The Caucus Race and a Long Tale (Chelle and Blacksmith)

by **Cornelius Caster** October 29th 2012, 3:52 am

-YOU HAVE ONE NEW MESSAGE-

The answering machine beeped thrice, sending it's shrill ringtone throughout the small room, alerting any and all life in the residence that there was a new message. Whilst many would avoid it for fear of Indian telemarketers or bothersome extended family this call was a bit different. Sure the voice on the other end very much belonged to a family member, however bothersome was not the word to describe such a man. He was grand, great and for all intents and purposes the grooviest pensioner the world has ever known. Now you may be wondering why one of the world's most renown philosophers was calling an equally famous doctor and even more so why said university lecturer and grand adventurer had not chosen to simply chosen to pay his recently discovered grand niece a visit. To put it simply, the elderly gentleman was swamped with the most troublesome of situations that merely setting foot outside his house would almost definitely result in unwanted attention. News had returned that the great Cornelius Caster had returned to American soil. Uptight scholars, curious university students and bothersome military personnel all awaited the infamous teacher/poet/sorcerer to finally reveal himself in all his silver glory. He had considered dressing up as a homeless man and running free from the large Caster mansion to evade the pesky troupe of inquisitors but alas! Not one person in the house wore clothing that cost less than $100 dollars so fooling his 'loyal fans' would have more than likely failed.

It came as no surprise that the elderly magician would have to operate from the mansion, allowing both Amêlie and Bernard access to the hidden areas located throughout the house as long as they did not interfere with his work. It may come as a surprise but the ingenious man found that making this one simple call to his beloved grand niece to be the most challenging task he set for himself that week and after several minutes of trying to work out the mechanical contraption he finally deduced its workings and made what many would find to be a particularly amusing phone call...

-

"Uhh Hello! Hello? ... Blasted machine is not answering!! "

"Cornelius...you're supposed to speak into the machine...it will send your message to Skyler..."

"Ahh thank you Bernard, such a wise badger you are. Hello Skyler! It is Uncle Cornelius here! How are -"

"She'll know it's you Cornelius...your caller ID will tell her..."

"Oh..Well just making sure. My dearest Skyler, it pains me that i have not come to visit you in Georga yet, unfortunately i am being tracked down by the worst offenders possible and am currently holed up within the Caster library. So if you do not hear from Uncle Corn after this fateful phone call then assume I'm stuck in some military base giving orders to some warheads."

"j'ai faim!!"

"Yes Amêlie we shall have some food after i make this voice-message. Go play with that suit of armour and tell me if you find any mice in there..Now where was I? Oh yes, I have called you because i would like to request something of you. You see my dear you have a particular set of skills that i deem exceedingly helpful in the search for a particular artefact I have my sights set on.."

There was a pause, the sound of clattering armour against marble flooring echoing into the voicemail. Cheeky giggles and squeals of delight bound across the library and what seems to be 15 seconds of childish mayhem back in the Caster mansion manages to calm down.

"Oh dear, excuse that...Amêlie was merely entertaining herself, she really did want to see you again and i guess a suit of armour was the next best thing! Ha Ha! After some vigorous searching and trawling over the World Wide Web i have concluded that said item is located in New Orleans, a 3 mile drive from the coast...Now here is what makes this little request even grander, the artefact is currently holed up in a theme park! What joy! Little Lilia would adore that i think, be sure to win her some cotton candy. I have asked Anthony to send you the coordinates, so expect a 'text message' sooner rather than later!"

"Sorry to intrude on your phone call Master Cormelius..but Ms Amêlie and Bernard have locked themselves in the cellar...please rescue them before all of our good wine...is umm...ruined.."

There was a pause, a low chuckle is heard in the background.

"Oh pickles... well my dear...I'm sad to say but this one sided conversation must end now. If you see it fit that this little quest is not too much of a hassle then by all means contact me...or Bernard for that matter...the artefact is shaped like a pear and crimson in colour, that is all I can reveal to you now...Give my love to Lilia and take care of yourself my dear. May the winds of fortune bless you with the grandest week possible. Sincerely Cornelius"

- BEEEP YOU HAVE NO NEW MESSAGES -

by **Chellizard** October 29th 2012, 5:21 am

The bed creaked gently when Skyler opened her eyes and glanced to the digital clock on the small bedside table. It was roughly five forty-five in the morning. She moved her hand to rub her eyes, but it was preoccupied. Lilia's frail, still bandaged hand was laced into Skyler's, holding on while the Prima Ballerina slept. Skyler bit her lower lip slightly and carefully slid her slim fingers from Lilia's sleeping grip and cooed softly in Russian. "I'll be back soon," whispered passed her lips in that sweet Mother Tongue of Lilia's. Skyler dipped down and kissed Lilia's forehead before whisking out of the room and down the stairs. Skyler had slipped into some physical training gear; bicycle shorts and a sports bra. She wore actual running shoes for this, too.

Once she was out the door, she was jogging. Working up her pace into a heavy run. Her feet were pounding the pavement with each step. She made her way down to the play ground so she could work in some parkour things; just to get her blood pumping and sweat to glisten over her skin. The time passed faster than she intended, her thoughts mainly stuck on Lilia and Eric. Her children, as odd as that was. It felt weird for her to even think such things, but it was true. Eric was her biological child; her son. She gave birth to him when she was fourteen. Lilia was her daughter, not yet adopted, but will be soon enough. That girl needed someone as strong as Skyler in her life, and she was willing to be just that person.

