watch over you in da night and protect you from da demons." Elian's face brightened up when Killegan hinted that he might possibly see his act tonight, despite the sailors previous decline of his offer. "I am an acrobat!" chimed the boy, before being whisked away by the Ze'lovk. "He is a part of da trapeze act." she explained.


_Alimbur_

"Oh fine then! Just don't come haunting me if you get killed in that contraption, alright?" Theo walked away from Alimbur grumbling angrily to himself, "Just who does she think she is? Ordering me around like that. Why, if I had half my guts I'd be wiping that smirk clean off her face." He pushed away a rather poor fellow while endorsed in his rage, causing the lad to land face first in a garbage can.

Meanwhile underneath the Ferris Wheel in a sort of complicated tunnel system a masked warrior was busy communicating with a man he found down there, tinkering with some strange machine. "A woman dressed in black told me to warn all of you. Don't ask me the reason for this warning. I hardly know myself. It could be a hoax. All I ask is that you keep a lookout." "And who gave you permission to come down here?" asked the round faced engineer. The warrior took out a badge, and brandished it to him. "I am a part of the imperial guard, a personal protector appointed to ensure the safety of the Emperor's son on his eleventh birthday." The engineer eyed the badge, "This is fake!" Before he could say anything else, a sword was unsheathed and positioned to slice his neck. "I'm just doing my job civilian. Please don't make it any harder than it already is."

Up on top of the Ferris Wheel, the view was vast and infinite. Alimbur would be able to see every tent, every color of the rainbow represented in the many balloons, the many costumes in a sea of what looked like tiny ants from such a height. From above, Alimbur could spot Theo walking around lazily through crowds of people, before going a completely other direction, and then walking back again. His silhouette seemed frustrated. While on the other hand a glimmer of the imperial guard's copper armor reflected the sun's light into Alimbur's eyes, coming from a small corner by a green tent. It would've been hard to decipher what the prince was doing from such a height. Beyond all of this, Alimbur would be able to see the sun beginning to set in the sky, and a never ending ocean of clouds. Down below gears were beginning to turn, and the Ferris Wheel came to a halt, allowing Alimbur to see the Cloud Carnival and the world, in all its splendor.

Another glistening ray would have invaded Alimbur's eyes if he looked downwards once again. And it seemed as if people were edging towards the tent in the center with stripes the colors of the rainbow.


_Down Below_

An announcement rang from intercoms made of precious metals, said in the same voice that had filled the streets of Meka before. The same, gleeful, devious voice of a bohemian nature.

"LADIES AND GENTLEMEN. I AM PLEASED TO ANNOUNCE THAT THE CIRCUS CHROMA HAS NOW OPENED IT'S TENT TO ANY BRAVE SOUL WHO WISHES TO FACE THE MYSTERIES OF A WORLD WHERE NO MAN, OR ANIMAL, HAS EVER DARED TO VENTURE BEFORE. A WORLD SO TERRIFYING, THAT WE HAD TO CAST AN ILLUSION IN ORDER TO MAKE IT EASIER FOR YOUR EYES TO TAKE IT ALL IN. MY FRIENDS, MY DEAR FRIENDS, I HEREBY WELCOME YOU TO STEP INTO THE LIGHT, INTO THE, CIRCUS CHROMA."

Cheers resonated from the crowd, and men, women and child alike began a heated rush towards the center of the carnival, towards the great tent of many colors. Some of the more adamant folk lagged behind, sneering at passerbys and commenting on the stupidity of the world today. Teenagers laughed at them, and the crown, some seeing fit to hurl caramel apples at the lot of them.

It was a moment of great excitement, great turbulence, that you would be mad to not want to join in.

Inside the tent there were people of any shape, size, or color waiting for the show of the year to begin, with high hopes for the evening. This would be a moment they would carry to their deaths. Down below was the traditional three rings which were made out of metal. The were positioned in a way, so as they would form a perfect triangle, inside a perfect circle. Up above the circles were a bountiful of swings and a tight rope, but no net. Some workers were already out, spreading what appeared to be powder in small amounts around the mother circle. In the center of it all, a man dressed in what appeared to be a coat made of rags of every color and pattern, stepped out into the spotlight with a megaphone. "Please take your seats ladies and gentlemen, the show will begin in a couple of minutes. If you do so desire a snack for your enjoyment, the Crunch Dolls are in every section with a box full of Mekian produced goodies based off of traditional sweets from across the world, for your enjoyment ladies and gentlemen! Also, if any of you wish to dispose yourselves of waste, please do so in the area next to the stables. Thank you, and enjoy the show!"

Directly in front of the action, was a private box dedicated to the comforts of the imperial family and VIPs. In it, stood Zorath, who while supposed to be keeping watch on the young emperor find his mind wandering to the Stranger and the Ferris Wheel. There wasn't anything particularly dangerous about the machine as he found, except for the mild surprise he got when he explored the tunnels for a few feet, only to discover that one of them lead to this very tent. A majority of the city was already there by the time he got out. He was lucky to have not been caught by any of the more suspicious civilians, like that kind gentleman, the engineer. He wondered how many more of those tunnels was located underneath the carnival. But while it did seem suspicious, he had to remind himself of the real reason why he was posted as the young emperor's personal bodyguard. But it didn't make sense. Why had the Stranger told him to warn the engineers. What did she know? And that man that was with her, the one dressed up like a Rapture, Zorath couldn't pretend that he wasn't suspicous either. 'I wonder if I should share this news with Lord Vesper' he thought, gazing at the boy once again.

Behind the box an assortment of radio broadcasters and newsmen/women stood recording every second of the anticipated event with their cameras on camera stands, pens at the ready, and microphones working perfectly. A man with a hooked nose and a bowlers hat strolled by them, studying the vast audience that the circus managed to garner for itself. He caught site of an artist, at work taking record of the faces and colors of the scenery, who nodded in his general direction. The man continued strolling along, as if searching for more people to signal in a nod of complete trust. One of them, was a man with greying hair and silver eyes, who wore a suit with elaborate patterns, who was sitting in ninth row, three sections to the right of the VIP box, munching on some popcorn. No doubt there were others amongst the audience, blending in with the crowd.

The man came out again, announcing that there were only a few seconds until the beginning of the show.

_________________

Musicmac: "Sam4Books: Always ready to cheer things up with awesome art. Terms and Conditions apply."

-Jeggred Nalaar-

Jeggred smirked when Mouse revieled his name. He didn't even try to hide it, since his new 'friend' didn't seem too interested in looking at him. There was no mistaking it at all, Jeggred had his man. 'I'm way ahead of schedule, I half expected this to take at least a week while I got my bearings around this city, sorting out the good information from the bad. If the negotiations go anywhere near as smoothly as finding him, he should be leading me through these tunnels tonight.' he thought to himself with that increasingly devious smirk on his face. It was gone when Mouse turned to look at him every so often, instead replaced with that fake, friendly face, but quickly returned when his attention was back focused on finding an area to eat.

It took a lot longer than Jeggred had thought when they finally arived at the resturant. It seems as though Mouse really was taking up Jeggred's offer of any place. It certainly was fancier than the carnival they were just at. 'More than I expected, but then again, I'm not too surprised. Though you think a scavenger would be happy with almost any food.' he thought to himself as Mouse preceded to describe the new venue. The interior was definately beautiful, and most of the food smelled delicious as well. 'A place I can afford, but would never step foot into in a million years.' he reflected as he followed Mouse up the stairs, paying mind to the person he trusts completely.

Once they finally made it upstairs, it made Jeggred a little aggrivated. 'The decerations here are even more colorful. Great, this place will truely cost me an arm and a leg.' he thought to himself as he inspected the room as well. There were a few more people upstairs than he expected, a few even shot the duo some "They allow 'those' people in here" kind of looks, but it didn't phase him near as much as it phased Mouse earlier, they'd know soon enough. He waited patiently as Mouse tried to flag down his friend the waiter.

_________________
Fenix13 : Cheesemore if you get any more awesome this thread is gonna explo- WHAT THE FFFUUUUUUUUUUU- *Everybody dies*
BeeAre : i'm just going to go ahead and say it: this thread is cheesemore's thread now. like. he's officially spam's last post crusader, always seeking the last post like a knight looking for the holy grail. poor bastard. godspeed you goofy motherfucker.
JesusChrist : 16. Cheesemore should always be addressed as "fucking Cheesemore" because he's so pathetic [see: Last one to post thread]
SoulScavenger : Cheesemore, your avatar is awesome. That is all.
Akaine : Cheesemore...if this was facebook, I'd approve of your comment with clicking 'like'.
sam4books : Cheesemore earns an awesome point.

-Circus Chroma: “Glimmers of Possibility”-

Alimbur shrugged, seeing as Theo refused to get on the Ferris Wheel with her even after she went through all the trouble of buying two tickets. “Haunt you Theo? I’ll never yet you get a wink of sleep again.” She replied with a smirk. “See you at the bottom, in a few minutes.” Alimbur waved her ‘partner’ a temporary good bye as she boarded one of the many buckets of the great spinning metal wheel and took a seat, her camera at the ready. As the gears churned and the bucket rose the entirety of the circus came into view, with its teeming masses of people, raucous performers in colorful costumes, and vendors advertising their wears. At the very top she could see everything, absolutely everything. There is was, the whole of Circus Chroma set against the setting sun. For a moment she just sat and took it all in. Her reverie was broken when the gears ground to a halt leaving her frozen at the very top of the Ferris Wheel.

Alimbur immediately got to work whipping out her camera. *snap* A beautiful shot of the plethora of balloons floating across the circus. *snap* Crowds. *snap* More crowds. *snap* A four piece band playing for a group of onlookers. *snap* A costumed man on stilts making balloon animals for kids. *snap* *snap* *snap* She took picture after picture going through near half the roll. Theo was down there, doing something between wandering aimlessly and pacing in frustration. “Would it kill you to take a few photos or ask a few questions or something? Someone somewhere has to have seen something.” She shrugged continuing to search the crowd which was beginning to thin. A great mass of people was migrating to the main tent. “Main show. If the prince is anywhere he’s… wait a second.” Something else caught her eye. It wasn’t much but the unmistakable glimmer of imperial armor shone from a small green tent not far away. She raised an eyebrow. “That’s not anywhere near the main event. Why would the prince be over there? There isn’t any other reason why a member of the imperial guard would be out there. That is unless…” The wheels in Alimbur’s head began to turn, double time. *click* On a whim she snapped a photo just before the soldier disappeared from sight. It wouldn’t turn out very well but it was something. The soldier was too far away and she couldn’t do anything about the sun glare at the angle. She inwardly cursed herself for not picking up some sort of high zoom lens or glare filter or something when she was out shopping. After her last shot the gears of the Ferris Wheel came to life once more. Alimbur itched for it to move just a little faster. There was work to do.

Back at the bottom the reporter made a spirited dash for Theo. He wasn’t hard to spot being all grumpy among the circus merry makers. “Good news Theo! I’m still alive so I won’t have to haunt you.” She smiled. “Anyhoo, the main event is starting and we should probably get over there. If the prince is anywhere he’s going to be there right?” Alimbur’s tone let on there was a pretty big ‘but’ in there somewhere. It came not a moment later. “Buuuuuuuuut I do believe I spotted something.” She hushed her voice and leaned in close, making sure no one but Theo could here. “I saw one of the imperial guards in a tent across the way. Not far from here but a loooong way from where he should be. It could be nothing but I’m not leaving anything to chance.” She pulled back, her excited smile still plastered across her face. “You can come with if you’d like but it might be better if you go check out the main show and get some shots there. Up to you.” She shrugged knowing full well that he probably wouldn’t follow. All the better. They would need shots of the opening ceremonies and everything anyway. “Good luck. Meet you there soon.” Once again she disappeared into the crowd, glancing over her shoulder only once to check to see if Theo actually did decide to come along. She approached the green tent quickly but cautiously camera at the ready. With a little luck the soldier and his charge wouldn’t have moved on just yet.