She came through the door, the sun now flooding the house through open windows. The early morning breeze flooded the house with the smell of sweet honey suckle and freshly cut grass. Skyler found Lilia sitting on the couch when she came in. The girl was still bandaged around of her hands and a few other places. Skyler immediately rushed over to her and knelt down to check her out a bit. "Are you all right? When did you get up?" She asked, a bit afraid at this moment. The bandages weren't soaked with blood, but there was some evident signs of blood. Skyler sighed and leaned her head onto the pillow placed in Lilia's lap and shook her head before looking in the girl's bright blue eyes. "Don't scare me like that.." she chuckled and brushed a few loose strands of hair from Lilia's face.

Skyler was surprised when Lilia actually giggled slightly and spoke softly. "Santa called.." she said, stifling her laughter to make her ribs stop from aching. Skyler sighed gently and thought of one person who could be classified as Santa. Uncle Cornelius, or Uncle Corn for short. He was either checking on them, or asking for something. Hopefully the first option. Skyler moseyed to the answering machine and hit play. The message was exciting and she was actually pleased to hear his voice. She had to laugh between each little pause. She played it a second time and repeated what was being said in Russian for Lilia, letting her hear the dialogue clearly, not in the English she barely knew.

Once Skyler was finished translating, she had Lilia follow her so she could clean her up while simultaneously call the Dominus HQ. She wanted to see Eric, and what better way than to have him come on this adventure with herself and Lilia. "K? Ah. Good, you are in. I need to have Blacksmith air lifted and brought to be pronto. Before noon, preferably. I need him for somethin'. Ah? All right. Good. Bye," she made the conversation quick and hung up the phone while simultaneously cleaning and redressing Lilia's healing wounds. "Today is going to be a long one, but hopefully a fun one." she said, smiling to Lilia before heading for a quick shower. As soon as she was done, she basically lazed around the house until she heard the helicopter over head. Eric had arrived and would be escorted to Skyler's front door by some soldier. Maybe it would be Katherine, or K for short.

by **Twinkletoes** October 29th 2012, 7:21 am

The scent of morning dew and the lemon fresh musk of the recently cleaned sheets filled Lilia's nostrils as she stirred awake. The large fluffy white pillows nestled against her head cradled the girl's upper half and it was only after five minutes of laying in comfortable silence did she begin to feel the slow burn of her cuts and bruises. The stitches that ran across both thighs and into the palms of her slender hands were numb and tingled with the sudden rush of her conscious body. Glancing to her side Lilia's arm stretched over the crumpled blankets of where Skyler laid, the woman was more than likely on her ritualistic habit of early morning exercise and the vague shape of her sleeping body was still dented into the fabric. Taking in a deep breath the ballerina shuffled her body, slowly stretching her legs and wiggling her toes as she lightly yawned away the last remnants of sleep.

It had been two weeks since that fateful day, where Lilia was beaten within an inch of her life by none other than Skyler's estranged son. What a strange twist of fate, that both of the famed surgeon's children were forced to fac off in particularly distressing situations. The ethereal beauty did not hate the young man, maybe what he did was justified and although he assaulted her to the point that she was on the brink of death, she simply could not loathe the offspring of the woman she had come to love as a mother. In reality there was a larger chance that she would have to figure out some way to work out her current fear of the boy. There was no denying it...she was terrified of seeing him again, mainly of shame and the nagging sense of dread that he would still lash out at her if they were to meet again.

The shrill beeps from the phone downstairs caused the young agent to jolt upwards, squeaking in surprise as the pain of a fractured rib ached from her sudden movement. Crawling out of bed in the least painful way possible the girl tip toed down the stairs, her hand brushing against the cool mahogany stair rails. Halfway down the steps the ringing stopped, only to go to voicemail...revealing the voice of the mysterious caller. The distinct voice making the girl smile in delight.

~
"I've never been to a themepark before!", lilia chimed, flicking her sandy hair back as she held a fresh white bandage against her pale chest, letting Skyler clean up the wounds on her exposed back. Cringing a bit as a wound was patted with some ointment, eventually numbing the shallow gash that scarred her supple skin. Lilia exposed back was facing her guardian, seated on the edge of the bed as they went through healing the various wounds that were still not healed, going diamond form helped but it was no fun walking around like a human crystal ball. "I wonder what uncle Corn would want with a magical pear..." she lightly spoke, pursing her lips together as she thought of a possible explanation for this little quest to New Orleans.

A cool breeze drifted through the open window, caressing her pale skin as she allowed Skyler to work her magic. "...i wonder if Eric hates me..", she mumbled to herself, thinking aloud as the painful thoughts of what could happen later on that day drifted into her mind. It was after a few lazy hours did the distinct sound of the helicopter blades hitting the warm Georgian air pierced their comfortable contentment...only time would tell if she could possibly face Skyler's son without any obvious fear or distress..

by **Blacksmith** November 3rd 2012, 5:37 pm

I had a dream again tonight. I was a little boy again, sitting at my desk in my old room at the Atman residence. It's a fancy room, a real dream-room with television, computer, and even my own personal bathroom connected to it. So I'm at my desk, drawing myself the way I want to be in the future. I draw myself as some kind of superhero, wearing cape and tights, a big E emblazoned on the chest. I needed to make that drawing for school, you see? "Draw what you want to be later", the teacher said, so I did. I wanted to be a superhero. I don't even remember why. Maybe because I looked up to them, maybe because everyone looked up to superheroes. And if I could be one, then people'd look up to me too. They'd tell me what a swell guy I was, how they loved me. They'd tell me how amazing my powers were, how envious they were. And I'd smile a smile brighter than any star, beaming with pride because I knew all was well.