{Leon Borren}

_Chroma Circus_

Leon came to halt just before the Ferris wheel. From what, he could tell somehow in some way, the ride had stop and slowly little by little the passengers were being let out. If Leon had to guess someone else was asked to stop the Ferris Wheel by that woman. He sighed and placed on his rapture mask, there goes his plan of a wild stunt to shut down the ride. "Oh well, the trouble may be over, but not the mystery." Leon remarked as he casually strolled over to the ride in question all the while attempting to blend in with the crowd as he had spotted Alimbur as one of the passengers from the Ferris Wheel.

" I wonder if she realizes how much of a magnet to trouble she is." Leon said as he couldn't help, but make such a comment about her. In front of the shut down Ferris Wheel, Leon looked up at wheel and said " Well let's find out the fuss about you, shall we?" With but a single tough of his right hand, He learned everything about it from its maintenance to how it runs. Most importantly, Leon discovered, the problem. Some kind of foreign object was attached to the ride, specifically attached its power generator. One thing was for certain, Leon thought, the woman was right and that someone wanted something to go wrong. " The real question is why? And for what purpose?" Leon questioned to himself.

Upon hearing the loud announcement, Leon shrugged and said " Well, nothing is going to happen if I wait and think about it." He stretched out his arms and then stuffed his hands into his dark purple suit's pockets as he headed over to the big tent of many colors.

_________________
"Fate smiles on the strange. So its a good thing, I'm the strangest of all." - William Livingstone, Cirque de la Nuit

----Meka: Circus Chroma----

_Underneath the tent of many colors_

"Ten minutes 'til show time!" Rio shuddered at the sweaty green hand that patted him on the back. Everyone else seemed to be just as uncharacteristically nervous as he was. Perhaps it was the great abundance of freaks that Gabby chose to take under his wing, Khron knows where he found them. He didn't particularly like the idea of frightening the audience as a form of entertainment. He knew Jungo wouldn't have adored the idea either. Ever since his death three years ago, things had been rough for the Circus Chroma. They had to skip two visits to the Mekian capital because they could not afford it, and put all of their dependence into the hands of their new order, this Orr-kin freak, this goblin demon. He knew that Kali didn't enjoy his company either. As far as she was concerned he was a disgrace to Orr-kin kind, and she spoke of this often. None of them understood it, but at least they both agreed on something, despite their differences. Gabby was not doing justice for their tribe.

"Disgraceful! In the olden days, all you had was a wagon and the clothes on your back! No money! No tents! No grande performances! You'd be lucky if we had something to juggle with! This is an insult to our nomadic ancestors!"

The eldest of the group, Scratches, was perhaps the most outspoken.

"And now they're hosting freak shows? What, pray tell, comes next? Clown schools?! I'll tell you one thing, you shouldn't need 'formal' training to become a clown! If you're a clown, people will know that you're a clown, just by taking one look at ya! You know what I call people who need training in the art of the fool? 'Sticks'!"

And poor Elian, he had no idea.

"Today's performance will be nothing short of perfection, yes?" The cold, high voice sent chills down Rio's spine. "Yes, Gabby, perfection, just as promised. I assure you the Circus Chroma is a pinnacle of such perfection."

"As you have told me time and time again, Monkey of the West." the Orr-kin interrupted. "Tonight we'll see if you're a fibber, yes?" He left Rio with the other members off the troupe, signeling Kali to join the freaks.

"NYAN'YA!!"

"Stay calm, Elian" Rio cooed, attempting to comfort the boy. "She'll be doing a different act today." The boy was very confused, looking from his nanny to a pair of men dressed in overalls, hauling equipment over their shoulders. One of them was very short. "But isn't she going to perform with them?"

The short one noticed Elians distress. "Don't worry kid." he insisted. "She'll still be able ta see ya on the trapeze. Be happy! Today will be you debut! You're one lucky kid!"

"Don't worry your cute little head pumpkin" added a women with the exotic look of a queen of Gypsies, dressed in frilly pink clothing with bewitching green eyes. "If you fall, Rio and I will catch you." She ruffled his blonde hair and took him to his place underneath the ring, to prepare for their trapeze act. All the while Kali, the Ze'lovk, joined with her own kin, and many other strange peoples as Gabby prep talked them all.

"Well ladies and gents, a little under five minutes now! I expect you all know what to do!" chimed Gabby with a grin. "If you don't, then let me pleasantly remind you what you are." Sharply, he whacked the foot of an armless lady who sneered back at him, "Ow!" "Freaks, ladies and gents! You are all freaks! And you!" He stopped in front of a freak far more disturbing then the rest. Even more disturbing the man with the elephant feet, or the man with the pig face. He eyed the creature as if he was nothing short of a prize, a possession to show off to the world. "You are the worst of them all yes!"

Once again, he whacked the armless lady's feet with precision. "OW!!" "I expect a performance more frightening, and more thrilling then the acts of a fire bearer and a beast master combined! These are a people with great expectations my friends! We wouldn't want to let them down, especially the small emperor... Especially the small emperor..."

"Skinny Goblin!" spoke up Kali, using the Orr-kin insult, "'Ow do ya dink dis idea will attract more of da audiences?" She did not look away from the glimmer in Gabby's eyes, nor did she flinch at the sudden movement of his cane. "Dey would not come if dey know dat dere is terror."

"Now now my dear Ze'lovk-"

"YOU DARE SPEAK OUR TONGUE-?!"

"-THAT'S where you are wrong!" Gabby's can was moments away from the side of Kali's face, just about ready to strike. Casually with the other hand he took out a golden watch, "Man enjoys fear. They enjoy the rush that it gives them, the feeling of excitement. Trust me, wrench, I have studied enough of man-kin behavior to understand how they would react. Now, it is time to raise the curtain as they say in the theatre. Do not disappoint me. THAT GOES FOR ALL OF YOU. That is" he added with a high giggle, "...if you don't want to be harmed."

Kali continued to glare unwavering as a the sound of gears turning violated his ears. They were moving upwards as far as she was concerned. She could feel the ground moving, and begun to hear the cheers coming from behind the black fabric that covered their cage. Then, there was a beam of white light, and she was grabbed by the arm by a man much smaller than she, but the look on Gaby's face told her that it was best if she didn't argue. Just like that, he disappeared, and she was left alone with various other freaks. Soon she heard the rattling of chains, including the cold feeling of steel bonding together her wrists. Outside there was cheering.

The cheering would soon turned into screams.

========================================================================================

Isaak looked at the black tent with interest. This was knew. He had never heard of the Circus Chroma using a black tent before. 'I wonder what illusionary tricks the Great Rio would conjure up this time' he thought, folding his arms.

Down below the two beams of light redirected to the center most ring of the three rings, from which appeared a tall, skinny green fellow dressed up in the garments of a noble. The way he addressed the crowd, it was as if he was a true ringmaster.

"LADIES AND GENTLEMEN! BOYS AND GIRLS! BEHIND THIS CURTAIN LIES A GHASTLY CONCOCTION OF DELIGHT, HORROR, FANTASY, AND TERROR! TODAY, YOUR EVERY WISH IS OUR COMMAND! TODAY, YOUR EVERY WHIMSICAL DESIRE WILL BE BROUGHT TO LIFE! BUT I MUST WARN YOU. EVERYTHING HERE HAS IT'S PRICE! SO, WITHOUT FURTHER ADO, WELCOME TO THE GREATEST SHOW UNEARTHED!"

"What's all this then?" the emperor's son asked a nearby guard.

"It must be a new act your highness. Nothing to worry about."

"Good" the young prince glared at the tall Orr-kin below. "I do not like surprises." The moment he said this, flames erupted around the tent that had appeared in the center of the rings, which engulfed it entirely, leaving behind nothing but ashes and a cage. Inside the cage was the largest mix of the most hideous creations that Diana gave unto this world. People with oversized feet, people without any legs and walked with their hands, or without hands and ate with their legs, people with warts all over their faces or without a face at all, people with scales covering their backs and limbs, people with one eye, split tongues, an extra finger, people with no limbs at all which were carted around on a trolley, bearded ladies, giants, children who looked like old men, people with less then normal fingers, people with webbed feet or hands, disortions in the faces, sharp claws and teeth, alien eyes, body proportions gone horribly wrong, extra limbs, rough skin, something wedged between the nose, legs that are completely backwards, a shrunken skull with the face of an ape, a skull that rises two heads upwards, conjoined twins at the shoulders or at the heads or even at the back, and hideously fat lumps who could survive being stabbed with more than a couple of knives.

These were Diana's monstrosities, not even Khron looked upon them with grace. They are abominations, monsters, demons that came from the in-between place that every Man dreads. The audience looked upon them in shock. Some stared at the extra limbs, some stared at the lack thereof. Others were fascinated by the androgynous genders, or the strange reversal in age. There were screams when some acted as if they were beings from another plane of existence. Some of them rattled the cages like predatory animals with men whipping at them from the sides until the cage fell with a bang and they started wandering the area as the platform on which Gabby stood rose to new heights. Of course it was all staged. They all knew their role and played it well.

The real terror didn't begin until a concerned man pointed out that there was a girl in the ring.

========================================================================================

'This is not the Rio I knew. Rio would never frighten anyone!' protested the warrior assigned to protect the young emperor in his own mind. 'It makes no sense, who is this guy?' The emperor's son, he had noticed, didn't react as strongly as the rest of the audience (much to his great surprise). His eyes were squarely implanted on the scene beyond, in a great mixture of disgust and curiosity.

"Would the young prince wish for us to end this abomination?" asked on of the guards.

"No!" ordered his highness, his eyes still fixed on the cage, specifically on the girl inside. "I want to see what happens to the girl!" The guard followed the young emperor's gaze to see the little lady he spoke of, standing still in the midst of all the chaos. She wore a long black jacket, a red cloak, and a top hat to top it all off. Her appearance on the ring caused an uproar amongst the people who looked on in horror, denouncing the name of the Circus Chroma. The Gypsies stood by, silently praying for some sort of success. Some now worked a few feet above the stands, unseen by the audience. Others kept to underground, but still knew very well of the audience's terror.

Gabby continued speaking, calling the freaks out by name as they did various tricks. A man with flippers played the horns like a seal would, and the lady with no arms ate dinner at a dinner table. The tamers seemed to have calmed them rather well. Some of them gave the crowd a ghastly grin. Yet no one bothered the girl, who wandered amongst them like a lost soul, a ghost, who did not interact, only walked. Her movements, made it seem like she was lost, and looking for her parents. Most of the tamers were too busy however, and had to whisk the freaks away back into their cages underneath the rings. Like lions or gladiators at a colosseum.

Gabby then called the audience's attention to a single black box where the tent once was.

"TODAY I HAVE THE HONOR OF INTRODUCING YOU ALL TO A NEW ACT, ONE THAT WILL SURE TO SEND TINGLES DOWN YOUR BONES! BEHOLD, A REAL LIFE VAMPIRE! KOZEC!!"