I finish my drawing, and my mother comes in my room to check on me. To check on my homework. She looks at the drawing while I gaze up at her full of expectation. Her smile falters a bit, but she manages to summon it back up again. "Sweetie" she tells me, "This is a really pretty drawing, but you have to draw something more real." She tells me I can't be a superhero, says maybe I should draw myself as a lawyer, or a politician. She tears the drawing apart and tells me to try again. I don't cry. I don't cry. Crying is for weak, ill-bred mongrels. Crying means not being in control. An Atman is always in control, Eric, always in control.
Then the scene fades, and I'm in that dark place again. I start hearing the sound of a hammer striking at steel, coming closer and closer. Clang.

I wake up drenched in sweat. I'm in my new quarters, so graciously provided to me by my captors, or employers. I still haven't quite figured out which it is, but I'm thinking it doesn't really make much of a difference. They set up a workshop in the corner of the room, and left a note detailing what they want me to make. There's a few bookcases full of weapon manuals, encyclopedias and blueprints in case I'm in need of them. There's food in the fridge, and I've got a television and radio to keep me entertained. It's not much, but it's enough. Certainly better than my previous workplace, that's for sure.

I take a shower, get dressed, have breakfast, and get to work. The smithing's a dull chore, but it always sets my mind at ease for some reason. It just feels natural to do. After all, it is my special talent, my superpower. I chuckle at the thought. Yeah right, me, a superhero. My powers don't lend themselves well for that particular gig. I'm not an idiot. Every superpower has limits, mine are that I'll never really be in the spotlight, that I can't be a hero. Can't be a villain either, for that matter. I don't do the killing; I just make the weapons that do. It was only recently I was forced for the first time to wield my weapons myself, wield it against someone. The memory still stings; it wasn't a very nice situation. Salt, the man whom I think is supposed to be one of my handlers, made me torture a young metahuman girl with my weapons while she was powerless. Thinking on the subject loosens my focus, and I feel it interfering with the creation process, so I try to distract myself from it. I'm just about to walk up to the table to get the remote when my door swings open and I'm whisked away to some undisclosed location against my will, on orders from above. Tell me it's a field-mission, and I should be lucky for the chance to get some fresh air. Ain't I a lucky son of a gun, right?

------

When I step out of the first helicopter to face those who summoned me, I am met with an unpleasant surprise. My companions on today's mystery errand will be none other than the petite ballerina and the horny white-haired chick with the neat gun. A gun I've yet to be able to replicate, though I'm sure I'll manage eventually.
I avoid the girl's gaze and the very sight of her in general, turning my attention to the woman instead. Her sight stirs thoughts in me that I cannot afford. This is business, Eric, this is survival.
"So tell me boss-lady, what was important enough to drag me all the way to this humid shithole? You in need of a portable armory or do I just have a really magnetic personality?" I ask, not even trying to mask my uneasiness and dissatisfaction with the situation as is.

by **Chellizard** November 4th 2012, 2:22 am

"He likely hates himself, Lilia.. Come now, let's go," was the last thing Skyler said before the short helicopter ride down to New Orleans' and the amusement park. It was abandoned, and looked to be taken over my nomads. Skyler shook her head and glanced around. "Uncle Corn... Where have you sent us?" she asked out loud, sighing before looking to Lilia. "I bet Uncle Corn thought this place would be still running.. Oh well," she spoke in Lilia's mother tongue, shaking her head and sighing near the end. Her attention then turned to Eric. She hadn't muttered a word to him on the helicopter ride; no need, they were just being escorted here. Now with Dominus off of their trail and far away, it was time for them relax a bit.

It was as if everything was unwinding for them. The clocks around the park were all at a stand still, and so was everything else; save for a light zephyr that swept in and sent a bit of trash into a whirling dance. The whole place seemed eerily inviting. It was still, despite the wind, and slight rustle of rats and other scavenger rodents and creatures. Despite the park being a run-down piece of shit, it was soothing to know there wasn't an immediate danger. Skyler had on her appropriate gear, just in case. She had on pants this time; the leg guards built in to the attire. She still had on a corset top; deeper purple this time. The same Yin-Yang type symbol on her left breast, though. Her tattoos were visible, and her long silver hair was tied into a bun, wrapped up and pinned out of her way; her bangs and a few whispering strands curled around of her face.

Skyler had left Lilia's collar at home; she hated that thing, and was not about to make Lilia wear it ever again. She smiled to her 'daughter' and then looked to her son. She rolled her neck, shoulders and leaned on her toes for a moment, then relaxed. "I don't expect you to ever call me mom, Eric, but we share a biological bond. You can resent me all you want, but I've asked you here to get to know you; nothing more, nothing less." She thought to herself, looking up to the archway entrance to the old amusement park. She wanted to say that outloud, to make it present that she was his mother.. but she did not feel up to it. Not yet. She would keep it a secret, unless he already knew. His attitude toward her kind of seemed as such. Her attention was slightly on him while her eyes swept over the park. There was almost no power to the place, but somehow.. it seemed alive. It was a bit later in the evening now, clouds covering the little bit of sunlight left. Her silver irises were alive like a hot molten pool of pure silver; smoldering with love for both of her children.