The box was revealed to be another cage, as the cloth was extracted from the top, revealing a freak with far more animosity than the others. He acted violent, sneering at the tamers, lunging at the cage until he was let loose. Immediately a tamer came to subdue him, actually fighting with the beast with unusually pale skin, and stark crimson eyes. He controlled the vampire like he would control a ferocious lion, whipping at him and scaring it with a chair. It was forced to do flips, acrobatic works of wonder. The audience was transfixed by the sight, but some of them could not look away from the girl who approached the tamer. Some would swear she was on the verge of tears.

"SOMEBODY GET THAT CHILD AWAY FROM THERE!"

Whether the voice was heard or not did not matter. The tamer seemed to take notice of the little girl, and attempted to drive her away, but he could not control the vampire at the same time. Kozec lunged at the girl, appearing as if he was was going to tear the girl at the throat. But then, when all hope seemed to be lost, as the entire audience collectively held their breaths, the girl rapped the vampire once on the head, and pinched his noise.

Kozec began squirming and squealing, and the little girl began leading him back to the tamer, waving happily at the crowd.

All at once the crowd began to cheer.

"Truly remarkable!" announced a commenter on the events. "A superb battle of wits between an innocent flower, and a beast of the night! Truly have I never seen such a display!"

"How do they do it?" asked his female companion.

Meanwhile Isaak looked on with obvious disgust. "I can't watch this any longer. I need a smoke." Without bothering to alert his allies, he left the stands. If anything happened, somebody else would handle it.

Besides, he'll only be out for a few minutes.

========================================================================================

After the cheers have subsided, the little girl smiled, and patted Kozec on the head. She then handed him the clothes that she was wearing. To the surprise of the audience, Kozec puts them on, and lifts the little girl onto his shoulders, smiling in embarassment at the crowd as he walks away with the waving child on his shoulders.

"HOW ABOUT ANOTHER CHEER FOR KOZEC, THE LAST OF HIS KIND, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN!"

Again the audience erupted in excitement, and the show was handed over to the Gypsies for the time being. The young emperor watched idly, still dazed by what he just witnessed. "Is your highness comfortable?" asked one of the guards. All the young emperor did was nod impatiently. The vampire had done enough to spark his interest, yes. In fact, he was almost considering hiring him. "I wish for one of you to approach the tall, skinny Orr-kin. Ask him his price for that vampire."

"Sir, I don't think-"

"Send him!" continued the birthday boy, pointing to Zorath.

Frankly, Zorath wished he didn't have so much pride in his service to his own country. Otherwise he would have refused.

========================================================================================

Back underneath the rings, the freaks were joyous, all of them congratulating Kozec on a job well done, despite the fact that some of them were still frightened by his appearance and powers, and Kozec would have known, they all knew that he would have earned them great honor. Kali in particular approached him out of respect. "You did good out dere. I 'ad fought you would 'ave surely 'armed da child. You 'ad us all fooled."

"Indeed! Wonderful job! Simply wonderful!" Neither Kali, nor did any of the other freaks saw Gabby coming. The She-Ork in particularly tried her best not to bear her teeth at her boss. "But the show has only begun!"

"I don' suppos'd you don' plan on scarin' da people some more!"

"Very nice guess, Xe'lovk, but I'm afraid it will be more than that. I suppose you all aren't aware of how much the emperor cares for his son, yes?"

The room grew silent, as if all of the freaks were struck by confusion all at once.

"Oh, come on people! I thought it was pretty obvious myself!"

"And your point?" asked the lady with no arms.

"Ah, straight to the point!" with a twirl of his cane, Gabby waltz up to the armless lady and rested a hand on her shoulder. "Point being my lady is that I propose a magic trick! Not any of that dastardly sawing stuff, no! Something far more traditional! ...I shall make him-" He poked the cane at precisely the right stuff, and the wall seemed to flip right over, sending the armless lady off to some mysterious new area. "-disappear!"


_Meka: The Birch_

"Hey, João! I'm back" Mouse stated upon taping the waiter lightly on the shoulder. The waiter looked rather annoyed at first, but his brown eyes widened in happiness and joy when he looked upon his favorite costumer. "Bueno! It's you!"

"Shhh!" Mouse scolded, looking with distrust at the people around them. "How many times have I told you? I do not like being called by that name!"

"And why not, my friend?"

Mouse shifted his eyes cautiously before silently answering, "Even the walls have ears in places such as this. Can you perhaps take us somewhere a bit..."

"Ahh! You and your friend wish some privacy! Do not worry, I know exactly the place! I'm sure you'll remember it well!"

Mouse rolled his eyes, "I look forward to it. Come on!" he signaled Jeggred, as they walked with João. "João, this is one of my friends...errr, he uh, will be paying for this evening's meal."

João glanced at Jeggred and smiled. "No need Bu- Mouse. A friend of the man who saved my life is a friend of me. You both can have whatever you want this evening, it's on the house! Haha!"

João led them both to a secure spot on the roof of The Birch. It was large enough for them to eat, but secure enough for nobody to notice them. "I sometimes like to come up hear and breath in some fresh air, you understand" João explained. "Sometimes it gets pretty hot down there. They put great detail into making you fill like you're in a rainforest sometimes. Right Mouse?" The rodent-like man glared at him, "You know I hate this place João." João chuckled again, and started to descend back down the stairs. "You know I'm only joking! Anything in particular you'd like, Mouse?"

The mousy man scratched his hand with his foot, "Ehh pastels with extra cheese for me, and for this guy...um, give him the normal Faeleean cuisine. Water will do for the drinks."

"Torresmos, followed by bean stew it is! Alright you two, stay put! I'll be up in a few minutes!"