She would not let her Pride speak for her at this moment, though. She had a simple description of the object in question. "It's small, it's red, and pear shaped." She said this to herself, then spoke aloud. "We're here to find an artifact for a.. dear friend. It's small, it's red; it's pear shaped." Skyler had told Lilia what they were looking for when she translated the voice message Uncle Cornelius had left them. Lilia had made it her spot behind of Skyler, her smaller hands gripping gently at the belt loop on her pants. Skyler took a step forward, guiding Lilia, her boots crunching an old potato chip bag. Another foot fall also crunched leaves against the cracked asphalt. "This should be a simple in and out," she spoke toward Lilia, in Russian, before looking toward Eric. "I am Doctor Skyler Snowden, and she is Lilia. We can be called by our 'code names' if you wish. Doctor Karma for me, and Etoile for her." She said, her Southern Belle accent slipping through while she spoke. She did not look like a Southern girl, but she sure knew how to speak the language and fit in just right.

"Let's get this show on the road," she said, stepping forward some more, her pace not letting up as her children trailed behind of her. It was weird to say that; to even think it. But, while Eric was her flesh and blood son, Lilia was just as much her daughter.

by **Twinkletoes** November 4th 2012, 2:43 am

Giddiness and apprehension became one in the same, Lilia was ecstatic that she could finally go on a fun little excursion with Skyler, however on the other hand the fact that the boy who nearly broke her body was attending weighed heavily on her heart. This anxiety caused the meek ballerina to chew on her lower lip, so much so that the peachy skin started bleeding from the constant gnawing, it was only until the pulsing metal aircraft crossed over the amusement park did she finally stop. The ragged land underneath her was less than what she expected, decrepit structures were nestled amongst rotting rollercoasters and macabre ferris wheels; it truly was a startling sight. The park was even more rundown once they approached it on foot, the haunting whispers of the wind making the site much more mysterious and otherworldly, like a forgotten world that had shrivelled away all the joy it was meant to provide. Lights sputtered and a distant moaning from within the grounds caused goosebumps to traverse down Lilia's slender spine, making her shudder in discomfort.

This was a quest given to them by uncle Corn so there was no reason to scuttle away with her tail between her legs, they had arrived with good intentions and finding the mysterious artefact will be achieved by the end of the day...even if she wasn't exactly dressed properly if they were to face any potential danger. Her sandy brown hair was loosely tied in a fishtail braid, hanging against her slender collarbone and occasionally fluttering with the wind as the cool breeze brushed against her petite frame. a long sleeve beige shirt clung to her slender upper body, causing her ribcage and small chest to become more pronounced...although such things weren't so obvious for she had a white military style jacket, with pointed shoulders that made her fragile body that slight bit more edgy. A simple red plaid skirt brushed against her pale thighs and her favourite flats adorned her scarred feet. Lilia was dressed for a day at a theme park, not for taking on any threat..

Peaking around her guardian's feminine curves, the girl blinked with wide eyes at the angry young man who had beaten her up all those weeks ago, averting her gaze whenever he would happen to look back. Every tentative glance towards him made all those painful memories return, her body reacting as her mind became overwhelmed with the uncomfortable nostalgia, every blow, cut and attack against her form quickly flooded back into her mind making the wounds feel as fresh as the morning after the incident. The stitches that ran down her pale thighs throbbed from the mere thought of his relentless assault on her body, so much so that she had to forego wearing her signature white stockings and instead settle for knee-length socks. Biting her already scarred lips she flicked her head away from the young man, certain that he felt barely any remorse for his actions...merely because he wasn't showing any other emotion aside from annoyance. Was he annoyed to be near her? Was he annoyed that she was still alive? Such thoughts scorched her feeble mind as the stinging wounds tainted her previously content body, making the girl feel truly uncomfortable with her position. "...I don’t think he wants to be here…”, she whispered in her ‘mothers’ ear.

Lilia's grip on Skyler's belt loop tightened as they began their slow advance into the abandoned theme park, her quick light footsteps creating a subtle rhythm as the shade of a nearby statue loomed over head, covering her in the intangible shadow. The ghostly-discolored flags that soared overhead on rusted poles creaked in the wind, mourning the small troupes entrance into the childish graveyard. Puddles of stale water decorated the dead earth with glistening mirrors that stunk of sewerage and time gone pass…as if the grounds had been tarnished by an untouchable evil that had tarnished every single flash of joy and color within the once grand space. The teenager wrinkled her nose in discomfort, hopping over a fallen iron girder only to wince in pain once landing…the wounds on her thighs still hurt. "...how are we ever going to find it …” she mumbled, scrunching her slender brow as the gravity of their search finally weighed onto her.

How would they ever find such a small trinket in this creaking labyrinth?

by **Blacksmith** November 4th 2012, 11:16 am

OOC Silliness: Certainly you've had just about enough of listening to this angsty adolescent brood about pretty much everything. Yes, yes, you've had enough of that disgrunted drivel that's supposed to be his narrative voice. Puh-lease; what a windbag! Really, first person narrative isn't for anyone, especially if you're trying to keep an active flow in your writing. Things'll quickly degenerate into an incoherent mess of stray thoughts and actions, and you, dear reader, will just get fed up with the sheer amateurism of it all. Which brings us to where we are now. You want this insufferable brat to shut up until he's had some actual development, so you can actually read something worth reading. And you shall not be left wanting! For I have arrived! I, Jack Maroon, have commandeered the narrative, and I will not relinquish my position until the character has earned the right to narrate himself again.
I trust you are satisfied now? Yes, yes you are. Now let's carry on with the story, shall we? There's still much narrating to do. Onwards!

BIC:
Hate is sometimes described as being identical to sorrow, save for the fact that it can be attributed to an external cause. Eric Atman often believed he hated his biological mother, and associated her name with all his sorrows. Whenever the truth of his loveless family situation surfaced, and he realized he was nothing but a charity project, he cursed that name for giving him up to this fate. Whenever he found himself lacking in strength, in skill, in wit, he cursed the name, and the burden it put on him. In his darker hours he cursed his weakness, his powerlessness in front of it all, and blamed it on the mother whom he failed to live up to. Expectations set for him by himself and others that he could not meet, in his mind tied only to a single name. Skyler Snowden. The origin of his life, and the first to reject it. The very mention of the name was enough to invoke his ire, to shred every vestige of self-control that lay within him still.

It should not come as much a surprise then, that Eric Snowden cringed a little when the silver-haired vixen introduced herself by uttering that very name from her lips. His hands began to shake, and his throat dried up, unable to process any words his vocal cords could summon, if that were his intention; it wasn't. He didn't have anything to say. Rather, he couldn't think of anything to say. Thoughts flitted through his mind rapidly, too fast for him to grasp at and find any hope of tranquility. His insides were boiling, smoldering with pent up rage and confusion ready to flood his heart and soul, and melt down whatever his mind could aim itself at. Yet he remained still as the water. His adoptive family had taught him restraint, if nothing else. And it was this restraint that kept him alive, despite his affinity to anger and the more base impulses that often accompany it.
"Fancy names, that. Etoile and Dr. Karma, huh? Suppose I'll have to do with Blacksmith then." He replied simply, though only after a small pause.

Postponing his unresolved parental issues to a later date, one on which he wasn't at a tactical disadvantage, Eric turned his attention to other matters. None too pleasant, but certainly preferable to the alternative. Walking through this abandoned fortress of fun was an eerie thing, certainly not something he'd have done voluntarily. He found himself far less objectionable and fearful when at gunpoint, even if the gun was metaphysical in nature. Their mission was apparently to find some stupid pear-shaped artifact. Why, he hadn't the slightest clue, and it didn't seem like his mother..no, handler, was about to elucidate on the matter.
His thoughts turned to Lilia, or Etoile. Did she know as little as he did, or was she more in the know? She certainly seemed closer to Miss Karma, that was for sure.
He dared glance at her, no longer avoiding her sight and presence as he was earlier. Etoile.
As much as he had tried to write off his unfortunate first two encounters with her as karmic or as an unfortunate but inevitable happenstance, he never really stopped thinking about it. He came to many different conclusions, most serving to excuse his actions and place them within the context as justifiable. But one other thing crossed his mind as well; a painful fact he could not ignore, which he could not rationalize away with faulty logic or self-deception: He did not know her. He knew little to nothing about her, except her appearance, name and a short glimpse of her power. Yet he had been close to her; closer than many a man, he would think. Perhaps not in the most traditional manner; they certainly did not share a bond of love. But in that short instance of brutality, he had felt her pain as he inflicted it, seen her weaknesses, fears and tasted of the despair that so pervaded her very being. He felt strangely close to her, yet repelled by guilt, or something vaguely resembling it.

When she winced in pain after hopping over an obstacle, Eric gathered the fortitude to speak up. "I tried to avoid the important bits, you know. It could have been worse" he commented, his tone dry and devoid of emotion, but his face so strained to remain stoic that it betrayed the effort. He thought little of what his words would accomplish, let alone if they would be received or understood at all. Even further removed were his thoughts from the actual purpose of this journey, his mind set far more strongly on the company he was to keep during it, and the roles they played in this drama.

by **Danger** November 7th 2012, 12:53 am

Days traveled came and went through the American south. The rage of the humidity drew the ire of the sweaty cowgirl with a bad attitude and guns. The past few cities all turned out to be major drawbacks in her quest for enlightenment. A quest ultimately leading the girl with cowgirl boots almost reaching her running capris and a cowgirl hat with a drawstring hanging just onto the shoulders of her dri fit shirt to the pearled gates of a rundown carnival.

"Can I find enlightenment here?"

"Is that what you think we're doing? I thought you were just finding small problems and blowing them up into a completely exaggerated situation."

"Enlightenment is finding a small peace of mind and blowing it up to an exaggerated sense of being."

"Congratulations on being the latest person to use the word 'peace' and 'blow up' with no inflection or irony."

"I didn't hear a word you said, because I'm so close to enlightenment."

Standing before the gates of the broken down amusement park filled the two with a sense of bewilderment. Failings came and went, and while seeing the park only stopped them briefly, the sounds from within purchased their undivided attention.

"How many abandoned carnivals still keep stuff going?"

"The ones with those small problems I was just talking about."

"It's only a problem if you have a solution." Swinging her drawstring bag around her white, dri fit shirt, Elaine pulled out her pistol.

"That's a correct answer for a wrong reason."

And with her response, Elaine moved with quickness towards a broken section of the chain linked fence. While she slid herself into the beginning section of the sprawling carnival, a gust flew through a row of decrepit booths. Storm clouds hung overhead, prior hidden to her by the treeline surrounding the far edge of the complex. Given the harsh situation of the southern weather, any drifter could have sought out the carnival as a refuge, or any deranged lunatic could hope to avoid watchful eyes in the shadows.

"Doesn't look like anyone is here to meet us." Moving with the powerful spurts of wind pushing through the grounds, her hat shot from her head, whipping the drawstring past her face. Each new gust powered the hat down the alley, pulling Elaine along for the ride.

"Count your losses?" Following Elaine into a rather sinister looking encampment wore its charm away very quickly.