When João had finally left, Mouse turned to face Jeggred. "Please don't complain. I hardly get people who are willing to pay for me. You're lucky, João's usually very stiff about money. Actually he's a total pain in the- But I trust him. That's what's important. As for you, I've just noticed something very important back there on the stairway." Mouse pointed at Jeggred accusingly, "You never told me you're name! Did you?"


_Meka: Cloud Carnival_

"What?!" Theo exclaimed, "You are crazy! We need to get pictures of the prince! Otherwise, Flavius will have our heads!" He frowned when it became apparent that his coworker would not listen to him, no matter what he said. "Besides, why should we care what the guards are doing! We were not sent here to interview them, were we?" He stopped, noticing that Alimbur had already gone ahead, leaving him behind in the rapidly emptying crowd. He considered taking off right at that moment to capture the photos that he needed for the next day's paper, but he was also quite curious. Besides, he wouldn't want to lose Alimbur on the first day. Then he'd really get into trouble. He'd just go and make sure she was okay before heading off to take a quick snapshot. He heard that the circus was supposed to last up until the sun began to set anyways. It was still up in the sky at a reasonable angle, he had some time.

Determined, Theo pushed some of the crowd out of his way, calling out for Alimbur to wait.

As far as Alimbur was concerned, the guard had left, and so did his accomplice. Inside, there was a rather obese lady, whose neck was bejeweled with gems of every color, and precious beads. Her fingers and wrists were similarly bejeweled and she wore clothing fit for a countess. Her nails were rather long, similar to the sharp talons of a lioness, and were painted a brilliant red. Her eyes were hidden underneath a black veil, as well as curly golden hair the length of her waist. She seemed to be busying herself counting coins right next to what seemed to be a crystal ball. And while she did not notice Alimbur at first, if she edged any closer the women would have suddenly spoke sharply, and with authority.

"No more fortunes will be told today, young lady! Come back tomorrow!"

Behind Alimbur, a few paces back, Theo was attempting to catch up to her. "Can't you wait for anything?" he cried to her.

_________________

Musicmac: "Sam4Books: Always ready to cheer things up with awesome art. Terms and Conditions apply."

-Jeggred Nalaar-

Jeggred was amused by Mouse's friend the waiter. He seemed a bit of a scatterbrain when he let loose Mouse's real name, which Jeggred pretended not to hear. He followed along, listening closely to their conversation. It seemed to him that Mouse seemed to be taking advantage of his "friend" by getting free meals and such, but the coversations only slightly amused him. His attention was caught when Mouse tried to introduce Jeggred, and paused when he couldn't come up with a name. 'Surprised I got this far without him knowing. Oh well, it looks like the waiter is more than happy to oblige our request of privacy.' he thought as he proceded behind them cheerfully as they made their way to the roof.

The roof itself wasn't that bad. A decent view, secluded, and surprisingly roomy. It sure beat the hell out of the downstairs. But before he could respond, Mouse appeared to order for him and the waiter quickly left them alone. Jeggred stood right in front of the door after the waiter left, pretending to admire the scenery before Mouse spoke. He seemed almost apologetic before finally getting to the point, asking for his name. "True, I haven't. But then again, you apparently didn't tell me your real name either, did you?" he said in a condesending tone to Mouse. Now that he was alone, there wasn't any reasonto act anymore.

"For now, you can call me Mr. N. My name's a bit odd to pronounce anyway. In the meantime, Mouse, as long as we're alone, I feel I admit something to you. he said with a miscevious smirk, making sure he was standing between Mouse and the door. "I know who you are Mouse, or should I say Bueno Gomez?" he asked Mouse, not giving him much time to react before continuing. "You know, it's funny. I assumed it would take much longer to find you than it did. I only started looking for you today. I didn't believe everyone when they said you'd be easy to corner with food, but I was wrong. To think you fell for the kebob so easily astounds me. Especially with all the 'friends' looking for you." he siad while glancing away for a minute.

"Or have you forgotten all the people you owe Mouse? Oh don't worry, I'm not here to collect their debts. Actually I have a bit of good news for you." he said finally looking back at his 'friend'. "You see, I need you for another reason. Have you heard of an organization called the Sulumbry? You probably have, well they hired me for a very specific job, one that requires your services, I'm sure you know what I'm talking about. I need your help to get to the underground." he said, finally turning his attention back to Mouse then placing his hand inside his jacket. "Now I can give you two options here Mouse, both benefit you in some way." he said as he pulled out a sack, it was obvious that it was filled with coins.

"The first option is very simple, show me where the entrances are, and all your debts to your various 'friends' are gone." he spoke emphasizing the bag he had. "The second option is show me where the entrances are and lead me through the tunnels as a guide. Now I know this is far more dangerous than option one, and I'm prepared to compensate you for such." he said putting the bag back into his jacket, drawing it out so Mouse could catch a good glimpse of the shotgun he had, and pulled out a money clip that was filled to the brim with bills. "If you choose option 2, your debts will be paid off and I'll pay you 300 talors. 20 percent upfront, the other 80 percent when we make it out of the tunnels. How does that sound?" he said, as he waited patiently for his responce.

_________________
Fenix13 : Cheesemore if you get any more awesome this thread is gonna explo- WHAT THE FFFUUUUUUUUUUU- *Everybody dies*
BeeAre : i'm just going to go ahead and say it: this thread is cheesemore's thread now. like. he's officially spam's last post crusader, always seeking the last post like a knight looking for the holy grail. poor bastard. godspeed you goofy motherfucker.
JesusChrist : 16. Cheesemore should always be addressed as "fucking Cheesemore" because he's so pathetic [see: Last one to post thread]
SoulScavenger : Cheesemore, your avatar is awesome. That is all.
Akaine : Cheesemore...if this was facebook, I'd approve of your comment with clicking 'like'.
sam4books : Cheesemore earns an awesome point.

Kovec Vylic - Work sucks but it's a living.