"I like that hat." Blowing past a three booths long since removed from their days of prosperity, Elaine caught up with her hat. The savage gust blew it several feet inside of a house of mirrors and Elaine found herself joined in her search by dozens of others who claimed their prize. "This should be a decent enough place if it starts raining."

"If we're alone."

"I'd be able to see them; there are mirrors everywhere."

"At angles. The angles are important." As his warning carried on, Elaine moved forward into the house of mirrors. Following the twists of the walls became disorienting and drew her focus away from the lighted entrance. With light fading away from her, she opened her back up again to pull out a small flash light. The illumination along the mirrors glowed through the pathways and highlighted the twists and turns.

Slowly the path became less familiar to her path finding. The only light remaining came from her flash light, and those of the dopplegangers she felt she was alone with. The feeling felt superficial.

by **Chellizard** November 7th 2012, 3:31 am

Her attention was on the goal, but she also kept her senses open to new sounds she hadn't heard upon first arrival to the park. She was a highly trained surgeon, and on top of that, a soldier. An experienced one. These two children, well, teenagers, were going to be her responsibility. She rummaged her pocket, and was satisfied when she produced three communication devices. Her knees buckled when she heard Lilia whimper and she turned to grab the girl around of the waist and ask if she were all right. She then felt her skin crawl along her spine, her ears getting hot from Eric's comment. She gritted her teeth and turned to him after handing one of the communicators to Lilia. "I have no reason to be mad at you.. I know you were just doing your job.. But don't give me a reason to shoot you between the eyes, kid." she tossed him the communicator and then slid her's into her left ear.

"We'll spread out from here and circle back around. Hopefully, meet back up here. Just keep your eyes peeled for small red pear shaped items, all right?" she repeated the instructions in English and Russian, smiling to Lilia, and giving a stern look toward Eric. She had no reason to hate the kid, but him harming Lilia was honestly enough in her book. She heaved a sigh and gently guided Lilia aside. "You should be able to contact me if anything stirs." She spoke in a softer Russian accent, smiling to Lilia before brushing the girl's cheek. She felt horrible for bringing Lilia to an amusement park that was run down. The girl was dressed for a fun day, and Skyler even put on a bit of appropriate attire, too.

Skyler cut Eric off before he started on his path, her hand grabbing his shoulder to turn him to face her. He was a bit taller than her, but that did not hinder her position of authority in this situation. "Listen, Blacksmith. I understand you were only doing what you were told to by Salters, but if word gets passed your lips about how "nice" I am to Agent Etoile behind of his back, I'll gut you where you stand. Don't think I'm kidding, either." she threatened, playing the role of a woman that had no idea that this man was her son. She lied through her teeth, and her skill set gave her the ability to make it seem like a real threat. She even had her hand rest against the hilt of her knife. She then brushed her hand off of his shoulder and turned from him, making her check down the path she had picked for herself. Today was going to be a long day.

by **Twinkletoes** November 7th 2012, 8:11 am

Innocent doe eyes blinked in confusion and mild apprehension as foreign words were spoken, directed at Lilia as if the one attempting communication assumed she could understand. Eric's words fell on deaf ears, the ballerina barely catching his English and as a result shuffled uncomfortably on the spot, gazing up at her guardian who held her around the waist. The english language was just one of the many things the Russian agent had yet to grasp in life and as the grumpy young man concluded his little statement she merely glanced away, her pale cheeks turning a slight shade rosier from her lack of understanding. The embarrassment only became worse when Skyler scolded him, and for that moment the meek teenager sincerely thought it was all her fault that he was receiving her 'mothers' wrath. Lilia inched away, not daring to look the young man in the eye all the while ensuring she did not trip over any obstructions that would prove troublesome for her stitched up thighs.

Clipping the communicater around her ear and tapping it once to ensure it was in proper working condition the young agent grinned, brushing some stray hair out of her fluttering eyes as she gazed up at Skyler. "I'll be safe...I promise..", she simpered, lightly nodding her head at the white haired female before gracefully spinning on her heel, making sure not to sprain her already injured leg. Giving Skyler one last wave and Eric a polite grin the girl tip toed off into the direction of the ferris wheel, the gentle colours and grand curve of the wheel drawing her in like a child towards a toy-store. She was now free from the awkward tension of the brooding blacksmith and his burning gaze. Shaking her head she swung her dainty arms out in front of her, letting out a puff of air as she tentatively made her way around a dried up fountain. Ghostly gargoyles, decrepit mermaids and a whole manner of fantastical creatures dripped with moldy grey water that reeked of moisture and moss.

Hopping over the skeleton of a toppled hot dog stand Lilia felt the brief caress of wind against her skin before carefully landing on the point of her shoes. The soft rhythm of her footsteps melted into the grass underfoot, allowing Lilia relative stealth when creeping around old vending stores and the occasional ride. Turning her gaze to the left she was met with a particularly peculiar sight. A rather mild excitement often found in amusement parks the teacup ride were nonetheless a cheap and 'safe' alternative to the other gravity defying rides strewn throughout the park. The large plastic cups almost always entertained the younger variety of thrill seekers and it made perfect sense that Lilia, a girl whose childhood strictly revolved around ballerina, gasped in subdued delight at the sight. Brushing her hand against the rusted railings she slowly inched her way into the teacup and saucer's domain, a strange giddy feeling rising up in the depths of her soul. Poking her head into every stained white cup the girl carefully scanned the underneath the seats and restraints for anything remotely resembling a popular fruit.

"I haven't found anything yet...just a lot of dirt and yucky stuff...", she chirped into her headpiece, the Russian rolling off her tongue like winter water. A second round check throughout the small area left Lilia with nothing but slightly tussled hair and specks of dirt on her bandaged hands. Biting her lip she scrunched her arched eyebrows together, flicking her head to and go just in case she misse anything in the nearby area. There was nothing but more faded colour, whistling wind and the distant chirping of birds...everything except for the elusive item that Uncle Cornelius desired....

by **Blacksmith** November 8th 2012, 4:33 am

Eric gritted his teeth when his mother's first threat reached his ears. He caught the earpiece she tossed him and put it into his right ear, all the while shooting daggers at the woman with his eyes. Lilia had already escaped his attention, which was now filled with the sight of his mother. In a way he was disappointed; though he never expected for a loving reconciliation, and held nothing but loathing for her, there had always been the tiniest glimmer of hope inside his heart. Hope that perhaps there was some redeeming reason for him to be discarded, that it was a mistake, and his suffering was not the result of conscious action. Hope that there had been someone out there all along, caring for him, worrying for him.
Give her a reason to shoot him between the eyes? There was no tenderness here, words absent motherly love. And if there was any love, it was directed at the girl, and only manifested itself in her words to him as a threat meant to protect the ballerina. Eric grunted when a stern gaze was thrown his way, and stared back at her with disdain.

His animosity was interrupted by Lilia, who for some reason grinned at him before heading off on her own. This confused him, making him wonder why in the hell she'd do such a thing. Putting up a tough front maybe? Happy that he just got scolded by her protector? No, it didn't seem like a gesture of defiance. Eric couldn't quite work it out, and decided to head off and search on his own as well, searching for some stupid red pear-shaped trinket for whatever dumb reason.
But before he could leave, his path was blocked by none other than his eternal tormentor. Again, all she had to offer was threats, this time pertaining to her treating Lilia nicely. His earlier suspicion had been confirmed. Her earlier threat too had been out of concern for the girl, and anger at Eric for having harmed her. His mother had replaced him with another child, it seemed. Envy and hate boiled up within him, breaking down his inhibitions and compelling him to speak up regardless of the threat it could pose to his survival.
"Oh, no problem there, Doctor." he spat out the word as if it were to filthy to remain on his lips. "I could care less about who you like to cuddle up with at night, be it that greasy scumbag or your little wind-up doll."
He walked away after speaking up, slowing his pace in order to keep from storming off and betraying his rage.

Materializing a survival-shovel, a tool that had a secondary use as a weapon and therefore lay within his abilities to replicate, and slinging it over his shoulder, he walked off into the eerily abandoned amusement park. He took care to walk off in an entirely different direction than his companions did.

OOC: Yeah, sorry. Heart wasn't in this one. Couldn't figure out a specific place to search so just kept it vague.

by **Danger** November 11th 2012, 2:32 am

Surrounded by the entourage of apparitions brought a spark to Elaine's mind. The light glimmered off of the faux stoic gaze Elaine presented across the halls. "It would so awesome to be able to jump into mirrors and walk around in a mirror world. They said someone can do that on the news."

"Believing everything you hear on the news is partially why you are the way you are."

"It would be weird if it was your reflection in the mirror and not mine. Like some sort of weird zone thing."

"You mean Twilight Zone."

"Maybe if you watched the news more often and not all that mind rotting science fiction you would amount to something in life."

"In order to amount to something in life, I would need to be alive, so I have the pleasant obligation to amount to something through you."

"Do you know how I reach enlightenment?-- Did you say 'I have any found anything yet?' Or was it me?"

"I'm going with neither, but I'm glad I have such a vital role in this endeavor."

Tracing her steps along with a host of many within the glass, Elaine sought after the voice ringing through the halls. It seemed so close, but the echo always kept a way of tricking those who believed too easily.

"Do we really want to meet someone who breaks into run down amusement parks. The only other people I can think of who do that are you and me, and I wouldn't past either of us to be bad party guests."

"Do you think they're black?"

"To what degree would that impact our course of action?"

"To the degree that I don't want to get mu--"

"Oh yes, racism, I forgot you aren't bound by ethics or an understanding of the human condition."

"Excuse me!" Elaine shouted to the opening of the house of mirrors. "I'm coming out and will shoot unless people are--uh." Elaine went into deep thinking. "What should I make them do?"

"Go into hiding, because you announced you are here?"

"Shut up dummy; I'm not going through the door. I'll just go through the wall, and they'll be expecting me to come through the door."

"Have them write and notarize a last will and testament would show insight on all parts."

"If you don't want to get shot, start clapping."

"Why?"

"It clears their hands up of weapons, duh."

"But it also--"

"Too late, it's been yelled and I can't unyell."

"I wish I could unmeet you."

Once she issued her warrant, Elaine moved against the mirror adjourning the wall between her and the outside. She remembered a number of vacant stalls lining the walkway, any of which would make a fine place to hide. With a quick jolt of energy, Elaine burst towards the mirror with all of her momentum, materializating inside of a derelict shooting gallery.

by **Chellizard** November 13th 2012, 4:17 pm

"Too bad you don't know how I really feel.." she said this under her breath as Eric stormed off, despite his pace being slow and shallow. She had seen many cases of rage masked by pride. Hell, she had done it countless times. A pain in her stomach made her head hurt, but she turned and head off toward the Carousel and reptile house. She would check the Reptile house, first. Maybe there would be a few of the scaly creatures still alive. She drew her hand gun before stepping over the shallow threshold. She then spoke into her mic, in Russian first of course. "Is everything all right on your end, Lilia?" she asked in a calm tone, her eyes adjusting to the darkness while her gun was pointed around each corner, her body slowly following.