Kozec sighed as he stood practically naked amongst the other oddities and strangers, apart from a thick black collar covering his neck. A lollypop stick was sticking out of his mouth and swaying from one side to another, his white cheeks quivering and pulsing as he sucked, a red tongue licking around a translucent red orb in the darkness of his mouth. Hmm...yeps, strawberry's better than raspberry. he mumbled around the sweet object. The normal discontent was growing around him again. He knew the originals were still unhappy about the growth of the "freaks" since Gabby's ascension, it was nice that they knew where to place the blame though, instead of his and his fellow anomalies shoulders, they'd been absolutely lovely about getting over their negative natural responses to him too. Truly, if you wanted to find a place where minorities could be treated equally, look amongst other minorities. Shame that you couldn't really get rid of natural feelings, not entirely. He sighed again and crunched down on the lolly, then dragged the stick out, clenching his teeth on it to tear off the remaining sugary pieces. After eight years he still only had a small circle of people he'd call friends, although he'd happily say most of the rest reached the level of pals, but just that.


He flicked away the little white stick, looking at the man who probably had the gal to think he was his "master." Is there really a need to hammer that word in? he thought to himself, making sure to keep a calm expression on as he glanced up at Gabby, despite his thought of the Orr-kin, he was his boss and the man controlling his income, miniscule though it might be, best not to upset him over mutual dislike. He gave up a timid half-smile as Gabby singled him out. Really? Cause I'd think that red-headed kid is worse than me. Mirthor, what a horrific colour, poor child. he joked to himself, his grin growing a little maliciously as Gemma got whacked again before swiftly disappearing as things got a little more serious, Kali was speaking up again. He kept quiet as Gabby spoke, showing his views on the true being of mankind. You're close boss, but I think I have a little more authority to speak about human fears than you. They do enjoy the rush of fear. but only so long as it's followed by the relief of a happy outcome. he thought to himself as the other freaks rose into the stadium. His red eyes stared through the darkness of his solitary cage with anticipation, he did so love the smell of fear, the rush of a thousand people on the edges of their seats, a primal thing he suspected.

He jerked back to attention as his cage finally begun to rise to the stage, he could already sense the crowds growing terror, little Emma was probably loving the attention she was getting, parading around the stage in his clothes, acting all scared and frightened. He raised a hand to his face and pulled it down, putting on his imaginary mask as he let the bloodlust grow and his aura expand. His aura would feed the crowds terror and fear, already causing their uglier emotions to rise even before his appearance. Hatred, disgust, wrath, and their various nefarious cousins would rise up like gas from a swamp. Then, light bore down on him, a snarling animal, fangs bared at the filthy primative monkeys. He moved like a wild cat, on all fours with a terrible grace and sudden bursts of fearsome speed as he stopped pacing his cage and tore at the bars keeping him from the meat before immediately falling away from them and pacing dangerously around them again. All the time, dead red orbs were sweeping around the crowd, fear swelling amongst those they passed over, fear from the deep primal recesses of their minds, reminding them that not all their predators had gone quietly from the night, they'd just waited, and watched.

Then, the whip cut into him, raising a startling red welt against the cold white flesh. Kozec smirked at Tommy, keeping up the act, lunging cautiously forward before darting fearfully back from the crack of the whip. They could really create a fantastic act here, Tommy knew Kozec wouldn't actually hurt him and so they could really ham it up, once Kozec even got close enough for Tommy to thwack him round the head with the butt of the whip, causing a gasp of fear as the brave Tamer managed to hold off the beast and remain calm despite being close enough to see the drool flying from his lips. And then, the finale. Kozec leaped through the air towards Emma and picked her right off the ground before running away from Tommy, right to the centre of the stage. He lifted her up above his head for the crowd to see, one hand holding her up by her neck with the other actually taking all the weight by wrapping around and holding her by the hip. Then, the little minx actually gave a quick wink before rapping him on the head. He dropped her in fake surprise and fell back to the ground, landing roughly onto his buttocks and than had his nose gripped a bit tighter than he suspected was necessary than the smug little demon. She was going to mock him mercilessly for this afterwards, why couldn't Andy have gotten the part instead? He liked Andy.

Anyway, he played his part, squirming and whimpering as she led him back to Tommy, grinning and waving at the crowd, now cheering their hearts out, the negative emotions washed away by relief, amazement and he rather suspected some amusement at seeing the scary beast put in it's place by a little girl. He was glad to get his clothes back off her though once the cheering died down, swiftly putting on his jacket, twirling his hat as he put it on and whirling his cloak through the air as he fastened it round his neck. He glanced down as Emma held up her arms, clearly expecting to be picked up now, he smirked as a nasty thought crossed his mind and as Emma wondered what exactly that thought was which had caused him to grin down at her, he grabbed her and threw her high into the air as she somersaulted, screaming happily as she rose and fell, giggling when Kozec caught her, upside down and then put her on his shoulders. He winced slightly as he heard LAST OF HIS KIND. Dick. "What's that?" Nothing Emma. "You said a bad word." NO I DIDN'T, EMMA. "I'm telling mommy on you" Kozec sighed as he resisted the urge to take this evil little brat off his shoulders and thrash the living daylights out of her, instead taking another lollypop out of his jacket and handing it to her which she immediately started sucking happily. ...Emma, did you talk one of my lolly's? "Umm-umm." Because I could have sworn I had an apple one. "UMM-UMMMM." Hmm...