The subtle sounds of slithering and hissing was filling the music-less void of carnival symphonies. Skyler imagined a soft Halloween vibe theme rolling through this Reptilian House. Her attention peaked when Lilia answered her, easing her mind. She asked Eric if he was all right as well. "How's everything on your end, Blacksmith?" She heard a box fall over, and then the sound of scraping. She flicked the flashlight on the end of her gun on, not wanting to waste the battery life it had. She found a pile of reptiles, unknown to her, eating at a dead mouse or, maybe even one of their own. She chuckled at that one, and shined her light around to look for any sign of a red, pear shaped object. The slightest glint would give away the item, and she was hoping it'd be in an obvious place. The most obvious of places are the places that people look last, at least in some cases.

That made her think of an idea.. one that was cut short when she heard a muffled yell, but it wasn't a threat, or a distress call. It was.. an introduction. It was barely heard through one of the other two's mics. It made her worry, her heart thumped, and she was out of the Reptile House as quickly as she had stepped in. "Who heard that cry for help the loudest?" she asked in both English and Russian, her attention turning in the direction Eric had sauntered off in, and then toward the House of Mirrors where Lilia had wandered off to check in. They were not alone. Someone else was here.

by **Twinkletoes** November 23rd 2012, 9:20 am

Lilia sighed, gnawing on her lower lip as she peaked and poked around the various attractions in her immediate area. Funny statues lined the cracked sidewalks, their comical, frozen forms amused the girl as much as they disturbed her and any glance in the gargoyles direction lasted no longer than three seconds before she glanced away and scurried off to more safer crevices scattered around the decaying amusement park. Her bright cerulean eyes blinked with meek curiosity as she wandered further into the intricate maze of rundown stalls and rides, it truly was a sublime experience for a girl who had not known anything other than the cold grey walls of her cell back in Dominus. She had taken the task set out by Uncle Corn as some little game, find the 'magical pear' and bring it back to Skyler and then have ice cream and visit Amélie, whom she dearly missed.

"If i was a pear where would i hide..?"she mused in her gentle feminine voice, bending over to check under a crumpled tarpaulin only to have several cockroaches scurry out and scatter around in her general direction. A normal girl would have squealed and escaped such horrid insects and Lilia did just that, squeal and escape the disgusting bugs...the only difference between her and your average teenage girl was that she instinctively reverted into her diamond form whilst scampering away. Her translucent shimmering body stood out against the rusted, murky and depressing remains of the amusement park...a shiny new toy amongst all the older ones. A shiny new toy that seemingly attracted the attention of some unknown person lurking amongst the stalls scattering the grounds of the amusement park.

Lilia froze, slowly glancing around her as she heard the strange female english pierce the cold new orleans afternoon. What was the lady saying? She wasn't screaming and the young agent could not discern any threat being made mainly because the tone used was unlike any other voice that aimed to harm her. She furrowed her glistening brow, peaking her head around the corner of a large wooden stall, hoping to make a glimpse of any possible life in the ghostly amusement park. "Umm...I did...but i don't know what she said..."Lilia whispered, straightening a crease in her skirt before lightly tip-toeing through the lines of untouched stalls, carefully watching for anything remotely human...or pear shaped.

She felt uneasy, woman tend to be a lot kinder towards her but then again she could not understand whoever own ed the voice so many it would be a wise thing not to search for them. Her tentative steps forward took her across the frenzied grass and mouldy puddles, the diamond form unaffected by the cold, dirt or muck surrounding her immediate vicinity. All seemed relatively normal up until her peripheral vision caught sight of a female form standing in a shooting gallery. Diamond eyes widened and a light gasp escaped Lilia's shimmering lips as her gaze fell directly onto the asian cowgirl...a strange sight indeed.

by **Danger** December 11th 2012, 3:29 am

Stepping into the fray of desolate alley brought Elaine in clear sight of a more timid looking girl than she expected. While this mystery girl offered no real objection, Elaine took the look of tremidation to mean something of guilt for performing the same crime Elaine herself performed. "You don't look like a carnival ghost. Did you sneak in here for enlightenment as well?"

"Oh for God's sake. Can we stop telling everyone about enlightenment. It's great you went to a college campus for something other than a repeat of Kent State, but can we please just get back to doing something remotely-- and the guns are coming out."

"Not guns." Elaine spoke as she rummaged through her drawstring bag to the companion no one could see. "Something better." After a few seconds, Elaine's arm resurfaced from the depths of her bag bearing a statue of a Bhudda and a small pack of incense sticks. "See, if you want to get enlightenment--"

"This will be worth the genocide of brain cells."

"You need to light these sticks on fire, and for some reason they smell funny, I like it, but I'm just better than everyone. " Bearing the markings of a bar in Mexico, Elaine lit the tips of the sticks until a line of smoke began trailing off. "Then, you take them--" With a sudden forceful gesture, Elaine shoved the end of the stick directly into the torso of the Bhudda. "And you stab this fat guy repeatedly."

"Are you trying to gain enlightenment by ascertaining a hate crime hat trick."

"Haha, you said 'ass'." With the force she placed upon the edge of the stick, the shaft splintered. Each barb only gave Elaine enough leeway to make a few jabs before she finally exhausted the supply. "And there you go." Elaine placed the still in tact Bhudda statue down in front of the girl. "After you stab it and it isn't dead, you reflect on 'why isn't it dead'?"

"If that was all it took to gain enlightenment, I assure you the greater population of the world would gain a higher state." He paused. "Or dead. But that seems to be the two options for you."

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