Anyway, before Kozec had a chance to shake down the little monster he was swamped under the rest of the freaks, Emma giggling wickedly as he swayed instinctively back from them. He grinned awkwardly at the congragulations, bowing his head slightly respectively towards Kali when he saw her. Well, it wasn't all acting, this is an evil little child and I'd greatly appreciate it if someone took this creature back to it's mother before I wring it's neck. he said, causing chuckles from the crowd as he took off the squirming child and gave her to one of the freaks. Now, where are the rest of my clothes? he said quietly, ducking away as Gabby showed up and took the spotlight back. He found them folded neatly on a box behind his comrades and he pulled them on as he listened to Gabby's speech, paying a lot of attention to the more sinister undertones of it. Fan-frigging-tastic. he muttered, raising an eyebrow at Gemma's disappearance and buttoning up his shirt. I really hope he's kidding. Bending his legs slighly, he was preparing to make an escape in case things turned nasty which he had a nasty suspicion was about to happen, edging towards an exit into the underground tunnels. He unbuckled his collar and chucked it into the corner and pulled a black scarf out of his jacket, swiftly wrapping it round twice and flicking the remaining end over his shoulder. He stopped beside the doorframe and leaned back against the wall, as if he was just relaxing against it and pulled out a tiny bag of circular mints, popping a couple in. Tasty and practical. he thought, his breath tended to need freshening more than most humans. Cannibals and other wackadoodles being the obvious exceptions these days since he'd had to change his diet to be allowed into the circus.

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“One day you wake up and realize the world can be conquered.”

Serenity - On the streets of Meka

Meka, city of innovation and progression. Its wide street bustling with people. Heading home, heading to work, everybody had somewhere to go. But among those many people stood a single person who didn't quite fit in. Her appearance drew many eyes, some in curiosity, some in disgust. And unlike all the other people, she didn't have anyplace to go. She didn't have a home nor work. She merely had her backpack and a friendly smile.

"Meka, a wondrous sight in deed." Serenity said to herself, garnering a few raised eyebrows from some passerby's. Even though it was an abomination against nature, she couldn't help but feel humbled by it. How could someone this big possibly stay afloat? Was it magick, or something more technological? Maybe even a mixture. And all these people, did they not miss the solid ground beneath their feet? Even the air smelled differently up here.
Serenity wandered the streets, not really sure where to go or what to do. That answer was pretty prominent though, while the streets may have been pretty different from each other, there was one consistency. Colorful posters adorned any clear piece of wall around the city, each announcing the coming of a great circus! It couldn't hurt to go visit it, after all, she'd never been to a circus before.

Finding the circus wasn't difficult, the colorful tent stood out from all the other buildings. Serenity stood in front of it, lifting the tip of her hat so she could see the top of the tent. Finding it may have been easy, getting inside proofed to be more difficult. They asked for an admission fee, not much, but she didn't have anything. She used all her money, combined with that of those kind plant workers, to purchase a airboat ticket. In fact, she didn't even have enough for shelter or food.
On cue her stomach grumbled, notifying her that she hadn't eaten something in a while now. "When the stomach speaks, its best to heed its call." she said to herself with a big grin as she got a loaf of bread out of her backpack.
Cheering and applause came from inside the tent, clearly something interesting was going on. But as long as she didn't have the money to pay for a ticket, that interesting thing would remain a mystery. "Oh well, nothing lost nothing gained." She adjusted her hat again and decided to sit on a nearby bench for a while. After all, she had to figure out how to get money now. Food, shelter and a ticket back to the mainland, life is never cheap. But she wasn't overly fussed about it, life had a tendency to provide what was missing, it was just a matter of looking in the right places.
"I could always try to find a job, there's bound to be something to do around here, stacking, sweeping, I wonder if there's any farms here. Or I could just take a nap and lay my hat in front of me, for some reason people tend to throw pennies or even nickers in there." People looked at the strangely clothed woman, seemingly discussing with herself, with careful eyes.
"Well, whatever the solution, it better come quick... I think this is my last bread." She said half laughing, while leaning back to enjoy the warmth of the sun.

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{Leon Borren}

_Steady as She goes_

Bam! As a foot slammed onto the bench. Attached to that foot was a man dressed in a dark purple suit with black as coal gloves and shoes. He wore a purple feather mark that a single yellow eye with a piercing glaze much a like the bird of rapture. " If you're interesting, then you'll get an interesting job in return. " The mask man said with a tilt of his head. He then tilted his head back, the other way and added " However, sitting around and wishing doesn't do much these days."

" Anyways, my name is Leon Borren, would you kindly, join me over at the carnival?" Leon Borren said introducing himself to Serenity removing his foot off the bench and pointing at the Carnival. " I'm bored, you beautiful, and there might be a murder plot for the Emperor's Son. Seems like a good time. " He mentioned, with a smile forming underneath the mask as to him it sounded like a good time. Also to Leon there had to be a reason for why that particular object was attached to the power generator of the Ferris Wheel. If he had to guess it wasn't good and since the Emperor's Son was here, it seems like someone is up to something nasty. " Besides, you would look more saner talking to a person, than to yourself. " Leon added as he couldn't help, but comment on that. " So how about it? The food is on me as well." He asked again to her.

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"Fate smiles on the strange. So its a good thing, I'm the strangest of all." - William Livingstone, Cirque de la Nuit

Serenity - Outside the circus

"My, my, dinner and adventure? How could a girl say no to that?" She said with a chuckle while crossing her legs. It was difficult to gauge whether the man was serious or not. I mean, a murder plot on the emperors son? That seemed a but far fetched. But what harm could it do to go along with it? After thinking about it for a few seconds, Serenity got up and removed her hat, shaking her head to get rid of the hat hair, before looking over at the peculiar man and giving him a wide smile. "The name's Serenity and I wouldn't mind some good company."

She put the bread away again, no point in throwing a perfectly fine bread away. "So, Mr. Borren..." even though she used the term Mr. there was little formality to her way of speaking, it was light and with a hint of pleasure. "...You always go around asking girls out under the ploy of a great murder scheme?" The mask he was wearing sure made it more mysterious, she wondered if that was his actual eye color or if it was just part of the mask.

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